Our two Springer Spaniels Jasper and CoCo are now regular users of the Doggie Day Care service. Jasper was a hectic, but very friendly 18 month old when he first attended and Coco was only 3 months old. Both of them have benefitted hugely from the service. Whilst we are both working long hours, Jasper and Coco are enjoying plenty of exercise, stimulation and social interaction with the team and the other dogs. They can’t wait to get in the door when we drop them off and they come home exhausted and content to eat their dinner and flop onto their beds.
 

We very much enjoy time with the dogs, long walks and days out at the weekends but having Jasper and Coco looked after during the week, when we are out at work, removes all the guilt and worry  that they are left alone and bored. Jasper’s behaviour at home and on walks has improved so much and Coco is progressing well with her house training and we have not had any destructive behaviour in the house.
 

We cannot recommend 4 Paws Aqua Doggie Day Care highly enough so a huge “Thank You” to Karen and her team for providing such a fantastic service.

During September 2010 I had some structural work and decorating carried out in my home.   As the time for the work to commence approached I gave serious thought about what to do with my two Westies.   I did not want to put them into kennels if I could avoid it, so I went on the internet and came across Four Paws Complete Care.   They offered so many different things for dogs and one of them being doggy day care – ah could this be the answer to my problem I thought?   I popped in and spoke with Keighley who advised me on what they did during a normal day and cost, she was extremely nice.    From what I was told and the feeling I got from actually visiting I felt sure I was doing the right thing and booked my two precious little higlanders in for initially one week.

The first morning I dropped them both off Scamp (13) and Alfie (5) was just like taking them to school, other pet owners were doing the same thing.   My two could not get in fast enough and went off with Karen quite the thing.    At the end of their first day I was anxious to see how they had settled.   They were absolutely fine, and had obviously had a fantastic time.   

ALLthe staff are so attentive to the needs of the dogs in their care.    My old boy Scamp by the middle of week could not manage the longer walks so he was just taken around the block which was quite sufficient for him.    However Alfie enjoyed everything and this livewire was ready to just relax when I got him home.   

Scamp and Alfie spent two fantastic weeks with the girls at Four Paws.   I cannot thank them enough for taking such great care of them and would not hesitate in recommending them and I certainly will use them again.   

Mary Brier– 15 October 2010

My mum finds me a bit difficult to cope with. You see I am 9.5 stone and I tend to pull her over when we walk ! But she left me at doggy day care for the first time last week and I loved it !!. The helpers there gave me a swim, took me for a walk and I got to have a run off of the lead !!. I cant wait to go back.
 

I've been to doggy day care at Four Paws again today. I pulled quite hard to get in (just to make sure my "pack leader" got the message that this is a cool place to go!) I get to play with other dogs most of the day, have games and cuddles with the helpers and get a couple of walks as well. My "pack leader" likes the fact that I'm safe and cared for whilst she's working. When I get home I'm pretty tired, so go straight to bed without worrying about an evening walk, so that I get a good nap before dinner.

Marley, Southbourne

A great service, my dog settled in fine with loving staff. Hes so tired he cant get out of his bed after his days at doggy day care :lol: ;-)

 Mrs Munns Reviewed on 9th April, 2010
 I'm touching wood when I say that at the moment Oscar has few health problems. He is just a crazy 5yr old boxer who thinks he is still a puppy, but he does spend quite a lot of time on his own at home when we are out at work so when I found out I could leave him with Karen and her team for the day to be walked, fussed and played with it seemed ideal. On top of that he gets a swim; he normally only likes to paddle but hopefully this will make him more confident. He loves it and goes home to sleep peacefully and dream about more walks and play time. thank you Karen for providing such a useful service. Oscar really appreciates it.
 

Oscar and toby  

Blue is a large, stocky, 5 year old Weimaraner who we rehomed from rescue in 2009.  We had no idea as to whether he had EVER swum, but I knew that swimming would be great exercise for him, as well as his regular twice daily walks.  I found 4 Paws and was really pleased to see that Blue could go along and just have a fun swim, so I booked him in, and off we went. 

