# Swimming Pool



## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

Yes the most IMPORTANT advice is to make sure he knows how to get out of the pool on his own. Teach him how to get in and out. No matter how good a swimmer he is, if he does not no how to get out he will panic and drown.
We never use a life jacket on Wyatt and once he learned the basics of entering and exiting he now swims on his own.

However I must say you will now have created a monster. Everytime we are out back Wyatt wants to play ball in the pool. We literally have to take the ball and hide it when we are done lol!

And yes please dry the inside of his ears out with a towel after he is done swimming. By doing this none of my dogs have had a ear infection yet. Very important.


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## Goldens R Great (Aug 19, 2010)

My dogs don't swim in a pool, but they do swim in my mom and dad's pond. I buy Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solutions and use it after my dogs go swimming. According to the bottle, it helps "clean, dry, acidify and deodorize" the ear canal. Finn went swimming for the first time ever last weekend and put his whole head under the water. He definitely needed the ear solution after that! 

P.S. I love the pictures of Luke at the beach. Looks like he's having a grand time!


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Wyatt's mommy said:


> Yes the most IMPORTANT advice is to make sure he knows how to get out of the pool on his own. Teach him how to get in and out. No matter how good a swimmer he is, if he does not no how to get out he will panic and drown.
> We never use a life jacket on Wyatt and once he learned the basics of entering and exiting he now swims on his own.
> 
> However I must say you will now have created a monster. Everytime we are out back Wyatt wants to play ball in the pool. We literally have to take the ball and hide it when we are done lol!
> ...


Thank you! Luke loves our backyard and he has not been happy at all with the workers taking up half of his ball throwing area.  He will be glad to see them gone. I'm sure we will create a monster also. lol

I will be sure to teach Luke where the exit stairs are located. I'll probably also get one of those alert systems that will notify me if anyone falls into the pool when I'm not looking.

I like Wyatt's name!



Goldens R Great said:


> My dogs don't swim in a pool, but they do swim in my mom and dad's pond. I buy Vet Solutions Ear Cleansing Solutions and use it after my dogs go swimming. According to the bottle, it helps "clean, dry, acidify and deodorize" the ear canal. Finn went swimming for the first time ever last weekend and put his whole head under the water. He definitely needed the ear solution after that!
> 
> P.S. I love the pictures of Luke at the beach. Looks like he's having a grand time!


Thank you! I will get some!! Luke has sooo much fun at the beach. He likes chasing seabirds the best. Luckily, they have the ability to go up and away.


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## sdain31y (Jul 5, 2010)

We use a cleaning agent from the vet to clean their ears after each swim. Also, even if its a salt water pool, it'll still have chlorine in the water so you'll need to rinse him off after swimming. That's our biggest challenge to remember, but if you don't rinse them off the chemicals can cause skin irritation and possibly change the color of their fur. If you rinse them off with water before they go in it helps protect their coat some (same thing applies to your hair). Also, when he is in the pool a lot the filter system will need to be minitoresd to ensure hair doesn't build up or clog anything.

Other then that - ENJOY!


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

I only allow my boyz to swim when their "Pool toys" come out of the shed...and they learned this real quick....I let them swim once a week, the hair in the pool is unbelievable, and it stays floating on top of the water for 2 to 3 days, we usuallly have company over the weekend, dont want them to swim with tons of hair :yuck:...We have steps that they can go in with, very very easy...in the past 10 years, I think they've only gone in once when they werent supposed to :doh:....I will tell you everytime they go in the shed, they come in, see the toys hanging on the wall, but I wont let them swim too much, dries their skin, and I wont let them in the house til they are completely dry, plus it's a nice treat for them ...first sign of swimming, is when I take their collars off, then they are running to the shed for their pool toys...have fun, good luck and be safe!!! btw, they will scratch anyone who's in the pool with them, for sure....


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

sdain31y said:


> We use a cleaning agent from the vet to clean their ears after each swim. Also, even if its a salt water pool, it'll still have chlorine in the water so you'll need to rinse him off after swimming. That's our biggest challenge to remember, but if you don't rinse them off the chemicals can cause skin irritation and possibly change the color of their fur. If you rinse them off with water before they go in it helps protect their coat some (same thing applies to your hair). Also, when he is in the pool a lot the filter system will need to be minitoresd to ensure hair doesn't build up or clog anything.
> 
> Other then that - ENJOY!


