Ask any dog owner with a pool and they will tell you the dog was in it within the first week. Some dogs live for it. Others fall in. Either way, the pool has to work for the dog, which means a way out it can find, a fence it cannot defeat, and a maintenance routine that accounts for a swimmer with fur. Here is what to plan.
A way out the dog can use
The single most important thing. A dog that falls into a pool with vertical walls and only a ladder cannot get out and will tire. Steps in the shallow end, a tanning ledge or a beach entry all give a dog a place to climb out on its own. If the pool has a bench, a dog can sometimes use it as a step. When designing a pool for a household with dogs, we make sure there is at least one exit a dog can manage, and ideally it is on the side the dog would naturally swim toward: the house. Pool entries compared covers the options.
Teach the exit
Dogs do not automatically know where the steps are. Walk the dog into the pool at the steps, out at the steps, repeatedly, on a leash if needed, until the dog goes to the steps on its own from anywhere in the pool. Do this before the dog has a chance to panic. A dog that has learned the exit is a dog that can save itself.
Fence and gate
The pool barrier that protects children protects dogs too, if the dog cannot go under, through or over it. Dogs dig under fences and squeeze through gaps that a code inspector would not think about. If the dog is not allowed in the pool area unsupervised, check the fence for dog-sized gaps and consider a gate the dog cannot nose open. Pool fencing that does not ruin the view covers styles that also happen to be dog-resistant.
What a dog does to the water
A dog brings hair, dander, dirt, pollen and skin oils into the pool, and a big dog brings a lot. The load on the chlorine is real; plan to check chlorine more often on heavy swim days and expect the filter to need cleaning sooner. Hair collects in the skimmer basket and the pump basket and can get past a torn basket into the impeller. A skimmer sock or a fine-mesh basket liner catches most of it. Brush the dog before swimming and rinse it after, and the load drops considerably. Filter cleaning without guessing will help you notice when the pressure climbs.
The finish and the liner
Claws are hard on a vinyl liner. A dog scrambling at the wall or paddling frantically against the side can scratch, and sometimes puncture, a liner. Teaching the dog to use the steps helps more than anything, and a robotic cleaner will pick up the hair. On gunite and fiberglass, claws are not a structural concern, though a plaster finish will show wear at the steps over time from any heavy use.
Chemicals and the dog
Keep chemicals stored where the dog cannot reach them; chlorine tablets in particular are dangerous if chewed. Keep the dog out of the pool after shocking until chlorine returns to normal range. A dog drinking pool water occasionally is fine; a dog that drinks a lot should have fresh water nearby. Chemical storage and handling applies to pets as much as kids.
Covers
A solar blanket is not a safety device. A dog walking onto one goes through it and is trapped under it. If the dog has access to the pool area when the pool is covered, the cover needs to be a safety cover rated to hold weight, or the dog needs to be kept out of the area. Pool covers compared makes the distinction clear.
Deck and paws
A dark deck in August is hot enough to burn paws. A lighter deck surface, shade, and a rinse station or a hose bib near the deck help the dog as much as the people. Deck heat and barefoot comfort applies to four feet too.
Supervision
Even a strong swimmer tires. Dogs do not always know when to stop. Supervise the dog in the pool the way you would a child, and keep swim sessions reasonable, especially for older dogs, short-nosed breeds and heavy breeds that swim poorly.
We design pools with dog-friendly exits across the Triad, including Summerfield and Elon. Reach out for a free consultation and tell us about the dog; it is part of the design brief.