Three links...

All very good!

Was Fox, Not Dog, Man's First Best Friend?

Dog constellations are skywatcher's best friend

Dog alerts family before roof collapse

Happy Monday! ;)

-Grant

Little Cooper takes center stage!

All the larger dogs today were just enchanted by the little black pug Cooper, who they soon discovered could give as good as he got! Chasing and being chased are his two favorite games, and this little guy has so much energy that even on a "normal" weekday he goes in with the medium rollers.





Bella the Boxer turned out to be Cooper's best bud. In the afternoon, when a little energy had been burned off already, they spent ages neckfighting and taking turns submitting and rolling over.



I know that Grant mentioned this a couple of days ago, but I think it's neat enough to post again. ;-) Check out the AKC's list of the most popular breeds in America! You can also see a list of the Top 5 breeds in Seattle. (I guess Tacoma isn't quite big enough for a list of its own quite yet).

I found an update on the rehabilitation of Michael Vick's dogs. It's nice to have some good news from that story for a change!

Hope

A fun day had

Excellent clips from today's Medium Roll.





Have a nice weekend,

-Grant
P.S. Doggie News found: Dog gets prosthetic paw to walk again, Husky heroes whoosh into Morton Arboretum, Dog owner saves pet from Hawk's claw!

Diarrhea! Cha! Cha! Cha!

LOL!

There, I said it, the dreaded "D" word!

Here's the scoop (there I go again)... Dealing with your dog when he or she has Diarrhea is not fun at all. Some folks really get worried when it happens, especially if there is a bit of blood mixed with the stool. I am here to tell you not to worry and to "check yourself" (mentally) before rushing off to the vet and recieving a bill. Please note, we at FORT FIDO are not vets, please consult with your veterinarian if you believe your dog has a serious problem!

With that said, working at a Doggie Daycare means that your life revolves around poo hahaha or let me rephrase that, we know a lot about it and enjoy talking to our customers about their pet's individual bowel movements (I'm kidding!). 99.9% of the time, when your dog comes down with a case of "the runs" it is because they have ate something that did not agree with them. One more time, THEY ATE SOMETHING! It is no different than us... I'm sure we've all ate a bad plate of enchiladas right? Things happen, it's not fun and we are constantly running to the bathroom but you know what? We do not rush ourselves to the ER and generally bounce back to a more comfortable potty situation after a few days.

I'm telling you to just wait it out... Give it a day, be a detective and find out what your pet got into. We have heard and unfortunately seen it all: Doggie Almond Roca (yup, cat turds), a stick of butter and three dried starfish, refrigerator clean outs, steak bones, etc... On MULTIPLE OCCASIONS I've pulled panty hose and men's tube socks (I'm talkin size 12, knee-high ones with the red stripes) out of dogs bums, can you believe it!? Be careful everybody, let's avoid a catastrophic vet trip by being proactive.

Don't get me wrong, it is fun to give a dog a treat but you really have to be mindful of what and how much you are giving them. Many times treats can upset our dog's system and then they tear it up! If you are using treats for training, just put some of your pups normal kibble into a baggy then treat away! They don't know the difference, they just want something. That trick can keep the poop to a normal consistency.

It is true, Diarrhea can be a symptom of a more serious illness (Giardia for example, again check with your vet if you believe this is the case) but in our experience, most of the time, it isn't! The key is to be conscious of how your dog acts... Are his or her energy levels the same? Is he or she eating? Is he or she listless? Lethargic? Etc... If your dog is acting normal, chances are, your dog is fine! Give it 24 hours, monitor them, keep them on their NORMAL DIET and save yourself the drama/vet bill.

Diarrhea is especially a bummer at daycare, dogs with diarrhea are extra work for the crew here. Often times we must crate the animal periodically throughout the day to manage the mess. Some daycare's even charge extra if your dog has it. We don't plan on adopting that policy, we just want everyone to help us (and their pet) out by being mindful of their canine's diet.

