Many dogs love water and enjoy jumping in swimming pools. If you have a dog and a pool you may already be well aware of this fact. If you have a salt water pool and a dog, you might wonder if the two mix.
Namely, can a dog swim in a salt water pool? What concerns are there when your dog does swim in your salt water pool?
Dogs can swim in salt water pools just like they can in a regular pool. They might experience some of the same benefits humans get from swimming in a salt water pool over a chemically-treated chlorine pool since their eyes won’t get irritated.
The question that people wonder about seems to arise from the idea that the salt in a salt water pool may somehow hurt the dog.
In fact, the main thing you might need to worry about is the safety of your pool itself as we’ll also see below.
Can Dogs Swim In Salt Water Pools?
A dog can swim in a salt water pool. This is not a major issue just like it isn’t a problem when dogs swim in a regularly chlorinated pool.
As we’ll see below, it’s more a matter of your pool itself that you need to worry about. A dog’s sharp nails and their fur can cause issues that could lead to damage.
It is also important to remember – as we’ll see below – that they really shouldn’t be drinking water from it. A salt water pool has chemicals in it just like other pools. While drinking a small amount of water shouldn’t be a concern, there is really no reason for them to do so.
Can Dog Drinks From Salt Water Pools?
Dogs often try to drink out of toilets and other water sources they shouldn’t. Your pool may attract them for the same reason but should they drink from it?
The salt level in a salt water pool is very low. The ideal range is 2,700 – 3,400 parts per million (ppm) so it’s much lower than ocean water which is about 35,000 ppm.
Care should be taken to ensure that your dog doesn’t drink too much (or any) of the pool water however. Also be careful about the dangers of sharp dog nails on vinyl pool liners and the effect that dogs shedding hair can have on the filtration system.
Are Salt Water Pools Better For Dogs?
Salt water pools offer benefits for humans. The salt water is chlorinated electrically through a salt chlorinator cell which attaches into your regular pool piping and turns regular NaCl into chlorine. But unlike chemical chlorine which tends to leave a strong smell on your skin and irritate and redden your eyes, salt water pools don’t have either of these side effects.
In that regard, there is no reason that a dog may not enjoy those same benefits especially since the average dog probably won’t even try to close their eyes when jumping into a pool and swimming underwater. It’s also possible that the milder salt water will be gentler on their skin. To be safe though, it’s best to hose your dog off after they are finished swimming.
How A Dog Can Damage Your Salt Water Pool
Pool Liner Damage
If your dog swims in your pool with a vinyl liner, you do need to take care. Dogs have sharp nails and if you’re not careful one of two things may occur.
- First, it’s possible that their nails may damage or in extreme cases rip or tear the pool liner. This is especially true if they are paddling around and try to climb out of the pool from the side.
- Secondly, if you have areas of the pool where the pool liner is coming away from the pool wall, if they happen to try to climb out and start pawing at that particular area, you run the risk of pulling part of the liner away from the wall potentially creating a bigger problem. The bigger the dog, the more potential damage may occur.
So keep an eye on your dog at all times while swimming. Also, train your dog to enter the pool from the deep end and dive in and have them swim the length of the pool and exit the pool by way of the pool stairs in the shallow end, if you have them. Not only will this prevent them going near the liner, it may tire them out enough that they are happy with one lap and don’t go back for a second.
And just to be safe, make sure your dog’s nails are properly trimmed before going into the pool.
Dog Hair
One other consideration is that of dog hair. The more hair your dog has and the more time your dog spends in the pool, the more likely your dog will lose hair in the pool which undoubtedly will eventually get sucked into the skimmer and possibly through the skimmer basket into the pump and filter. Or it may end up in the skimmer basket waiting to be collected and emptied.
How can you get around this?
Brush and groom your dog before swimming. After swimming, collect noticeable hair floating on the pool with your pool skimmer. Hand skim the pool if you’re in the pool and you notice hair floating. Some pool companies recommend putting a filter of sorts over the skimmer before your dog goes into the pool or even a pair of old pantyhose or similar to catch dog hair and block it from going through the pump.
Conclusion
- Assuming your dog can swim, they can swim in your salt water pool just like they can in a chlorine one.
- Dogs shouldn’t be allowed to go near the vinyl pool liner though as their nails can scratch or rip it.
- Care should be take as mentioned above to ensure dog hair is removed from the pool as quickly and efficiently as possible, especially if you have a hairy dog that sheds.
- Dogs shouldn’t be allowed to drink pool water as it has chemicals and isn’t meant to drink from.
- Leave a bowl of fresh water outside the pool to dissuade your dog from drinking pool water and if you notice them drinking pool water as they are swimming, limit their time in the pool to ensure they don’t get sick.
- Remember also that whatever is on your dog’s fur, ends up in the pool so that can have a negative impact on pool chemistry.
