A good workout can really leave you panting.
That’s definitely the case for Vinnie.
His tongue practically drags on the floor. But then, he’s already pretty low to the ground.
Vinnie — whose full name is actually Yo Vinnie — is a Chihuahua-terrier, and this is his day at the gym. With owner Cathey Langione at his side, Vinnie’s just pounded out some pushups and balance work as part of his exercise routine at A Loyal Companion, a new rec center dedicated to canines.
Yup, that’s right, a gym for dogs. And guess what? It’s even got an indoor pool.
Kept at a pleasant 78 degrees, the 4-foot-deep, above-ground pool uses a special filtration system. No tough-on-skin-and-hair chlorine or salt.
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“It’s like swimming in bottled water,” says gym owner Kate Titus.
Enough to turn us two-legged, fur-free types green — partly with envy but mostly because we have to swim in chlorinated pools.
Dog owners tend to rely on walks to keep their canine companions happy and healthy, but people often don’t go fast enough for a good cardio workout, Titus says. The gym offers a different way to exercise that’s more complete, plus it gives owners a nice bonding opportunity.
“My philosophy is mobility and relationship building,” says Titus, who worked with dogs and their owners in their homes before opening the gym in January. “We believe if they stay active and healthy, they live better, longer lives.”
A Loyal Companion has about 50-60 members — dues start at $29 a month — who have access to fitness equipment like plastic, peanut-shaped inflatables used to improve balance and cavaletti, small, adjustable rails the dogs walk over. Pooches can partake in massage and reiki or enroll in obedience and therapy-dog training classes. The gym also works with vets to provide wheeled carts and prosthetics. Titus’ own dog, a 12-year-old Great Dane mix named Harley, has mobility problems and uses a cart.
“He’s the inspiration for this,” Titus says.
The only thing A Loyal Companion doesn’t do is rehab. “Strictly exercise and fun,” Titus says.
And these days, a lot of that fun involves splashing.
The pool — which just opened Friday — attracted a fair amount of attention one recent afternoon as golden retrievers Ellie and Maddie and border collie mix Callie paddled around after balls and discs. Passers-by on the sidewalk outside stopped to press their faces up against the glass, safe from a splash zone that would rival the front seats at Sea World.
Laughed Titus, “We expect to be cleaning off nose prints — dogs and human.”
