# Swimming in a pool with a liner?



## GolddogGus (Apr 22, 2009)

Hi,

We have an in-ground pool with a liner and we would love to let the dogs swim, but are concerned about their nails on the liner. Do any of you with in-ground liner pools let the dogs swim and if you do, do you do anything special about their nails. We don't have a swim-out in the deep end, just stairs in the shallow end. They are the heavy duty fiberglass stairs and the liner is not covering the stairs. 

Thanks!


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## Molly's Mom (Jan 1, 2007)

We have the exact same setup. Molly has now put in 2 full seasons of swimming in our pool with no liner problems at all. The first thing we taught her was to exit using the stairs. You will wind up with doghair clogging your filter, so be sure to clean that out often.

She loves to run on the concrete deck so her nails sort of took care of themselves. She just wore them down. I hope you enjoy a great pool season with your dog. We've got the winter cover off of ours and she's just itching to get in again.


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

Ahhh, you have steps you'll be fine! Mine had to learn to climb a ladder to get out. Our liner is 3 years old and had 2 punctures that we patched easily. 

You'll find that keeping the pool up, at least for us, in large part, is to keep the girls happy, lol:


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Mine are trained to go right back to the ladder and havent scratched the liner up at all.


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## missmarstar (Jul 22, 2007)

Wish I had a pool in my yard... I'm sure the dogs would love it


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Pool*

We have an above ground circular pool with steps-white plastic ladder.
Do you mean the dogs can learn to use that?
We were always terrified they would rip the liner and Ken says a Doughboy liner is very expensive.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We have an Endless Pool, the ones with the current machine on one end. We stopped letting the dogs in the pool because of the liner, the fact the fur clogged everything and I don't like swimming with fur getting in my mouth, and the fact it is too small for the dogs to really enjoy. It's also partially above ground and difficult for the dogs to exit from. Personally I don't like vinyl liners and wish my pool had a different option but that's another story.


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## Miss Happy (Dec 22, 2007)

We have an inground pool with a liner and treat the water with chemicals. Is there anything we should do when Miss Happy comes out of pool? Like treat her eyes, coat, etc.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 31, 2009)

We had no problems with our dogs and we had our pool for 9 yrs. the liner just got old so we decided not to replace it. We take them to the beach now! It did have stairs which made it easy for them to get out.


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

Keep their nails,short but don't forget to file them and rinse them,after every swim as pool water has a tendency to dry their hair!.
Teach them to go out of the pool,by the step & ladder and this should help with the liner!.


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## tannernoodle (Mar 19, 2008)

I would think as long as they stick to the stairs you're fine, but not if they try to sneak out on the sides. We had this insurance claim one time where the neighbors put in a new pool and the dog next door decided to take a swim but tried to get out on the side and tore the liner wide open...they had to pay for the new liner!


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## MurphyTeller (Sep 28, 2008)

I have an above ground pool with wedding cake stairs in and out. I actually replaced the pool last summer just so the dogs had a pool to swim in 

A dog that goes to the liner and scratches is a panicked dog. Make sure your dog is a competent comfortable swimmer and teach him/her where the stairs are to get in and out of the pool...My guys routinely do swimmer turns off the sides - no problem...I do dremel their nails though - so they're shortish and smooth to start with.

Erica


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