When I started canine water therapy nearly 40 years ago – there was nothing like it in the country.
I had been doing equine rehab in water with race horses and had always wondered why no one was doing this with dogs – so when my own dog was paralyzed, I opened my first pool.
I had to apply what I had learned in equine rehab and also went on to get my human massage license and human water therapy license to also apply these principles to canines as at that time, there wasn’t even canine massage classes to take – canine rehab just wasn’t yet being done as a profession.
As I moved along in my own work and developed the canine water therapy work, I saw others start their own pools and practices and noticed that common sense safety principles weren’t being applied – and so I started the ACWT for North America – (Association of Canine Water Therapy).
Only because I wanted to enforce the new codes of ethics and principles of practice in this growing field did I start my own training program, which has been a lot of fun with many happy graduates out doing really great work.
The certificate that I offer is only based on my experience and is only a certificate for having completed my class. It’s a certificate that has a very positive reputation for many looking into canine water therapy. There is no official certificate yet for any hydrotherapy or massage therapy that gives a license to practice. The license to practice in your area is governed by your own State or Province.
Let me know if I can help you further – – – the world of animal health care is a rewarding world to serve, but the legal paths of education and licensing are still quite undefined and a little fuzzy.
