THINK of the doggy paddle and a chase into the water's edge after a stick comes to mind.

A quick splash or two and most would get out, shake off the excess water and head straight for the basket - but not the latest generation of highly-focused four-legged super athletes.

A new hi-tech centre just outside Steyning is getting man's best friend into peak shape using technology first developed for the East German Olympic swimming team.

Jets of water are pumped through a large bath as animals ranging in size from proverbially lean to cuddly 12-stone St Bernards struggle against the tide and their own waistlines.

Animal-lovers Bill and Judi Stiles have spent £30,000 building Doggy Dips, a wooden chalet complex, complete with exercise pool, muscle-relaxing hot bath and even purpose-built hairdryers.

Muscles

Bill, 53, said: "A lot of dogs get injured or are born with problems to their legs, hips or whatever. They often can't exercise properly and so don't feel like they would naturally.

"What we offer here is animal physiotherapy, where they can do all their movements without having to run across the hard ground, just like you would with a human."

Dogs slip on a life jacket to keep their rear legs buoyant and are led through their exercises for five to ten minutes by Judi, who holds them still with a pole connected to a collar. In thattime they do the equivalent of a five-mile walk.

Judi, 47, who keeps 15 dogs herself as pets, said: "It builds them up very quickly. When they come out most are really tired, but it's for their own good.

"Some aren't very happy when they first get in, so I sometimes have to get in with them to calm them down. It feels a bit odd but they relax more.

"The streams massage the dog as it swims so it does the muscles a lot of good."

After the technology was developed to train top swimmers it became a fixture at most large racehorse stables.

A Norfolk company adapted the idea to benefit the forgotten thousands of dogs with injury problems.

The first to try the new pool was Bill and Judi's own four-year-old Border terrier Digger, who still suffers from weight problems despite constantly exercising.

Judi said: "She's so laid back she piles on the pounds but she's already beginning to firm up a bit after a few sessions.

"It's not just for dogs with injuries. Just like people, different animals have different rates of weight gain and levels of natural fitness."

Bill said: "A lot of the time the injuries or deformities are in the back legs and that's where they need to do some rebuilding exercise.

"Some dogs take to it straight away, while others take a few trips to get into it."

One happy customer is Josie Burrows, of Coldean Lane, Brighton, whose 15-month-old labrador Bonnie was born with hip dysplasia, a genetic deformity which stops the hip joint forming properly.

Josie said: "When she was younger she was often in a lot of pain. We discovered what the problem was and took her swimming in an ordinary pool and that helped a bit.

"But here she has to work against the force of the water and it seems to be helping."

To book a session at the Doggy Dips Canine Hydro Therapy Centre, in The Nook, off Horsham Road, Steyning, call 01903 879186.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.