Doggy Paddle Aquatic Center For Dogs

I've been attending doggy paddle for three years, 8 classes a month for about $160 a month. They informed me a couple of months ago that they are doing a price increase in July. (Understandable with what's going on in the world so not upset about it) I was going to move down to 4 classes instead to continue coming to my dogs favorite place. Leading up to my last month before the price increase, I had cancelled a class at 7:04pm the day prior to my 7:45pm class. The manager, Mallory, had informed me that they took the class off my account since it was not a 24 hour notice. I sent her a message stating that it was a little over 24 hours and she let me know that she did not receive the message until the following morning. After providing screen shots of the timestamps she continued to take the swim off my account. I've had many issues with the same person which is unfortunate because the rest of the staff is 10/10. It is terrible that I'm giving them a one star as this is my pups favorite place but if your strict about your policy you should specify that you need to receive the message 24 hours prior as they communicate with text message with their computer and they didn't receive my message until they turned it on the following morning. I've always been so kind to staff/owners by gifting them as well & it's unfortunate how years of great memories has come down to an angry goodbye. I also see that you reply to reviews, please don't bother contacting me. Thank you.

My corgi loves coming here! Everyone is very nice and accommodating and they love my little guy, so i know he’s in good hands. He does the Splash and Play and also some group swims and he always has a blast. Thanks all! Like Share Response from the owner 4 months ago Kirby is a star, superior swimmer and best friend maker! We love his passion for swim and overall happy demeanor! Thank you for sharing his time with us!

I cannot describe how impressive this place is. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful and extremely caring for your pup. They took such good care of my 6 month old lab, who had never been in the water. By the end of the 30 minute swim session, he was diving right in like a pro. We enjoyed a few minutes in the nice playpark area afterwards, so my pup could run out his remaining energy and dry off. We will be back!

I love this place. I can bring my German Shepard and he can exercise. Bought him several times and in the very beginning he didn't want to get in the water but eventually he did and learned to swim very quickly. Now he loves to go swimming whenever we visit. The people here are very kind and you can tell they love these dogs. I highly recommend this place. I read the negative reviews and some are frightening and concerning but some are just making a big deal out of nothing. There will always be people like that. Just make sure you're always watching your dog and you can toss the toys they provide for your dog to go fetch. So be interactive with your dog. If something isn't going your way and you sense your dog is in danger, speak up and you can always just leave. I went here several times and had no problems with it. Always be attentive no matter where you go with your dog. Overall, my dog had plenty of exercise and fun. When we get back home, he is super sleepy and tired. Will definitely come back here many times. 1 Share Response from the owner 6 years ago Thank you for your honest opinion and taking the time to provide great review! We look forward to many more swims!

All three of my dogs LOVE Doggy Paddle Aquatic Center. They have done several group swim sessions together now and I can’t wait to take them again! The staff is super friendly and nice (and clearly all dog lovers) and they make sure all of them have a chance to try to get in on their own, they help them swim across (my two nervous ones) and back in the large pool. They have ear cleaning solution and cotton balls, and they also bring fluffy warm towels to dry them off 🥹 oh, and they have life vests if you don’t have any!! If you are considering taking your dog to Doggy Paddle for a test swim, DO IT! Your dog will feel right at home with their help and tons of toys to chase after ❤️ Like Share Response from the owner 3 years ago Thank you very much Hayley, we appreciate the positive review! We love to tailor the swim experience per each pup's needs! We are looking forward to our next session!

We came here regularly during the colder months for about 1–2 years and overall had positive experiences. I originally brought my dog to help her lose some weight and support her mobility as she’s now 10 years old and has elbow arthritis. When I went to renew our group swim pass the following year, I was asked to provide updated medical records, which I did, as I had in the past. After reviewing them, I was told she could no longer participate in group swims due to a past history of incontinence. This was surprising and disappointing, as she had previously been allowed in group sessions, and the new records clearly stated that she had not had any incontinence issues for several months (close to half a year). Despite this improvement and clearance, my renewal for group swims was denied. I was told private swims would still be an option, but they are significantly more expensive. I had also shared that I was going through financial hardship and was trying to continue group swims as a way to help my senior dog stay active and manage her arthritis. Communication around this situation felt inconsistent and at times dismissive, particularly over text regarding membership policies. While staff were friendly in person, the tone during membership discussions felt abrupt and inflexible. I understand that businesses have policies in place, but the change in eligibility despite updated medical clearance felt frustrating and discouraging after being longtime customers. Because of this experience, I’ll likely look for a more accommodating option for my dog moving forward.

