Pics of our Buddy and a great link from Louis

Buddy's ma Bonnie was kind enough to drop me off some great photos of the kid at home. Here he is in three cute pictures posing, looking out the window and looking out the back door.





Louis's ma Sandy sent me this video link about "Kandu" the two legged dog. This one you just gotta see, it is truly awesome, check it out!



Cheers,

-Grant

Meet Merry Mooshu!

Meet Mooshu! He is a four month old, three pound, spunky little Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie). Boy, if he doesn't win you over with his photogenicness (yup, that isn't a word lol) then his sweet personality will get ya for sure. Mooshu did well in our Little Roll upstairs. He speaks decent "dog" for a young lad and even played a bit. He's met Pearl at the dog park before but fell in love with... You guessed it, Ginger (1,2) hahaha! This is the third young pup to fall for her, those darn redheads. We look forward to seeing Mooshu again, he's a nice addition to the Little Pack.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. I couldn't stop thinking about Moo shu pork when I heard this guys name, too funny. Also, Mushoo is a friend of Fort Fido long-time-big-rollers Lucas and Harriet. Their owners run a great business near us, Fircrest Children's Dentistry... Our main man Gary operates their website. What a small world with seemingly endless connections. :)

some news and a cute Pearl pic

Pearl's owner Phyllis sent me in a wonderfully cute photo of little Pearl posing sweetly. Thanks for the pic Phyllis!




Some news bits I found this afternoon...

Dog's storm phobia (Not sure how Gibby will react, luckily they don't happen often, I'm guilty of not liking storms.)

A great article on re-calls AKA "Fido come!" (Several customers chat with me about the frustration of their pet not coming when they call... I've known the feeling!)

The Zen of Dog Training (Neat stuff here, very true, stay calm... Not always easy to do.)

New Dog Game-Show (Sounds interesting, hopefully it's more than a one hour special.)

A dog at the funeral captured on video (Warning, this is a sad one.)

Happy Monday lol!

-Grant

Cheerful Chaco!

Chaco is a cute little three-and-a-half year old Havanese. Since he started out on a Saturday, he got to spend his day with a mix of sizes. From little Lilly (the assessment dog yesterday), to Lila and Blue, and a couple in between! The smaller guys were very confident, even in with the big ones. While he didn't bust out too many of the moves, Chaco had a few flash-in-the-pan moments of play. He also had a lot of tail-wagging and good greeting. This is a pup who was socialized well in his puppy days.

Also from today: a good clip of everybody sharing toys!



Everybody enjoy this nice summery weekend!

-Hope

Little Lilly and National Dog Day

Lilly is a six-year-old West Highland Terrier, visiting from Eastern Washington. She is very friendly with people, and she has one of the softest coats I've ever felt on a Westie. Wonder what her beauty secrets are!

She spent her time upstairs with the small guys, mostly relaxing and getting a feel for Fort Fido. She hasn't busted out with the moves just yet, but she wasn't stressed at all. Having attended daycare before, she knows the drill!

In other news, today is National Dog Day! Take a moment to show your pup some extra appreciation in honor of all they do for and give to us. This article has some amazing stories of canine selflessness, as well as some history on National Dog Day, which has been around since 2004.

That's all for now!

Hope

P.S.--Tomorrow will be your last chance to sign up for the Balanced and Calm training seminar with Garrett Stevens! Come and learn the secrets of canine communication and dog whispering. The seminar will take place on Sunday the 28th, from 11am to 12:30pm. Bring your pup with you to get the most out of the experience-even wild, crazy, hyper dogs are welcome. Join us for a lively hour-and-a-half here at Fort Fido!

A Sunny day of sprightly Sadie

In for her assessment today was young pup Sadie. She is a seven month old, fifty pound, rough-and-tumble, Golden Retriever. Sadie is perfect for the Medium Roll, she is rambunctious, very high energy but a good girl. She went straight to play with all the wild ones of our medium area. Marco Polo and Zeus were a few of her favorites. We are certain we'll be seeing more of Sadie soon. She is a healthy dog, the activeness of dog daycare is right up her alley. Way to go Sadie!

