9/23/24 Update: I never heard back from the owner.
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3/1/24 - Update: Still have not heard back from the owner.
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9/30/22-Update: it's been about six months since I wrote this review. I have not Heard from the owner at all.
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March 2022- I would not recommend due to 1) Suzanne's technique with my dogs and 2)pricing. My girls had never been in the water before, so that pool was terrifying for them. We had discussed over the phone that I was interested in a swimming lesson and that we don't really play fetch. Maybe in the future, after they have become accustomed to the water, then fetch could be something to do. But not the first visit. I just wanted this to be a pleasant introduction to the water. The way that I like to approach situations with my dogs is by using treats and positive reinforcement to help them build confidence and trust and be able to do it on their own terms. Suzanne did use treats but the part I was surprised at was that she took the handles of the life vests and plopped my dogs in the water. That was not on their own terms! That really is not a positive way to introduce a dog to something. I just will not be back there due to that level of pushiness. Especially for my deaf dog, she really needed extra comfort going in that pool due to having one less sense than the rest of us. She was throwing toys out into the pool, waiting for them to fetch them, though I had told her that is not a game we really play. We do nose work, agility, hikes, squeaky toys....not fetch. If they are petrified to be in the water, I don't think they are going to go for a toy. They first need to get used to the water and like it before any of that stuff can happen. I felt like Suzanne was not getting that concept. Before you write a book, you have to learn your ABCs, you know? Before you go dock diving, you have to learn to be in the water, learn how to swim, etc.
The other thing was pricing. I paid $50 for a thirty minute visit, which is fair. However, I was there for a total of 27 minutes, including checking in, talking, paying, putting life vests on, and drying off my dogs. This really should have been 30 minutes of water time. Granted, my dogs hated it so I understand why she cut the class short. But why not adjust the price accordingly?? Again, I was not about to say something, as this was her choice. She made a choice to charge me the full price while cutting the class short and didnt mention anything about it. She did not offer to adjust the price accordingly. She simply stated that my dogs might just not like the water.
So, I did take a different dog to New England Canine in Walpole, MA. This instructor had me go on the ramp and use treats to get my dog to willingly go in the water. If he chose to run up the ramp, that was ok. I just kept calling him a good boy and giving him treats until eventually he was wagging his tail to go in the water. In that half hour lesson, my dog did 3 laps. He went into the pool with the teacher. While facing me, the teacher let go of his life vest and he swam toward me and onto the ramp. He was just as scared as my girls were. The difference here was that the teacher had him go into the pool on his terms with positive reinforcement. She also used me, since he didn't know her and was in a new place. By the end of that visit, he was so excited, he was rolling over in his life vest. Also, this place has a washroom to give my dog a bath afterward. Suzanne's did not and I had to stop at public dog bath place afterward to get the chlorine off of them. In the future, I will go to New England Canine.
