I recently took Aslan for hydrotherapy, not for any medical reason or injury, but because I wanted him to be confident in the water, and do something a bit different that I hoped he would enjoy. He will always lie down in any body of water he finds when he's hot, and if I throw a stick or a pebble in, he will swim out to try and find it, but does look a bit worried from time to time if it gets deep. So, off I went for his first swimming lesson. He was a bit nervous at first, but by the end of it he was jumping into the water from the hydrotherapist's lap quite happily - we'll definitely be going again.

Aside from being a great way to exercise our dogosaurs, swimming can be great for health reasons too. If your doggo suffers from joint pain or stiffness, it's definitely worth a try. Experts say swimming can help improve dogs' strides and treat elbow dysplasia - a genetic abnormality, causing pain and loss of mobility. They say the treatment is particularly useful for Labrador and German Shepherd breeds, who are especially susceptible to the condition.

If you're in Newbury, Waves Canine Hydrotheraphy (based in Thatcham) is where I took Aslan. Claire is lovely, and you can tell she loves what she does. I'm looking forward to Aslan dive bombing off the side of the pool in future!