Many dogs love going into the water. And while some are afraid, many can’t seem to get enough of it. You can usually find these water lovers splashing around when you go to a lake or stream, or in one dog’s case, the family pool.

The problem was, he snuck into the pool without his family’s knowledge.

Elliot loves the water

The dog, a German shepherd named Elliot, had always loved the water, according to his mom Abigail Rose. The family had an above-ground pool at their home, which Elliot was soon “asking” to join them in every time they decided to take a dip.

“He would whine until we picked him up and put him in with us,” Rose told The Dodo.

Elliot had a secret

But simply swimming when his family was in the pool was not enough for Elliot. His family had no clue that Elliot was sneaking out while they were not looking and taking a swim all on his own.

They had assumed that since they always had to help him in that he could not climb the pool’s ladder. Boy, were they wrong!

Elliot’s mom finds out what he’s been doing

Recently, after Elliot had been let out to use the bathroom, Rose spotted something peculiar. Elliot climbed right up the ladder of the pool and got in, all by himself. It seemed that he had learned how to climb the ladder and had taken it upon himself to get in whenever he felt like it.

“We didn’t realize he could climb the front of the ladder!” she said.

Rose wasn’t offended by not being invited to join him, though. “I was laughing,” she said. “I figured he would like to go swimming with us, but I never thought he would be able to climb a ladder, ever!”

Normally, leaving a dog unattended in the pool can be dangerous. Elliot’s family, though, feels that he isn’t in much danger because he is such a strong swimmer and has shown that he can get in and out of the pool quite capably all on his own. Now that they know about his secret life, they plan to stay close by just in case.

“I definitely feel like he’s safe,” Rose said. “We never have him outside when we leave the house, so I’m not too worried about that.”

Pool safety tips for dogs

If your dog likes to swim, make sure that someone is there to keep an eye on them. Swimming for a long period can leave a dog exhausted and, in some cases, can lead to drowning, especially if they have trouble getting out of the pool by themselves.

If you have a pool and a dog that likes to swim, one option is to install steps as opposed to a ladder. This allows your dog to exit safely on their own if needed. Otherwise, take steps to prevent them from getting into the pool while you are away.

As for Elliot’s family, they plan on letting him keep his secret while continuing to help him into the pool when he asks. For more on Elliot, check out his Instagram page. You can check out Elliot’s swimming skills in the video below.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/CBLWRDXgGcc/?utm_source=ig_embed

Source: Instagram/elliot_shepsky

H/T: The Dodo