Our dog is a young and exuberant pup. He is generally fearless, however he has shown caution when approaching moving water – like fountains, lakes and rivers. We wanted to provide him with a positive experience with water. That way we can all enjoy water filled adventures in the future.
A Hidden Gem for Water Adventure
Over the last few months, we have been trying to find a good place to take our dog for a swim. The effort has proven harder than I imagined. The local lakes usually have laws prohibiting swimming, the streams often have a lot of pollutants and the dog parks are a bit chaotic for a water adventure.
So we were extremely excited when we stumbled upon a hidden gem in the Falls Church area of Virginia. Aquatic Paws specializes in aquatic training and exercise for pets. You can bring your dog or cat there for treatment for an injury, neurological condition or just to have fun in the water.
After discovering this great place online – we quickly made an appointment and brought our dog for his water adventure. The facility offers a freestanding canine pool and two underwater treadmill systems – sounds like heaven for dogs.
A New Adventure Begins…
We brought our dog in to experience the underwater treadmill system to get him acclimated to the water experience in a safe and private environment. He entered the glass covered treadmill system happily, but as the water started to enter the container he was a bit more hesitant.
The staff at Aquatic Paws did an excellent job of making him feel comfortable in this new environment. As the water rose, the treadmill started slowly. At first our dog tried to fight against the moving treadmill. The staff encouraged him and guided him on the treadmill – not an easy task for this mini-bulldozer. After a few minutes of getting used to this water filled environment and with an increase in speed on the treadmill, he started getting the hang of the motion. Soon he was walking happily in the water! We were all very excited.
The plan is to have a few more appointments to get our dog used to the treadmill and then hopefully have him graduate to the pool. This is great start to getting our dog comfortable in the water and to enjoy many adventures in the future!
Check out Aquatic Paws…
Interested in getting treatment for your dog or just having a water adventure? Check out the Aquatic Paws website their photo gallery or for more photos and videos visit their Instagram and Facebook pages. You can also contact them based on the form on their website or by calling them at (571) 620-AQUA (2782).
