The Puddle

LOVE! Love. Love the Puddle!
So I’m a really, really active volunteer at DuPage County Animal Carr & Control. I love helping the animals, training them to be more attractive for forever homes and helping them stay sane during their sometimes long waits for homes. Every so often I fall madly in love with a dog there, and recently, it’s been an amazing young gentleman named Henry. Henry also caught the eye of a VERY generous donor, who offered Henry a few swimming lessons at The Puddle while he waited for his forever home. I happily brought him to his first appointment last week and loved the entire experience as much as Henry did!
I’ve been to one other hydrotherapy place, once with my own dog, and I didn’t really love the place. The Puddle was so different! When Henry and I walked in, everyone was so warm and welcoming! They quickly ushered us back to the giant pool and allowed Henry to sniff around till he got comfortable. Then we made our way up the stairs and toward the pool. The instructor stayed IN the pool with Henry the whole time, using cheering, treats, toys, and all sorts of encouragement to ensure he loved it. She was concerned with HIS well-​being and never looked at the clock or made us feel rushed. The pool was immaculately clean and I felt totally comfortable being barefoot at the side of it (to assist in Henry’s swims)! I couldn’t believe how fast the time went by and how comfortable we were made to feel. At the end, I purchased a treat for Henry from their lobby full of all kinds of goodies, and met the owner’s adorable 14 year old terrier. We made another appointment and off we went.
As if this experience wasn’t awesome enough, the owner maintains a «share the care!» fund to sponsor adoptable dogs visits to The Puddle. How great is THAT?! I’m seriously considering coming back with my terrified-​of-​the-​planet dog, because we had such a great time here. If you’re looking to try a fun, different, confidence-​building experience with your canine, try The Puddle!

The Puddle Aqua Fitness is a great place. Our Sydney loves it! They also have a nutritionist on staff that helped us to get our dogs on a better diet… They are happier and healthier. Love this place and their staff! If you have a dog… Try them out!

This is amazing facility with a wonderful staff. Our puppy has loved learning to swim. I wish we could have discovered this place when our yellow lab was old and arthritic. The owners are passionate about animals and really enjoy what they do for a living. I’m sure we will be using this facility throughout the year for extra exercise and socialization for our puppy.

I have learned a ridiculous amount about pet nutrition from this place. The staff has a vast knowledge on the subject (one of them literally wrote a book on it!) and are incredibly willing to share it with whomever comes in.
It’s obvious that they have a passion for animals, which it turns out, just like their masters, need a healthy diet in order to stay in good form into old age. (And the Standard American Diet for dogs is about on par with that of humans!)
On that note, you’ll find tons of neat things you won’t find at the big box pet stores. If you have a dog that likes to chew, try the «bullies». It’s like a rawhide bone but it won’t give your dog intense indigestion as it’s a 100% digestible bull organ (Guess which one!). Which upon a test run with several dogs, they live up to their claim.
To give you a better idea of the food, I must confess that because the dog treats I bought had only one ingredient, 100% cheddar cheese, I couldn’t resist having a sample for myself… not bad…

I just recently began commuting out to the suburbs to take care of a relatives rescue that is a bit older. He has arthritis, and after the first week of waiting for me to take him out, he began eating less. I started to get worried, and spoke with a few co-​workers who live in the area. One person brought up The Puddle, and said that exercising and a change in diet may just help? It was definitely worth a shot, as I wanted to avoid speaking with my Aunt about her seemingly sick dog.
I pulled in just before closing time, and walked in with Jake in toe. I was immediately greeted with a huge smile by Cathy, who quickle came over and addressed Jake and myself. She was extremely personable and I could tell right away that Jake would rather she was taking care of him. I talked with her about Jake’s issue’s and my hesitations in walking him too far. Cathy was extremely knowledgable about what would be best for Jake based upon everything I knew. She explained why swimming would be best, and went through the benefits of a raw food diet. I took her advice, and we quickly got him into the pool, rinsed off, and discussed working the new food into his diet.
It has been just over a week since I started taking him here. Its astounding the difference in Jake’s demeanor and eating habits in such a short time. It’s very encouraging to see how much happier he is already. I’m very excited to see the difference after coming in for a month! I can’t thank Cathy and Beth enough for all of their guidance and help. This is without a doubt the establishment to come to for owners who truely care about their dog. I’m sure my Aunt will be calling to thank you as well when she gets back in July.