Drowning Dogs

[Raidra]

Let me just say, what a stupid dog I have. All winter one of my dogs has been walking on top of the pool cover that we have on our above ground pool. We have a deck on the pool that has steps going up to it, so she has no problem getting up there. Even before we had the deck, she would climb the ladder and walk around the rim.

So, all winter she's been playing King of the Pool.

Yesterday, the pool cover came off. Can you see where this is going? We're all eating dinner and my mom is complaining about work rather loudly, but I managed to hear a distant splashing sound. It took me a second, but I placed it and figured the dog had jumped in the pool. I ran out onto the (second story) deck off the dining room, down the stairs, across the yard, up onto the pool deck, and hauled her out of the pool by her collar. First of all, the water was only halfway up, so I nearly fell into the pool myself. Secondly, the pool water was disgusting. Third, the area around the bottom of the stairs and leading to the pool is covered with about 1" diameter rocks, with 1' square stones making a path. Of course, the stepping stones are covered with the tiny rocks, so as I went flying down the first flight of stairs and leaped onto the first stepping stone, I landed on about a dozen little rocks. I have huge blood blisters all over the bottoms of both feet. Argh! I can barely walk.

And what does my lovely dog do as soon as we get her to safety? She tries to go back in! Ugh, ugh, and more ugh.

[SneezeDragon]

They seem to have this view of "ickier is better," don't they? Your dog probably thinks the algae is cologne.

So sorry about your feet! Is there any way you can keep her out? Maybe a gate of some kind?

[candybomiller]

Thank G-D your dog is ok. I almost didn't read this post because I was afraid I was going to read that your dog died and then I'd have to cry and be sad for a long time. I'm so glad you saved your pooch. Way to go SuperMOM!

[deborah_r]

Oh you poor thing! Yeah, they don't learn! My dog was hit by a car after he got out of our house and had about 4-5 months of recovery. Then a couple months after his recovery we were moving out and he snuck out the door and ran to exactly the same place! And here's what shows how truly dumb he is - I drove the car up the street and found him. I got out, opened the back door and said "let's go for a ride!!!" and he got in the car. So he gave up complete and total doggy freedom for a ride in the car (and a spank on the butt x( )

Here's hoping you get through the summer without any more near drownings!

[Melanie]

hehehe...sorry, I'm not laughing at your pain...just the dog. The ILs dog ran out on to one of those soft pool covers...just once. He sank in to his neck and then was just paralyzed with fear. Didn't move...didn't bark. Nothing. Thank goodness we found him before long and drug him out. It took years for him to go in the pool again...they got rid of that cover though.

Does anyoner remember those old commercials for electic pool covers where they would show some guy standing on top of the pool? They seemed like a good invention.