Problem!!!! Puppy and our pool!!

[richarc6]

We currently have a 2 yr brindle girl, Ali and recently added to the family a flashy fawn male, Dempsey. He is now 11 weeks and is crated when we are not home. He runs free otherwise and sleep with us...etc. We also have a doggy door and an inground pool. We had no problems with the late Ruckus....and no problems raising Ali around the pool. She fell in once at an early age and steered totally clear from then on. Dempsey however, is intrigued with it. Everytime I check on them, there they are running around the pool! It's terribly nervewracking. He fell in the first day we brought him home but of course my husband was right there. Well, yesterday I was in the office with the window open so I could hear and see them outside while I was working. I got up to check on them like I do every 5-10 minutes and sure enough, I see Ali staring in the pool and I see splashing. I freaked, ran out there and scooped him out. He was treading water though which was good but I was a wreck. How long was he in there? I dried him off and held him for a while. (it is pretty cold right now!) My husband came home and said "well, I think that probably did it...he won't go near it now" UMMMM NO!!! Not even an hour later, he's back there again, leaning down and looking in it! What am I going to do!!??? We were just about ready to let him roam free during the day but after yesterday, there's no way in hell I am leaving him out. He is fearless. Please help!!

Carolyn

Mommy to Ali Baby 2yr brindle girl
Dempsey, 11 week old flashy fawn male

My sweet Ruckus.. We miss you terribly!!...04/00-01/06 lymphoma

 

[Vela]

Well you will need to either fence off the pool area completely, or fence of in front of it so the dogs can't get close to it but still have yard access. I don't now how your yard is set up but unless you plan to live outside next to the pool, you need to fence it. Chances are he couls fall in and drown if you don't. If he fell in and nobody saw him he coudl tire and drown before he got help. Not trying to be morbid but it's a real possibility. You will have to treat him as if he is a human toddler. You wouldn't let you child out there with an unfenced pool, and you can't let a puppy do it either, he is a baby.

 

[Checkers]

Teach him to swim incase he ever falls in and no one is there to get him out. And more importantly, teach him where the steps are

 

[sgbtab]

I have a child safety fence around the pool. the funny thing is that I never needed to use it when my children were younger. but with mattie I have to have it around the pool all the time she just loves the water and is really OCD when it comes to swimming. she will do laps for hours if I let her.
teaching him to swim would be your best option. also since he likes to dive in the pool you will always have to be around when he goes out. to make sure you can stop it before he starts.

 

[Queenmum]

Wilma (2 yrs old) is water proofed. She swims daily with us in the spring and summer, but only with a life vest. She also has a terrible habit of drinking from the side. UCK! Over the weekend, I saw Emmett (5 mos.) leaning over the side and drinking. He is at that all legs stage so he looks like a giraffe when he drinks. The legs go out to the side (sort of like Bambi). I freaked out too!!! He has never fallen in, but I am waiting. They have free reign of the backyard when we are gone as they can use a doogy door that goes into a hallway and bathroom which is doggy proofed. They never give me grief about going behind the gate. We will doggy proof him as soon as weather permits...until then, I PRAY.

 

[brwneyesk8]

I agree with Vela. Something must be fenced in....the pool or a separate area for the dogs to run. Even if he is taught how to swim.....he could have a hard time getting OUT of the pool no matter how good a swimmer he is. I hope things work out for you. I can't imagine how freaked you must have been! I'm glad he's allright!

 

[stormie0734]

I have the same problem with Ares but our pool is above ground but we have a deck. My rottie kept pushing her in over the summer cause he jumps in so he would push her in and then jump in with her only she didnt know how to swim at the time. So we put a gate at the stairs to the deck so they couldnt take a dip with out us.

I agree a fence is a good thing it worked for us!

 

[carolshafer]

Please, don't take the chance. Fence it!

 

[SILLY6PAK]

My brother has an alarm on his pool so it will sound and warn you if he fell in.

 

[frimozo]

You will have to treat him as if he is a human toddler. You wouldn't let you child out there with an unfenced pool, and you can't let a puppy do it either, he is a baby.

I agree with Vela. I would never ever let my toddler boxer roam free with an unfenced pool even if he can swim. He could fell in accidentally doing boxer burns, playing with Ali, slippery floor, etc. Please, fence it.