We've been looking for a positive way to introduce our 2 furbabies to water, and with luck, we found Ellen and the Rex Center. Ellen was patient, attentive and a true professional when it came to introducing Ella & Bowser to the pool. Even though they were extremely nervous, Ellen carefully coaxed them into enjoying the experience! Thank you for offering such an amazing service, and thank you for the last 12 hours of blissful snoring from our 2 dogs. Be sure to wear water-friendly clothing! They aren't kidding when they say you'll get wet! We'll definitely be back! read more

Brought my puppy here before she turned one and she was introduced to the water and learned to swim. I know, I know, you are thinking, don't they just know how to swim naturally? My yellow lab loves the water but only knew how to paddle hard with her front legs. After some help, she figured out she needed to kick her back legs much harder and was able to swim and not sink her butt. In addition to the wonderful teachers at the Rex Center, other lessons are taught. Just because your doggie knows how to jump into the pool does not necessarily mean they know how to find the stairs or shallow area to exit the water. In the end, who cares? It is just a lot of fun to take your doggie swimming! read more

The Rex Center offers care and concern for the canines and courteous treatment of the (human) clients. Zee and I have been numerous times, and it couldn't be better: kindness AND competence at The Rex Center, all the time. It doesn't get any better than that. This is a much needed facility in the area. When my old Maizey needed to swim, there was nothing close. How I wish The Rex Center had been available to her! And ... kudos to Cathy for her patience and true concern for dogs. read more

We have been taking our Labradoodle Clancy to the Rex Center since she was ten weeks old. Whether its Puppy Socials with Jen; Sirius Dog Training with Natalie, or swimming with Cathie, Clancy LOVES it. As we drive up to the building, she recognizes the surroundings and the tail starts to spin out of control. The Center is the optimal place to socialize your dog. Clean, supervised, never have to worry about the dirty dog park with other irresponsbile dog owners allowing pandimonium. I am so grateful to Cathie and all of the folks at The Rex Center!!! read more

My dogs love this place. A great place to try swimming for the first time before heading out to a pond or river.

We love Ellen and the Rex Center! We have taken or dog Nigel here for over a year and we have seen so much improvement in his flexibility and overall well being. It has also really helped with his anxiety. He is bouncing up and down stairs now, when before he was really tentative. Thanks Ellen! read more

Laura is an amazing trainer! Highly recommend! I wanted my German Shepherd to get accustomed to the water and have a positive experience with swimming so that she will be able to swim when we go to dog friendly water environments. My puppy hates water. The first assisted swim Laura got my difficult German Shepherd puppy swimming! I never thought I would see my puppy swimming let alone getting anywhere near the water on the first lesson! Laura is a true professional. She's patient, kind and has a passion for dogs. I'm so glad I found this place! The Rex Center is great for pups to learn how to swim, get a low impact workout and they also have swim therapy for dogs. read more

We brought Layla our 11 y/o lab who is blind and has terminal cancer here for the first time this weekend. Layla has always been very active, and loves the beach but with sudden blindness it has been a challenge making sure she gets exercise. She is also battling some arthritic pain from old age. We were blown away at how wonderful this experience was for us and Layla. Ellen is so patient, and it is clear she cares. We can't wait to come back. Layla had such a good sleep and is still recovering today, but she definitely had a great time. read more

At the beginning of 2014, I remember thinking that I'd be surprised if my best friend for the last 12 years made it through the year. He seemed to be declining at such a rapid rate- hearing loss, not eating, slowing down alot, difficulty walking, etc. I heard about Rex and started taking my 13 yr old Lab-mix there for assisted therapy swims in the heated pool and it has had such a positive impact on his health & quality of life! I am so grateful this place exists & think Ellen & Joy are very special, awesome ladies who loves dogs and help them live healthier, happier lives. Since we started going Shadow has not needed to take prescription meds for arthritis pain & inflammation. He used to be stiff & wobbly when he would get up & walk and he would often start panting while resting on his orthopedic bed in the evenings which is an indication of pain. After swims, he's playful & bouncy- the vet even said it is rare for a dog his age & breed to have such great mobility. This year has started on a much happier note- in addition to swims at Rex, I also changed his diet- no more kibble or commercial dog food- now it's home cooked + raw green tripe 1-2 times per week. No medications whatsoever- just a change in diet has made a world of difference- and he loves to eat now! It's so important for our dogs to be comfortable and have things they really enjoy & get excited about at any age but much more so when they get old. read more

