Dogs and Swimming Pools: Teach Them the Steps

Almost every dog can swim. Many cannot find the steps, and that is what kills them. A dog that falls in at night, panics, and swims the perimeter looking for an exit will drown from exhaustion within minutes.

Teach the exit, not the swimming

Get in the pool with your dog on a lead. Guide them to the steps from three or four different points around the pool, and let them climb out each time. Repeat over several sessions until they head for the steps automatically from anywhere.

Do this for every dog you own, including ones that never go near the water. The dogs that drown are usually the ones that were not interested in swimming.

Make the exit obvious

A bright mat, a potted plant or a marker at the top of the steps gives a panicking dog something to aim at. A pool ramp designed for animals is worth buying if you have a puppy, an old dog or a pool with no shallow end. For high-sided plunge pools, a ramp is the difference between a scare and a death.

Covers and fencing

A solid safety cover rated to hold weight is the only cover that is genuinely protective. Thin thermal blankets and bubble covers are actively dangerous — a dog goes through, then cannot find the edge and gets trapped underneath. Net covers are better. Pool fencing with a self-closing gate is the most reliable option and protects children at the same time.

Chlorine and salt

Properly balanced pool water is not harmful to a dog swimming in it, but drinking a lot of it upsets stomachs, and salt-chlorinated water causes salt toxicity in serious cases. Keep a fresh water bowl at the pool so they drink that instead. Rinse dogs after swimming — chlorine dries skin and irritates dogs with allergies, and it bleaches dark coats. Dry the ears properly; pool swimming is a very common cause of ear infections.

Watch the ones that shouldn't swim

Bulldogs, pugs and other heavy-chested short-legged breeds are poor swimmers and some genuinely cannot stay afloat. Dachshunds tire fast. Older arthritic dogs may enjoy the water but struggle to climb out. A life jacket with a handle is not overcautious for any of these.