This is interesting. We have a chlorine pool and I have never rinsed off either of our dogs and never had this problem.

Both are dogs are free to jump in the pool during the hot summer days to cool off whenever they want. Most the time they just step in to cool off their pads. I love the pool because it keeps them clean and smelling good. We find that his hair will all glob together on the top of the water which makes it easy to scoop out. And also notice less hair in the house which is fine by me lol!


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

sdain31y said:


> We use a cleaning agent from the vet to clean their ears after each swim. Also, even if its a salt water pool, it'll still have chlorine in the water so you'll need to rinse him off after swimming. That's our biggest challenge to remember, but if you don't rinse them off the chemicals can cause skin irritation and possibly change the color of their fur. If you rinse them off with water before they go in it helps protect their coat some (same thing applies to your hair). Also, when he is in the pool a lot the filter system will need to be minitoresd to ensure hair doesn't build up or clog anything.
> 
> Other then that - ENJOY!


Thanks! I figured Luke would gunk up the works with the hair. I brush him every day for about 10 minutes. This time of year, I do a lot of undercoat raking also as he's shedding. It has warmed up quickly this year.



Nash666 said:


> I only allow my boyz to swim when their "Pool toys" come out of the shed...and they learned this real quick....I let them swim once a week, the hair in the pool is unbelievable, and it stays floating on top of the water for 2 to 3 days, we usuallly have company over the weekend, dont want them to swim with tons of hair :yuck:...We have steps that they can go in with, very very easy...in the past 10 years, I think they've only gone in once when they werent supposed to :doh:....I will tell you everytime they go in the shed, they come in, see the toys hanging on the wall, but I wont let them swim too much, dries their skin, and I wont let them in the house til they are completely dry, plus it's a nice treat for them ...first sign of swimming, is when I take their collars off, then they are running to the shed for their pool toys...have fun, good luck and be safe!!! btw, they will scratch anyone who's in the pool with them, for sure....


I love that photo!! We need some floats.

Luke scratches me in the ocean once he starts swimming. I run trying to get away and he pursues. lol



Wyatt's mommy said:


> This is interesting. We have a chlorine pool and I have never rinsed off either of our dogs and never had this problem.
> 
> Both are dogs are free to jump in the pool during the hot summer days to cool off whenever they want. Most the time they just step in to cool off their pads. I love the pool because it keeps them clean and smelling good. We find that his hair will all glob together on the top of the water which makes it easy to scoop out. And also notice less hair in the house which is fine by me lol!


It will be so nice here. In July and August we get over 100 degrees and with the humidity factored in it's miserable.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Wyatt's mommy said:


> Yes the most IMPORTANT advice is to make sure he knows how to get out of the pool on his own. Teach him how to get in and out. No matter how good a swimmer he is, if he does not no how to get out he will panic and drown.
> We never use a life jacket on Wyatt and once he learned the basics of entering and exiting he now swims on his own.
> 
> However I must say you will now have created a monster. Everytime we are out back Wyatt wants to play ball in the pool. We literally have to take the ball and hide it when we are done lol!
> ...


What Wyatt's mommy said...dogs that drown are dogs that don't know how to get out. We had a pool and a dog when I was a kid, and the first thing my dad did when the dog came home (she was older, not a puppy) was to have me get into the pool with her and guide her to the steps. As soon as she knew for sure how to get out, she could go in with us, but the fence was always locked when humans weren't in the back yard. 

Your dog is going to have a blast! If you can afford it, you might want to invest in running a hot water pipe out next to the yard spigot...very handy for rinsing off humans and dogs alike!


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

I have a deck and a gate around my pool, so Toby cannot get into the pool by himself. I always am with him when he is in the pool. But I am thinking about getting a life jacket for him. He has not been in the pool for a while, I want to start him back this year, especially to built up his muscle mass further after both his orthopedic surgeries.