This is a way over due review, I wanted to write one since we had our first assisted swim session. We've had 4 sessions now! Victoria is amazing for an assisted swim! She is always super positive and engaging. We have a big and a bit challenging cane corso, who could benefit from some swimming sessions - good workouts without stressing out the joints and who really didn't want to swim at all and didn't like the water. Victoria was able to get him in the water and start swimming. It was a lot of splashing going at first, and he still needs a neck floater, and a little support from the instructor, but he learned to swim and turn, and fetch toys in the water. I couldn't recommend Victoria more, she is a true professional, who doesn't give up when things don't go smoothly from the beginning, she loves animals and really wants to help. My dog loves her! Someone else told us that our dog will never swim, because he just sinks down - too big of a dog with a lot of muscle, and look at him now Don't give up if your dog refuses to swim, find the right instructor! read more

I love the water, anything from pools to the ocean to lakes; you name it, I'll swim in it, play in it, surf it...you get where I'm going! After buying an adorable kiddie pool for the summer and watching Freckles (my 8 month old Jack Russell mix) trepidatiously circle it a few times and put three out of four paws in the water, I realized that at that point, he did not share my water enthusiasm! I didn't mind that he wasn't going to jump ecstatically into a pool anytime soon, but I'm a firm believer in the fact that all humans and canines should, at the very least, know how to swim...just in case! So, since I live in the Bay Area, where residential pools are few and far in between and those catering to dogs are even fewer, I went searching online for help! Low and behold, only a few clicks later, I happen upon the Rex Center on Yelp. After glancing through their great reviews, I figure, this is the place for us! The whole process was a breeze, after a couple of emails we were able to schedule Freckles' first 50 minute assisted recreational swim with Cathy (at a totally convenient time/date). The day comes, we venture on over to Pacifica, where we have a minor hiccup over where the place is (completely easy after you visit there once...but the Rex sign is only visible coming from the one side of the road, which happened to be the other side we were traveling down, but whatever...easy u-turn). We were greeted by Cathy and Megan, who were delightful and completely entertaining to Freckles, they made us feel so welcome! After we went back to where the pool was, Freckles was able to run around, sniff, and feel comfortable just being near the pool. We talked about what I wanted from the experience, what Freckles' past experiences with water were (pretty much nothing), and his background. Cathy was incredibly patient with Freckles and went slow enough that he became acclimated to the water without any fear. She spent a lot of time making sure that he knew where the steps were and giving him the confidence to be able to swim! It was a wonderful experience and Freckles was exhausted by the end, practically falling asleep in her arms in the pool! :-) At the end of the session, we scheduled another 25 assisted swim with Ellen two weeks later to work a little more on his swimming and trying to get him more experience with water. Ellen was also fabulous to interact with. She figured out that treats were the way to my little guy's heart, he got in the water without much hesitation and started doing little u-turns in the water. She was also able to get him to do, at least, 4 entire laps during that time...not too shabby for Freckles! We are going to do one more assisted swim with Ellen in order to learn how to do "open swims" with Freckles, then we will be good to go by ourselves! The Rex Center's facility is really nice, they have one large open space behind the front desk/office area where they have puppy classes and socials. The pool area is quite large and very safe as well! There are a lot of toys for the pups to play with in the water, mats for the humans to sit on, and towels/sham-wows are all provided! Overall, the Rex Center has a wonderful group of people who really care about and love dogs! The prices are no higher than most private session dog classes and your pup will come out knowing how to swim and being confident in the water! A wonderful organization! read more

