Dog in pond

[Stamford]

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Hi can someone please help me?
Im at my wits end here with my 12 yr old cocker spaniel. Yes i understand shes a water dog but i cant keep up with the filthy cushions and dirty bed linen.
In the past year shes got worse, every single time she goes out on our garden she jumps straight into our large fish pond. She has terrorised the fish by ust her splashing around in there. Shes broken the net and even got stuck in there, luckily I was n the garden. We have tried reprimanding her, but she just does it again and again, were sitting on soaking wet, muddy cushions all the time. We have looked into meshing the pond but it costs a small fortune as its about 25 ft long. We were thinking of fencing it off but i think she'll jump over as we cannot go too high, and one side is a path which would cause problems trying to erect a fence there. I just dont know what else to do, its not even like she occasionally goes in there, shes in there 10 times a day. PLEASE HELP

 

[JoanneF]

Sorry, this really isn't meant to sound flippant but can you keep her on a lead? Or even a long lead (attached to a harness, never a collar, for safety) and kept tethered on something so she can't reach the pond?

 

[JudyN]

I do think you need to look at management rather than training. It it possible to limit her visits to the garden by taking her out for walks more, and containing her in one area of the house (with no soft furnishings) until she's dry? At least dirt that comes off once she's dry is easy to vacuum up. Keeping her out of bedrooms would reduce the mess, and throws on sofas may help.

I'd be wary of netting the pond because of the dangers of her getting caught up in it. How high do you think she'd jump? Would chicken netting like this work? Omlet Chicken Fencing | Poultry Netting for Chickens

I wouldn't leave her unsupervised with that type of fence though. I used it with my dog when he was a pup and he got badly tangled when he tried to get through it.

 

[Ari_RR]

If it was me, I would probably:
- Wash or hose her down before she gets back inside the house. It's warm now, should be easier.
- Dry her with towels after washing or hosing her.
- So now she is less dirty and less wet
- Fence off the sofas/cushions inside the house with some kind of portable barriers until she is dry (much easier than fencing the pond)
- Let her enjoy the water... She is who she is, loves her pond, there is no changing that.

I don't know how this impacts the fish, though... Unless she eats or somehow hurts fish, I would just hope fish will eventually accept her as part of the pond...

 

[Stamford]

The long tether sounds a good idea. She could wander and do her business. But it could stop before it reaches the pond. She does this all ur round not just in the warmer weather. I don’t mind too much having to get up and wash and dry her in the summer. But I’m not happy about doing this ten times a day thru winter. We have leather sofas and she’s always been allowed to sit on them. But it’s the cushions. I move them, but if we’re sat there and we get up to go to the loo or something, she jumps straight on them. She’s just a badly trained dog, that’s my fault. But it’s too late now that she’s twelve yrs old. We adore her. She’s part of our family. But she’s certainly become much more challenging in the past two years. Thanks for advice though.

 

[Mayblossom]

Another idea here....make up a few wooden frames to fit the fish pond so they can be lifted off if you need to get to the fish etc, cover them with a hard plastic type netting which is solid and won’t allow her to jump in, this will put her off attempting it if she finds she can’t get in we had this system to stop the herons taking the koi. Is the pond raised or ground level ? And is it a uniform shape? Hope I’ve explained it ok
Forgot to ask how wide the pond is ....if it’s too wide the framework may not work unless strengthened.

 

[Hemlock]

Quite a low fence will still be effective if you angle the top over at the dog side. Also you don't need to fence right by the pond - an area round the back door close to the house will still leave your dog garden space while protecting the pond.

Moving cushions and shutting doors is human training so up to you how much it matters. But providing the dog with a sensationally comfortable bed of her own right by the sofa is often enough to reduce problems like this.

 

[excuseme]

Our Cockers and water
Water is magnetic our lot, they love it. Chalky shallow watery areas next to our field, they are straight in. When they dry out, all of the chalky residue in their coats shakes out in the house and creates a thick dust everywhere (I am by no means a house proud person ). Smelly, dirty, old and unused water troughs in some fields, again they head dive into these and boy do they stink, they get out with a really bad gooie sediment stuck to themselves, muddy farm tracks with water filled wheel marks and thick mud around the edges, or just a tacky sticky drying out remains of a chalky wet patch, all of these wet things act as a magnet to them all.
We have no ponds or streams near us where we can give them a swim to rinse this muck out of their coats.
If we are aware that we are getting near to one of these obstacles we take the best precautions possible to keep the girls close to us until we have got past the area
If the girls are still wet by the time we get home, they have to stay in the kitchen area, where we have a tilled floor until they are dry, (the floor hoovers up and wipes over quiet easily)PHEW!
In the autumn / winter when the girls come out beating with us, they return home absolutely filthy, (sometimes 4 to 4 times a week, they are not aloud indoors until they have all had individual showers to rinse out their coats! (no soap just water).

Training, well how on earth do you turn a magnet off, you can stop them but you have to be with them at the time and not look the other way for a second.

The love of our Cockers has to be unconditional. We love all 7 of ours.

I'm sorry, I don't think any of that has helped you and answered your question.

.

 

[JudyN]

Training, well how on earth do you turn a magnet off

I love that metaphor, I am so stealing it!

 

[excuseme]

Your welcome.

 

[Flobo]

Ah, the joy of dogs!!

 

[Ari_RR]

Perhaps a kids’ portable splashing pool? Fill it with water and maybe she will use it instead of the pond?
Best if can borrow someone’s to try....

 

[Stamford]

Perhaps a kids’ portable splashing pool? Fill it with water and maybe she will use it instead of the pond?
Best if can borrow someone’s to try....

I’ve bought a lovely strong doggie proof paddling pool. It’s
Lovely. I fill it. She walks in it walks out of it and heads off to the
Pond again. Arghhhhhh

 

[JudyN]

Haha - the pond probably smells far better!

Sorry - I know it's only funny when it's not you having to clean up all the mess.

 

[lurcherman]

Ooh something to get my teeth into ,right just started the last year so someone else said it might be smelling as something has changed her mental thoughts, I’m different so don’t take it as a attack, when my dogs was walked and run the last thing they would want was mucking around in a pond, but your breed loves water hehe, oooom I’m gunna leave it there for other site users to give you help and I will watch how things goes, best of luck and hope the help comes and helps .

 

[Stamford]

Ooh something to get my teeth into ,right just started the last year so someone else said it might be smelling as something has changed her mental thoughts, I’m different so don’t take it as a attack, when my dogs was walked and run the last thing they would want was mucking around in a pond, but your breed loves water hehe, oooom I’m gunna leave it there for other site users to give you help and I will watch how things goes, best of luck and hope the help comes and helps .

She has her socks walked off and her refreshment is to come jump in the pond afterwards. Nothing deters her. I think the only answer is to fence the pond right off.

 

[lurcherman]

Which was gunna be my first response but decided on exercise, the answer is mainly simple , it’s just up to the owners to reach that answer, li wish you well in your approach.