Why should I take my dog swimming you may ask? There are many benefits. Swimming uses almost all of the dog's muscles without the stress they would recieve walking or running . Because the water resistance is greater than air resistance, the muscles have to work harder. The muscles get the same workout in 5 minutes of swimming as they would running for 5 miles. If your dog is fit, swimming can be used to improve strength and stamina. Once most dogs are used to swimming, they really enjoy it, and it will improve their fitness. This can help to protect them from injuries when they are running or chasing a ball. If your dog has a medical condition that restricts or prohibits normal exercise, swimming is vital. For conditions such as osteo-arthritis, hip dysplasia, or other orthopedic conditions such as fractures , swimming provides a weightless exercise to improve joint movement, increases circulation, and builds muscle, while walking on hard ground could be painful and cause lameness. For those dogs who need to lose weight, swimming can enable a good use of the muscles and increase the metabolic rate. Since the water helps to support the weight, the bones and joints are not over stressed. As with any fitness program, we need to start slow so don't be surprised if your dog can only swim for a few minutes at a time. As their fitness improves, they will be able to swim for longer periods. We will put a life perserver on them until they can swim well without one.  When your dog first starts with us, we will be in the pool to assist them.  Once they are confident, you may choose unassisted swimming or we will be happy to continue to help with them. Our winter hours are Wednesday 8:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.  Please call us for an appointment. Our phone number is 540-439-PAWS (7297).