Weight & fitness

Dog Swimming for Canine Obesity

Overweight dogs are hard to exercise: walking far hurts their joints and they overheat quickly. Private 30-minute sessions in a heated indoor pool at Bretherton, Lancashire.

Enquire about a session 07359 881320

WHAT IT IS

Canine Obesity (overweight dogs) in plain English

Excess body fat that increases load on every joint, raises anaesthetic and metabolic risk, and shortens the time a dog can exercise comfortably.

We are a canine swimming and hydro pool, not a veterinary practice — this page explains how our sessions fit alongside the care your vet provides.

WHAT OWNERS NOTICE

Signs owners mention when they call us

no visible waist from above

ribs hard to feel

panting early on walks

reluctance to get up

fat pads at the base of the tail

WHY THE POOL HELPS

Why warm water suits this problem

Overweight dogs are hard to exercise: walking far hurts their joints and they overheat quickly. In water they can work properly without any of that, which is why our Weighty Woofers sessions exist.

HOW IT WORKS

What the water is actually doing

High energy expenditure per minute compared with walking, at a fraction of the joint load

Water keeps the dog cool during hard effort

Free weigh-in every session, so progress is measured rather than guessed

Builds muscle, which raises the dog's resting energy use

RECOMMENDED SESSION

We'd start with the Weighty Woofers session

Weekly gives the clearest trend on the scales; fortnightly still works alongside diet changes.

Weigh-in figures are recorded each visit so you can see the trend rather than a single number.

£40 · 30 minutesCheck availability

YOUR FIRST VISIT

What the first session looks like

Weigh-in first, then a short swim with rests. Overweight dogs tire faster than owners expect, so early sessions are broken into intervals rather than one continuous swim.

30 minutes

Arrive 10 minutes early

28–32°C water

Indoor, private pool

Towel & dryer

Included every visit

Before you book

Swimming will not out-run a diet. The dogs that change shape are the ones whose food is measured at home as well. If there is any history of collapse or heat intolerance, talk to your vet first.

QUESTIONS WE GET ASKED

Canine Obesity: your questions

How much is a Weighty Woofers session?

£40 for the 30-minute session, and the weigh-in is included every time.

Is swimming really better than walking for weight loss?

It lets an overweight dog work much harder for the same joint cost, which is the real advantage. Alongside a measured diet, that is a strong combination.