Swimming Pool

[Courtbro]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the site, I have a 4 month old Cairn male (Brindle), his name is "Nicely Aged Scotch" or we just call him Scotch. I've never had a cairn before and he is wonderful!!! I was just wondering if anyone has an inground pool? When I take Scotch in the backyard while I'm messing with the pool he looks at himself in the water and I didn't know if anyone let their Cairn swim with them, I had a Lab before and we couldn't get him out of my mom's pool and I was thinking that once Scotch sees my husband and I swimming this summer he may want to come in since he wants to be where ever we are. So the question is should I? Is it harmful to the breed to be in clorinated water?

Any help would be appreciated. I will try to post a picture of my little boy soon.

Thanks,

Courtney

[Toto times 2]

Hi: I think the chlorine would be drying to the skin. More imporantly if he is ever in the backyard without you he may think it's okay to go in the pool when he is alone and that is a recipe for disaster. I have a friend who lost their dog that way. Just my point of view of course, but it may be better to train him not to go in at all.

Actually my two boys don't like getting wet.

Have a great summer with your boy.

[Guest Lemmiwinks]

The day I brought my pup home, he was walking around the in-ground pool, looking at himself in the reflection. With seemingly no planning, he full sprinted and laid-out into the water. Someone jumped in right after him and yanked him out, but for the few seconds he was in, he tread water very well.

I don't know about the chlorine issue....I use Baquacil. But, this summer I plan on getting the pup friendly with the water. Another thing I'm not sure of is your pool's layout....do you only have ladders, or do you have sunken steps too?

With the steps, it'll make it a lot easier for him/her to get out.

Ask your vet about chlorine....but I'd guess he/she will recommend against it.

And, if they do, inquire about Baquacil or OxyPure, they're not that much more expensive and they don't smell.

Jason

[Courtbro]

Thanks for the sugestions--

I do have 2 sets of sunken stairs, With the clorine issue, we do have an automatic clorinator and a Nature 2 system, for those who don't know the Nature 2 system is a filter used to reduce the amount of clorine, so their is no smell and my pool uses very little clorine, so your eyes never burn or anything like that. I will talk to the vet and if Scotch is insistant on comming in the water this summer, I may see how his skin reacts, but only after Vet approval.

Any other sugesstions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all,

Courtney

[CathyAnn]

We had an inground pool at one time. My oldest cairn did not like the water at all! We put her in a few times and she swam fine. But, couldn't wait to get out!

May I suggest you getting an alarm?? It hangs over the side and if the water is disturbed, it starts up.

With a new pup, I certainly wouldn't trust it around the pool. Not only might it get in on purpose, but ours actually fell in while running around the edges. Luckily I was right there to grab her and pull her out.

We also had a neighbor dog fall in late one night and got trapped under the solar blanket. We were alerted by loud barking. Lucky for him he was able to get to the side and get out, too.

Off my soapbox now.....

Cathy

[bradl]

My general level of paranoia puts me in pretty close alignment with CathyAnn. Some dogs seem to take to water and others not som much. I've heard of people actively training the dog to find the steps and exit. They trained the 'pool exit' just like an obedience exercise. That way, the dog knows for certain sure the way to get out of the pool.

[Courtbro]

Thank you everyone for the advice. I never leave Scotch in the back yard un-attended since I am still afraid that he is still little enough to sneek under the wooden fence. However, this weekend I floated on a raft in the pool and he just sat on the side in the shade and watched. I tried later to pick him up and just touch his back toes in the water and he wouldn't let me, so at this point I don't think the pool will be a problem. But I will still be watching him like a hawk. haha.

Courtney

Oh does anyone know how I can post a picture of my little boy?

[bradl]

Oh does anyone know how I can post a picture of my little boy?

Uh, sure. Forum Support, "inserting pictures into posts"