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Hello! My 18 month old Belgian Mal has been extremely reactive since day one over anyone in the swimming pool. She barks aggressively the minute we get in and will do laps around the pool. If we come close to the edge she bites. (Not the playful type..) It doesn’t matter if we are calmly laying on a raft or playing around/ the behavior does not waiver. It’s not realistic for her to be kept inside the whole time we are in the pool because summertime is short so we absolutely take advantage while we can. I reallllly need help- I’d love her to swim with us or at least let us swim while she plays in the yard etc. We have never forced/thrown her into the pool EVER. However, I have done everything but that to coax her in. (I’d never throw her in, to be clear!) I’ve gone stair by stair with her with treats/praise for every step- but as soon as her feet are submerged on the third step she turns into a kuala, holding onto my shoulders for dear life. It’s as if she wants to go in but is scared to death- and my back has been shredded up plenty with the amount of tries! I take her to an agility center and have one on one time with her in a small pool with a ramp for dogs to learn to swim/get over the fear of it.. but it’s more of the same thing. I have gotten her to swim to me but I absolutely cannot get her to not hang on me with those claws. We live in the northeast on the lake where we have brutal winters and only 3 good months of swimming weather, so her exposure to the pool has been limited since she was born October 2021.. straight into the winter. We have three young kids and love having friends over.. but I can’t risk any of them getting bit. My oldest son was bit once while he held onto the ledge and I can’t let anything like that happen again. I assume she fears for our lives because she herself isn’t comfortable with the water. Please please please! Any suggestions or different approaches to this issue? Any follow up info on the matter needed? thank you!!!