Of Nihon Ken & Pools
Question time 
Hubby & I are looking at buying a home. We've seen about 20 so far [ in person, in 4 hours, EXHAUSTING! LOL ] & hopefully we're going to see some more on Sun.
Now, here's the crux. Living in Beautiful, Sunny, Hot, Orlando, Florida, we've definitely been looking at pool homes. Now the problem is, if you've been to Orlando, & been in a Orlando pool home, there is very little backyard / grass space.
The pools themselves are in-ground, screened in, with a ton of space around the pool itself, but it's not grass or anything. [ pool home backyard = 60% pool, 30% "ground," 10% unscreened / grassy area. ]
[ FTR, I'm trying to find a good middle, something with a pool, plus a bit of backyard space for the pups, but it's HARD! haha ]
So...if we do get a pool house & our pups, & we don't really have a back yard, am I going to need to put up one of those mesh fences around the pool? Do I have to worry about the dog "falling in" like a little kid?
& on that thought, can dogs in general swim in pools??? Or is the chlorine / chemicals unhealthy?
Sorry guys, they seem like silly questions, but I figure I should ask
~
Hubby & I are looking at buying a home. We've seen about 20 so far [ in person, in 4 hours, EXHAUSTING! LOL ] & hopefully we're going to see some more on Sun.
Now, here's the crux. Living in Beautiful, Sunny, Hot, Orlando, Florida, we've definitely been looking at pool homes. Now the problem is, if you've been to Orlando, & been in a Orlando pool home, there is very little backyard / grass space.
The pools themselves are in-ground, screened in, with a ton of space around the pool itself, but it's not grass or anything. [ pool home backyard = 60% pool, 30% "ground," 10% unscreened / grassy area. ]
[ FTR, I'm trying to find a good middle, something with a pool, plus a bit of backyard space for the pups, but it's HARD! haha ]
So...if we do get a pool house & our pups, & we don't really have a back yard, am I going to need to put up one of those mesh fences around the pool? Do I have to worry about the dog "falling in" like a little kid?
& on that thought, can dogs in general swim in pools??? Or is the chlorine / chemicals unhealthy?
Sorry guys, they seem like silly questions, but I figure I should ask
~
Comments
In NY there's a law where even if you plan to never have anyone (kids, dogs,etc) in your backyard except yourself, there must be some sort of additional fence along the side of the pool facing the yard as well as fencing along the edge of the property by the pool.
Some dogs do have to learn to be pool savvy, especially if you ever need to put the cover on it. With both my Aunt's GSD/Husky mix and my sister's Schipperke, they had accidentally walked onto the pool liner and freaked out. The Schipperke was small so he was able to run off, the mix was significantly bigger so he sagged the liner and couldn't figure out how to get off.
Personally, I would put a fence up, not for the dogs sake, but you never know who will visit (with or without you knowing) or what could happen. The fence can serve as n extra precaution and should anything happen, shows that you tried your best to keep safety in mind.
Chlorine isn't really the greatest for anyone. I've heard that it'll dry a dogs coat (think haystack) as it dissolves the oils. It's alright for a once in a while thing, but they shouldn't be swimming in there on a daily bases. Plus, if they swim in it during shedding, the fur may clog up or break the filter.
And something else to watch out for, which shouldn't really be a concern with a curly tailed dog, but too much swimming can lead to something called Dead Tail or Limber Tail Syndrome. Most common in Labs, but can happen in almost any breed, this happens when the dog over uses the tail while swimming. When swimming, the dog will use it's tail as a rudder and sprain the muscles, causing the tail to be limp and look as if broken at the base.
If it were me I would be sure there are barriers, you just can not be everywhere at once or predict what will happen. It only takes a few minutes for disaster to happen.
It's better to be safe than sorry....
Snf
http://www.skamper-ramp.com/home.asp?pid=1
http://www.leffingwellpools.com/products_safety.php
http://comfortfirst.com/p-35147-turtle-wristband-pool-alarm-for-children-and-pets.aspx
My parent finally bulldozed their pool (at a cost of $30k) a few years ago. It was long over due. Anyway, my point is, having grown up with a pool and seen what my parents went through with it, I can confidently say they are WAY more trouble than they are worth.
All the recommendations regarding fencing, walk out ramps, training the dogs to swim, etc. are absolutely correct if you are going to have a pool. Also look at access/exit from the pool if you have older relatives who may have difficulty getting in and out of the pool.
