A man has been charged with child abuse after he allegedly threw his 23-month-old daughter into a swimming pool to teach her a lesson.

Surveillance footage shows the toddler being tossed into a swimming pool in Phoenix, Arizona, as a woman rushes to her rescue.

Corey McCarthy has been charged

Police allege Corey McCarthy threw his daughter in the water after she had dropped a five-week-old puppy in the pool and it died, AZFamily.com reported.

It quoted the child's mother, Samantha, as saying she was "very angry" and "very hurt" by McCarthy.

She added: "What people don't know is also in the beginning of the video, he hoses her down with a water hose to kind of torture her that way."

The child's mother Samantha said she was "very angry"

The couple reportedly have two children.

Police said the act violates Arizona's law stating that discipline must be reasonable and not put a child in danger.

AZFamily reported that McCarthy has been beaten up in jail.