First off, congratulations to Ellen on taking over as the new owner of the Rex Center. We began visiting the Rex Center about 12 months ago, when Sadie, our 12+ year old Basset Hound, suffered a knee ligament tear. Sadie is the Basset Hound that has sown up in the Chronicle Peninsula weekend edition, with her and Ellen in the therapy pool. We have taken our other Basset Hound Molly in for exercise and "drown proofing". The Rex Center team are caring, very capable physical coaches for the dogs, and we can;t say enough to support what they do and encourage others to patronize the Rex Center. We were referred by Dr. Ilana Streubel from Healthy Pets in SF's West Portal. Dr. Ilana and Jackie have cared for Sadie for years (and Sadie really loves them both). Like other clients, we feared a CCL surgery and long recovery for Sadie, and the short swim therapy has been superb for her knee injury and the arthritis that has set in. Ellen and her team has been a great with Sadie, and the swim and warm water therapy have made a world of difference in Sadie's quality of life. Proof is that Sadie has been out of the pool for ear surgery for four weeks, and we can really tell the difference when she does not get her heat and swim in. Make a difference in your older or physically challenged pet's life and come down to the Rex Center. It really makes a difference. read more

I cannot say enough about The Rex Center. We rescued a sweet puppy from the SPCA after losing my dog of 9 years. He was a handful, my husband works fulltime and just had surgery on his shoulder and I am disabled, so it was hard for us to make sure he got his walks. Knowing how important it is for any dog to get daily exercise we knew it was a must for us to find someone caring and loving to take our baby for his walks. To our joy we found The Rex Center. Our puppy loves going on his walks with his walker. His walker shows up rain or shine, he is greeted with love and a smile and I know is gets great care by her. We are very grateful to The Rex Center, he is now a very happy and well exercised dog, which makes us very happy. read more

This place is wonderful. Our dog is getting older and starting to have arthritis problems, and the swims in the heated pool work miracles for him. Everyone who works here loves dogs, and it shows. One caveat--most dogs, even those who love water, are a bit hesitant about getting into the pool their first time. This fear dissipates fairly quickly and Cathy is wonderful at helping dogs get over their initial fear. By the second session, your dog will be swimming like Michael Phelps. read more

I brought Josephine, my 11 yo lab mix in for hydrotherapy to help with her arthritis pain and stiffness, and to trim a little weight off her. We started with assisted swims with Ellen, who helped her get comfortable in the warm pool, giving her encouragement, treats and love. Ellen said swimming would give her confidence, and it has. She's cute as the dickens in the pool (Josephine, that is), and has a new spring in her step outside the pool. We're very happy to have found the Rex Center, and Ellen, and highly recommend both. read more

Brought the family pooch, a 7 year old Maltese, for his first swim! I can't say he had fun, but we wanted him to not be so terrified of water. The instructor, Ellan, was really nice and patient with our little one. He was definitely scared, but did swim a couple laps! We're sure he will be less nervous the more we bring him and maybe even enjoy it! He's completely wiped out now and he was only in the pool for 20min! Will definitely bring him back so he overcomes his fear and perhaps even use this as a form of exercise. read more

This place is amazing. My show dog (a newfoundland) tore his ACL and 4 weeks after TPLO surgery, we started coming weekly for swims. Even his doctor can't believe how great his progress is. I owe it all to Ellen and the her gentle touch with helping my dog regain his strength. It will be no time before he's back in the show ring winning again. read more

My Lab has hip displashia and arthritis. After the first swim with Ellen he was hooked and now swims once a week. He doesn't limp very much anymore. Ellen and Joy are wonderful and they treat your dog like family. read more

this place is a dream come true. Ellen Davison the new owner has made the Rex Center a must for dogs who need a warm swim to help with rehab or painful joints, and she has teamed with Dr Ilana Strubel of "A Well Adjusted Pet" to provide evaluation, chiropractic and physical rehab for dogs. Warm welcoming space made our pups feel at home and relaxed, especially our 11 year old english setter, so we can get down to the exercises to keep him happy and agile for many more years! thank you! read more