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## Capt Jack (Dec 29, 2011)

Jack is in the canal behind our house at least once a week when it's warm.I do have a problem with ear infections so I always clean his ears with Witch Hazel when he gets out.We built him a small ramp so he doesn't have to climb up the bulkhead to getout.Great beach pics thanks


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

OutWest said:


> What Wyatt's mommy said...dogs that drown are dogs that don't know how to get out. We had a pool and a dog when I was a kid, and the first thing my dad did when the dog came home (she was older, not a puppy) was to have me get into the pool with her and guide her to the steps. As soon as she knew for sure how to get out, she could go in with us, but the fence was always locked when humans weren't in the back yard.
> 
> Your dog is going to have a blast! If you can afford it, you might want to invest in running a hot water pipe out next to the yard spigot...very handy for rinsing off humans and dogs alike!


Thank you! I will make sure he knows how to get out.

The water here coming out of the spigot is hot all on its own in the summer. Seriously, it's luke warm.

As an aside, we're building an outdoor kitchen also. I'm excited about that. I'm sure Luke will be wanting whatever we're grilling.



cgriffin said:


> I have a deck and a gate around my pool, so Toby cannot get into the pool by himself. I always am with him when he is in the pool. But I am thinking about getting a life jacket for him. He has not been in the pool for a while, I want to start him back this year, especially to built up his muscle mass further after both his orthopedic surgeries.


I'm sure pool exercise will be great for Toby since he's had surgeries. I would go the life jacket route also.

The pool will have a fence around it. Our back yard is not completely fenced in as we have a breezeway and then the garage, but the pool will be completely fenced in.


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## Wyatt's mommy (Feb 25, 2011)

diane0905 said:


> As an aside, we're building an outdoor kitchen also. I'm excited about that. I'm sure Luke will be wanting whatever we're grilling.


Sound great! I would love to see pics once it's completed. We live in So Cal so we basically live out back pretty much 8 months out of the year. Wyatt is a great retriever, I can sit in my lounger and throw the ball all day without having to get up. And it wears the dickens out of him. Win win! How exciting for you!


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Wyatt's mommy said:


> Sound great! I would love to see pics once it's completed. We live in So Cal so we basically live out back pretty much 8 months out of the year. Wyatt is a great retriever, I can sit in my lounger and throw the ball all day without having to get up. And it wears the dickens out of him. Win win! How exciting for you!


I will post some photos of Luke swimming as soon as they are finished. : It gets so hot here that during some of July and August, I can't even take Luke for a walk in the early morning hours. He will love the pool. We walk five miles a day, so a little less walking and a little more swimming during the really hot months. I'll be happy to have an alternative when we're unable to walk.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Luke's a handsome boy and very lucky to be getting his own pool.....

Great pictures, love them. 

I take my guys down to a little beach at the end of my road to swim in the Inter Coastal Waterway. Most of the time I get in with them, the current can be strong at times or if there is a lot of boat traffic the waves can be a little rough. 

Remy likes to retrieve a bumper or a tennis ball when he goes swimming. 

I clean my guys ears after swimming, I use Vibrac Advanced Epi-Otic. I've tried other ear washes, some natural, have found this one to work the best especially on Remy.


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## MittaBear (Mar 9, 2010)

Luke is such a handsome boy!

Our Chester loves to swim. We don't have a pool, but my parents do and we go there all of the time in the summer.

Even though he knows how to swim, we do have a life jacket for him to wear. This is because if everyone is in the pool, he does not want to get out. He wants to be in the pool with everybody else. Everyone else can stand, and he can't. So after half an hour straight of being in the pool, he can get tired so we like that he has a life jacket in case he needs to rest his legs. And he certainly gets lazy because he knows he can float.

We always make sure to rinse him off after he goes in the pool. Usually he'll go in on Saturday and Sunday, and after Sunday's swim, he'll get a bath. He'll also get his ears cleaned with a solution we have from the vet to prevent infections.

There are also plenty of toys you can find to play with in the water. Chester loves his wet Kong wubba!


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Capt Jack said:


> Jack is in the canal behind our house at least once a week when it's warm.I do have a problem with ear infections so I always clean his ears with Witch Hazel when he gets out.We built him a small ramp so he doesn't have to climb up the bulkhead to getout.Great beach pics thanks


Thank you! You live in a pretty area. I love the Outer Banks. I bet Jack loves the beach too!



