Saskatoon lets dogs close out outdoor pool season

While the last outdoor swim of the season for the people of Saskatoon was on Sunday, dogs were invited to partake in a final summer swim at the city’s Mayfair Pool on Tuesday.

The City of Saskatoon invited dog owners to bring their furry friends out for a final swim as staff started to drain the outdoor pool to close it for the year.

(Shane Clausing/650 CKOM)

Despite it being a rainy day in Saskatoon, more than a dozen people showed up to let their pups go for a swim when the doors opened at 10 a.m.

John Smith and his girlfriend brought Bandit, their one-year-old Shih Tzu, to the pool for the first time with the hope of teaching him to swim.

“This is his first time swimming,” Smith said.

Smith said he was hoping the dip in the pool would also help calm Bandit down a bit.

“He’s pretty crazy,” Smith laughed. “He likes running around and getting in everybody’s faces. He’s pretty wild at the dog park, too.”

So, Smith and his girlfriend strapped a life jacket onto Bandit and let him explore.

After a little hesitation, Bandit decided to follow a Chihuahua into the pool. He didn’t know what he was doing at first, but after a couple of attempts, Bandit became a talented dog paddler.

(Shane Clausing/650 CKOM)

Eilidh Hlady brought her eight-month-old pooch Bre to the pool to see if she’d be up for a swim.

“We saw at the dog park the signs (promoting the event) and Bre really loves to hang out with the other dogs and swim. We took her out to the lake the other day, and we had a floaty shark suit and my brother had a blast teaching her how to swim,” she explained.

On Tuesday, however, Hlady said it was obvious that Bre’s mind wasn’t entirely focused on swimming.

“If she gets in the water, I’ll be impressed,” she laughed. “It’s a little distracting with everyone here. She loves friends and people, and is a little crazy.”

About a dozen owners brought their dogs to the first swim session, which was reserved just for little dogs. There was also a separate swim session for service and therapy dogs from 11 to 11:45 a.m.

All other dogs are allowed access to the pool until 6 p.m. Tuesday. More information on the event can be found on the city’s website.