Don't dismiss how much enjoyment a dog will get from having trees in the yard. Our dogs love laying in the shade of them so much so that when I took my smaller dog down to the common area today and let her off her lease as we were the only ones there, she laid down in the cool grass of a beautiful cedar tree. This is the second or third time she's done this, and I think it's going to become part of our routine.

What part of the country do you live in? Is there grass around three sides of the pool? Do you like to care for plants? What style is your house? We need a little more info.

I think the best thing to do is spruce up the backyard with some great landscaping. Spice it up and add trees and plants along the back wall, maybe even get a statue.
-Fratantoni Lifestyles

I think that olive trees add a nice touch to a back yard. I have a tree in my own backyard and my dogs (thankfully) do not mess with it. I think flack is a nice touch as well as is low maintenance.

You definitely need some vertical interest, such as some narrow evergreens (arborvitaes, junipers, cypresses) or a couple of interesting ornamental trees (crape myrtles, hornbeams, pear trees) contrasted with some low, lush plantings like grasses, flowering shrubs (Knockout roses, weigela, spiraea, hydrangeas) and flowering perennials (purple coneflower, Montauk daisies, threadleaf coreopsis.)