It’s only mid-May, but the heat index has already reached 90 degrees. The last of the pollen-laden catkins have fallen from our oak tree, and our elm tree has shed its final samara. At Poochie Garden, that means it’s time to open our water features!
The water features in our sensory and enrichment garden serve multiple purposes. The running water in our Pup Pool and in our Garden Splash Pad is mesmerizing to watch, and it provides sound enrichment – a type of calming enrichment. Dogs can cool off from hot days and intense play by taking a quick dip or splashing in the water, too. Water always seems to be a central element when planning sensory play.
Let’s talk about how you can replicate our water features for your dog!
Pup Pool Water Feature
When we decided to install a Pup Pool, we wanted to create a feature that would contribute to the aesthetics and function of Poochie Garden rather than detract from it. Most dogs have plastic kiddie pools, but we didn’t want to look at a hunk of plastic in the garden, we didn’t want to store and schlep it between uses, and we didn’t want it to end up in a landfill when it reached the inevitable end of its life. Our perfect solution was a stock tank!
Building Perfect Pup Pool Water Features
We installed our Pup Pool in 2022, and we have learned a few things since then. First and foremost, the stock tank was the right way to go. We love it! Ours is 36″ by 24″ by 12″ deep, and we wish it were larger. We also regretted not purchasing the model with a spigot, and we have since added one. This stock tank (affiliate link) would have been a better fit, since it is 12″ longer and includes a spigot.
Having a spigot simplifies draining the water when needed, but another consideration that was important to us was reducing water waste. We simply did not want to fill a pool and dump it after every use. That meant finding a solution to filter the water and to keep mosquitos from using it as a breeding site. This solar fountain water pump kit (affiliate link) does a great job of circulating the water enough to prevent mosquito problems. Connecting this garden pond filter (affiliate link) inline cleans the water as it circulates, too. Connecting the two components just involved removing the pump’s included filter and end cap and using a few inches of plastic tubing (affiliate link) to link them together.
We float a few plastic balls (affiliate link) in the water for an extra splash of color and fun. In the winter, we drain the water, keep the spigot open, and convert it to a full ball pit. Dogs have a… ball… searching for treats tossed into it!
Our next Pup Pool improvement will be to add steps for easier ingress and egress. Stay tuned!
Garden Splash Pad Water Feature
Initially, we were torn on the idea of providing a splash pad for dogs. While it looked like a lot of fun, it also looked like having one would take up a lot of relative space while also posing a risk of damage to our small area of struggling turf grass. We also saw so many reviews from that cited disappointed dogs after their splash pads were destroyed too soon. And again – we didn’t want to schlep, set up, store, and repeat for every use. After studying the options, we finally took the plunge!
Setting Up Splash Pad Water Features for Success
Our Garden Splash Pad was a gift from our furry best friend in 2023, and we’ve learned a lot about making it work for us. One significant factor is the quality of the splash pad (affiliate link) itself. We have found that splash pads come in a range of thicknesses from 0.58 mm like this one all the way down to a mere 0.25 mm. Thicker PVC is more durable! This one also offers a textured, non-slip surface, and it’s available in 7 sizes to fit your space: 51 inches, 59 inches, 67 inches, 75 inches, 87 inches, 97 inches, and 118 inches (affiliate links). Since our space is small, the small splash pad works great. It’s also a small investment in case it tears, but it has held up well!
In addition to choosing the right splash pad, we wanted to install it in a way that would minimize impact on our garden, look good while in place, and reduce effort between uses. Our ideal installation layers the splash pad on foam floor tiles (affiliate link) topping a wooden pallet placed on a rock swale drain. Similar installation solutions could layer the same floor tiles on a patio or on a deck. All of these options are likely to encourage calmer interaction with the splash pad, reduce contact with rocks, and decrease the possibility of nail punctures – all reducing the risk of injury to dogs, damage to turf, and tearing the splash pad.
Visit to Enjoy Our Water Features!
Do you live in central Arkansas? Are you traveling through? We would love to have you visit Poochie Garden while our water features are installed. Get inspiration for your own water features, or just enjoy ours!
Have questions? Let’s connect!
I like this! Thanks.
Thank you, John!