If you noticed this behavior in your dogs, here’s something you should know;
Peeing in the pool is not a normal dog behavior. It’s in their nature to want to pee in toilets, on the lawns, maybe a puddle but never in a large pool of water. So if you’re dog is peeing in the pool, it’s definitely for a number of reasons which I will address in this blog post.
The most common reason why dogs pee in the pool is to mark their territories. They do this to show dominance to other pets in the house. Since dogs already mark their territories on the lawn, trees, a number of objects, even inside the house, a large body of water will certainly not stop them.
Reasons Why Dogs Pee In the Pool?
Dogs are excellent swimmers, even the few that can’t swim or lack the ability to swim are still attracted to water or the sight of water. For most excellent dog swimmers, they know that this is no potty site and will leave the pool to their favorite potty spot to pee.
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Now most dogs that have never been in a swimming pool, let alone seen a large body of water in one spot might get frightened by the water. We all know how swimming pools can get really chilly sometimes; the cold temperature of the water might also cause your dog to pee in the pool. The brighter side of this is that you can still train your dog how to swim and not pee in the pool.
They might also be peeing in the pool simply to get your attention. Dogs love attention. It’s almost like they live to get attention from their owners. Now in a scenario where you are also having a swell time in the pool, perhaps with friends and family members, your dog is most probably thinking of ways to get you to give them all the attention in the world. Lol, it’s hilarious to watch sometimes.
They eventually end up choosing to pee in the pool, even if it means getting bad stares from you. However, this act shouldn’t be encouraged if noticed. Pools literally bread a lot of bacteria, especially when it comes to skinny dipping with your dog among other people.
Different body fluids are definitely being interchanged in such a short period; now imagine the kind of bacteria you can contact if you don’t even know that your dog was peeing in the pool in the first place.
When there are other dogs around, perhaps it’s a public pool, your dog will definitely want to show superiority and we all know that dog’s mark their territory by peeing on things. So if you find your dog peeing in the pool surrounded by other dogs, territory marking might most likely be the case.
How Do You Stop a Dog From Peeing In a Pool?
If you’re not up to the task, you can hire a professional dog trainer to do the work for you. Ensure that you get recommendations around town before hiring just any dog trainer you come across.
When I started training my dogs how to swim, occasionally peeing in the pool was almost a normal thing. But eventually they got a hang of it.
The first thing you have to make sure of is that your dog is potty trained. Train them to the point that they will never pee or poop in a wrong spot. They either find a specified potty section or they go to the toilet. This way they also know that the swimming pool isn’t a potty site.
MUST READ: Should I Pee on My Dog to Show Dominance? (Assert Dominance or Not?)
You can also use treats to teach them, for every time you guys have a successful swim without your dog peeing in the pool, give it a treat. However be careful not to fall into the trick of your dogs and end up over feeding them treats, there are chances of your dog getting obese if you over feed them.
Whenever your dog pees in the pool, don’t encourage them, scold them so they have in mind that what they did isn’t a good time so they don’t do it next time. This technique goes hand in hand with offering treats are different occasions when your dog doesn’t pee in the pool.
Should you let your dog in the pool?
If we are talking about an open sea, the ocean in the general, then I’d say there isn’t anything wrong with your dog peeing in the ocean. After all, the ocean contains a vast number of animals that pee in it and we still run into it and get excited at the site of a friendly wave.
This, unfortunately shouldn’t be encouraged if it’s a swimming pool, a public pool, or any pool at all that doesn’t have a natural source of water. Constant peeing in the pool can change the color of the concrete underneath, making the pool look dirty even after being washed.
It can also change the scent of your swimming pool overtime and might require you to change the flooring which also cost a lot of money.
Also keep In mind that most of the time, your dog peeing in the pool might be as a result of illness, behavioral issues or possibly a Urinary tract infection. Dogs are one of the most commons animal species out there prone to a vast number of Urinary tract infections.
Always have a date set aside for your dog’s monthly checkups with the vet doctor, this can help you get rid of any underlying illness, bacteria growth or UTI before they out of hand.
Should you get out of the pool if a dog pees in the pool?
You can use this as a technique to show your dog that peeing in the pool is a NO-NO. Dogs pay attention to their owners’ reaction and if they see that peeing in the pool is making you run away from them, they might quit it for good.
After all, they are a sucker for attention and will not want their actions driving their best buddies away.
You might also want to get out of the pool if your dog is sick or has a UTI to avoid contracting one yourself. There might be a ton of bacteria present in your dogs pee which you could easily contract if you don’t leave the pool.
Conclusion
Many dog owners are faced with this same situation, so If you ever find your dog doing this, keep in mind that you are not alone.
You can also talk to a few owners for their tips and tricks on how they stopped their dogs from peeing in the pool.