Dog swimming lessons in Hertfordshire. A fun day out for dogs and their owners.
It’s no secret Fletcher loves swimming. He’ll jump in any water he sees; ponds, the sea, lakes, rivers and puddles. Even during a dry summer, he still manages to find the last piece of smelly stagnant stream on our daily walk. A hose down and shampoo has become a daily ritual. Unfortunately, the suited businessman we crossed paths with on the way home wasn’t expecting a stinky soggy spaniel when he stopped to say hello. Cue the classic “nooooooo!” as Fletcher landed two mucky paws onto his trousers.
I wanted to find some clean water for him to swim in, so I booked Fletcher a session at Canine Dip & Dive in Barkway, Hertfordshire. It’s a dog training centre which offers safe and secure fields for dogs to run off lead, agility equipment and from April to October a dog swimming pool.
We were joined by my husband and Fletcher’s best bud Juno and her owners. The dog-friendly swimming session was booked initially to help Juno, a staffy-cross, practice her swimming. If you’re a regular reader you’ll know Juno struggles with water. Her mum (Lucy) is worried she’ll drown following Fletcher on a water adventure. So off we went to help her gain confidence and to basically wear Fletcher out for the day.
On arrival we were greeted by two assistants. One member of staff got into the water with the dogs. Fletcher was off, happily gliding about, while Juno was desperately trying to be brave enough to take the leap.
Our husbands got into the water too, and after some encouragement Juno was swimming by herself. The longer she spent in the water, the more confident she became.
The pair splashed around together, chasing balls and toys. However I noticed Fletcher wasn’t quite being himself. He was hesitant to jump into the water and showed little excitement about the whole thing. Then I realised what was holding him back. The spoilt spaniel wasn’t satisfied with the huge toy selection. He wanted a stick. I found one, and as I predicted he launched himself into the water with a big splash to retrieve it.
Each swim session is 30 minutes, priced £12 per dog, with a maximum of five dogs per session. However Lucy wanted to use the opportunity to teach Juno to swim without distractions, so she booked a private session priced £30. I paid an additional £10 for Fletcher to join in.
Overall it was an enjoyable morning. The dogs absolutely loved it. It kept them cool on a scorching hot day and gave them their daily exercise. Fletcher only needed one walk as opposed to his usual four! However, I wish the session was slightly longer as by the time they were really playing, it was time to leave.
