Hello from a Newbie looking to swim my crazy German Shepherds!! :D

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K9 Protected

K9 Protected

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LifeTime Supporter
Jul 3, 2015
41
Newport News, VA
Hello TFP Gurus!!

I know zilch about keeping up with pools, but will be studying up on your info before asking questions about that. My dream is to have an affordable inground pool, and I have found that there are two AG pool brands (Medallion Freedom Pool and the Radiant Metric Pool) so far that are able to be fully sunken into the ground that may work next year for me. For the rest of this year, I am going to grab another Intex Easy Set 18' x 42" here next week and put a sand filter/SWG combo I bought 2 years ago for the 15' x 36" I had for the dogs then.

What I'm hunting for day and night right now (literally... :p ) is to see if there is a vinyl repair type tape that I can preemptively wrap that top inflatable ring with to protect it from the dogs' nails as they launch off of it and hang on to it while inside the pool. It appears that Tear-Aid, type B would work, but may double or triple (or worse!) the cost of the pool to cover the whole ring with Tear-Aid. I'm willing to spend another $200-300 if needed to wrap the ring before adding water to the pool, but more than than seems a bit nuts. I have read everything I could find about people who had issues with the top ring holding air, and I don't want to rip it open ahead of time to alter it just yet. It seems like if I could find the right tape without breaking the bank, this could work for awhile!

The Easy Set allows them to get in and out of the pool without having to have any decks built and sets of stairs built/bought when my goal is to have a relatively inexpensive IG pool/sunken AG pool in the next year or two, making AB decking/stairs unnecessary at that point. (I've exhausted every other possible portable pool alternative but requires too much money to not intend to keep anything above ground too long...)

I have 4 German Shepherds and a wussie Pit Bull... Two of my shepherds think they are a cross between a Labrador and a Malinois----so they MUST be able to swim!! If Intex would just make that top inflatable ring from some kind of thicker whitewater rafting material, we'd be SET!!

I am also a counselor, blessed to be able to work from home at this point in my career. So walking outside to throw some Jolly Balls into a pool for my psycho shepherds is a treat for us all. Poor dogs are using a 9ft round x 28'' poly stock tank and I can't wait to get them really swimming again.

It's a pleasure to meet you all and learn so much from all your experiences.
 
Welcome to TFP! That is some craziness, must be pure insanity every time the door opens!

What about going with one of the 10' or 12' x 30" deep metal framed pools. They should be able to jump into that or maybe a single 15" step to help them in. Metal Frame - Above Ground Pools - Store - Intex The whole pool is cheaper than what you are talking about for some tape. I don't see how anything could protect that ring from 5 crazy dogs. And the whole metal frame pool is made of tougher material.
 
Hello K9 Protector. I'm a Newbie here too. I am also a dog lover, so I can understand you wanting something large enough for them to swim, and play in. I also had an 18' Intex Easy Set Pool for several years before having my 24' round pool put in.

Another thing you might want to consider, and are probably already aware of since you owned one is: In addition to the dog's toenails poking holes in the rings being an issue, is that often times, with those rubber ring pools when the ring itself is pressed down, (like when getting in, or out of the pool without a ladder, or if you are inside the pool resting your arms over top of the ring, etc.), that section of the ring/pool remains pressed down, and can waste large amounts of water.
If pressed down hard enough, the ring/side will sometimes remain down until you physically pull it back up by hand.
LOL I found this out the hard way as I had my arms hanging over the ring to maintain my position in the pool, and I actually got flushed out of my pool, and went yard surfing on my float because of that issue.

I'm not saying these aren't fine little inexpensive pools for the money, but I'm curious how often the dogs getting in, and out, will this happen wasting a lot of water, and costing additional money to keep filling it back up? It was just something I thought I'd mention, and if you didn't have an issue like that the last time you had and Intex pool, you got lucky. Good luck finding the right pool for your pups. I agree that a metal frame pool, like pooldv suggested, might be a better option. Have a nice day!
 
Thank you, Texas Splash, and I love your pic and your Jerry Lee!! :salut:

Crackerjack4u, thanks for the input as well. And yes, I think I have finally put to rest the idea of using the Easy Set pool with crazy expensive tape... And your point is well taken also. I remember how annoying the water they would drag out of the pool was to create muddy areas around the pool.

I went to a pool place a couple hours away to look firsthand at the AGP that is also acceptable to put inground to just see it in person and if I could swing the expense right now... Well, they also happen to have two Intex Ultra Frame rectangular pools in the two sizes I have considered, the 12 x 24, and the 16 x 32. For the same reason when I mapped out the two sizes in my yard, the 16 x 32 will be the winner... I likened it to buying a flat screen tv---you can always get a bit too much, but not too small. By the time I add a resting platform of some kind and take up more of the pool space with that, and steps, I want the length especially to swim my German Shepherds with no risk of it not being enough to exercise them. "Go big or go home," I suppose. :party:

Sooooo, NOW, to confirm the best place to buy one (saw one on Amazon for $1299, I think? :deal:), to draw out the minimal requirements for decking, resting platforms and stairs for ease of dogs' and people's egress, and then get this doggie/people pool show on the road here. :swim:

Thanks for all your suggestions while I ruled out the Easy Set option! Being able to see those two rectangular Intex pools set up was SO helpful and more realistic for me than any IG pool right now. I'm getting excited about it now!
 

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I'll welcome you again and Texas Splash... Jerry Lee is something else! Let him in the big boy pool you meanie! :mrgreen:
 
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