I heard from a friend about four paws aqua and liked the sound of it so i decided to give them a ring and find out more. My 5 year old shih tzu x lhasa apso billy went for his first swim with no health problems just to have a fun splash and not knowing if he had any previous swimming experience as he was a rescue. You couldn't expect more from the staff as they were very helpful and friendly. Billy continues swimming on a regular basis and now i have the pleasure of being part of the four paws aqua team. Me and Billy would never dream of leaving them.

I intially went to 4 Paws Aqua  to help keep my 5 year old terrier fit, strong and supple, and compliment all the other activities he does. Although Barney loves to run in the sea and will put his head under to retrieve balls and stones, jump the waves and swim, when it came to the pool he sadly turned into a jibbering wimp.
Over a period of eight months, with fortnightly/ monthly visits, and a lot of patience we left there on our last visit with a very smug terrier who had had his confidence built up so that he was able to engage with a ball and launch himself into the water from the ramp to retrieve it. He did it with such gusto and enjoyment too!
Barney sends thanks to Ali ( he says those little massages on the ramp were lovely and really helped him!) Hopefully we can now build on this breakthrough. So thanks 4 Paws Aqua, that was a very special day for me.

Hi I would just like to tell you about my dog Millie, she is a black lab, who is 8 years old.
I started to take her to fourpaws aqua to give her a bit more excersise. she took one look at the pool and tried to leave. If the pool was dirty, cold and smelly, she would love it, but, because it is warm and clean, she hated it, also she has to work, which is another reason to hate it.
We perserviered and 5 weeks later, she is making her own way into the pool, no pulling and coaxing from Karen or Allie, what a break through, but the next week was even better, she not only got into the pool herself, she swam by herself, maybe she is starting to enjoy it after all, she is loosing weight, and has more energy, so it is doing her some good (maybe i should join her, It may do me some good aswell). well today week, she decided to have a poo in the middle of Lucknow road, I took her to the path and told her to wait,while I cleaned it up, the spot, where she realeved herself was by a busy bend, so it was easier and safer to take her to the path and leave her there, than keep hold of her, when I went back to the path she had started to walk of, towards fourpawsaqua, so i just followed her, she walked up to the door, sat down and waited. I told her to tell them she was there, so she jumped up at the door, which was then opened for her, she walkded in and went to the shower area all by herself.

Honey has had both her hips replaced.  After her second operation in January, we were advised that hydrotherapy would help with her walking and muscle mass.  She had a course of hyrdotherapy at 4paws and it has really made a huge difference.  Ali was brillian with Honey allowing her to build up her confidence and level of exercise, which was right for her.  She now goes each week for a fun swim and really loves it.

I have a yorkshire terrier called Stanley. The vet said that he has put a bit of weight on,and as we all know it's not good on their hearts. I cant take him out for long walks,as i have just had a disc operation on my back.I do feel so guilty not giveing stan the long works i use too.I was looking on the internet and came across Fourpaws aqua. I laughed at first A DOG going for swimming classes,but as i read more about it on the sight,i could see that this was no joke,but a great form of execise for your dog. I took stan along to have a swim, i was a little worried untill i meet,karen and her staff, as soon as we turned up they were all smiling and so friendly.Stan was taken to get ready for his swim,he came back and karen helped him in the water. It was so nice that i could watch my baby having his first swim, little love he had so much fun.Thank you karen and all the staff.
See you next week.
Stan is not just a DOG but my BEST friend. He looks after me,and i wont too look after him with the help from Four paw aqua.

I have been taking my greyhound Willow to 4paws Aqua for almost two years. Initially this was for a shoulder injury, but once healed I continued once every fortnight becuase the results on Willow have continued to dramatically improve her fitness. Karen and her team are professional, knowledgeable, and amenable to appointments outside of conventional working hours. The service has been extremely good value for money, and a quality of customer care is delivered that is often sadly lacking in this day and age. They do also have a wonderful empathy with their four legged customers. This is not the nearest hydrotherapy pool to me, but I continue to travel the extra distance because Karen goes out her way to look after her customers
 

Lucy loves coming to Four Paws and is doing really well. Because of her weight loss she can now wear an orange life jacket, whereas before she was too big to fit in it. She loves the new premises and strolls around like she owns the place. Karen and her team always make Lucy and us feel welcome and they never stop encouraging our other dog Nessie to go in the water even though she only comes along to watch. Both Nessie and Lucy look forward to their trips to Four Paws Aqua and the week wouldn’t be the same without it.
 