I’m deeply disappointed by my recent experience with Doggy Paddle, despite the fact that there are things they do well. The instructors who actually swim with the dogs are consistently lovely, kind, and attentive (Julian especially), and the facilities are clean and well maintained. Unfortunately, the customer service and administrative processes completely undermine those positives. Last August, after my friend’s dog Maverick passed away, she contacted Doggy Paddle to transfer his remaining swims to me as a goodwill gesture in his memory. Doggy Paddle accepted the transfer — they requested and received my dog’s vet records the same day. However, I never received any confirmation showing how many swims were transferred, what type they were, or when they expired. There is also no online portal or way for customers to check their balance or expiration dates. Over the following months, Doggy Paddle emailed me multiple times asking for a fecal test, which reasonably implied the swims were active. At no point did anyone mention an expiration date or warn that the swims were nearing expiration. When I attempted to schedule a swim this month, I was told the transferred swims had expired and that I needed to purchase a new package. Apparently, the swims my friend had purchased had expired one year after purchase, on January 1, 2026. When I called to discuss this, they acknowledged there had been no communication on their part, but repeatedly stated that it was my responsibility to ask or my friend’s responsibility to tell me the expiration date, and that expiration dates do not reset upon transfer. They refused to make any exception or accommodation and said there was “nothing they could do.” Sorry, but asking my grieving friend when her passed dog's swim packages expired wasn't a priority. This should have been on Doggy Paddle to communicate to the customer at time of transfer. They'd already earned the money from the previous sale; they lost nothing by extending the expiration date a little longer. Scheduling itself is also unnecessarily frustrating. You can only book via text or email, which often becomes a long back-and-forth, and there is no transparency about available times — you can’t see a schedule, only ask and wait for someone to tell you what’s open. Holding customers to expiration policies that were never disclosed, combined with limited scheduling access and no account visibility, is extremely frustrating. The lack of empathy given the context — a transfer following a dog’s death — made the experience even more disappointing. It’s unfortunate, because the staff and facility are unique in Chicago. My dog loves swimming and we relied on Doggy Paddle during rehab, but I will not go again. This was a senseless policy to hold the line on given the circumstances.

Doggy Paddle is the happiest place on earth for dogs! My 3 Aussies have been doing Splash & Play for over a year and have also done solo swims in the evening. They LOVE going to swim and love the people who work there just as much. Everyone is so helpful, friendly, and clearly love dogs so much. I feel like my dogs get fantastic personalized care every time they go there. 1 Share Response from the owner 3 years ago We love our boisterous babies! Each one has their own unique style and we love the challenge of keeping them paddling in harmony! They let us know when they've arrived and how to work them! Thank you for sharing and expanding the brood! We love you all!

We love this place! We have come twice - both for our corgi’s birthdays, and he absolutely loves swimming here! The guides are super kind, supportive, and always there to help Monty get up steps and just have fun in the water. Thank you for everything! 100% recommend!

I'm glad to have learned about this place! I got my dog at the shelter and so she has never had exposure to swimming or just wading in water, even tho she is a lab mix and has webbed paws. I wanted her to get familiar and comfortable with the water since I want to be able to take her out on the lake in the summers, and so this place was great. The lobby and check in areas are clean and there is an indoor "park" for before your time slot as you wait with coffee tea and soda. Then this area can also be used after the swimming session as a place to continue to dry off. The swimming session was also really organized , for beginners or just more timid dogs, there is a calm pool, whereas for other dogs there is the play pool. Before entering the pool area, my dogs paws were rinsed off. There was an instructor in wetsuit who helped get my dog into the water and then helped her get used to swimming with support and then later on her own. In 30 mins my dog definitely learned new water skills and got a great aerobic workout! After swimming, there is a small stall that you can use to dry off your dog and also blow-dry. The whole experience was fantastic and am already looking forward to the next session! Also, free parking available in top floor garage.