Waterwork

Waterwork

Waterwork You often hear owners of Newfoudlanders sigh about their dog: “he jumps into everything and can't get out of it”. But why make a problem out of that? Take advantage of his natural talent and his preference for water. Do water work with your Newfoundland! The Newfoundland is originally from Newfoundland, an inhospitable island off the east coast of Canada. There this dog was an indispensable helper to the fishermen. The Newfoundlanders pulled boats, sloops and fishing nets ashore, but also rescued sailors who had fallen overboard from the salty water and sometimes retrieved shot birds from the water. The Newfoundland has a thick, double coat that is also greasy and water-repellent. This not only keeps the dogs warm, but the skin under the coat stays dry, even during prolonged immersion. The thick coat also has another function. While swimming, the hairs fan out over the surface of the water. The air particles hanging between the fur increase the dogs' buoyancy. To achieve the most powerful thrust possible with each swimming stroke, the Newfoundland has webbed feet between its toes. In addition, there is hardly a specimen that is not crazy about water. Objective: An attempt is made to use the exercises to imitate reality as much as possible so that the innate characteristics of the breed are properly expressed. The dogs will become more self-confident and the owner will gain more insight into the behavior of his/her dog. The main points are: • The exercises must be feasible and correspond to reality. • To safeguard the innate characteristics of the Newfoundland. • Improve the dog's obedience. • Optimize the dog's self-confidence. • Learn to understand the dog's behavior better. • Ensures unstressed movement of the dog and thus the muscles and joints are developed and trained in a responsible manner. Exercises The dogs perform the exercise completely voluntarily. A boat, a sub or a fun tube, etc., is used for the exercises. Various objects are also used such as dummies, floating toys, rope, oar, etc. Exercises are also done with a lifebuoy and drowning people. A volunteer regularly plays the role of a drowning person, but we also use a life-size doll made from a wetsuit and filled with, for example, Styrofoam. We use the doll to train to rescue an unconscious/lifeless drowning person and bring him back to shore or to the boat. We try to teach the dog to grab the (unconscious/lifeless) drowning person by the wrist. Many Newfoundlanders enjoy the exercise in which they can jump out of the boat. Then they are difficult to keep and when they are allowed to jump, they put their legs on the edge of the boat and then jump into the water with a high, far and powerful jump to save a drowning person, for example. There are also dogs that gracefully slide out of the boat. There are 3 basic exercises. We expand the exercises from the basics. In addition, there are also certification exercises (see more under the heading Training / Certifications). The exercises are done at 30 meters. or 50 m, depending on age, experience, weather conditions and any current. To avoid automatism in the dogs, a fixed program is used as little as possible during the training and we try to use different objects as much as possible. Under the heading 'play sailing', in addition to the official exercises, exercises are also devised to challenge the dog. Combinations of different possible exercises are also tried, both from the boat and from the shore. The training When a Newfoundlander comes to water works for the first time, we will first look at how the dog reacts to the water and how the dog swims. If it is determined that the dog can swim well, for example, the dog's owner takes a seat in the boat (this is not mandatory) and the dog is encouraged to swim behind it while they row or sail away. At a later stage we will try to see whether the dog will also swim to a stranger in the boat. In the beginning it is only a short distance. Gradually the distance will be made longer so that we are at the required distance of 50 meters. Once at the boat, the dog is handed an object and he is called back, for example, by the second owner / acquaintance / handler who remained on the shore. Once on land, the dog is first allowed to drain because a wet Newfoundland, despite its water-repellent coat, is almost twice as heavy as a dry one. Sometimes he gets his reward in the form of a treat or a game, although some dogs see the exercises in the water in themselves as the ultimate form of reward. Most of them love it so much and would like to do it again. If they get the chance, they turn around and sprint straight back into the pool. Jumping out of the boat is also built up slowly, first with help and only later is the dog allowed to attempt the jump alone. Everything is done on a non-binding basis, more is never expected of the dog than he wants and can handle. Through play, the canine water rats learn everything needed to become a good water worker. Problems Besides the simple fact that the majority of Newfoundlanders simply love water work, there are more reasons to practice this special branch of "dog sport". As with many large breeds, hip dysplasia is unfortunately an all too common ailment in the Newfoundland. Swimming is an excellent form of exercise that ensures a well-muscled dog without putting too much strain on the animal. And good musculature can ensure that any HD problems remain within limits. Another reason is better control over the dog. A common complaint from Newfoundland owners is that their dog jumps into every dredging ditch it comes across. Another problem may be that their dog steps into the water and cannot move to get out again under any circumstances. Completely convinced that the boss cannot reach them, they paddle their laps and if they had fingers they would certainly raise the middle one in defiance. By teaching them to fetch dummies and other objects from the water and to connect the water to much more fun things than just swimming, you get this behavior under control and that saves a lot of annoyance, especially on less nice days.
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