Poppy, our Springerdoor, was diagnosed with hip dysplacia in May 2009 and underwent an operation for a full hip replacement in June. After this, Poppy was required to go to the surgery in the New Forest for hyrdotherapy on an underwater treatmill however we felt that she wasn't getting the treatment she required as she did not appear to be getting better. I saw advertised locally the swimming pool '4 paws aqua' who was offering a free trial swim for new customers so I thought, hey, why not. It was good to have this free trial to see whether Poppy would like it and also it gave me the opportunity to speak to the staff at the pool about the options available.

As it happens, Poppy loved it there and couldn't wait to get in for her swim. The facilities there are perfect- there is ample parking outside, it's easy to access, throughout the facility there are dog friendly ramps as well as seating for us humans. The wash station is great, the equipment is in good nick, the staff are fabulous and best of all (in Poppy's opinion) there is an endless supply of toys to accompany her in the pool. I constantly recommend this business to people that I meet with dogs who have had various ailments, as well as to people with puppies who have boundless energy and need to burn it off in a way that does not impact on their joints. Poppy loves her trip to the pool and her hip is definitly showing signs of improvement.

Hello I’m GEMINI
When I met my Humans I was being a bit of a jealous want to be mum, My friend Holly was having puppy’s and I really wanted it to be me. My current Humans looked after me for a while so Holly could have her puppy’s in Peace. They decided to wait for one of my PUPS and instead of Pup’s I got Pyometra. I was very sick for a while and my new humans fell in love with me see picture, so instead of pups they ended up with me. Well I am lucky to have to homes and Robin & Zoe are still Mum & Dad but Colin & Chris the new Humans realised I was in trouble, my hormones were all over the place from the op and I had put on a lot of extra pounds. They took me to meet Karen and I have never looked back since, so I strongly recommend you to dunk your human in the pond once a week if possible they love it Love & Licks GEMINI alias Gemimapudleduck of BAFFIN'S
 

Karen what can I say you and staff and the treatment Lucy has received have worked wonders Lucy is once again enjoying life to the full it’s lovely to see her out walking with our two dogs( Maddie and Scooby)and really having fun I’m sure at times she still thinks she’s a puppy. Now that Lucy has finished her 10 week course we have decided to continue with a further 10 weeks. Lucy is a different dog so full of life we cannot praise Fourpawsaqua enough we would certainly highly recommend you

Thank you

Bob and Theresa Lawrence

Dear Karen, Tracey and all at 4PawsAqua Thank you for looking after us so well during our swim at 4PawsAqua. Our owners felt very confident at letting us experience our first-time swim without them, knowing we were in such safe hands. We expended so much energy that we retired to our beds as soon as we got home and not a woof was heard from us for the rest of the day! My owners are very conscious that I am approaching my 10th birthday (in my prime, I say) and they think this is a good way to keep me young and fit. It is brilliant for us and for our owners that we can have a swim followed by a trim - all in one go! We love Tracey and ever since she has been our personal hair stylist, everyone remarks how lovely we look. And we agree, of course! Ellie is such a wiggler but Tracey still manages to make her look like the Princess she thinks she is. I only have a thin coat and Tracey cleverly manages to keep me stylish but not bald - a dog has to keep up appearances, you know! We look forward to our next Trim n' Swim experience with Tracey and the 4PawsAqua team! Woofs and licks from Frodo and Ellie Harrison.

An update on Lucy......In two months Lucy has lost 3kg and has been doing really well. She loves coming to Four Paws Aqua and lets everyone know when she arrives.  She can still be very stubborn about getting in the pool but absolutely loves it once she is in there. She concentrates so hard a little of her tongue sticks out!!

Hi my name is Barney and I am a six year old labrador. My owners took me to the vet in February for a check up and discovered that I was very overweight. I weighed in at 47.3 kgs so they decided that it was time to do something about it. The vet suggested swimming and my mummy found Four Paws Aqua on the internet. I have been coming here for 5 months now and have lost 6kgs. I still have a few more kgs to lose but will get there. I love coming to Four Paws and really enjoy swimming. Hopefully with the help of Karen and the girls I'll be slim by Christmas!
 

