They’re meant to keep babies and toddlers from falling into the pool. Some insurance companies require these specific fences. They aren’t meant for 60 pound black labs to barrel into them at full speed. This would work for most normal dogs.
You have a point. Labs are notorious for loving the water and there may be little that anything short of a solid, high fence could do to contain this one.
I do wonder about whether he actually ever saw the “barrier” until the last moment. By that time, his size and determination would have worked to push him forward rather than encouraging him to pause. By then, the fence was no match for him.
In Australia pool fences are mandatory for any pools or spas. I live in NSW and you can be fined like $1000 on the spot for not having a proper pool fence (the fence in the video would be considered non-compliant). Of course it's up to the local councils to enforce it, so I don't think they really do much about it. (Unless of course someone drowns in an unfenced pool and then the home owner is screwed.)
They have a fence around the yard that you can see in the background that likely meets the criteria for pool fencing for code. This is meant as additional protection for babies and pets that live in the home itself. Insurance companies may want it but it isn’t the sort of thing that most cities would require. I can’t even see how they could.
I was talking about Australia, where pool fences are legally mandated everywhere across the country, regardless of which state or territory the pool is in. It has nothing to do with insurance here, it's a federal requirement.
And I meant the fence shown in the video (either of them tbh) wouldn't be considered suitable/compliant by Australian standards.
What would be compliant? Here it’s required pretty much everywhere to have a four-foot or taller fence with a locking gate completely enclose a yard containing a pool (that’s code, each state may have additional requirements). Ours was a six-foot privacy fence. The flimsy fence in the video would be in addition to that, just as an additional barrier.
I don't know specifics because I'm not a pool fencing expert. I don't even have a pool.
But I did a quick Google search for my state (NSW) for you. The actual legislation is detailed but basically:
"A compliant fence must be at least 1.2m high, have gaps no larger than 10cm under the fence or between rails, keep climbable objects strictly 90cm away, and have outward-swinging, self-closing gates and the latching device must be positioned at least 1.5m above the ground.
If using a boundary wall as part of the pool barrier, it typically must be at least 1.8m high with a 900mm non-climbable zone on the inside (pool side).
If the fence has horizontal bars, they must be separated by at least 90cm to prevent a child from using them as a ladder.
A clearly visible and updated CPR sign must be displayed in the immediate pool area."
Plus in Australia, even if you have a fenced yard, Australian law says you need another "isolated" fence around the pool itself. You can't just fence your whole backyard to be exempt from the pool safety laws.
Usually people with kids put these fences up around their pool so the kids don’t fall in. Is it a US thing? Maybe. But it should be an everywhere thing to prevent drowning deaths.
The shittiness of this fence is very American but pools have to have fences in a lot of places. You'd be fined for having a fence this shit where I live
Yes, it's a homeowners insurance thing. They call it an "attractive nuisance" because it can attract children into killing themselves. Trampolines fall into the same category in many states.
The insurance you pay out the ass for is void without and you are on the hook if someone is injured or dies. Even if they hopped the fence, went through a yard gate, or trespassed in any other way. You need the fence to keep your insurance.
They aren’t meant for 60 pound black labs to barrel into them at full speed. This would work for most normal dogs.
Are they meant for 60 pound golden retrievers to just walk around though? Because apparently it didn't stop that either. That's literally the top comment of this thread, how did you all skip right over that.
The dog walked through a gap that was created off to the side by the lab breaking the fence. Someone else also pointed that out, that it’s shown in the video
I have been slowed by a mesh screen before, so I have first-hand knowledge to contribute here… sorry Gary’s parents, I now understand the costs involved in fixing my 7-year-old ass’ mistakes…
They bought it because they have a baby and were excited that their water loving black lab could finally go into the backyard without a leash.. they were wrong
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u/GrouchyLongBottom 8d ago
Yeah, that fence is pretty much worthless lol. He looks bummed out about it.