Laurie Williams, owner of Pup N Iron, watches as MoMo runs over an agility ramp. Williams says the day care and gym will offer a lot more than agility, including yoga and massage for dogs. AMY FLOWERS UMBLE/THE FREE LANCE-STAR View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

View the Stafford County community page

Puppy Power Dog gym unleashed in Stafford

New dog facility offers training, day care, an open gym and more.

By JODI BIZAR

Date published: 9/20/2005

Adriane and Ali go to day care where they get to play in the gym or go to school. But their favorite thing is when they get to have a birthday party.

Adriane and Ali are Shih Tzus, and their owner, Theresa Philmon, enrolled them in Pup N Iron, a new all-in-one dog facility that opened at the end of August in Stafford County.

"Both my girls are members," said Philmon, who's a manager for an auto repair shop and lives in Widewater. "There's like a ton of stuff there. They love it. They run, they play, they just have a blast."

Pup N Iron, at 21 Perchwood Drive, is thought to be among the only facilities of its kind.

"We're the only place like this in the country," said Laurie Williams, owner. "I did a lot of research on it."

The 7,200-square-foot facility offers a variety of services to dogs and their owners.

For starters there's the noncaged dog day care for people who don't want to leave their pets home alone.

There's also a dog gym, which Williams describes as an indoor dog park, but safer because all the dogs are temperament tested and their shot history is checked before they are allowed in.

"If you just take them to a dog park they could be exposed to tons of things," Williams said. "The dogs could have all kinds of parasites. They could've never had a shot in their lives."

Philmon says Adriane and Ali enjoy the gym, which is sectioned off to separate small and big dogs.

But dogs can do more than run around and play at the gym. Williams, knowing that physical fitness is important to both pet and owner, is planning organized exercise routines--everything from yoga, to pup chi.

"I'm actually a yoga instructor, too," Williams said. "We're going to have interactive fitness classes. We're going to have all kinds of things."

As for dogs who are getting older or have been in an accident, Williams has plans for them, too. Those dogs will soon have a therapy pool. Other dogs could use the pool, too, swimming in it against the current, which would improve endurance, Williams said.

Pup N Iron also offers classes, and birthday parties.

Follow us on

Read more stories about Stafford
Date published: 9/20/2005