Saturday, May 29, 2010

A few clips!

Check out this clip of the action today at the Fort! Here Chloe has the ball, and faces interference from Maggie and Truman.


Maggie gets the ball next, and skillfully keeps it away from Gideon and Chloe!


Last, but not least, we take a peek at the smaller guys who were here today. Oskar and Bruiser also got some ball time, and Oskar is just adorable when he chases it. He'll bark at the ball when it doesn't slow down, and will wait for it to bounce off of walls instead of chasing it the whole way. He's a smart guy!


Enjoy your first long weekend of the summer!

Hope

Friday, May 28, 2010

BIG DOGS!


Yesterday morning a couple came into the fort after seeing our Great Dane Athena come in. They were debating about getting a Dane and wanted to see one in action... Funny, I just stumbled upon this article. The wife really wanted a big dog while the husband didn't want a "Pony" in the house lol. The only thing I can say is, big strong dogs aren't for everyone. For some, staying in control of a big pooch is quite difficult... Heck, staying in control of any pooch can be difficult. Another downside is health problems, unfortunately the larger breeds tend to have more. Definitely give yourself an honest assessment of your living situation and your limitations (physical & mental) before running with the Big Dogs! :)

Remember, we are closed this coming Monday, May 31st.

Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend!

-Grant
P.S. More doggie surf comp photos can be found here (it starts off with some Zoo photos then turns to the doggie surfing). In other news, a renegade pup has finally been captured in Cali and if you are into the "Pitbull Debate" at all this may be of interest to you.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

clips clips clips

Our first two clips feature Jersey Boy, Phoenix and Keera involved in some non-stop action. Too fun!





The third clip is of Barkley and Abbey. Barkley just graduated from our Little Roll to our Medium Roll and he is loving every minute of it. One of his best new pals is Miss Abigail, opposites attract I guess. :)



Take care,

-Grant
P.S. You just gotta check this out, it's the best news I've heard involving the ocean in some time...

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

articles and Samarah's picture

Great articles were found this morning... I emphasize staying up on this one.

Here are three others:

Good dogs live longer, study finds

Guide Dog group opens it's gates to puppy huggers

Blindness won't stop this dog from having fun

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Here is one of the pictures I promised from Monday! :)

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

some clips ! ! !

Here are some wonderful clips captured today. The two clips of Cinder (a neat young Golden, fairly new to the fort) and Niko illustrate great fair and balanced play.





The last clip, featuring Bruiser, Lila and Sofie, shows you what it takes to get one over on Mr. Bruiser... He is a whole lot of dog in a little package. Bruiser needs to get roughed up by the gals every once in awhile, they keep him in check for us hahaha! :)



Have a great day,

-Grant

Monday, May 24, 2010

Two new pups, no camera, doh!

We had two new dogs assess this morning. Unfortunately I forgot my camera in my Fiance's car, pics will be coming later this week.

The first canine was Darby. She is a seven month old, 55 pound, Golden Retriever. Darby did excellent, she started playing with members of the Medium Roll pack right off the bat! She is going to be tired after this 1/2 day.

Our second assessment was Samarah. She is a one year old, 12 pound Shih Tzu. She likes to play rough (in a good way) and went for some of the rowdiest that we have upstairs in the Little Roll. Apparently some of Sami's best buddies are big bruisers. She has a Mastiff friend and a Pitbull mix buddy! Nice job Sami!

All in all it's been a great morning... Minus forgetting that camera! Haha! :(

Take care

-Grant

Saturday, May 22, 2010

How to catch a bear and some events

Here's a clip about the Karelian Bear Dog who helped to track a bear that was on the loose in Tacoma. Karelian Bear Dogs are a type of hunting dog from Finland, where they typically hunt moose and elk.

This weekend, the Seattle Kennel Club is hosting agility trials. That sounds pretty exciting-- I've only ever seen agility competitions on the Animal Planet channel! It takes a lot of training and dedication to be able to compete in agility, and I have a lot of respect for the dogs and owners who can handle it.

Also this weekend is Peace Out at Merrill Gardens--the Tacoma Humane Society is going to be there with some adoptable puppies, spreading the word about some of the services that they offer to the community.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Hope

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Double Dane Love

Here's a clip of our two Great Dane gals Athena and Bella taking advantage of "Nap Time" hahaha!



Take care,

-Grant

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Lord of the rings

Ma and Pa captured this cool clip of West Highland Terrier, Rainier, roughing up the rubber ring toy. Rainier has been coming to the fort for three years and he has a blast upstairs in the Little Roll. Toys are his absolute favorite thing, especially the new ones we try out.



Take care,

-Grant

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Good Golly Gideon!


Today's assessment was Gideon. I won't deny it, he is a lot of dog... But you know what? He did pretty well for a big rambunctious guy! Gideon is a two year old, 110 pound, Rottweiler. He definitely passed his first day, Big Roll, debut. I bet we will be seeing more of this one.

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Two interesting articles here and here (I'll let you know, the latter is a sad one).

Monday, May 17, 2010

Welcome Domino and a funny clip!


Domino is a four year old, 47 pound, Labrador Mix that was assessed this morning. She didn't play much but seemed fairly comfortable and spoke good dog. We believe Domino will be having much more fun at the fort once she gets used to it.