Stay cool folks,

-Grant
P.S. Here is a clip of Sadie's first meeting with Polo early in the AM, as you can see, it went well. I'm throwing in a fun clip of the Little Roll from this afternoon just for good measure. ;)

Howdy to Howie from Florida

Super-Handsome-Canine Howie had his assessment today. He is a three year old, ninety pound, "Grey Ghost" AKA Weimaraner.

Howie hails from the sunny state of Florida and has attended dog daycare in the past. A fine specimen, he did pretty well for his first day, even mixing it up a little with Fort Fido Bad Boy Ryker (not really "bad", you know what I mean lol...). Howie seemed pretty comfortable in our Big Roll and we hope he'll continue to improve his "Dog Skills" as he gets used to the place. See ya soon Howie, nice job!

Cheers,

-Grant

Pee-Wee !

(No, not this guy, although I admit I did watch his playhouse haha.)

Meet Pee-Wee! He is a rad little six year old, eight pound, Yorkshire Terrier that was assessed this morning. Pee-Wee did very well in our Little Roll upstairs and passed his assessment with flying colors. He enjoyed meeting and greeting the other dogs, played a bit and fell in love with Fort Fido regular Ginger lol, she's a heart-breaker! We hope to see more of Pee-Wee, he is surely welcome anytime.

In the following clip from the Little Roll you can spot Pee-Wee meandering, his tail is wagging and he portrays a relaxed doggy disposition. A wonderful first day!



Take it easy today, our PC problems are finally over, hooray!

-Grant
P.S. A special thank you to Gary for all of his tech help!

Luckily our new computer has arrived, yeah! We should be up and running with our new system in a couple of days. We are doing everything with a laptop right now and it is nice but not ideal. Blogger is having some issues with the laptop's browser/operating system. Hope was unable to get a Blog Post going on Saturday and I'm having trouble with this one lol.

For now, let us checkout a few clips from today.

In the Medium Roll, Emily, Mimi and Zeus busted moves off and on all day long. They are a quite the trio of pals.



From the Big Roll, Louis and Popo romp hard as usual.



Upstairs in the Little Roll we get another glimpse of "newbie" Phoebe Marie doing well. Here she does her best to get Lucy to play with her.



Enjoy the start of your week, looks like good weather shall be returning soon! At least we don't have to water anything today. ;)

-Grant

Search and rescue dogs retire

This morning Pearl's mom Julia brought us in another cool dog-related article. This was a neat clipping from the New York Times Magazine. It featured search-and-rescue dogs that were mobilized to search for victims of the 9/11 attacks. All these pups are now retired, and enjoying relaxing golden years in reward for the service that they offered. Make sure you click for the full slideshow!

The New York State Troopers K9 unit feeds their dogs Kumpi, the only dog food that Fort Fido recommends and carries. Kumpi President Evy Serpa tells the history of her relationship with law enforcement canines on her website:

"Viewing her television set on September 12, 2001, she saw the first working dog at Ground Zero.

"It was a pivotal moment for me. I knew the difference my product had made for so many dogs and I was compelled to ship a ton of food to help those dogs."

Not sure how to embark on doing so, the following day there were requests for food and beverage donations for the workers in Manhattan.

"I called and as it turned out, the Senior Procurement Manager had also worked the OKC Bombing and he remembered that dog food was an outstanding request."

After security checks, they approved her donation, with instructions for shipment. Hours of being on the phone getting quote (is this for charity or are you paying?) she made arrangements for the ton to ship.

Yet, a firm contact in Manhattan had not been established and by Saturday night, Ms. Serpa got online at two am and called a New York City police department and was told the dogs were stationed at the Javitz Center. Getting their phone contact information, she was able to procure the government cell number for Sgt. Tim Fischer, the Head of the New York State Canine Unit who was placed in charge of the dogs surging into Ground Zero.

