Testimonials
Daycare
For those who are looking for pet care, all you need to see is how excited Bodhi gets every time he walks through the doors at Pawsitively Pooched to realize that this is where you want your puppy to be. The staff is always upbeat and considerate. We consider ourselves lucky to have this option in our neighborhood.
Shannon & Norm (Bodhi)
Atmosphere
Pawsitively Pooched is peace of mind....
...I cannot say enough about the friendly, positive atmosphere at Pawsitively Pooched. The staff are always smiling, courteous and helpful. I never worry when Gracie is there because I know she is well looked after by caring and competent people. We have participated in obedience training and have made use of the spa services and daycare and I would highly recommend them all! Thank you all!!!!! ~ Linda Thompson
Swimming
I adopted an emaciated, horse chasing, scared and untrained Rottweiler, Quoia....
... in the December of 2006 at 1.5 years old. Pawsitively Pooched was her first real experience with other dogs in a closed environment. They took it very slow with her and offered training advise whenever I had a moment to inquire as to her behaviour in day care. In March of 2007 I had a very serious accident, putting me in a back brace for three months and unable to work. Shortly there after Quoia was playing outside when she came back to me seriously limping.
I was so unaware of what might be wrong that I immediately called Pawsitively Pooched to see if it was minor or major. Unfortunately it was major and upon a veterinarian's exam, an Anterior Cruciate Ligament surgery was in order to repair her leg. Unable to work or even lift her up stairs the staff at PP helped me with trying to locate a ramp for the car, a wheelchair she could use to be mobile and they also helped me to raise some donations to have her receive the surgery she needed since I was unable to work.
Once the surgery was done there was ongoing support over the phone and eventually, once she was more mobile, we were there swimming in the therapeutic pool twice a week. The staff were extremely sympathetic to our situation and it showed in the service we received. The vet thought that the rehabilitation was what helped her to regain her mobility and muscling after the surgery and a year later she was back to normal.
But as luck would have it, she would become a statistic and tore her opposite ACL the following summer of 2008. Surgery again and this time she was easier to control but still just as vulnerable. Once she was able to swim again, we were at PP as often as we could be. Even just being in the water and being massaged was enough for my dog to begin the healing process. Once she was able to swim more over time I noticed her attitude changed for the better, her weight was optimum and her range of motion in both legs were improving daily.
This spring 2009, Quoia was approaching a year since her last knee surgery and was getting restless to run around; which was a no no for a year. PP was offering their doggy boot camp called "Get Pooched!" We signed up immediately and welcomed the adventure together. We had numerous obstacles to overcome as it turned out and having the support of a group of dog people and professionals definitely improved our odds at success.
On our first day, our water therapist Tracy, noticed she was still short strided in the hind end and that some more swimming would benefit her. On that program of intermittent swimming, lots of hiking and training with the Get Pooched crew, after 6 weeks Quoia was almost back to normal range of motion and she was getting more trained by the minute! She has since been better with other dogs and my horses alike.
To sum up my PP experience is this. I had a very challenging dog, that was injured twice and without the help, support and guidance of Carrie and her team at PP, I would have given up a long time ago. Now my dog is healthy, happy, has less of a chance to injure herself and is more of a huge joy in my life!
Sincere thank you to everyone at PP who helped us along this journey. I will be eternally grateful for your knowledge and kindness.
Sincerely, Heather Mitchell-Matheson & Quoia
Swimming
...My dog, Buddy who now is 2 years old really enjoys the assisted swim. It helps him with his mild hip dysplasia, as well keeps him trim because as you know golden retrievers can become obese very easily. My vet is always on my case about maintaining a good weight for him which I agree with totally. A fat dog has many adverse health issues affecting their joints and heart. At first Buddy was scared to get in the pool; now he can’t wait to get wet and is impatient to jump in.
Also, I have a 4 year rescue dog, German Shepherd X Border collie called Cleo. I’m reasonably sure that she has never experienced grooming or day care previously. These positive experiences have made Cleo a much more social dog. And I know that both Buddy & Cleo love the 1 hour walks that staff takes them on.
I know that when my boy and girl are in your care, that they are being treated like royalty plus they love going to Pawsitively Pooched – a safe and loving place.
Regards, Carol Goulden
Obedience
‘I felt the small class made it easier to teach.’...
‘Wonderful experience and good bonding with your dog.’
‘We loved the class!’
‘Very helpful – lots of great tips. This made our life with Neiko much happier.’
‘I thought I knew a fair bit about teaching puppies before this class, but I learnt so much more!’
‘very well spoken and explained things very clearly.’
Favorite part of class – ‘Everything! It was a great learning experience. My dog and I learnt a lot and got a lot out of the classes. It was a great learning experience.’
‘ Jennifer is very knowledgeable, had lots of practical examples. Comfortable and easy to talk to!’
Late!!
