Dogs are a member of the family as well as being man’s best friend. Over 78 million dogs are kept as pets in the United States, and from the moment they arrive at their new homes, it may be quite difficult to keep them out of mischief. This is particularly true if they are located next to one of the more than 10 million residential swimming pools in the country. How then can you give your dog the most space to go around while also keeping them safe? Training may be everything.
The Risks of Dogs and Pool Covers
The type of risks your dog faces around the pool depends in part on the pool cover you choose. It can potentially be risky if you have a leaf pool cover or another cover that isn’t made to hold their weight! Every year, hundreds of dogs tragically perish in domestic pools. The best ways to prevent it are through the training you offer your dog and the safety obstacles you put in place!
Fortunately, some pool owners use mesh pool covers made by All-Safe. The entire weight of two adults can be supported by these covers. Your dog will eventually ruin the cover if you let them play on it or let them run across it. It’s better to eliminate this practice as soon as possible since otherwise they might keep hammering home the same points year after year. The steps are as follows:
Master the “Here Command
Training your dog to respond to your voice is one of the best strategies to keep him away from the pool cover. If your dog is trained to respond to your calls, you can call his attention whenever he begins to approach the water.
This method is relatively straightforward, but if applied correctly, it can be highly useful in a variety of circumstances. It will not only help you get your dog away from the pool cover, but it will also make it simpler for you to get him back if he escapes from your yard or goes off while you’re out for a walk.
Training Techniques
You must commit the two “T’s” of time and treats if you want your dog to respond to your calls. Take your dog into a peaceful area to start. Say a command like “here” or “here” or anything else you would say to get him to come closer to you as you move a few steps away from him. If he does, spoil him with a treat and plenty of affection; if he doesn’t, make sure he sees the treat and then you may give it to him when he comes to your side.
Continue doing this until your dog learns to correlate the command with getting treats. You should also test him by having him practice in settings that are more distracting, like a noisy, busy room. Finally, while outside, practice this command by calling the dog whenever he approaches the pool cover. If you’ve done your job of training him, he should turn away from the pool cover and come directly to your side.
Establish His Boundaries
It can be simple to keep an eye on things and use commands to keep your dog off the pool cover when you are in the backyard with the family. Of course, you cannot spend every minute of the day with your dog. When you’re at work, out with friends, or just not in the pool area, how can you be sure she’s safe?
Many dog trainers advise pet owners to set limits for their furry friends. It takes some time, but doing this will teach your dog which boundaries she must not cross—whether they are on the couch or the pool cover.
Your pet will naturally learn boundaries via repetition. Therefore, you must consistently demonstrate to your dog that the pool is a place she does not enter if you want her to keep away from the pool cover. Take your dog for two daily walks around the backyard to achieve this (ideally first thing in the morning and right before bedtime).
Make sure you bring your dog up to the pool cover and have her walk alongside it as you circle the pool area. Give her a forceful (but gentle) leash pull and a firm “no” if she tries to step onto the blanket.
Your dog will learn that there is an invisible line surrounding the pool cover that she cannot cross after a few weeks of repetition. For a few more weeks, keep going for walks, but this time without the leash. The dog will stay away from the pool cover if she realizes that the pool is not a part of her domain.
Block The Path
One difficult battle for some of us is teaching our dog to stay away from the pool cover. Maybe you have no time for training because your schedule is completely occupied. Maybe you have a dog that is especially hyper and challenging to train. Whatever the cause, there are instances when blocking access with anything is the best approach to keep your dog off the pool cover.
You can use a variety of safety measures to stop your dog from approaching the pool. A pool alarm that you may install will sound an alarm whenever someone enters the pool area. Your dog can wear a remote-controlled collar that, when he approaches the pool too closely, sprays him with water or citronella. But in our opinion, fencing it off is the greatest approach to ensure that your dog is not on the pool cover.
You may effectively help protect all of your family members, whether they have two legs or four, by installing a mesh safety fence around your swimming pool. For instance, an adjustable mesh fence from All-Safe can be built to fit pools of any size or shape and is constructed of robust material that is hard to rip and extremely challenging to climb. Your dog won’t be able to access the pool area or climb onto the pool cover thanks to this straightforward, lovely barrier.
Protect Your Pup with All-Safe
All-Safe Pool Fence & Covers will help if you want to ensure that your pets are protected from the pool. To receive a free, on-site assessment and find out how to make your swimming pool safer, contact your local dealer right away.
Can a pool cover be left on continuously?