Not knowing that Sgt. Fischer was having all dog food donations routed to local animal shelters, she hit a temporary snag when he did want Kumpi for the dogs.

"I'm in the habit of getting transit information for point of destination and will be eternally grateful to MSTC for getting the food to the Javitz Center the Monday it
arrived. They took the extra time to label the pallet of food to insure it would
make it through."

That was the humble beginning of the relationship between Kumpi and The New York State Troopers K9 Unit. Additionally, she is vendors with the Metro Transit Authority in New York City, The United Nation Ambassador Security Canine Detail, US Customs and many other law enforcement agencies."

You can read more of Evy's Kumpi Story here. And make sure that you check out the Kumpi fanpage, KumpiLove, where you can check out people's personal experiences with Kumpi and see the improvement in their furry family's health.

I'll see you all again tomorrow!
-Hope

Bustin' out!

Upstairs was exciting this morning, when little Phoebe Marie and Pearl started to tear it up! Luckily, we managed to get it on film to share with their owners and all of you!



I apologize for the shortness of the post--we're still waiting on our new computer to arrive, and coaxing this one into working has become something of a task! Hopefully we'll be back up to full speed in the next couple of days.

-Hope

))) Gleeful Grady (((

Grady was a highly loveable pooch that had his assessment this morning. He is a one year old, sixty pound, Chocolate Labrador Retriever. Grady was the quintessential happy and healthy young lab assessment. We stuck him in our Medium Roll and it worked like a charm, he absolutely enjoyed himself. Grady played and communicated well with the pack. He is a happy-go-lucky dog that the Fort Fido crew looks forward to seeing more of. Way to go today Grady, ya did a first rate job!

Just a side note: Over the years, some of our wildest and most hard to handle canines have been young chocolate labs. We aren't exactly sure why but we have some ideas and don't think that it is a coincidence... Lucky for us, Grady didn't fall into the "hard to handle" category. ;)

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. My o my, that new computer is still not here... I can get a browser going long enough to post a blog but it hasn't been easy. Making a badge picture barely happened and the big pain for us is that our QuickBooks is down. Come on next-day shipping! Shouldn't you be here by now lol? Ahhh!

Computer Prodlems, Doh!

We are experiencing some major computer problems... After five years, a solid run, it looks like the old gal "Dell" is giving up. I was lucky enough to get this blog post posted. Fortunately, we have in-house tech guru Gary! He has already ordered us a new PC and it should be here tomorrow afternoon. This old one is going to get wiped clean and moved out to the lobby which will really streamline our payment system. Thanks for bearing with us today. Our normal doggy-blog-like-stuff should be up and running tomorrow.

Take it easy, enjoy that sun while it lasts,

-Grant
P.S. Our last interviews went well, we've pretty much made our picks. Time to see if they'll "work" now hehe. ;)

Hello

Hello,

I hope everyone is doing well. Things are running smoothly here at The Fort and that is always a good thing!

We are gearing up for the fall, our busiest time of the year. It tends to bring in a slew of dogs. Many folks don't attend during the summer months for various reasons, the main one being... School is out! To prepare for the bustling Autumn, we are adding two new team members. One for the morning shift and one for the evening. As always, it is a lengthy process and thankfully, we are close to being done. We are about halfway through the interview portion and hope (no pun intended there lol) we find the right fit. By putting a help wanted ad on Craigslist and a College Job Database we had literally dozens of applicants. That's with the ads up for less than 48 hours!

Coming up soon is our Balanced and Calm Seminar, If you haven't taken it, you should! Dog Trainer Garrett Stevens is awesome and you can learn a whole heck of a lot from him. Also starting soon, in September, is our Basic Obedience and Leadership training classes. We have a handful of participates already signed up for both courses but it's not too late to get registered.

All for now, I'll leave you today with a really funny dog video... It's one of those clip reels.