CAROLINA MOM said:


> Luke's a handsome boy and very lucky to be getting his own pool.....
> 
> Great pictures, love them.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much for the information. I'll look that ear wash up.



MittaBear said:


> Luke is such a handsome boy!
> 
> Our Chester loves to swim. We don't have a pool, but my parents do and we go there all of the time in the summer.
> 
> ...


Oh. Good idea about getting a life jacket for that reason. I know we'll be floating out there longer than he can keep up. Maybe I can let him play a while and then put a life jacket on him to prolong his water fun.

Thanks so much to all of you for the helpful tips/advice.


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## ziggy3339 (Oct 31, 2012)

I just HAVE to butt in to say how precious Luke is and what great photos you put up here. Thanks. (Made me smile from the inside out)


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## ziggy3339 (Oct 31, 2012)

My 19 week + 3 day old Golden girl, Sophie, swims daily in our pool. I WISH it were saline but alas, it's not. We skip a day after the pool's been treated to give the chemicals time to settle down, however. Here's the routine.
I get in first. Swim with excitement so she can hardly stand it. Her water toys are placed around the pool by where the pool stairs are located. She's just learning, however. She like to retrieve each one at least once. She gets lost, however, and sometimes needs to be lead back to the stairs. She also enjoys the raft (a LOT). She's started chewing the vinyl off it so I suppose it's time to get her an official dog float of some kind. 
Part of our ritual is that she goes right into the shower with me afterwards. After that she lets me put some ear stuff in her ear (see below) & clean them with cotton balls. Then it's onto her skin coat stuff I rub in & then a pin brushing. She's asleep by the time I'm all done. Now how'd you like to have a swim, massage & aromatherapy? Well, she's exactly like that. I'm excited for you and your glorious pool-to-be! Enjoy!
Products used:
1. Life's Abundance Ear Care Formula with Aloe & Herbs
2. Life's Abundance Bath Fresh Mist with Kiwi & Mango Scent
alternating every other day with
3. Life's Abundance Soothing Mist with Aloe & Lavender
I'm a new mom so this isn't advice. I have a TON to learn (hence I come here to these boards often). But right now, this is working for me.


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## Castaway (Dec 19, 2011)

I pretty much echo what others have said here. 

I haven't had much of an issue with hair in the pool, but you do really have to stay on top of it. 

Invest in a good quality skimmer pole, and skim right after the swim. Also, make sure to clean out the built-in skimmer frequently, as hair will build up there. I should also note, it's easier to skim when the pump is off, and the water is calm. You can see the hair easier.

You should always run the pool pump while people or dogs are using the pool. I also like to keep the pump running for at least an hour after Cassie gets out (she usually swims after the daily cycle is complete). The extra running helps clear out the hair.


I wish you the best of luck with training Luke in obeying you on when he is allowed into the pool. I have not had much luck with Cassie. Something about being in the vicinity of water makes her temporarily deaf. If she's not on her leash, there is NOTHING I can do to prevent her from jumping in.

But... On the flip side... nothing makes her happier than being in the pool. And how can I say no to this face??


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks y'all! I posted this thread a while ago and Luke is a pool champion now! He still won't get in unless I tell him he can, so that's a wonderful thing -- but oh how he loves the pool!!

Today is Luke's 3rd birthday -- HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUKE!! -- and he got to swim twice -- this morning and this evening. I am very careful to rinse him off after each swim and dry the inside of his ears. I have a grooming style dryer which only blows cool air, but with decent force and it gets all the water off of him and he's mostly dry in a few minutes. I let him dry the rest of the way on his own.

Here's some photos from his swimming adventures in the last couple of days:




























Sun was shining super bright yesterday -- this is at 9:30 in the morning -- it ended up getting all the way up to 100 degrees:










Loves his float!










My funny and sweet boy:










And here's one of him dry:


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## diane0905 (Aug 20, 2010)

Castaway said:


> But... On the flip side... nothing makes her happier than being in the pool. And how can I say no to this face??


What a cutie!!


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