Best Swimming Pool Fencing for Dogs

When house hunting, I did not want a swimming pool, which made searching for the perfect home difficult. Then, the perfect home fell into our laps. It was love at first sight until I noticed the pool. We have a Miniature Bull Terrier and the breed is terrible at swimming. Most sink straight to the bottom, which is why I adamantly did not want a pool.

However, we purchased our beautiful home with the pool, so I started researching best pool fencing for dogs immediately. Shockingly, tips on choosing the right pool fencing for dogs were scarce online, so I emailed and called top-notch pool fence companies for recommendations. Here’s what I found!

Wrought Iron Fence

Wrought iron fences were the most expensive swimming pool fence costing between $1,000-$5,000, depending on length. When speaking with several pool fence companies, wrought iron fencing offers limited options for fence height (standard is 5 feet tall) and spacing between railings (standard is 4 inch wide). For really small dogs, standard spacing between each bar may be a bit too wide and they can slip right between the bars. I highly recommend measuring the front of your dog’s chest (at the widest point) before purchasing.

Also, after viewing several pictures, I just didn’t like the look of the wrought iron fence around the pool. Our pool was in the middle of the backyard, and a wrought iron fence would’ve been an eye sore. Plus, it had a rather large gap under the fence. A determined Bull Terrier could easily dig under if the fence was mounted on dirt.

RELATED: 4 Tips for Moving With Your Dogs

Mesh Pool Fence

Probably the most popular and less expensive option, mesh pool fences consist of mesh panels that are pressure-mounted to evenly spaced poles installed in tile, cement or dirt. Mesh panels are flush against the ground, keeping critters out of the pool, and offered in a variety of heights. We chose a 4-foot tall mesh pool fence. Additionally, there are a few colors to choose from (we chose black) and most reputable companies offer a warranty on color fading and construction. One of the best features of mesh pool fences is they can be removed and easily reinstalled after a pool party.

At first, I was convinced mesh pool fences would not hold back a determined Bull Terrier, so I inquired about its stability and sturdiness with different pool fence companies. As with anything, choose a reputable mesh pool brand because strength comes from the poles and not mesh panels. Cheaply made poles will bend and fall over with moderate amounts of pressure while reputable brand poles will absorb impact and bounce back into place. If you need further proof, search for “mesh pool fence videos” and you’ll watch children using different brands of mesh fencing as vertical trampolines and bowling balls knocking over cheaply made options. 🙂

Lastly, I think it looks really nice too!

How to Find a Reputable Pool Fence Company

Believe it or not, this was the easy part. I looked up pool fence companies using the Better Business Bureau website and called each company to ask for their recommendations and warranties on swimming pool fences for dogs.

Good luck, and I hope this helps!