The World According to Garth Riley: Swimming

Saturday, November 30, 2013

FitDog Friday - Swimming at Alpha Dog Club

With less daylight and colder temperatures, mom and I decided I should try a new fitness activity for the winter months. We had wanted to check out Alpha Dog Club since they opened a year or two ago, and mom recently got a deal on Groupon to give it a try. So a few weeks ago, I had my first swim at Alpha -- an Intro Swim, Assessment, & Ramp training. First I learned to use the ramps to get in and out of the pool.

This is my "What crazy thing do you want me to do now, momma?" look

So this is how it works

I quickly got the hang of things and was able to swim without a leash.

This ramp is pretty cool

I was doing so well, I got to take off the PFD (puppy flotation device) and swim NAKED.

Mom says I'm kinda' timid when it comes to pools. (In my defense, pools can be scary because they're deep and have steep sides.) So she wasn't sure how much I'd like swimming at Alpha. I used to swim in a pool at daycare every week, but the daycare pool closed a long time ago, so it's been a really long time since I've been in a pool.

I was a little bit hesitant at first, but once I learned to use the ramps and I saw how easy it was to get in and out, I thought it was really FUN! The nice lady kept throwing a Kong Wubba for me to retrieve and I was all happy and excited to be swimming and retrieving. It made momma happy to see how much fun I was having while getting great exercise.

When we went back the following week, I was very happy to be there and eager to get started.

I'm ready for you to throw the ball
(note waggy tail)

I'm waiting

I remembered how to use the ramps.

And I once again had a great time.

I LIKE this place

We went back again the following week, and we've decided to make visits to Alpha Dog Club a weekly thing. Swimming is an excellent way to get a full-body workout, and it's also FUN. Since we do so much hiking, swimming is great for me because it exercises different muscles and helps loosen me up if I'm stiff or sore from hiking.

If you live in or near Richmond, you should check out Alpha Dog Club. The pool is heated and is saline (instead of chlorine) so it doesn't irritate my skin. Once you graduate to unassisted swimming, you can join the pool buddies program for $10 swims, or you can save money by buying a package of swims. Alpha Dog Club also offers Dog Massage, Treadmill Training, and Pet First Aid Classes.