This morning on the news they played this hilarious clip and I just had to share it!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Saturday, May 15, 2010

A cute clip

Things were pretty chill today at the Fort, but that doesn't mean that it was boring! Here's a clip of a few members of today's gang: Mimi, Niko, Kona, and Teddy.



Here's a neat Tacoma-related article- the Browns Point Lighthouse Park in Northeast Tacoma is having a grand re-opening celebration tomorrow. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Have a good weekend,
Hope

Friday, May 14, 2010

Music For Dogs

In dog-related news, the Sydney opera house (in Sydney, Australia) is starting a concert series called "Music for Dogs" which will be in pitches so high that only dogs can hear them! Lou Reed, former Velvet Underground frontman, will be participating in the concert. Sounds like it's going to be quite a show--for our four-legged friends, at least.

If you're looking for something to do out in the sunshine tomorrow, you can check out Armed Forces Day at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It sounds like it will be pretty neat--I know that I'd love to check out the on-base Military Museum. And remember, you can always bring Fido here on Saturdays!

I'll wrap things up with a clip of some exciting big roll action. Kyoshi the Akita and Pawsha the Alaskan Malamute are tearing it up!



Enjoy the weather (quick, before it gets too hot! lol)

-Hope

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Shepard Bros and the Pet Palooza



Two of our German Shepherds, Jake and Hektor, have really been hitting it off lately. Good times!

Our manager Hope told me about the Pet Palooza event that is happening in Auburn on May 22nd. She heard about it on the radio, sounds like it's going to be a big fun filled event!

Take care,

-Grant

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Cool clip and a funny link!

In this clip we have new Fort Fido friend Zoey having a blast with Romeo.




In other news, this had me rolling! Warning, it's dog related potty humor! :)~

Take it easy,

-Grant

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Super Dakota Pics!

(Click to enlarge)





Dakota's mom Michelle sent us in some wonderful pictures of Dakota playing with her family. Dakota has been coming to Fort Fido since we opened. Thank you Michelle for the great photos and your continuous support!

Take care everyone,

-Grant

Monday, May 10, 2010

Crazy Grooming!


I found this early last week and saved it for a rainy day... This is too funny! I give you, Dogs gone wild!

Happy late Mother's Day, let us get back to the dry weather for a bit!

-Grant

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Welcome to a trio!



We had three Yorkies come in today! Jack and Jill have come in the past, but for 9 month old Verdel, today was his very first time. Verdel was a little nervous about being away from home, but he seemed open to socializing.The three siblings rolled around together for a bit, before Jack broke off to go play a little with Charlie, a Bichon.



Enjoy that sunshine!

-Hope

Friday, May 7, 2010

Welcome Basli and Zoey ! !

We had two more assessments early this morning.

Basli is a striking, one year old, 80 pound, Bernese Mountain Dog. She had a great time in the Big Roll! Basli was a little hesitant at first but as soon as more dogs started coming in she was all over it! The pack can have that effect. :)

Our second assessment was Zoey. She is a beautiful, two year old, 45 pound, Red Siberian Husky. Zoey took to the pack quickly, having a blast in the Medium Roll.

Have a nice weekend (fingers crossed for sun)!

-Grant





P.S. I found two neat articles this morning too, check 'em out! 1 & 2.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Welcome Lillie & Suki!

Super busy today... Just gonna show the pics :) ! Lillie is a baby Yellow Lab and Suki is a Jack Russel Terrier. Both are fitting in well, score two for our side!

Gotta fly,

-Grant



Wednesday, May 5, 2010

too cute little roll clip



You can spot (in no particular order): Barkley, Miller, Miles, Coco, Jaeger, Beija, Nugget, Peanut and Allie. It was early when this clip was taken, that's only half of today's little crew. It is a dog's life around here! :)

Cheers,

-Grant

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

three good articles


Real feel good ones too!

This one was the most interesting to me.

Dog honored for finding lost boy

Student leading campaign to save dogs

Have a great day,

-Grant

Monday, May 3, 2010

A little clip of Charlotte



This was Charlotte's first full day upstairs, we are happy that she is doing well.

Take it easy,

-Grant

Saturday, May 1, 2010

A few news articles

I decided to search in the internet for interesting dog news this morning, and I found this uplifting story. It is about a program called "Pets for Vets" which matches shelter dogs with veterans who could benefit from having a loving and dedicated companion. If you want to read more stories about dogs that they have placed, check out their website, www.pets-for-vets.com.

Here's another good one about helping shelter dogs get adopted, this time locally. Carolyn Craft, a real estate agent with Windermere, has been helping to promote the Tacoma/Pierce County Animal Shelter's "Adoptable Pet of the Week."

One last tidbit of news: A group in Bonney Lake was just granted a one year trial lease to begin operating an off-leash dog park at Viking Park. You can follow Updates and get involved by checking out at their website.

One last link, and this time to us! The next training class and seminar have been scheduled. The "Balanced and Calm" seminar is going to be Sunday August 1st from 11am-12:30pm. The next round of Basic Obedience is going to be June 29th to July 15th, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:15pm-8:15pm. Dogs do not have to be Fort Fido members to attend, they just need to show that they are up to date on their shots. If you have friends with dogs, be sure to point us out!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hope