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Please refer all press inquires to:

Joan Jung, Owner
Shiloh Road Kennels
Canine Hydrotherapy Rehabilitation Center
3880 Shiloh Road
Midlothian, TX 76065
972-723-3880
shiloh@aircanopy.net
www.shilohroadkennels.com

INJURED PUP SPARKS NEED FOR HYDROTHERAPY POOL

“Traveler’s Pool” Opens for Dogs

When Joan Jung, long-time trainer and exhibitor of Golden Retrievers, flew to California last January to select a dog to show, she knew the puppy she chose would need to have nearly perfect structure to meet the demands put on a canine athlete.

Instead, it was Traveler who won her heart and came home with her. Rather than a potential canine athlete she had a puppy with severe orthopedic problems and enough personality and courage for two world champions. Traveler had difficulty walking and his left front leg was turned at an odd angle. He tired easily. But his joyous zest for life never flagged. Jung began trying to cure her puppy, seeing veterinarians in the Dallas area and at Texas A & M.

Despite X-rays, a complete neurological workup and examination by numerous specialists, the cause of Traveler’s problem has never been pinpointed. The best guess is that he has some kind of cerebral palsy caused by prenatal or birth injury. In her quest to help her dog, Jung began taking him to Dr. Paul Bruton, a Southlake veterinarian who uses chiropractic manipulation, acupuncture and homeopathic remedies in addition to conventional treatment. It was Dr. Bruton who suggested that swimming would be good for Traveler.

Jung borrowed a neighbor’s pool and with the combination of swimming, along with Dr. Bruton’s continued treatment and prescribed stretches, Traveler now leads a normal life. Although he might never be the athlete Jung had sought, he can run, jump and play with the other dogs in the family.

Meanwhile, Jung, who owns a training and boarding kennel, realized that other dogs needed the same therapeutic benefits of swimming that Traveler had enjoyed. She began to research hydrotherapy facilities. While water therapy is often used for horses, Jung could not find a hydrotherapy facility in the Metroplex. The next step was to open her own therapy pool.

The Shiloh Road Kennel Canine Therapy Pool is heated and enclosed for use in both winter and summer. A ramp at one end provides easy entry and a spa provides a relaxing area for after swim stretching. Doggy life jackets are available for poor swimmers. The pool measures 10 x 40 and is five feet deep at its deepest portion.

Jung works with each dog’s veterinarian to tailor an exercise program for that animal. Many orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia benefit from exercise that does not stress the joints. Each session includes gentle stretching, after swim massage in the spa and coat care. Swimming is also an excellent conditioning exercise for dogs competing in dog shows, agility and field trials.

The initial session is $60. During that session, owners are taught how to give the stretching exercises and the dogs are introduced to the pool and spa. Sessions after the initial evaluation are $40 each. A monthly rate of $200 is available for dogs that need ongoing therapy. Three visits a week are recommended for most dogs.

Dogs who stay at the boarding kennel or who are enrolled in the residential training program may also get pool time. Jung offers a range of optional services for her canine guests such as individual playtime and walks, therapeutic swimming, baths and special flooring. All dogs are brushed and have their nails trimmed and ears cleaned before going home.

The therapy pool is not the only innovative service Jung offers. In her training classes and residential training program, she uses the same positive reward method used to train animals for television and the movies and at places like Sea World. Commonly called “clicker training” because it uses a child’s clicker toy to mark the behavior the trainer is trying to get, the training method is both fun and humane. Jung is one of the few trainers in the Metroplex to offer clicker-training classes. She also hosts seminars at her Shiloh Road Kennels training building, bringing in trainers who are considered to be the best in their field.

Two clicker-training videos were filmed at the kennel in 1999 using her dogs and the dogs of her students. They are “Clicking the Well-Mannered Dog” and “Competitive Obedience Clicks” both by Shirley Chong. Both videos are available from Joan Jung.