I would like to thank Karen and all her team at 4 Paws Aqua Hydrotherapy Pool atFratton Portsmouth.

Our 11 year old English Springer Spaniel has a multitude of health problems which include an arthritic leg and heart problems which haven't been overcome with expensive operations. We thought he'd be limping for the rest of his life but our vet suggested we try swimming and recommended 4 Paws Aqua. At first, Max was very hesitant about going in the pool but after a few sessions he became more confident and now he tries to jump in the pool before having his life jacket fitted! He absolutely loves it and it's a joy to watch him enjoying his swims so much. Even better, though, is that his leg has got somuchstringer and he hasn't limped for months. It truly has been a miracle and I only wish I'd known about the benefits of this earlier as I would have taken my previous dog who also suffered with arthritis. Thank you, Karen, as I think you do an amazing job!

Zara Willis @ Four Paws Aqua Zara was able to go on a five day work experience placement at Four Paws Aqua during July last year. She has moderate learning difficulties but was able to work independently of school staff due to the level of supervision, care and training provided by Karen and her team. She visibly gained in confidence throughout the placement and learnt some valuable life skills. Zara always wanted to work with animals but a car accident early in her life left her with both physical and learning disabilities. After her placement she was able to gain a place at Sparshott College to study on an animal welfare course.
 

Annie Grice Assistant Headteacher

Hi, my name is Buddy, I’m a Golden Retriever, and….. Boy, do I have a tail (pardon the pun!!) to tell you...
 
When I was only 1 week old my family picked me out of a litter of 8 and then came to see me every weekend until I was 8 weeks old and ready to go to my new home. I was so excited when I got there to find I already had new toys and blankets and had lots of hugs all the time…… I loved it.
 
When I was 3 months old my family noticed that I was stiff sometimes when getting up and a bit lame after exercise, so they took me to see my vet, who took some x-rays and told my family that I had something called hip dysplasia and this is why I’ve always had pain in my hips. He said that one day I might need to have a hip replacement but some dogs can cope with the problems just by taking pain killers and having regular Hydrotherapy, and this is where I first met Karen and her team at 4 Paws Aqua.
 
At first I was scared as it was all very strange and I had to be hoisted into the water, but after a couple of visits I loved it and couldn’t wait to get straight into the pool after my shower, I had loads of fun and exercise.
 
When I was about a year old, my family decided to get me seen by a hip specialist called Fitzpatrick Referrals. They x-rayed me again and Noel, my surgeon, recommended that I have a hip replacement, but was worried because I was so young.
 
After I my hip replacement everything was fine for 2 weeks, then disaster, I had something called Luxation, which means the bone comes out of the joint.  I then went through another hip replacement and the same thing happened again. My family and I went through a really stressful time, but Noel Fitzpatrick was very kind and helpful, and suggested to my family that we try it one more time, but once again this failed. It was then that my family had to think long and hard about what to do next because these operations cost thousands of pounds and just didn’t seem to be working.
 
Thankfully, my family didn’t give up on me and it was decided that I should have a femoral head and neck incision, which means I have no hip joint and my muscles have to be strong for me to enjoy being a young dog and having fun.
 
The good news is that I get to go to 4 Paws Aqua twice a week now and Karen makes sure my muscles are being used and are getting stronger
 
I’m a happy dog now, running, jumping and swimming, and best of all I can do all this free of pain at last.    Buddy x 

Sally is a collie cross reteiver who has arthritis & was over weight, she has been coming to 4 paws for a round a year & loves it, she adores swimming &takes her swimming seriously. Her athritis is very much improved & her weight down

my chocolate lab holly has just had puppies so goes to 4 paws aqua for a fun swim, she absolutely loves it and the staff are so friendly.

Our beautiful golden retriever Shadow has been enjoying hydro with Karen for more than 6 months. Shadow sadly, suffered a bad accident at the beach,resulting in surgery at Bristol University Teaching Hospital for severe ligament damage to his back right leg. Hydro has helped enourmously and Shadow has made a remarkable recovery.He literally runs into Karen and can't wait to get in the pool.Thankyou Karen for your most valuable contribution to Shadow's return to full health.

Jackson goes to Four Paws Aqua for a fun swim, and really enjoys it, the Staff are really friendly and helpful.