Keeping Pets Safe Around Your Swimming Pool
Not all dogs are natural swimmers. Your dog's water reflexes will depend mostly on his/her breed. Some types can swim from birth, some can't but can quickly learn, and other breeds fear water so much so that they will most likely never swim, unfortunately.
How to know if your dog can swim?
You can do research... or just take your dog to the pool! Observe and assess your dog's comfort level with the water and watch his natural reactions. Is he making paddle motions? If you help keep him buoyant by lifting his chest and belly does he appear calmer?
There are many ways to evaluate a dog's reactions to water, we don't attempt to list them all here.
Whether or not your dog can swim the following safety tips apply.
Fear the Blue-Green Algae
Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) grows in fresh, calm waters such as ponds, lakes, and even swimming pools. This microscopic bacteria is dangerous to most living mammals, but especially dogs, for them it can be fatal. Always keep your dog at a distance from water sources that appear stagnant with any amount of algae blooms floating on the surface.
If you are a swimming pool owner with a salt water conversion, your worries are less. For chlorinated pool owners it's important to keep a routine cleaning schedule even if you are not using the pool. This is especially true during the rainy seasons when your pool will be frequently bombarded with polluted waters. Texas pool companies like Weekly Katy Pool Service and Swimming Pool Maintenance Frisco and Scheduled McKinney Pool Cleaning provide algae free guarantees on their cleaning programs. Check if your pool company provides the same and consider switching providers if they are not able to make such claims about their services.
Even if the watch chemistry upkeep of your swimming pool is in perfect order be sure to watch out for other stagnant water sources such as abandoned children's sandboxes, flower pots, bowls, or anything else that can collect rainwater. If a dog's water bowl is empty he may become tempted to drink from other sources.
Preventing access to the swimming pool.
You wouldn't leave a small child unsupervised around your swimming pool, so the same should be true for your dog. Did you know that even a dog who loves the water and is a great swimming can drown due to panic, weakness, or disorientation?
A fence is an excellent way to make your pool safe for both children and dogs. A good barrier will keep your backyard safe when you are not around to monitor your 4 legged buddy. With plenty of styles and price points to choose from, any homeowner should seriously consider this backyard addition.
Detecting swimming pool access.
A pool alarm simply detects movement in the water. Alarms today are smart enough to ignore movement from wind, water circulation equipment, and rain. But similar to a home alarm there will inevitably be false positives and without a camera, you'll need to quickly check the source of the water distribution. A pool alarm paired with a good pool fence can work well together and prevent too many false alarms.