While pool covers are excellent for keeping your pool warm and free of debris, they are not without risk. Unwanted pool problems may arise if your pool cover is left on for an extended period of time. Maintain your pool regularly, and be careful not to leave your bubble cover on for too long. Check out these issues that could develop if your pool cover is left on for too long.
Even though it’s still winter, you might not be swimming as frequently as you do in the summer and your pool might even be closed for the season. However, take care with the pool cover. Make sure it is tightly encompassing and secure. You run a higher chance of it coming free and falling into the pool the longer you leave it on. When it falls into the pool, the likelihood that debris will enter the water and cause an algae bloom increases.
Given the anticipated El Nio weather, it’s crucial to pay close attention to your pool cover. The extra water creates the ideal setting for some creatures to flourish or provides a risk of the cover falling into the pool. Make sure to remove any extra water as quickly as you can.
Your pool cover is more prone to shred and tear the longer you leave it on. Your pool cover is subjected to stress from the elements, which can result in damage. Animals and garbage can also result in rips and tears. To maintain your water clear and clean, make sure to take proper care of your pool cover.
When should the pool cover be on or off?
If you use your pool during the day, remove the cover right before you get in and put it back on as soon as you’re done swimming.
If you only use your pool at night, the efficiency of a pool cover depends on whether the reduction in solar gain that the cover causes outweighs the reduction in evaporation and other losses that it prevents. This equilibrium is influenced by the climate and the type of cover. The rate of pool evaporation rises in windy and/or dry circumstances. Therefore, wearing a transparent or bubble cover throughout the day is often advantageous. The rate of evaporation decreases in hot, humid weather. In this instance, leaving the cover off during the daytime can be more advantageous.
How can pets be kept secure near a pool?
Whether your swimming area is an above-ground pool or an in-ground pool, here are some very important safety precautions for pools with dogs.
- Keep an eye on your dog at all times.
- Close off the pool by using a gate.
- Encourage your dog to swim.
- Teach your dog how to exit the swimming pool.
- Purchase a dog life jacket.
- Cover your above-ground pool.
What kind of weight can pool coverings support?
Given that our pool covers are a safety product, I can see why this inquiry would be relevant. Additionally, it’s critical since there’s a good probability that someone will step on the cover. We always stress that it shouldn’t be used to remove a child from the cover or for any other purpose besides that. Having said that, our covers are extremely durable.
The ASTM standard is used by the pool cover industry and is a widely used source of safety standards for numerous industries. The ASTM standard for pool covers stipulates that they must be able to support 435 pounds or more. According to independent testing carried out by UL, the most renowned testing company in the world, our automatic pool cover exceeds this weight criterion.
On occasion, people inquire as to whether our covers can sustain an elephant. When someone sees an advertisement for a winter cover manufacturer, the query surfaces. We have never used an elephant to evaluate the durability of our cover and we never will. The advertisement is deceptive since it is based on carefully orchestrated events and a manufactured setting that will never occur in your backyard, including Dumbo appearing out of nowhere.
Other elements, such as the following, also affect how much weight a cover can support:
- your automatic pool cover system’s type of track.
- how the track was put in place. Track fitted inside a retainer system is stronger than track screwed to the bottom of the coping.
- Since these are really floating covers, the water in your swimming pool needs to be kept at the right level in order to distribute the weight of anything or anybody who gets on it.
- your pool’s cover’s age. Any pool cover that is left around after its useful life expires loses weight capacity as it ages. Someone should have a professional inspect their pool cover if they are unsure about its condition.
Separating an automatic pool cover from a winter pool cover is also crucial. While the latter is merely a safety cover, the former also offers convenience, heat retention, a reduction in water evaporation, and other advantages. The winter cover is also only meant to be used in the winter to seal the pool, and then it should be taken off when you’re ready to open your pool in the spring because it is very difficult to use, making it unsuitable for routine removal and replacement.
Keep in mind that the relevant standard, according to ASTM, is 435 pounds. We have images of multiple people on our pool covers, as well as reports of ATVs and small automobiles colliding with them. Our pool covers have shown to be far stronger than that. We will never, however, claim that this is our capability because we like to utilize examples from true backyard scenarios.
The images presented are solely for illustrative purposes. Never let your cover open halfway. When the cover is open, an adult must be there to supervise. Consult the owner’s manual provided by the manufacturer for complete safety recommendations.
Can my dog damage the pool liner?
Dogs hardly ever harm concrete and fiberglass swimming pools, but their claws can rip through vinyl liners. Large steps are required, and a tanning ledge is ideal. Salt chlorine generators are gentler than conventional chlorine on skin, eyes, and fur. Dogs may require more frequent backwashing or filter cleaning, but generally, maintenance isn’t significantly increased by dogs.
