Dog in Pool

[The Moose]

Hey there

We have had an in ground pool for a while now. Recently got a new dog. He has been swimming in the pool quite regularly.

Is there any hygiene reason as to why this may be an issue? I understand the dog may get a little irritated in his eyes and nose after from the Chlorine (however he doesn't appear to). I also suspect the filters will need extra love. These bits are not really what I'm asking, however.

What I want to know is whether there is any way it could be unhygienic for humans? I know that dogs (assuming not old and incontinent) generally 'close up' and won't pee or poop when in the water, however someone did suggest it may be an issue.

Thanks for your help in advance!

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Any animal can present diseases to other people. The licks itself to clean its rear and so there’s always the potential for fecal matter to get into the pool (same with babies and toddlers). As long as the dog is appropriately vaccinated and the chlorine in the pool is kept at proper levels, hair and dirt (if the dog likes to dig and get dirty) will be your biggest issues. I am not a fan of allowing animals to swim in pools but that’s my personal preferences.

 

[Richard320]

Hairnets or nylons over the skimmer basket will catch a lot of the shedded hair and save your filter some grief.

 

[The Moose]

Any animal can present diseases to other people. The licks itself to clean its rear and so there’s always the potential for fecal matter to get into the pool (same with babies and toddlers). As long as the dog is appropriately vaccinated and the chlorine in the pool is kept at proper levels, hair and dirt (if the dog likes to dig and get dirty) will be your biggest issues. I am not a fan of allowing animals to swim in pools but that’s my personal preferences.

Thanks for the reply. You are of course correct, however he does like to lick us! We try to avoid faces, but he does every now and again sneak in a 'kiss' ha!

He has been swimming for a month or so and the pool levels don't appear to have affected.

- - - Updated - - -

Hairnets or nylons over the skimmer basket will catch a lot of the shedded hair and save your filter some grief.

Great idea - thanks for the tip!

 

[duraleigh]

My dog swam and dived in our pool for nine years. She was the number one user by far.

I never noticed any excess dog hair in the filter.....a little, but certainly not excessive. It is possible she peed in the pool, but what 3 year old doesn't?

The side effects I DID notice was she smelled good, her coat was shiny, and you could not get the grin off her face.

 

[The Moose]

It sounds like there aren't any major hygiene issues that I've missed here?

 

[zea3]

Just don't let him swim if he has been having runny stools. That's a universal rule across all species!

 

[Texas Splash]

My dogs beat me to the water every chance they get when I open the gate. They have no side effects, however I now seem to howl at passing sirens and stop at fire hydrants. Woof!

 

[DebbieO]

I envy you Texas Splash! Neither of my dogs will be my swim buddies. My Bullmastiff mix hit the drink twice when he lost his footing catching bees. It was not easy hefting him up and out of the deep end. When my Rottie was a pup he thought the solar cover was stable ground and decided to hop on while I was swimming it out over the water to close it up for the evening.

 

[DaneCE]

Here's my baby relaxing on her float. I adopted her 3 months ago, she's approx. 1.5 years old. I encouraged her to swim but it didn't take much, now she loves the pool. I agree, swimming does give them a bath to help keep them clean. I haven't noticed any negative effects from the chlorine on her coat or skin. I have a small container filled with coconut oil that I let her lick from, about 30 ml or more per day and that seems to have positive effects for her health and coat.

 

[tim5055]

Well, if we are going to show pictures....

 

[DebbieO]

well tim and DaneCE, I showed my dogs your wonderful pics and they still said "No Way!"

 

[Sek8]

Just a caution if you let your dog swim - be aware of the signs of water intoxication. My in-laws’ dog almost died of water intoxication after swimming in our pool and ingesting too much water.

 

[bmoreswim]

I’ve read about that numerous times. We limit their swimming period lengths for just that reason.

 

[tschaefges]

We have multiple dogs in our pool all the time. Use a skimmer sock to trap the hair and never put borax in the water (it's toxic to dogs).

 

[DaneCE]

^Great pic! Is that a dog ramp I see? I considered designing and building one but my dog has learned to use the ladder.

 

[tschaefges]

^Great pic! Is that a dog ramp I see? I considered designing and building one but my dog has learned to use the ladder.

Yes, it's a PetStep folding ramp on a homemade PVC stand. They last about 3 years before the rubber treads wear off. The first thing we teach the dogs is how to get out of the pool using the ramp. Once they learn that they almost never touch the sides again.

 

[Tenebrius]

Ohhh dogs in water. We just got a Labernese (Lab and Burmese Mountain Dog mix) She's 9 weeks, loves water but we don't have a ramp and we need to work hard to get her out of our inground pool (Salt water).

We started looking for ramps and although i can retrofit a vehicle ramp, i was thinking of making a foldable one, but what can i use besides plywood which will rot i think. Would ciment fiber planks be good enough, or are there sheets of composite out there?

I would put marine carpet on it.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[zea3]

I think fiber cement would absorb water. Resin decking material would be better and probably lighter.

 

[otter86753]

I have a wire haired dachshund who swims in our pool for therapy and we have seen no ill effects of her in the water to us or to her.

Passing along a plug for dog safety. Please take the time to train your dog to know where the exit for them is located. Regardless of where or what direction we place our dog in the water, she immediately looks for her exit and swims directly there. We used the reward system (treats on the top of that exit) for her training. Think of your dog's eye level when they are in the water and how the edge of your pool would appear to them. They can panic or worse if they do not know where the exit steps are.