“I love swimming every week at Paws To Swim. I’ve been doing it for almost 7 years. Mom says it’s for physical therapy for my elbow, but I think it’s so I can wear my fly hair bows and eat cheese. Either way, Alice at Paws To Swim is my favorite person in the world other than my parents. She knows what toys I like and how to photograph me from my best angles. I know I can be difficult, but I feel safe and happy when I’m at Paws To Swim, even when there are scary puppies there.”

We started coming to Paws to Swim because I wanted my young dog to be safe and comfortable in and around water when we are out hiking or camping. From his first assisted swims to his current weekly visits, we have enjoyed every moment of our time at Paws to Swim! The staff is incredible: cheerful, helpful, encouraging, fun… AND they are experts at helping dogs enjoy the water! My dog was not a natural at swimming but he is now very confident and happy in the water. Visiting Paws to Swim is one of the highlights of my dog’s week (and mine, too!)"

Paws to Swim improved our lab Henry's quality of life when he began losing muscle tone and use of his hind legs.  Playing ball was always his favorite activity, and regular swims gave him an outlet to keep doing this until the very end.  Thanks, Paws to Swim, for the joy you brought to Henry!

Paws to Swim has given our dog, Betty, a way to stay active, especially during the hot summer months.  While she may not be a top athlete, dock diving has given us an outlet to work with her and strengthen our relationship while she cools down and tires herself out.  

On the recommendation of his surgeon and his rehabilitation therapist, Barrett came to Paws to Swim as a nine month old energetic puppy, who was two months post surgery on both of his little elbows!  He started off only being able to swim for a few minutes with help from HIS Gaby (he thinks Gaby belongs to him!).  He  needed MANY assisted swims, which gave us the opportunity to work with each of the trainers, including Henry!  Barrett enjoyed being ‘one of the guys’ those days, that is for certain.  I can say with certainty that every trainer at Paws to Swim genuinely cares about their clients, and they each bring different skills to the table.  The absolutely amazing thing is how they communicate with one another so that every nuance of what a dog needs is covered and each swim can be the absolute best for the dog.  It is a labor of love that they take so seriously!  They know when to push a little and when to back off.  As a result, four years later, I have a strong, happy, well-muscled boy who shows no sign of elbow dysplasia and is determined to save every pig at the pool!  Paws to Swim is one of his and my very happiest places in the world!

My name is Kirby and I will be 13 years old next month.  I started coming to Paws to Swim because I have polyneuropathy and was having trouble balancing and walking and I want my muscles to stay strong.  The coaches are always so nice and they take such good care of me!  When I started, they dressed me up in my floatie-coat and a cool collar that helps my head stay out of the water – because water in my ears is no fun – and they even swam with me to be sure I knew what to do and would be okay in the water by myself.  I love the water, and they could see that I could do it myself, and it was really Mom that needed the help.  Now that they taught her how to dress me for the water, and made sure she knows what to do, she brings me and is comfortable with ‘supervising’ my trips into the pool.  The coolest thing??  After I swim, I get a nice warm bath and Mom blow dries my fur with the awesome hair dryer!  Talk about a spa day!  You should bring your Human and try it!!!!  We old guys KNOW what we are talking about!!!!! 

Reuben began swimming at Paws to Swim after a TPLO surgery. After 12 weeks of recovery it was great to see him move again in a safe way! The warm water of the heated pool was a great way for him to get exercise and rebuild muscle without too much worry of overdoing it. Of course, now that we are a year and a half past surgery he also loves the outdoor play pool and coming just for fun!

When we adopted Zola we knew she was a high energy excitable pup and that Paws to Swim would be a great outlet for her energy! After her first assisted session she began swimming unassisted in the play pool several times a month. Zola can be reactive towards people and other dogs so the privacy of the pools at Paws to Swim are really great for her and we all feel so safe!

Our puppy was obsessed with water from the moment we brought her home - I’m so excited we found Paws to Swim, and so is she!! She had so much fun playing and swimming - she was sleeping so hard on the ride home.

We absolutely love bringing our golden retriever, Oshie, to Paws To Swim! He’s a very reactive dog around others, so finding a safe, stress-free place for him to get exercise and have fun has been such a gift. The private indoor pool has been perfect for him to swim and burn off energy, and now with the new private outdoor play pool, he gets even more variety and excitement.

The team at Paws To Swim is always so welcoming, professional, and kind. Oshie feels comfortable here in a way he doesn’t anywhere else. We’ve made it part of our routine to visit at least twice a month, and every time we can tell how much he enjoys it.

For anyone with a dog who loves the water (or just needs a safe, private place to play), I can’t recommend Paws To Swim enough!