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Dogs c a even w n exercise hen it’s cold by hitti ng indoor the pool
Indoor pools open their doors to dogs BY STACEY FREED
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llen Spruce’s 10-year-old black Lab, Jet, is lucky to have a pool to swim in during the summer; however come winter in upstate New York, outdoor swimming isn’t an option. “But,” says Spruce, “we come here and Jet’s in heaven.” “Here” is CoolBlue Conditioning, an indoor swimming pool for dogs in Macedon, N.Y. — about 118 miles from Spruce’s home in Endicott, N.Y. She brings Jet once a month, and they spend the night nearby. “I have as much fun and joy as she does,” Spruce says. A pool is a great way for dogs, whether they’re energetic pups or aging mutts with creaky joints, to get some exercise. “It’s about exercising and conditioning, but it has to be fun,” says CoolBlue
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co-owner Trish Wager, whose yellow Lab, Blue, was a “genetic mess — bad knees and elbows.” Blue spent a lot of time in veterinary rehab until Wager and her husband, Mike, opened CoolBlue. Their 15,000-gallon, 4-foot-deep pool is treated with ultraviolet light, minerals and ultra-low levels of chlorine, Mike Wager says. There’s an underwater treadmill and large play areas for agility training and Crossfit Canine and Pudgy Pooch programs. Trained staffers guide the dogs’ swim. Owners don’t go in the pool, but can play along. Jet’s favorite game requires Spruce to run beside the pool and toss a ball in. Jet gets to exercise, and Spruce gets a big benefit, too. “Being here just takes away all the bad things going on in the world,” she says.
CHECK OUT THESE INDOOR SWIMMING FACILITIES uAlaska K9 Aquatics, Anchorage, alaskak9aquatics.com uBarley’s Canine Recreation Center, Salt Lake City, swimatbarleys.com uCoolBlue Conditioning, coolblueconditioning.com uFido’s Indoor Dog Park, Portland, Ore., fidosindoordogpark.com uCanine & Condition Rehabilitation Group (CRCG), Broomfield and Englewood, Colo., dog-swim.com uCanine Fitness and Fun Center, Denver, caninefitnessandfuncenter.com uLap it Up, Durham, N.C., lapitup.biz uMartial Arfs, Nassau County, N.Y., martialarfs.com
FROM LEFT: THINKSTOCK; COOLBLUE CONDITIONING
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