why does my dog bark at the kids when they jump in the pool?

Question

my kids will be jumping in the pool and he comes running from the otherside of the deck and barks at the when they jump in. Also if we leave any toys in the pool (diving sticks, etc.) he will paw at the water until they are at the edge, and than take them out with his mouth. If we continue to throw the toys in, he paws them out and puts them further and further away from the deck edge? Any ideas?

Answer 1

Your dog is actually trying to protect your kids (and their toys). He's being protective of his pack. While it may be partly about wanting to "play" it is more about being part of the group... being with his pack members is an essential part of a dog's life. If you allow him to swim in the pool he'll probably continue to do the same thing... gathering his pack and bringing them to safety. As someone else said... if you allow them to play in the pool it is essential you teach them where the stairs are first. Secondly, you should use commands to tell the dog when it is OK to go in the water and when to get out too. Never let your dog swim without you being in the pool/area too.

Answer 2

It sounds like the dog is a bit anxious around the pool. When there is any sort of activity put the dog in down. It's a relaxation technique that help alleviate the stress. If he gets upset remove him from the stimulus. Take him in the house and put him down, on the other side of the gate in down, etc.

It's a matter of patience and consistency. He'll catch on and understand there is nothing to be worried about. It's good for the dog to have a focus and to be worried about the safety of the pack but to a level of obsession, then it becomes dangerous.

Do no allow the dog to get the items out of the pool. Let them float there while the dog is in down. If it's barking or whining it is not relaxed. Take the dog away and put it in down. DO NOT stroke the dog you're rewarding the whining and barking. You or your family member can go in w/o assistance from the dog to get the items from the pool.

When your kids play in the pool have them practice at first getting in slowly while the dog is relaxed. Then slowly increase the intesity of them entering the pool. All the while monitoring the dog. The dog should always be in down! Keep a leash on him so you have control.

Keep up on this relaxation technique and you'll find you'll have a much quieter atmospher and less stressed pooch.

Answer 3

Our male Rottweiler does the same thing.
we have waterfront property on the Colorado River, and he loves to swim with our 8 year old boy. He has learned that the current is extremely dangerous and knows that the water beyond the dock poles is the "no swimming" zone. He will stay directly downstream from the boy, and takes his role as lifeguard very seriously.
The weird thing is, he thinks he needs to warn EVERYONE who is floating downriver without a lifejacket about the danger! Very strange, because he ignores the boats, jetskiiers, and the people with floaties. (Lots of river traffic here in the summer...MAJOR tourist spot) The only time he barks is when people swim out too far, or the neighbor kids are jumping off the docks towards the middle of the river.

Maybe your dog is worried because he is not right next to the kids in case something happens. Does he swim in the pool with them?

Answer 4

your dog may be afraid of water did you have him since he was a pup or is there a possible water incident you don't know about? Animals and people will react like this when they think someone they love is in danger. My son behaves the same way when we take his sister to the local ball pit we thought he wanted to join and when we put him in he freaked my guess is your dog will do the same if you try to put him in. No my son is not a dog but animals do have a lot of similar behavior to small children which is probably why we baby them so much.

Answer 5

My dog used to do the same thing when we would go to the lake. The vet said that its a form of separation anxiety, she wanted to be with us but wasn't sure what to think of the water. We had to get her used to the water by staying in the shollow areas of the lake with her and letting her gradually go deeper and deeper until she was swiming. it took our dog a few tries but after a while she would dive right in with us or lay on the shore (knowing that she could join in if she wanted to).

I don't know if you want your dog in your pool so it may be best to keep him indoors or give him a special bone/treat while everyone's in the pool.

Answer 6

A dog should be trained on how to eat, walk with you, not to bark, potty training and sleep on its place etc. You can teach anything to your puppy, dogs get trained easily with some good instructions. If you want some good training tips visit https://tr.im/doglessons

If properly trained, they should also understand whistle and gesture equivalents for all the relevant commands, e.g. short whistle or finger raised sit, long whistle or flat hand lay down, and so on.

It's important that they also get gestures and whistles as voice may not be sufficient over long distances and under certain circumstances.

Answer 7

Probably because he wants to play in the water too!

If you teach him it's OK to be in the pool, make sure you teach him where the stairs are so he can get out when he wants or if you're not there, otherwise, he could drown.

Answer 8

Depending on the breed (like newfoundlands) he is probably trying to alert someone that they are in the pool because he thinks it's dangerous.

Answer 9

What breed of dog is he? Newfies and some other rescue breeds instinctively try to pull objects and humans out of the water, because they were bred for water rescues. If he's got retriever in him, it may be less rescue instinct and more 'fetch things in the water' instinct.

Answer 10

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