# Protecting kids in the pool...?



## Stuart (& Oberon) (May 26, 2012)

We have an almost 3 year old male. He hasn't become completely comfortable with our in-ground pool. He does enjoy being in shallow water. He will lay on the cover in a pool of water and chew his favorite toy. Now the pool is open and the kids are once again in the water, he gets very uneasy and excited, not in a good way. He runs around the pool barking, and will try to grab at them when they are in the water near the edge. I believe he thinks the kids are in danger and is trying to get them out or keep them away from the water. Last year, he would walk/trot between the kids and the water. Has anyone else experienced this and had success in overcoming the anxiety?

We plan on getting him a kiddie pool, and continuing to slowly work him into the in-ground pool. I have carried him into pool a few times starting the process...

Thanks,
Stuart


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## Rua (Jan 2, 2012)

When my husband was young, he visited his uncle in South Africa who used to have a GSD that did exactly what you described. Only their dog would go a bit further. Anytime the kids or adults would get into the pool to play, the dog would jump in and try to "save" them.

The only solution they came to in the end was to keep the dog away from the pool during the time anyone got in because not only was it rather disruptive, but he kept clogging up the pool with dog hair. 

What you are doing to try and work with your dogs anxiety sounds like the best thing you can do for him, short of locking him away like my husbands uncle did to their dog. But I personally think that the dog being protective like that isn't a bad thing!


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

Both my dog will swim in a pond ( murky, bottom they can wade into etc..) but they will not willingly swim in our pool. They play on the steps but stop there. I can only conclude that the clear water somehow makes them uneasy.


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## katdog5911 (Sep 24, 2011)

Today we went into our inground pool and Stella watched my 8 yr old grand daughter like a hawk. She actually went in by the steps when my granddaughter jumped into the shallow end. Then she played on the steps for the most part and zoomed around the pool a lot. I am concerned that she keeps drinking the water. 
My dad had a GSD that tried to save him when he dove into a lake!


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## Blanketback (Apr 27, 2012)

This happened to me with one of my dogs at my brother's house, who's dog was always jumping into the pool. My dog didn't like to jump in but he would climb down the first step of the ladder and plunge in. He was always very exited, running around the pool and chasing the dog. He was also mock nipping him -I thought it was harmless, but on one occasion he made contact. It was a nasty cut. They had played like this for 5 years before it happened, so maybe it was an accident...or maybe I should have seen that he was getting too excited and it was an accident waiting to happen? 

In retrospect, I should have left him in the house. Putting him in a down/stay (which I did when his barking was too much) made him look miserable, as though he felt he was being punished and was being left out of the fun. I'm sorry I don't have any advice on how to eliminate the excitement level, but I did want to share my story as a caution to you.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

I don't think it's a good idea to allow your dog to build up that much excited energy to the point that it's becoming an annoyance. As stated above in a post, the dog could easily continue to build it's frustration to the point where it might 'unintentionally' bite someone. That bite could very well be a face bite. 

Also, I would be concerned that the dog could injury it's self zooming around the wet edges of the pool. 

I would take control of the situation before something happens.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Stuart, Welcome to you.
Love the name of your dog...and Bell's! I hope Oberon can get over his pool issue(great advice from everyone)


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I had an Aussie when I lived in Alaska who did that when I'd walk, in her opinion, too close to the water.


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