Swim time
I have been thinking about taking my MuttButs swimming for some time now and finally decided to do it before the weather got too cold. Riedi, Margi and I really don’t like the cold weather. We picked the perfect day to travel to Atlanta Dogworks in Ball Ground, GA.
I really thought they would like swimming a bit more than they actually did, however there was a float in the pool and they loved floating around.
The pool at Atlanta Dogworks in for Dock Diving practice, but they’ve built a ramp on one side of it to help dogs ease into it if they’re not used to the water. There is a Saturday swim where you can schedule the pool and have it all to yourself. You can even get in and swim with them. That’s what I did with Riedi & Margi.
They had a Blast! I was able to push the float onto the ramp and they got right on it. They were floating while I was pushing them all around the pool. I know, they’re just a bit spoiled. There are so many animals on the property that they were on sensory overload. There were horses, goats and even emu. You can see from the Periscope I did that the two emu were sitting behind their fence watching Riedi & Margi floating around.
Horses and Goats and Emu, Oh My!
I remembered to take my extra long leash and since I had both Riedi & Margi with me, I attached one end to Riedi, the other to Margi and the middle to a short leash around my waist. I wanted them to have a little freedom, but not too much. I’m sure if I let Margi loose she would have chased after the emu or other animals that intrigued her!
Margi can’t believe how many animals are at Atlanta Dogworks. Riedi is just worried she’ll tip the float over!
Even though my MuttButs weren’t keen on swimming, we had so much fun. I highly recommend it. Thankfully I did think ahead and was prepared so I didn’t have a mess or wet dog smell in my car after the 45 minute drive home. As we got out of the pool, I dried both Riedi & Margi off with Dezi & Roo’s Mighty Mitts. They were a life saver. I was able to dry them off in a snap. No wet dog smell, YAY!
I also remembered to bring Riedi’s bed and it covered the entire back of the car. I knew if they did get it dirty all I had to do was throw it in the washer. Another reason I often refer to it as the Best Dog Bed Ever! As you can see Riedi slept the whole ride home. Margi on the other hand was wide awake making sure she didn’t miss anything.
The ride home! Yes, Riedi slept the whole way back.
Here are some other items you might want to consider packing when you take your MuttButs to the pool:
- Poop Bags
- Gulpy from Dezi & Roo
- Toys! They would enjoy swimming after some toys like Dezi & Roo’s Fire Hose Toy
- Suntan lotion (pet & people)
- Can you think of other items? I’d love to hear!
Planning our next outing!
If you’ve been thinking your dogs might enjoy swimming, I recommend you get something scheduled. Mine had so much fun that I’m already thinking of the best date in the spring to take them. If you are in the Atlanta area, make sure to check out Atlanta Dogworks.
Riedi and Margi keep asking me when they can go back so I can push them around the pool on the float again and they can see all of the animals.
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That looks like so much fun! I take our golden retriever to a local lake for swimming, but one thing I’ve never done is go swimming with her, which would be a blast (too late for us this year though….fall has arrived here in the Northeast!).
I highly recommend it. Can’t wait until spring for our next trip. Can’t believe I waited so long to take them.
That sounds like so much fun! I wonder if Penny would swim….. she avoids the kiddie pool.
We had so much fun! Definitely check out the place first and check the setup if she hasn’t been before. I loved that they had an easy way for them to get in and I could also get in with them. The first place I took Riedi a few years ago was not set up for beginners and they never told me that before. This was a great setup for dogs at all levels.