Jackier

Plenty thanks

PaulandNic

Techno Freak

Thought I'd 'jump in' here for some advice from you guys, especially those in Melbourne.

We bought a house with a pool last November, our first pool.

We leave it covered with a pool blanket when it's not in use, (i.e. nearly all the time).

I'm concerned we might have a leak. How much water should I expect to lose when the pool blanket is on? Granted, it's not a snug fit. It's shy of each end by 6 inches or so.

Through the winter, when the temperatures were fairly stably cold, I would top up once a week with the tap running for maybe 20 minutes.

The last couple of weeks I've had to top up 2 - 3 times per week for half an hour at a time. I'm hoping this is due to spring time? Warmer temps in the day, but still cold at night, causing much quicker evaporation? Does this sound about right, or does it indeed look light I've got a leak?

I don't remember topping up that much last year, but then again, we did get rather a lot of rain.

BTW, it's a concrete in ground, 10 meters by 4 meters and about 48,000 liters.

As for temperature - I don't have a pool thermometer, but I can tell you it's still bloody freezing!

We don't use it much in the summer, not because we don't want to, but because my dog panics when we're in there. He's a Great Dane, and overheats quickly at the best of times. If we get in the pool he goes nuts, running all round the edge to make sure you're alright and getting all worked up. Leaving him in the house doesn't work as he knows you're in the pool, and he just runs round the house instead. It worries me as he gets far too hot and I'm worried about him getting heat stroke, so if we go in the pool it's usually just for a quiet, slow dip. Pool parties are definitely out! Does anyone else have the same problem and if so, any tips on how to train your dog to be a bit more sensible? (He's always been scared of water, he's had no reason to be though - weird, having said that, he's scared of EVERYTHING).

Cheers.

Safin

Well we've had pools in 2 houses and never need to top up in winter even without a blanket. In summer it depends greatly on rainfall but usually still only every couple of weeks for maybe an hour or so. And that's Hervey Bay - 3 hrs north of Brissie.

As for the dog - we have a disobedient puppy but even so she is the dog and I am the owner and she won't be keeping us out of our pool! Last year she got upset a bit when we went in but we just let her get over it and she did. Maybe have to go through the same thing again this year. Whenever the kids are hyper she goes that way too so we will make the effort, at least to start with, to be calmer.

Maybe start him with one of those kiddie (hard) plastic pools to keep him cool and get him over the fear. Our dog loves them to paddle in. Do you have calm water nearby (beach?) to walk him nearer and nearer to til he becomes acclimatised? what about you swimming in the sea and letting him in with you? If he sees other dogs and you in the water it helps. Personally there's no way the dog is coming in our pool but some people let them in.

As for being afraid of everything some dogs are just that way. And sometimes we humans feed that fear by giving lots of rewarding attention everytime fear is displayed thus encouraging it.

Techno Freak

That's interesting about the pool. Looking like we may have a leak then, although we may have drier air down this way? I imagine that won't help evaporation much.

We certainly don't pander to the dogs insecurities, we've never pandered to him when he's been scared of something, we'd show leadership and 'push through' whatever was making him nervous. The problem is, he is literally scared of everything, and we've no idea why as he's never had a bad experience of something. He's a proper Scooby Doo. Most days he's fine, but occasionally he won't even leave the house for his walk, he'll sniff the air from the door way, and if there's something he doesn't like the smell of, he just goes back to bed. Other times, you go for a walk and he's great, and other times the slightest noise will make him jump.

We've had him since a pup, he was fine until about 18 months old, then suddenly one day he wouldn't leave the house. Seemingly for no reason, just would not go over the doorstep one day. It took almost two weeks of encouragement to get him to the corner of the street, but he wouldn't go out of eyesight of the house. Maybe we just have an agoraphobic dog!

The problem with trying to work through it with the pool is that it's just too hot. We tried 3 or 4 times last year to have a pool day, and he just got more and more worked up each time and just would not settle. He'd lay by the pool when you were still, but as soon as you make the slightest ripple in the water he's up and panicking again, getting hotter and hotter. I think the only thing we can really do is leave him up the front of the house before we even get changed for the pool, so he doesn't know what we're doing.

Safin

Sounds hard! Such a big dog and such a big baby Maybe the front of the house is the answer in your case.

Techno Freak

He sure is a big baby, he's a real sweetheart though. It's embarrassing when you walk him and someone comes to say hello, he hides behind me! Wouldn't swap him for the world though.

PaulandNic

Yeah I haven't added any water to my pool since last summer. No blanket and I have a rock water feature at one end which I was told will cause loss of water due to evaporation ...

In the summer I do 20 odd mins every few weeks.

Safin

oh and to stay on track my brand new thermometer says 22 degrees in Hervey Bay

Alfresco

Cold.

Safin

well the south of england, which is the warmest bit, rarely gets above 20 even at the end of summer. Did you ever go in the sea in blighty and think it was ok?

PaulandNic

Water temp was 19C @ the weekend. I was on a ledge in the pool which the water came up to my knee's. Ok after a short while, but will need another few degrees and a hot day before i'm in.

Still, nice to look at ...

Alfresco

18 at the mo. Finally worked out how to get the solar heating timer to work.

Safin

Cooler weekend and it's dropped to 20! Kids 'n OH lasted 10 mins

bingobob777

yep this mini cold spell stopped me going in at the weekend, 5c at night doesn't half cool it down lol