Pool covers protect dogs

By Kaitlin Gardner

You love your dogs, and want to keep them safe. They love to play in the pool, and want to run out and jump in the water any time they can. But if you’re not there to supervise, a pool cover can protect your pup from danger.

But what about during the winter, or when you’re not around? How can the dogs enjoy the back yard, without jumping in the water? All pool owners need a safety cover – to protect their dogs.

Just like with the kids – safety is key. Keeping the dogs safe around the pool is just as important as keeping the kids safe.

There are numerous stories about dogs around a pool who drown because there is no protection to keep them from jumping in. It would be tough to imagine the heartbreak of that experience, and a pool cover can make sure that doesn’t happen.

Young dogs might have a good chance of getting out of the pool, but they might not know where the exit is, and get stuck paddling around while getting tired. Older dogs would be at increased risk from an accidental dip in the pool because of limited mobility.

The type of safety cover. There are basically two types of covers for the pool – mesh and solid. The mesh type are nice because they are easier to deploy, and don’t allow water buildup on top of them. But for owners with dogs, it’s easy to see why those types are not a good choice.

The chances of a dog getting caught up in the mesh, entangled, and drowning, are too great. A bubble wrap cover is probably not a good solution either, because they lie on top of the water, and it would be easy for a dog, especially a large dog, to get tangled in the wrap, and sink underwater.

A well fitted solid safety cover is the best choice. Why well fitted? Because it gives a more solid surface for the dog to get off the pool cover if he wanders on to it.

For the winter months. If a dog were to fall in the water when it is warm outside, there might not be an immediate cause for concern – the water is warm, and the dog has a chance to get out.

But in the winter, when water temperatures are really cold, it could quickly lead to hypothermia, a panicked dog, and a bad situation. If that were to happen, the signs would be shivering, dilated pupils, stupor, and decreased heart rate, and would require immediate attention. Who wants to go through that experience?

Is it more trouble to put on? Yes, a solid pool cover is definitely more work. That’s why many pool owners choose either a bubble wrap or mesh cover. If you don’t have kids or dogs, sure, those covers will accomplish the solar heating task nicely. But with pets and kids, it’s worth the extra time deploying the solid cover.

Typically a solid cover will take two people and a tool to put on. It’s not the sort of cover that is easy to put on and take back off each day during the summer. But once it is on – it is much more safe. These covers can hold over 4,000 pounds.

Being a responsible pool owner. Your dogs are in the house, the pool area is deserted, and things would seem safe. But a neighborhood dog gets into the yard, falls in the uncovered pool and has no one around to help. Having a solid pool cover is responsible pool ownership and can prevent tragedy.

You are inside the house on a winter day and the dogs want out in the back yard. With a solid pool cover in place, you can comfortably let them out the door, knowing they will be safe.

Kaitlin Gardner started AnApplePerDay.com to further her passion for a family-friendly, green living lifestyle. She is married to her college sweetheart and lives in Pennsylvania. She and her husband enjoy going for long hikes, to get out and enjoy nature. She is working on her first book about ways to live an eco-friendly, healthy, natural life.

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