Thanks particularly to Stephanie for her smiling...
cheerful attitude on Friday night November 27th, 2009. It was a great relief to know that she was there when we were all so late in picking up our dogs due to the horrible traffic issues. Not one single complaint when I arrived-Just concern for all of us that were on the road! Thank you!!
Grooming
She was to get a grooming and pick up by noon. Since being picked up, we have had a real handful with Abbey.
Her ego has been such that we often wonder if she can get her head through the doors. And someone placed a bandana around her neck.
To our surprise when we take it off her she will follow you around the house, more or less, in a depressed state until someone gets the bandana and puts it back on her of which she turns back into her little princess persona. Conversations with one another are mostly not possible ....Abbey will place herself between you and either paw at you or playfully growl until someone acknowledges her as "yes you are a pretty girl"
Abbey has seen you folks about 4 times in the last year but this time came home in this "fully charged" state. I guess what we are trying to say from this house to you is ...THANK YOU!
She came home ego boosted "yes your a pretty girl" and in wonderful mental and physical form. The thing with the bandana well who knows what goes on in a dogs mind !! But once it's on her she struts like a little princess.
Truth be told, all of us here are pet lovers and realize that pets lives are painfully short in comparison to humans and if a simple bandana came make her feel like queen of the dogs then so be it.
In closing, a Merry Christmas and all the best in the new year. A hats off to all of the staff and especially the groomer who handled Abbey and did such a wonderful job with her coat and hahahah ego !!
Looking forward to seeing you all in the new year .
Sincerely,
Keith
Nancy
Katarina
Miles
The Hadley household
And Abbey of course
One of our Many Stories (get the tissue!)
Tonight had to have been the most important and most memorable night I have ever
had and probably will ever have as a Canine Water Therapist. Tonight, my water companion, Sage, was euthanized at poolside surrounded by her friends, family, and longtime vet. Sage was a 14 and a half year old Keeshond who had been coming to swim with me since October 22nd, 2006. She was crippled with arthritis, basically just skin and bone, but still a puppy at heart. Every Tuesday and Thursday for the last six months, Sage and I would 'twirl' in the warm water and I would sing her songs that were playing on the radio. In the eight foot by twenty foot pool, the water was heated to 93 degrees Fahrenheit. The warm water helped to relax Sage’s muscles. In the pool, massage and other healing techniques were used to help with relaxation and increase circulation. The warm water also allowed me to softly stretch her legs and gently stretch out her hunched back. Canine water therapy is ideal for dogs that are crippled with arthritis, those who have had knee surgery, back surgery, hip dyspalsia and the list goes on. It is for the young, the old, the healthy, the injured, and the crippled like Sage. After her half-hour session, one of the girls would greet us out of the pool with a little blanket bed for Sage, where she would be scooped up and brought to the grooming table where she would be fussed over. Sage had such a short attention span and was very stubborn. She screamed and the girls would run. I laughed because she had the girls so well trained. Our time was always about floating and swirling around in the water. She never demanded anything from me, nor did I expect anything from her. After being dried off, someone else would feed her. Her appetite was incredible after swimming and so was her stamina. She would get up, (well actually scream for one of the girls to help her up), and she would begin her trek around the daycare, straight legged and hunched over. Nothing stopped her. She started trying to follow the dogs and she started following us around, especially my voice - must have been the singing. haha.
Over the last two weeks she had started to deteriorate very badly. Her appetite was starting to decline. I talked to her owner and told her that Sage needed to come everyday to be in the water since it was the only thing taking her pain away and helping to stimulate her appetite. Being in the water, even just floating, is a low impact exercise. Sitting in the warm water was the same feeling for her as it is for us to sit a hot tub. The jets and the warm water just take all the aches and pains away and help relieve pressure on the joints. Painkillers were not even an option for Sage. When Sage was nine she was attacked by a dog and had to go on prednisone. Being on prednisone she was unable to be on any pain killers. At least she had the water, the reiki and the massages.
So tonight was the night that the owner said it was time for her to say goodbye. One of the girls and I spent most of the day preparing the pool area. Tulips, candles, mini drying beds, a slideshow, and her favorite cologne spray, well the owners favorite cologne spray for dogs. Sage and her family arrived at 7:15 pm tonight. The owner and I brought Sage into the pool where we held her, talked to her, massaged her and said our good-byes. The owner spent the last twenty minutes in the water with her before the vet arrived. It was so beautiful. The candles, the flowers all over the deck, the music, the tears, a few jokes. But most importantly it gave back to the owner what she had felt she had lost years ago – her youthful, loyal, vibrant best-friend who would follow her around everywhere. Tonight the owner had all that again, plus more - it allowed her to feel that bond again that is shared between an owner and their pet and to say good-bye in her own special way. When the owner was finally ready, we brought Sage to the drying table where the owner and I dried her off. The family sobbed and the owner just held and kissed her head. It was the perfect, the most beautiful night for Sage and her mom. And for myself. It is funny how it isn't always really about the swimming. It is about the being, the loving and the believing.