UP CLOSE with viral Maldon dog business making a splash on social media
Canine Dip and Dive in Heybridge is a fun exercise pool for dogs, designed to allow owners the chance to paddle alongside their pets.
The 32ft outdoor swimming pool hosts individual swim sessions, puppy pool parties and breed-specific get-togethers.
Since the Maldon branch opened three years ago, the business has been on the up with bookings doubling from this time last year.
Aside from an avid returning customer base, the business has made leaps and bounds on social media, enjoying over 80,000 followers on Facebook and over 45,000 on TikTok.
The team, couple Jodie and Terry Bruce have been passionate dog lovers since they met over twenty years ago.
Bonding over their love of dogs, the couple were once pet fosterers together, helping 76 dogs find their forever home. After living and working locally for a few years, they began looking for a new sustainable venture which could combine their love of dogs with an edge of fun.
"It all started when our Dalmatian was six months old," Jodie tells us.
"I'd always wanted to swim with our dogs but couldn't find anywhere.
"We randomly found the Ipswich Canine Dip and Dive, which was the main, original pool, and we went there and thought "Oh my god, this is amazing!" and literally fell in love with it.
"It is our dream job, we feel really lucky to do something together that we both love."
Jodie, who acts as a Social Media Manager for the business, told Nub News they now welcome visitors from all over the UK, with one visitor coming over four hours after seeing videos of the splash pool on TikTok.
The Canine Dip & Dive Maldon TikTok page has over 1.5 million likes and boasts eight videos topping a million views.
"The good thing about it is that it's nice to get the views and the popularity helps us get bookings, but it's also really nice to get messages from people all over the world telling us how happy our videos make them," Jodie tells us.
"We get comments telling us 'this has made my day, I was having a really rubbish day' and it's nice.
"That's something I didn't even consider when I started."
Terry, who grew up in Witham, often features in the business's online videos.
Described by visitors as a "superstar" and "a natural" with dogs, Terry's main role in the pool is to encourage the dogs to play and guide younger or more nervous dogs.
He tells Nub News he could never go back to a regular job: "I can't imagine doing anything else now."
One visitor to the pool came with her two dogs, Golden Retriever Buddy and mixed breed Fellow.
Fellow first tried out the pool last year, following a close call drowning incident which caused the pup to become wary around the water.
His owner tells us that their weekly trips have been "amazing" for the dog's ability and confidence, describing the over two-hour round-trip as "more than worth it".
The pool is one of the only fun & exercise dog pools in Essex, with other dip & dive locations including Wymondham in Norfolk and Plymouth in Devon.
Desperate to find out more or browse some more adorable dog content? Check out the Canine Dip & Dive Maldon Facebook page.
Sessions can be booked online here, with special upcoming parties including Chocolate Labrador and Cockapoo meet-ups.
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