All for now, I'm pooped!

-Grant
P.S. One final thought I forgot to mention. Nerves can also play a roll in an upset tummy, if your pet has recently been in a stressful situation they may come down with the rhea. If they are acting normal after the event, things should balance out in a day or so. Just as if they ate those rotten enchiladas. ;)

Three good ones and the new top dog

Two awesome clips from the Big Roll with Marty, Buddy, Ryker, Bella and Benny having a good old time.





One from the Medium side featuring Niko and Cooper being the best of buds.



In the news... Which breed is America's top dog? Check out this article with video to find out. You may or may not be surprised, I wasn't ;).

Cheers,

-Grant

Anxiety Wraps

We have been looking into carrying a really neat product that we think may help some dogs. The product is called The Anxiety Wrap. It is basically a firm fitting jacket that utilizes pressure points to help calm the animal. We have seen a few things like it over the years and think the product makes sense, especially if you follow the directions to a tee.

The company makes a few other products that we are also considering. Trainer Victoria Stilwell from, It's Me Or The Dog, endorses some of them. Dealing with a pet that has separation anxiety can be quite a struggle. Any tool that can aid in overcoming it is beneficial in our book.

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. To anyone interested, I'll let you know when we get them in.

Little Roll Clips

Happy Monday,





-Grant
P.S. News from today: Leash laws in the Great Outdoors, New system guides dogs remotely to handle risky tasks, Dogs presence at funeral home a surprise to some and a comfort to most, Dogs are students' best friends, Sled dogs rally in Great Brittan.

Sunny Saturday

Although our winter weather has been a little funky this year (look at that sunshine today!), this article still has some great tips for at-home grooming, in between your dog's professional appointments.

Here's a neat piece about just how much a dog can learn! This border collie knows over 1000 objects and their names.

Another science article, about dogs trained to sniff out the excrement of endangered species. Maybe it's a little gross, but it will help scientists and wildlife biologists to keep better track of changing populations.



Enjoy that sunshine!

Hope

A couple of birthdays in the house!

Yesterday, our big time Medium Roller Rainier turned three years old.

Today, from upstairs in the Little Roll, lil Charlie turns one. Charles and his mom brought in peanut butter dog cookies, in the shape of wiener dogs, to celebrate, how awesome! Very kind of you guys, the pups have enjoyed them, thank you. Everybody be sure to snag a few on your way out of The Fort!

Have a nice weekend,

-Grant
P.S. Found three engaging articles this afternoon: Dog alerts residents to early morning fire, Oldest know American dog found in Texas, Why you shouldn't snuggle with your pooch in bed... By the way, this is only one reason why you don't want to (as fun as it is). It's definitely not the main reason why, I'll get to that reason in a future blog post. For now, just don't do it! :)

- Baby Beija -

Beija has been coming to Fort Fido multiple days a week since the month we opened (September of 2006)! Four years! She loves coming to The Fort and has a blast in the Little Roll. She is one of our Little Roll Alpha Leaders. Beija (which means "kiss" in Portuguese) is a ravishing eight year old, eighteen pound, Boston Terrier... That doesn't look a day over four! She plays very well with all dogs and is quite the social butterfly. Her favorite game is tug of war and her favorite toy to play it with is the JW Invincible Rings. Keep up the good work here Beija, we love having you.

A special thank you goes out to Beija's owner Alisha. Thank you for being such a awesome customer over the years and supporting us!

Take care everyone,

-Grant
P.S. You can see a few clips of Beija in action here and here.

Dakota Snow Montage

(Click photos to enlarge)








As always, thanks for the tremendous pictures Michelle!

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. To everybody out there, if you get any fun photos of your Fort Fido Pooch please send them to us! :) grant@fortfido.com

Just a heads up...

Our Basic Obedience and Leadership class featuring trainer Garrett Stevens starts tonight. The class is full!