Do you allow dogs in your pool?
Jumping into your backyard pool is one of the best ways to cool off on a hot summer day! But is it okay for your dog to accompany you? In a well-balanced chlorinated or saltwater swimming pool, it is usually safe for a dog to swim as long as they are closely supervised. Of course, you shouldn’t let your dog drink from the pool, but other than that, the answer is generally yes.
Before letting their dog or a guest’s dog in or around the pool, all pet owners should be aware of a few swimming pool dangers and precautions! Here are the top five pet dangers associated with backyard swimming pools, along with advice on how to avoid them.
Accidental Drownings
Unfortunately, a dog or any other outdoor creature has a very real chance of drowning in a backyard pool. Even dogs with extensive swimming experience can drown because they naturally go to the pool’s edges but are unable to figure out how to exit the water. All outdoor pools in Minnesota are required by law to be fenced in, but there are other steps pet owners can take to avoid this tragedy:
- Never assume that all dogs are naturally adept at swimming. Teach your dog to swim and to exit the pool safely, whether they do so via the stairs or a pet-friendly pool ladder or ramp. It’s crucial to train your guests’ dogs how to leave the pool if you invite them over and they bring their dogs.
- Buy a dog life jacket that suits your dog adequately. Getting a life jacket with a handle is also a fantastic idea so you can quickly grab and lift your dog out of the pool if necessary.
- Spend money on a motion-detecting pool alarm system. A pool alarm is essential for families with young children and can help save pets.
- If your dogs are outside and you need to enter the pool quickly, use an automated pool cover to swiftly and easily cover the pool.
- Speaking about pool coverings, a lot of animals mistake them for hard surfaces. It’s crucial to teach your dog—or any other outdoor pet—to avoid the pool cover, especially if the cover cannot sustain the weight of your animal. Ask a certified dog trainer for their best advice, or try leash-training, learning fundamental commands, and clicker training!
Water Intoxication
When a dog consumes too much water, the salt levels in the blood become too diluted, which results in water intoxication. Even while it doesn’t happen often, when it does, it can be fatal if not addressed right away. If your pet consumes a lot of pool water, there is also a higher danger of salt poisoning in saltwater pools. The best strategy for avoiding your dog consuming swimming pool water is to:
- Outside the pool, fill your pet’s water dish with fresh water.
- If you observe that your pet is drinking a lot of water or urinating a lot, it’s time to forcibly remove your dog from the pool.
More Bacteria in the Pool
Although we adore them, our dogs aren’t the cleanest animals. Your pool’s water will be contaminated with hair, dander, dirt, feces, pollen, and other particles. This advice is mainly geared at humans since anything on your dog may make people in the pool ill. If your dog, for instance, has feces on its behind, this could get into the water, and if a person swallows the water, they could acquire E. coli! It goes without saying that nobody likes that, thus the best techniques to avoid a dirty pool are to:
- Maintain your pool properly, and make the necessary pH adjustments. Remember that the additional bacteria from your dog could upset this equilibrium.
- Make sure the filtration system in your pool is functioning correctly, and clean the filter frequently. De-shed or brush your dog before letting them into the pool to reduce the quantity of dog hair in the filter!
- After each use, manually clean the swimming pool.
Irritated Skin
The chemicals in a well-kept pool should be sufficiently diluted so that your dog won’t be harmful when swimming in it, but they may still cause your dog’s skin to become red, itchy, or flaky. The most effective technique to stop skin irritation is to:
- Simply put, if your dog reacts to swimming, don’t let them near the pool.
- After each swim, give your dog a gentle rinse with the hose or a bath.
- If your dog’s skin irritation worsens, seek advice from your primary care veterinarian or a board-certified veterinary dermatologist.
Pool Cleaning Chemicals
It might be very deadly if your dog accidentally ingests your store of powerful pool cleaning chemicals. Muriatic acid, brominating pills, chlorine tablets, and similar goods are dangerous, and if consumed, the acid can lead to mouth and throat ulcers in your cat. Pet owners should: in order to avoid this potential risk.
- All pool chemicals should be kept in a secure location.
- Pets must always be kept indoors or in a separate, enclosed area while the pool is being cleaned and maintained.
We hope your family takes into account these potential pet dangers and the procedures to keep your pets and your family safe in the pool, whether you have had a swimming pool for years or just recently purchased one. If you have any concerns about caring for a pet-friendly pool, speak with a pool care business to get their top advice and recommended tools!