Point is - yes, you need something to keep them from falling into the pool.
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To clarify; The pool area itself is screened in from the backyard, & the only way to go from pool to outside is through a [ lockable ] door. So no one from the outside [ ie: a neighbor's kid ] is going to fall in, unless they have the key to get in
This is the type of pool we have in FL: [ not a house we're buying, just general pic. ]
& we know it's an extra expense / work...but, again, 95+ degree weather everyday of summer & 85+ degree weather in the fall / spring...yeah, we want to be able to go take a dip
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As far as the dogs...good to know! Thanks guys! When we get the pups, IF we get a pool home, I'll get one of them fences that goes around the pool itself. [ they sell them down here for people who have toddlers, but dogs are kids too!
But I definitely agree, that being able to close off the pool area from the dogs is probably a good idea... I know my two would probably never even venture near a pool voluntarily (they both hate water). BUT, when squirrels and birds are involved, they act first, think later... And that could spell disaster for a dog that can not swim.
And good luck with the house hunting! Hope you guys find exactly what you want.
I have an odd fascination with empty houses and apartments lol. I could look at floorplans all day.
My dad and I were doing something at one end of the pool, adding chlorine or something, when Koda was 10 weeks old and he decided that he was going to puppy run right towards us on the pool cover. :0 He jumped on the cover and quickly was brought underneath it. I jumped in the pool with all my clothes on and shoes, and got him out. But it scared me and him half to death. I would put some sort of gate around a pool. It was the scariest thing, and made my heart drop. I'm thankful that I was close by to grab him. What would I do without my Koda Bear?
Now, he's a little wary of the pool. lololol.
To add another scary water story, this wasn't with a pool but with a formal low wall pond (think square with a wall equal to one cinder block height) and puppy Tikaani. I was cleaning the filter and scooping out debris, when Tikaani (3 months old at the time) came charging towards me as fast as his puppy paws can go. For some reason he was let out without being tied to anything/anyone, and I was on the opposite of the pond as him. Before I could react, he made his way over the short wall and his paws sunk into the water. His face was filled with surprise and dread before going under water. I freaked and grabbed him by whatever I could get my hands on (I think his back leg and some back skin) and pulled him out of the water. Once out, he acted like nothing happened and wanted to explore elsewhere, but I just dragged him inside. Surprisingly enough, he was pretty dry and didn't need to be toweled off.
With that said, a small fence to put around the pool is now officially on the list of things to buy.
[ & if any of the forum members want to come down for a pool party, you're more then welcome! Just wait til we pick a house first
Rina --- We haven't really seen anything we're 100% in love with, but I'll send you pics of ones we do like / are going to make an offer on...as soon as we find them!
Moihahaha ~
Osy, if we get the pool and Disneyland, I am totally coming to visit ;o).
Skella's funny with water. We took her to the lake and she obviously didn't want to go swimming, but she kept swimming out to us and doing circles around each person and then going back to shore and repeating the whole process. True sheepdog, I guess.
One note: if it's that hot, your dog will probably appreciate the water, too. Having a ramp and maybe some steps where they can stand in the water without swimming would be good.
Oh man, it was so funny when Rakka dunked Skella in the pond at our place. Haha... she pushed her head under water with her paws like a true pool bully. Skella was not pleased. I have pictures and the glare that Skella gives Rakka is hilarious.
& Skella just cracks me up. She was probably telling you guys she's not a retriever
&...you have photos of this encounter & have not posted them!?!? HEIDI!!! Are you TRYING to torment me??? hahaha
I think, the beneficial thing about the pool is that we'll be able to get our pup "accustomed" to water a bit easier. As you said, I like the idea of them being able to stick their feet in.
Otherwise, I'll probably get a "kiddie pool" fill it with regular water, & give them access to that to cool off
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On another note. The realtor told us By LAW the houses must come with those mesh-fence things that block off the pool! So we're all set to protect pups from "accidentally" falling in
ROFLMFAO!!!!!!
I think I just DIED Laughing. Yes, Rakka is very much a pool bully!!! ~
Heidi - LMAO those pictures are priceless. I love it.
Osy - that is good because I have been to Disneyland, and was not impressed
Oh, and Rina - I have all the old house-plans books my CAD teacher in drafting used to use as examples. I even bought a log cabin home plans magazine to flip through during a long trip... I might be a wee bit obsessed...