I wish I could give this place 10 stars!!! Ellen and her team at the Rex Center are top notch, caring and knowledgable! I have been taking my 12 year old shiba inu here now for a few months, and I cannot begin to describe the change in his overall lifestyle. He has newfound energy and interest in things even though we thought he was beginning to decline. Ellen sees him once a week for his assisted swim lesson, and she takes him around the pool which is set to a comfortable 94° and stretches out all of his limbs. We believe he has the onset of arthritis and also went through a TPLO surgery about a year ago. The only thing I wish is that I had heard of the Rex Center sooner. The swimming lessons have boosted his immune system & given him way more energy than he had -- I wholeheartedly recommend this place! read more

The Rex Center - Kenji during his swim lesson with Ellen - clearly he hates it! ;-) - Pet Training Near Me - Pacifica, California

The Rex Center puppy and adolescent socials run by Lisa are fabulous. We started going there with our 12 week old puppy and are still going 5 months later, though it's adolescent socials now. It's a great way to both tire your dog out, work on training, and get helpful advice. Lisa is as good as it gets in my book! I simply can't say enough good things about her and the socials. All the staff at The Rex Center seem knowledgeable and genuinely love dogs. read more

Rambo, our little English Toy Spaniel, has had surgeries on both patellas. The first at 1 year of age, the 2nd at 6 years old. Since his first surgery he's been swimming at The Rex Center. Ellen and the other coaches are kind, loving and attentive. Rambo's muscles and joints are stronger and more flexible. The combined program provided by the Vets at Well Adjusted Pet helps ensure our doggie receives the best rehab and maintenance regimen. Rambo says, Thank you, Ellen! read more

This place is awesome! Susan and Cathy have done an incredible job. They are committed to providing education, a range of great services with professionalism and compassion. They are continually working hard to make sure they are providing the best level of care and service for your dog's improved health. read more

My dog freaks out when she knows she is going to the Rex Center... she can't wait to pick out her favorite toy and dive in the pool!

My Akita fell into my friend's pool in Sacramento and sunk. I had to rescue him and it was in February and very cold. I decided to try swim lessons for him. Maybe he just needed some exposure to be able to swim. The Rex Center was great and Ellen was very patient with my boy. It is too bad that my Akita just can't swim no matter how hard he tries. He just sinks. He took a few lessons and gave himself swimmers tail from trying so hard. He seemed to like it and never panicked, but Ellen gave an honest assessment that he should never be around water without a life jacket. I plan to sign him up for some more lessons. But I now have a life jacket for my boy when we visit friends with pools. I highly recommend this place. read more

I kept running into people in dog parks with older dogs that looked amazingly great. When I'd ask what they were doing to keep their dogs so vital, to a one they credited The Rex Center. My dog is eight years old now, and getting stiff in the hind quarters. After hearing from a FIFTH random person about the Rex Center, I figured it was a sign. The 25 minute swim in over 90 degree water is just perfect for my cattle dog. Ellen is a pro when it comes to handling her in the sweetest way. My dog is limbering up those back joints and losing weight to boot. We go every other week. I can't say enough good things about the Rex Center. read more

My dog molly swims here and she loves it! The people are really friendly and helpful.

Hi happy Yelpers and dog lovers. The Rex Center has been a life saver for my 11 year old Shepard who is on his second TPLO and largely, thanks to swim therapy, doing amazingly well. Everything I read about the best way to recover a dog from this type of surgery said swim, swim ,swim. Hydro therapy. So I googled it and landed at Rex Center. We, in the bay area take it for granted that there are only a handful of these places in the country. What a find! Ellen, his therapist, is wonderful. She is knowledgeable, friendly, and truthfully half the reason I go there. My dog is doing great, and we keep going back. Thanks Rex Center! read more