Starting February 28th we will be having another three week Basic Obedience and Leadership class.

On Sunday March 6th, Fort Fido and Garret Stevens will be putting on a Calm and Balanced Seminar... It is very entertaining and informative. Garrett covers many things, especially how to communicate properly with your dog. He also does live demonstrations so bring your pet!

Many great doggie news articles were found today, take a look.

Winter jacket saves dog from owl

Dog scares away would-be robber

Mr. Peabody has a voice cast in the new Dreamworks film

Dog survives Brazil floods & stays by owner's grave for days

Mouth-to-snout resuscitation saves dog

New AKC National Champ is a Australian Shepherd

Take it easy,

-Grant

Say hello to Bailey!

Bailey was in for his assessment today. He sure is a happy go lucky guy! Bailey is a eight month old, sixty-five pound, Black Labrador Retriever. He had a good time today, played well and tried out both rolls (Big & Medium). Bailey is a nice pup, we think he is really going to do well here.

Have a nice start to your week,

-Grant

Super Saturday!

I captured a long clip today featuring Rufus the Poodle, Trevor the mixed-breed, Chance the Goldendoodle, and Sarah the Lab. This is Rufus' first full day of daycare, and he really tore it up. Trevor happened to be just the right guy to get him to come all the way out of his shell!



Everybody have a lovely Sunday!

Hope

Lovely Lilly

Milly's sister, Lilly, was in for her assessment this morning. She is also a seven year old, eighty-eight pound Golden Retriever that ventured into the Big Roll just like here sis. Heck, they are practically twins! Lilly even acted quite similar to Milly in that she didn't "Bust Out" but didn't mind being greeted by the pack. We have high hopes for Lilly and Milly. They should be comfortable enough to interact with the pack more after a few visits to The Fort. If anything, as you all know, the pack is very balancing and stimulating to it's members. Even dogs that don't play that much can still come home plumb tuckered. Good job Lilly, we'll see you again soon.

Have a relaxing weekend everyone!

-Grant
P.S. One neat bit of news I found this morning: Spokane dog park separates big and little... My how things are catching on! ;)

A busy day!

Another busy day was had here at The Fort. We just got done unloading our three ton Kumpi shipment. Lucky for us we just missed a big soaking! :)

Earlier today we had Troubador in for his assessment. He is a two year old, seventy-five pound, retired racing, Greyhound. His owners got him from Royal Hounds Greyhound adoption. Troubador is one sharp looking pooch, he is black with a white star on his chest. He came into the Big Roll today and did well, this guy spoke great "Dog". Let's just say (as we like to around here), it wasn't Trou's first time at the rodeo lol. Fine job today Troubador, we hope to see you again soon!

Stay dry out there,

-Grant

Mirthful Milly

Milly was in bright and early for her assessment this morning. She is a seven year old, eighty-eight pound Golden Retriever that ventured into the Big Roll. Milly is here to learn how to be around other dogs. On Friday, her sister Lilly will be coming in to get a grasp on the same idea. Their owner's goal is to have them be more social with other dogs because all they have ever known is each other. Milly did ok but didn't know what to think of it all. Fortunately, she didn't mind the other dogs trying to get to know her. Nice job Milly.

Lilly and Milly's owner has been working with outstanding trainer, Garrett Stevens of Alpha & Omega Dog Training (253-653-4890). Garrett tells us that they are making good progress. Their owner is also working with Lorian Collins of Pampered Pets Plus (253-278-4168), a local pet sitter that specializes in conscious services for pets and their people. We have gotten a lot of positive feedback on Garrett and Lorian from several Fort Fido customers. If you are interested in any of their services I recommend giving them a call.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. Just a reminder, this Tuesday's Basic Obedience and Leadership Class, with Garrett Stevens, is almost full. If you are interested call The Fort (253-460-0299) to get signed up!

