It’s almost summer and we know your dog loves swimming in the pool, just as much (or even more) than you do! To help keep your pool clean and safe, we’ve put together our top tips for your swimming pool management when it’s too hard to say no to those puppy-dog eyes.
It’s almost summer and we know your dog loves swimming in the pool, just as much (or even more) than you do! To help keep your pool clean and safe, we’ve put together our top tips for your swimming pool management when it’s too hard to say no to those puppy-dog eyes.
Safety First
If you haven’t been swimming with a dog before, it’s not always as straightforward as it looks in the movies. Typically, dogs will try to climb on people if they can’t reach the ground and their nails can be extremely sharp. Plus, depending on the size of the dog, they can also be quite heavy. If you’re not confident in keeping your dog and yourself safe, including being able to potentially lift them out of the pool if needed, perhaps a play with water from the hose after you’ve been for a swim might be a better, safer option.
Hygiene Management
Dogs are great, but, they’re almost certainly the dirtiest member of your household. Even if they look clean, the dust, dirt, faecal matter, body oils and other nasties they have on fur and skin comes off in the pool. It’s significantly more than what a person brings into a pool, which makes the pool chemicals work harder, meaning salt or chlorine needs to be topped up much more regularly.
When a pool doesn’t have the required levels of chemicals, it’s easier for disease or other contamination, such as algae, to break out. If your pets are going to swim in your pool, we highly recommend checking the required levels at least once a week and visually check for any cloudiness or other changes to the water before each swim.
If your dog loses hair, like most do, keep an eye on the skimmer box and other equipment to ensure it’s not getting clogged with dog hair. Regular cleaning and maintenance will help keep this in check.
Pet Care
Your pet’s skin can be quite sensitive, so we recommend rinsing them with fresh water after every swim. The pool water can otherwise dry out their skin, leaving them itchy and uncomfortable. Supervision of your pets, just like children, is imperative, even if they do know how to swim.
For quick and accurate pool water testing, you can’t go past the Pool Gear Australia water test. Come into our Pacific Pines or Burleigh store today for our computerised water test, completed within 60 seconds.