This is the best place for dogs needing gently therapy for their weak hind legs. My 9yr old Aussie has hip dysplasia which has been slowing her down over the years. Now that she's moving around less, I can feel that she has very little muscle tone in her hind legs now compared to her front legs. But I don't want her to stop moving around or else she'll have no muscle to support her body. So I've been taking her to The Rex Center twice a month now and while not too frequent, it's already making a difference in helping to build back up her muscle tone. You can see her hind legs pushing through the water a little more powerfully each time. It's amazing to see the difference. Our dog isn't the most natural swimmer either, but Ellen is great with her. read more

Excellent place for training dogs to swim laps in pools, pool safety, and for conditioning. Ellen and a Joy are great coaches who do what is best for dogs. Very clean and accommodating. Can't thank them enough for what they taught my dogs and me read more

This place is the only one of its kind in the SF area. Petcamp says they have a pool but it's a big tub. I have a 13 year old 100 lb. german shepherd who had vestibular disease and couldn't stand up for more almost 3 weeks. The atrophy from that, and her hips and arthritis made recovery difficult. I really thought it was the end for her. I made an appointment and Ellen spent some time in the pool with her. She loves swimming so she was happy for the first time in weeks swimming after toys. She did so well her first visit that she was give the ok to do unassisted swims which are cheaper and unsupervised. 30 minutes once or twice a week and my dog has rebounded to an extent I didn't think possible. This place really saved her life and she's so excited for each visit I can barely control her. Warm pool therapy has given her a new lease on life and completely rejuvenated her leg muscles. Everyone there is nice as can be and the price is reasonable. If you have an older dog who needs to get moving again this is the place. read more

Took my standard poodle there for her first swim and it was awesome. Returning soon, staff, facilities, and atmosphere more than met my expectations. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to others. read more

My almost 12 yr old Dane cross was one of the first dogs in the Rex Center pool when it opened this spring. The place is fabulous all around, and warm water swimming every week has made a world of difference for my arthritic boy: i honestly don't think he'd still be walking were it not for the low-impact exercise, along with Cathy's massages. He sheds 10 years as soon as he's in the water and the only problem I have is convincing him to get out! Cathy and Susan are real dog people - they can read and manage even skittish dogs (like my lab-mix). I am so grateful this place is there and I could not possibly recommend it higher. I think the next closest dog pool that's not connected to a vet is in San Diego! 3 barks for the Rex Center! read more

loved it here!! Mowgli was scheduled for a 50 minute assisted swim, which is required before being able to sign up for the open swim. he did such a good job that it was cut down to 25 minutes assisted swim which saves me $$ to be able to use on an open swim appointment for him. he got a good work out and seemed to have so much fun! read more

my dog lola goes bi-weekly for an assisted swim with ellen. ellen is so kind and gentle with lola. i believe it's helping with lola's mobility. i would highly recommend the rex center. read more

The REX center puppy social was a blast for my little Akita puppy Neko. The staff was very knowledgeable and put me at ease with my pup. We look forward to future socials. If you are looking for a great way to socialize your dog look no more the Rex center is easily accessible, affordable, and full of people that love their dog and yours as much as you do! A great resource for the Pacifica dog community. read more

This place is great. Amazing staff who cares about my dog's health and well being as much as I do. The staff is always going the extra mile for my dog no matter how hyper and crazy he is. The pool is always kept clean and warm so it's perfect for my dog who has issues with his hind leg. The smile on my dogs face is priceless when he's in the pool. read more

My dog Lucy is only a 1 1/2 year old Golden who has a sprained wrist and elbow and wrist dysplasia. She had never swam before but it only took about 5 minutes for her to be swimming on her own. She absolutely loved the pool and really didn't want to leave. She and I think this place is great! read more

The Rex Center has changed my dogs comfort level a great deal. He has hip dysplasia and by swimming, the exercise has made his hips not as stiff and he is more active. He looks forward to going for a swim at the Rex Center and Ellen has great advice on how to keep him in tip top shape and relieve the pain he was feeling in his hips. I have had my dog sitter comment on how much more active he is with the other dogs at play group, so this therapy IS working. I am so glad I started him there and my husband is a proud "Doggie Dad" cheering him on him at most every swim! read more