Water

Question
QUESTION: I have a nearly 12 week old black lab, female, and i was wondering if it was normal for her to be a bit scared of water. She will go in up to her belly to follow me, but she wont go get her toy like she does on land, and is it bad to carry her in, and make her swim to shore ?

ANSWER: I wouldn't force her.  Try to find places with a smooth, gently, sloping bottom.  Let her play around where she is comfortable.  You can challenge her by throwing toys or sticks further out, but if she doesn't go after them, let her go.  

I think even in Labs, swimming is a learned behavior.  Many of mine haven't been around water when young, and later wanted nothing to do with it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I have a nearly three month old golden lab, and whenever someone walks into my house, even if they do not pay attention to her, she pee's on the floor. This is the only time she pee's in the house. Why is it ?

Answer
It could be either excitement or fear.  The same techniques should help either.  Many dogs eventually outgrow it, but you can reduce it by building the dog's confidence up.  Start with obedience training.  The key to most behavior problems is approaching things using the dog's natural instincts.  Dogs see all the people and dogs in the household as a pack with each having their own rank in the pack and a top dog.  Life is much easier if the 2 legged pack members outrank the 4 legged ones.  You can learn to play the role of top dog by reading some books or going to a good obedience class. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start at http://www.dogsbestfriend.com/  As you praise the dog for following your commands, it will build its confidence.  

Play tug of war with the dog and lose.  However at the end of the game, take the rope or toy and put it up, less the dog becomes confused about who is top dog.  Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds.   Ones I made  lasted much better.   Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the foot.  Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie  knots in it.   Get them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer.  Watch carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

Finally, make sure it has a den to live in.  If you are not using a crate, buy one.  The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house.  It relaxes, it feels safe in its den.  It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self.  Dogs that have been crated all along do very well.  Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open.  I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling.  Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew.  Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start out just putting its toys and treats in the crate.  Praise it for going
in.  Feed it in the crate.  This is also an easy way to maintain order at
feeding time for more than one dog.

One other thing more effective for the excited dog is to anticipate visitors and take the dog out to empty its bladder before hand.