Cleaning Your Dog Pool

Published On: Friday, March 13, 2009

There is nothing more filthy or unsanitary than a dog pool that is left in the yard, full of water for days or weeks on end, or worse yet, all summer. A clean dog pool is a healthy dog pool, and you should treat the cleaning of your dog pool much in the same way you would treat the cleaning of a small pool meant for your children. A clean dog pool will avoid the chance that your dog becomes ill from bacteria, algae or insects that may be living in the water of the pool.

Bugs, Bacteria and Algae
One of the easiest ways to keep your dog pool clean is to empty the water out after each time your dog plays in the pool. No water in the pool means less chance that the pool will attract mosquitos or other bugs, and more unlikely that algae or bacteria will develop in the pool. After dumping the used pool water after use, the dog pool should be sprayed clean with a hose and then left out to dry completely. It is also a good idea to periodically scrub the pool with an antibacterial cleaner and then a good spray of clean water in order to ensure a really clean dog pool all summer long.

Another way to keep the water in a dog pool fairly clean is by adding a very small amount of chlorine to the water. This is something to be careful with, however, because there is usually not much water in a dog pool to start with and you want to make sure you don’t add too much chlorine for the amount of water in the pool. For the most part, it is safe for a dog to go into a regular swimming pool that contains chlorine, and a few occasional gulps of water probably won’t hurt the dog either [See: Is It Okay For Dogs To Drink Pool Water?], but you want to make sure that since there is such a smaller amount of water in a dog pool than a swimming pool, that you do not create too high a concentration of chemicals that could harm your dog. Chlorine can be drying to a dog’s skin and coat, or can even irritate some dogs. And drinking water with chlorine in it is really not the best thing for your dog. So even though chlorine may result in a clean dog pool, it is not really the best option for keeping your dog pool clean on a regular basis.

Clean the Dog Pool Toys
Another thing to keep in mind is that in order to have a clean dog pool, you should also have clean dog pool toys. Even if you’re diligent about keeping the dog pool clean, if you don’t keep the toys that the dog plays with in the pool clean, they will harbor bacteria, algae and insects which will wind up in your dog pool when the dog plays with the toy in the pool. Toys used for pool play should be made specifically for that purpose and be made of materials that are durable in the water and quick drying. The toys should be removed from the pool following play, rinsed off with clean water and left in a clean place to dry.

The best way to maintain a clean dog pool all summer long is to take a few minutes out at the end of a day of play to dump water, rinse out, and maybe give a quick scrub. Keeping the pool dry between uses will result in a clean dog pool without a ton of effort, and will also extend the life of your dog pool.

For additional information on dog pools or dog topics please visit our dog pool article center.