I am very fortunate to have an excellent hydrotherapy pool only 15 minutes from my home. Luv My K9’s Inc. Canine Aquatic Facility Inc in Georgetown ON, is run by Trudy Cochrane and it is there that I sought help to improve Kyla’s (who was 11 years old at the time) rear end strength. Kyla had been competing in various sports all her life but one goal in agility had eluded us: Veteran Master Agility Dog of Canada (VMADC). Although a very fit Westie, she really had no clue how to use her rear to help propel her up and over the hurdles. This caused her to slow down and take the jumps carefully, which at the top level of competition doesn’t earn you a qualifying score.

A friend had recommended swimming as a way to improve the use of her rear legs, so we tried it. Kyla’s first swims in the pool were quite funny. Her front feet paddled nicely through the water. But the rear legs just kicked every now and then, which caused her to roll or list in the water. The life jacket helped her keep a float. It really showed me that she had no idea what to do with those rear legs! The buoyancy of the water reduces strain on your dog’s joints, for pain free exercise while building muscle mass. After a few weeks, she improved and had a nice rhythm to her strokes and was much more co-ordinated in the rear. Kyla did achieve her VMADC title and is the 3rd Westie ever to do so!

It was so interesting to see how Kyla swam, or didn’t at first, that I wondered if my younger dog Briagha had the same problem; no rear end co-ordination, so we swam her too. Briagha was great, used her front legs more than her rear, but was rhythmic. So I kept swimming her just to improve her overall strength and fitness.

Sometime later I was injured myself and not able to walk the dogs. Swimming really made the difference in keeping them fit. The winter is a difficult time to maintain your Westie’s activity level with all the deep snow, but swimming kept them in shape to compete in the ever increasing winter agility trials. Even swimming my hand striped terriers twice per week, their coats stayed hard. This pool used salt water for purification, not chlorine. The dogs didn’t loose much of their undercoat either. So if you are worried about swimming your show terrier, the salt water should not effected their coat.

I can’t speak of other pool facilities, but Luv My K9’s Inc. routine is to first warm the muscles up in a hot tub for about 3 minutes. During this time, Trudy can assess the mobility and strength of the dog and administer some Tellington TTouch to the dogs. Then the dog is fitted with either a special harness or a life jacket, and is lifted into the heated pool. For large dogs that have leg injury there is a hydraulic host to get them into the pool. The one on one approach means that your dog gets the full benefit out of the swim. Her professionalism along with her open friendly attitude makes you and your dogs feel comfortable from the moment you meet her. Some dogs who like to swim will play fetch for their laps. My girls don’t like to swim and so are encouraged to keep moving by either walking beside them in the pool or beside it. If left to her own devices Briagha will tread water in the middle of the pool so that she doesn’t have to swim!

Each hydrotherapy session will be tailored to an individual dog's condition and fitness level. Kyla is now swimming for two minutes with a break of a minute repeated three times, so as not to exercise her too much. Where as Briagha swims for 10 minutes with a minute break and then swims for another 10 minutes to improve strength and stamina. Stronger, and toned muscles help to protect dogs against injuries that can happen during normal exercise, such as running or chasing a ball, or during more demanding exercise such as agility and flyball. It may surprise you to know that for a dog, one minute swimming is equivalent to about four minutes of running, according to Dr Arleigh Reynolds, a Veterinary Surgeon and Canine Physiologist in the UK. It has also be calculated as one minute swimming is like walking one mile. Whatever way that you estimate it, it is a great workout!

I have noticed another benefit from swimming in the heated pool in that Briagha ran very fast in agility even in hot humid conditions. This was not my experience with my two other agility stars. They really didn’t like running in the heat. My friend who has an agility Samoyed noticed the same thing with her dog this summer and she swims weekly too. Although not scientific, nor conclusive, swimming seems to have made a difference in their speed and endurance in hot weather.

Another club member Angie North used Luv My K9 Inc. pool for ‘ Pearl ’ to strengthen her knee and that leg before surgery, which really helped. Pre-surgery and post surgery are other reasons to swim your dog. Trudy Cochrane says that many conditions can be helped by hydrotherapy. Such things as: arthritis, hip dysplasia, spinal injuries, OCD (obsessive compulsive disorders), ligament and tendon injuries, degenerative myelopathy, neurological stroke, sprains and breaks, cruciate ligament problems, and total hip replacement. She adds, “That swimming sessions also provide mental stimulation and help prevent depression in a dog that has restricted movement for any reason. ”

Obesity is another reason to head to the pool. It can be difficult to give an overweight dog sufficient exercise on land without over-stressing bones and joints, so swimming is an excellent complementary exercise. Because swimming involves the use of almost all the muscles required for movement, without the concussive stresses of walking or running. Also, because water resistance is greater than air resistance, the muscles have to work harder. So the dog can loose weight without placing stress on its joints.

As with any fitness programme, you should contact you veterinarian to make sure swimming is correct for your Westie. Below is a list of hydrotherapy pools and websites across the country so that you can look for more information.

Luv My K9’s Inc. Aquatic Facility, Georgetown ON 905 873-9959

The Spaw, Aldergrove BC 604 856-7707

Ani-Mo-Tion, St. Lambert, QC (450) 550-8824

Vital K9, Errington, BC (250) 248-9992 (Vancouver Island)

K9 Commen Scents, Ottawa, Ontario (613) 745-9424

Author: Jane McLaughlin