Longing

This poetic photo (click to enlarge) is titled 'Longing'. It was taken by Michelle Johnson (long time Fort Fido supporter), the photo features Dakota and Fort Fido... With Dakota's desire to enter. :) I really like this, it was well done. Thank you for sending it in!

I've found several superb articles over the last couple of days. Here they are:

Mascot Evie nominated for 'Most Heroic Dog'

Dog learns more than 1,000 words!

Using Bloodhounds to find lost dogs

Leashes: Your opinion

Roaming With Rover

First-ever cinema for dogs

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Have a safe commute, watch out for the white stuff.

A welcome to Rufus!

Rufus came in for his assessment this morning. He is a one year old, sixty-six pound, red, Standard Poodle. Rufus is a long legged fellow, one of his nick names happens to be legs! He is a very handsome dog that went right to the Big Roll. Rufus greeted the pack and for his first day he didn't do half bad. Once he gets to know everybody, we think he will be interacting more. Good job Rufus!

Have a good start to your week.

-Grant

Lights, Camera, Daycare Action!

In this clip you can see Bella the Boxer playing with Lab-mix Blue in the foreground, and Golden Doodles Gemma and Bella playing in the background. There were a whole lot of wild women here today, it was a lot of fun for everybody.

Here Chihuahua-mix Elvis is playing with Cairn Terrier Faramir. Elvis certainly can hold his own with the bigger guys!



Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

-Hope

Hellooo Weekend !

Have a nice one, lookout for snow!

-Grant

Dakota Christmas

Dakota's mom Michelle sent me in some sweet photos of Darling Dakota enjoying her Antler (that she got from Fort Fido of course) on Christmas Day, take a look. Also, if anyone out there snaps some good shots of their Fort Fido pup at home, send them in to me! grant@fortfido.com that way I can get them up on our blog.

(Click on individual photos to enlarge them)








Take care,

-Grant

Showin some Kumpi Love...

President of Kumpi Pet Food, Evy, has just launched her new website and it looks outstanding! You can get all the info and see the new look at www.kumpi.com.

Evy also told us about a great new Kumpi Fan Site called Kumpi Love. The site is full of great stories, testimonials and charming photos from fans/customers.

If you haven't already, get your pet on Kumpi! It's a pet food company you can trust... You gotta do your research, there is a plethora of false information out there in the mainstream media. Read some of the articles on the Kumpi site and talk to us for more info or call Evy (303-693-6533, kumpi@earthlink.net), the phone number rings right at her house! Good luck getting a hold of the president of any other pet food company lol. :)

Take it easy,

-Grant

CLIP CLIP NEWS

Here from the Big Roll, Mr. McGee (a brindle Boxer) and Marco Polo (David and Nancy's Husky) are having a rip-roaringly good time.



In the Medium Roll we see that wily new Cooper (Pug) having a blast with young Vizsla pup Phoebe.



Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. A couple neat links I found today: 12-Year-Old With Epilepsy Can Bring Service Dog To School , Dog Trapped Six Feet Underground Rescued & Elvis The Dog Helps Students Learn Calculus.

Antlers

I Hope New Years was great for everyone... We caught a movie and had a nice time.

Most of you have probably heard of Antlers as the hottest new natural dog chew on the market. Well, I doubt they are "new" (dogs/wolves have probably nibbled on them for centuries lol) but everyone loves them. We have a great source for them. They come pressure washed, with the sharp points removed. The reason antlers are so good for tough chewers is because they are strong! They last a long time and grind down in small pieces. Antlers don't stink or stain up your carpet either, a big plus! Antlers are nutrient-packed, marrow-filled bones that have been shed by deer, elk and other animals.

We have large ones here at The Fort for $19.99 and consistently sell out of them, it's unbelievable. Give 'em a try on your power chewer and let us know what you think.

Happy Monday,

-Grant
P.S. Just so you know, both Gibson and Marco Polo are big antler fans. Also, always monitor your pup whenever you give them a toy/treat/chew and inspect the item often for safety. :)