Becca LaPole, HTA Level 1 Practitioner, is a SPLASH Coach at Advanced Animal Care of Colorado. She combines HTA techniques with hydrotherapy to assist dogs of every age and experience level with swimming. “I have found Bridging™ to be extremely effective in taking away the dogs’ fears and allowing them to realize that they are safe. I can also use Vibrational Grooming™ while they are on the steps; this also assists them with keeping a calm mental state while being exposed to a new environment.
Becca introduces Border Collie puppy Lark to the water in a safe, clean environment using Bridging™ and Vibrational Grooming™.
“With very scared or difficult dogs, I do the Bridging with Behavioral Change™ technique and tell them to remember that nothing bad is going to happen to them while they are with me and to help them remember where the steps are to get out if they get tired or nervous while swimming. HTA allows me to connect with my patients on an energetic level and gives me a deeper sense of understanding them and getting them to trust me.”
Becca swims young puppies that have never been exposed to water, older dogs that have had traumatic experiences, such as being thrown in deep water when they were younger, and everything in between. Her patients are sometimes older dogs experiencing debilitating health issues such as degenerative myelopathy or immune-mediated osteoarthritis. Conditioning, weight loss, anxiety and/or behavioral issues are other reasons that dogs join Becca in the pool. She says, “But most of the dogs come to swim for low-impact exercise, mental stimulation, and of course, fun!”
Czar, rescued German Shepherd, enjoys swimming for the exercise and mental stimulation as he transitions to his new home.
Chocolate Lab Haylee, cancer patient, takes one last swim.