Around 150 dogs pad their way to Three Mile Cross every week to spend half an hour in Andrew Dicker's Aquadoggies swimming pool. I pop along on a chilly January afternoon and am greeted by Carol Dicker. She sends me round the back of their bungalow, along a garden path and into a green and white canopied dome that houses the dog swimming pool. "Your boots better not be muddy", shouts a booming voice. It's pool owner and dog trainer extraordinaire Andrew Dicker. As well as running the pool, he also trains dogs in obedience and competes in obedience and agility at a very high level. I get the impression my rather unruly Dalmatian has met his match here, and I conveniently forget to inform Andrew that the said animal is in my car. So back to the pool, and as I arrive a Golden Retriever called Pumble is doing laps. She's happily swimming up and down chasing a ball. I'm told by her owners that she has a sore pad and is carrying a bit of extra weight so swimming is a great form of exercise. The 10 ft by 20 ft pool is heated to 31 degrees C and has a non-chlorine (active oxygen) filtration system that doesn't cause skin and eye irritation. It's about 4 ft deep and when the swimming is over the dogs get a quick rinse through in the shower and then a blow-dry with a special hair-dryer that looks like a vacuum cleaner hose. So why take your dog swimming? Well, it's good for maintaining general fitness in dogs and the therapeutic treatment of canine joint disease. Just like humans, it's good for arthritis, hip dysplasia, backaches and post surgical rehabilitation. The process of swimming allows the body to achieve increased mobility in stiff or sore joints as well as building muscle mass around the affected area. But what if your dog is a bit reluctant to try out his water wings? There are special doggie life-jackets that will keep your pooch afloat, and the dog will be attached to leads on either side to help him out if he gets into difficulty. The dogs I saw clearly enjoyed their dip - take a look at the picture gallery by clicking the link on the right! | 
