Most of the dog parents overlook dog pool safety factors. Dog pool safety is an important factor that covers teaching your dog to swim to taking precautionary steps like learning CPR and fencing the pool.

This guide for dog pool safety will cover some of the important pool safety tips that may even save your pooch’s life.

Teach your dog to swim

Teaching your dog to swim reduces the probability of dog pool accidents. All dogs are not natural swimmers; you might need to train them to be potential swimmers. Follow these tips while teaching your dog to swim:

• Start from the shallow area of the pool so that you can be beside him during those first steps.
• If he is reluctant to get into the water, you can encourage him by getting in the water ahead of him and even use his favorite toys as a lure.
• Slowly take your dog to deeper water provide support by placing both your hands under his belly. Your dog will start paddling to stay on the surface.
• Keep supporting your dog till he starts paddling with his four legs to stay afloat.
• You might need to follow these routine two or three times until your dog gets the confidence to swim all by him.

Teach your dog to get out of the pool

Teaching dogs to get out of the pool is as important as teaching him to swim. This skill can turn out to be a blessing if your dog decides to take a dip in your absence.

Start by showing him where the steps or exit points are and use a leash to gently guide him out of the pool.

Exiting the pool two or three times while your dog is still in the pool provides him with a clear picture of how to do it. You can even call him to exit the pool once you make the exit. Repeat the process three or four times, until he learns to exit the pool.

Take precautions

Consider the following precautionary steps to ensure that your dog is safe around a pool.

Invest in a dog life vest: Use dog life vest, especially during the initial stages where your dog learns to swim. You might also want to continue using this vest if your dog is not from a family of strong swimmers like brachycephalic dogs.

Learn CPR: Use sources like YouTube and blogs to learn dog CPR, in case of emergencies.

Prevent your dog from drinking pool water: Pool water might contain chemicals like chlorine. It is best not to let your dog consume pool water.

Give him a good bath afterward: Use a gentle shampoo to bath your dog after he has been in the pool. This can help you to clean the chlorine or any other chemicals on his coat.

Fence the pool: if your dog has access to the pool even when you are not around and if he is not a strong swimmer, it is better to fence the pool.

Understand the importance of dog pool safety and ensure that you follow all the tips mentioned above. Let us know if we have missed out anything using the comment section below.