There are things you should know about protecting your dog and your pool before you decide to let your best friends in the water.

Short answer? Yes. Dogs LOVE to muck around in the pool. Although they might not like baths, swimming is a different story altogether!

There are things you should know about protecting your dog and your pool before you decide to let your best friends in the water. I reached out for advice from a bunch of experts to get the truth about letting dogs in the pool.

So let’s dive in! (pun intended)

Now before you let dogs swim, it's important to put in some skimmer socks on your skimmer baskets to ensure that dog hair won't clog up your filters and pump! Any dog owner will tell you that if there's one thing that's IMPOSSIBLE to remove, it's dog hair!

Most forms of exercise, mental stimulation and enrichment you can provide for your dog can benefit them — just don’t over do it. When it comes to dogs swimming in pools I say “Go for it!” Just remember to mind the health and safety of all family members, including your dog.

"The decision to allow and/or encourage your dogs to use your swimming pool is a matter of personal choice. If you allow your dog to use the pool, it is vital that you follow some basic training and safety procedures. These include teaching your dog to find the steps so they can get out and to the best of your ability being able to prevent the dog from having access to the pool without supervision.

- Cesar Millan, Professional Dog Trainer

If you decide to let your dog swim, check out and follow these tips before you start.

• The dog’s nails should be kept trimmed. - An enthusiastic dog, or one that is using you as a floatation device, may rake you with sharp nails — not to mention the pool liner (if you have one).
• Groom your dog before swimming - Dogs that have lots of hair can do a number on your filter system. Clean out your skimmer baskets on a more frequent basis.
• Be careful about using dog toys in the pool - Many dogs have chipped teeth from grabbing at a toy that has bumped up against the concrete edge.
• Put your dog in a life jacket- Even a swimming breed, like Labrador Retrievers, can benefit from a life jacket. A tired or nervous dog will swim upright, head straight out and back legs down. Instead, a life jacket gets them swimming better. Dogs with smaller legs may have a harder time with swimming, than a larger breed of dog, but this is where a life jacket will come in handy.
• Dog owners should introduce swimming very slowly to a dog - Have your dog walk into shallow water with you, or get into the pool carrying the dog. If your pet is comfortable they will take off swimming, otherwise, watch for flying paws. Dogs are very adaptable, and most take to the water no problem, but life vests are a great alternative for dogs who don’t like the water, or can’t swim.
• Rinse them off after a swim - It’s a good idea to rinse your dog after he or she spends the day in the water to prevent irritation to the skin and eyes. You shouldn’t shampoo after swimming unless it is conditioning; Waterless Bath is an natural enzyme product that also uses Aloe Vera to sooth dogs skin and soften the coat that can be used between regular baths, and after swimming.
• Use sunscreen for dogs - Dogs need sunscreen just as much as their human counterparts. But any sunscreen used should be labeled for use on pets to ensure safety. Try using Epi-Pet Sun Protector Spray for Pets.
• Don’t let your dog drink pool water - Always keep an ample supply of fresh water around so your dog can drink without attempting to drink from the pool. Also make sure you give your dog many opportunities to relieve themselves after a swim as they’re likely to ingest water and may need to urinate more often.
• Keep a big potted plant near the pool exit - Dogs are known to have poor depth perception. If your pool has steps, use a big potted plant to mark the exit of your pool. If you don’t have steps, provide a non-slip ramp for getting out. Check out the Gamma Skamper Ramp Pool Ramp for Pets.

SEE ALSO: 33 Things All New Pool Owners Should Know About

Owners should introduce swimming very slowly to a dog. To get your dog into the pool, start slowly at the first step. This should allow them to have four feet wet but still feel like they can get out.

Don’t restrain them, just gently cradle under the tummy and feed them a couple of tasty treats. Let the dog get curious and resist the temptation to pull them into deeper water. When the dog begins to access the first step on their own, try coaxing them to the second step. A larger dog can stand here, get the body wet and still have all fours on a hard surface.

Find a friend or neighbor with a strong swimming dog. Seeing a dog swimming easily may help build your dog’s confidence. Swimming with your dog may also be comforting, but watch for clawing paws. Start slow and have patience, but keep in mind some dogs just don’t like the water.

Don't just take our word for it, here's a clip from world-renowned dog trainer Cesar Millan on how to introduce your dog to swimming

Due to the oils and build-up on their skin they will add organics and phosphates to the pool water. And remember what we talked about when phosphates are involved? Yup, phosphates are algae food! And if you don't deal with them fast, then algae can pop up! If you swim with your dog often, I would double up on your regular Phosphate remover treatments just to be safe.

Dogs love to root around everywhere and this means that they have more bacteria and other unmentionables in their bodies which transfer to the pool. This makes it much more important that your chlorine levels are at the required ranges of 1 ppm to 3 ppm.

After a long day of swimming with your dogs or if you have a pool party, don't forget to shock your pool at night to kill off anything that might have gotten left behind. Read up on how to shock your pool here.

Dogs shed hair, a lot of them, so after each swimming session with your dog, don't forget to empty out your skimmer and pump baskets. You'd be surprised how large hairballs can get and how they can clog up your pipes and pumps if left unchecked.

If your dog has fine hair, then there's a chance that the hairs went directly to your filters instead of getting caught by the skimmer and pump baskets. If the pressure is about 5 psi or higher above normal running conditions then backwash your sand filter or give your cartridge filter a good cleaning.

Swimming with our furry friends can also cause a little bit of cloudiness to our pool. If filtering it out doesn't seem to work, Mr Pool Man has a number of swimming pool clarifiers that you can use to bring your pool back into shape!  

Besides all these tips for swimming with your dog, remember, dogs are just like humans. They react to water the same way and they can also fall victim to drowning. I urge everyone to swim safe, especially with dogs and novice swimmers. A thing to note also is that swimming with pets can lead to higher chemical usage, so always make sure that you have a complete set of pool chemicals on hand at all times! Click below to browse our complete collection of pool chemicals on the online store.

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