Have a great day,

-Grant

Some great news stories

Sometimes life can take us to the most unexpected places. That is what happened when little Hoppy the Pappillon found his way from a puppy mill, where cramped conditions crippled him, to being a member of a performing pack with a caring owner.

Another pup, Francis, was found in a cardboard box in the freezing rain. Thanks to the patience and constant care of volunteers, he is now on the rebound. He is also in a contest to win ten thousand dollars for the shelter that brought him back from the brink. Way to give back!

The ASPCA is launching a new campaign against puppy mills this month. The "No Pet Store Puppies" campaign aims to eliminate puppy mills by encouraging people to get their pups from legitimate breeders or shelters. If there is no demand for puppy mill pups, then the mills will all go out of business. There will be no more money in those puppies, if consumers buy responsibly.

In overseas news, authorities seized around 1000 dogs in Thailand, as part of a bust on dog smuggling. Sadly, around 300 of the pups were already too sickly to save and died in transit. But the smuggling ring is gone, and the remaining pups were all taken to shelters.

Sorry about the lateness of the post--I've been wrestling with this computer all day!

Hope

Teeny Tiny Teacup Phoebe Marie!

This morning four-pound teacup Poodle Phoebe Marie came to join us at the Fort. She wasn't quite sure what to make of the Daycare experience, but she did sniff around with the other dogs and play just a tad. With time and consistency, she will come out of her shell a little more, and be more relaxed with the other pups.

Oftentimes for a dog with any degree of separation anxiety, the second day is better than the first. That is why we keep the assessments at that short 4 hour length. This allows us to see how they interact with others, and doesn't put too much stress on the pup who is trying to figure out just what is going on in here! When they get to go home again so soon it creates a good association--they understand that "hey, I get to come here and hang out, and then head home again later." Since we can't exactly explain what's going on to them, teaching through experience is the next best thing. Throughout the years we have seen a lot of dogs go from wallflower to social butterfly, with adequate time and a consistent schedule. Building confidence helps your dog to be more independent and self-assured, which usually translates into better behavior overall.

Daycare isn't just about tiring out pooches, it provides mental and social stimulation that promotes well-adjusted pets.

Thanks for reading!

Hope

Meet Jake & Macs!

Two great dogs, from the same family, who were in for their assessments this morning.

Jake is a healthy, one year old, eighty pound, black, Labrador Retriever. We started him out in the Big Roll and it was a perfect match. Jake is a "social butterfly", he went straight to playing and tore it up (in a good way of course)!

Older brother Macs is a stunning, two year old, seventy-five pound, cream colored, Golden Retriever. We had Macs tryout the Medium Roll and it ended up being a great fit for him. He spoke good "dog" and hung out with the pack. Macs seemed to enjoy the experience but didn't play hard like his younger sibling Jake.

Both of these canines did very well today and we look forward to seeing them again!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Doggy News

Do courtroom therapy dogs unfairly sway juries with cuteness? (Not in my opinion, with the case I read about but... That is definitely a whole "can of warms".)

Big or Small: A Dog Lover's Dilemma (Ahhh, go for Medium! :) )

Top 10 ways to celebrate National Spoil Your Dog Day (I'm a little late on this one but it's cute none the less.)

Keeping your dog safe this summer (Some great tips here.)

Animal assisted activity programs popular at senior communities (My mother, Nancy, has lots of experience with this. She was an activity director for many moons. The residents do love it, I know I would in that situation.)

Family reunites with dog after yearlong separation! (Wow, how sad, but bravo to Miss Flemming!)

Reading to dogs may have benefits for children (Posted a similar article in the past, I think it's great, makes sense for reading aloud and future public speaking.)

Cheers,

-Grant

clip time

Everyone's favorite time.

From the Little Roll... It's just a never ending ballgame as usual. You can spot Buddy, Chloe, Raleigh, Koji and Cooper.



Two from the Medium Side.

You can spot Gibson, Marley, Emily, Zeus and Gemma having a party. Diego's back is seen as well lol ;).



Emily and Marley continued to hit it off all day long.



In the Big Roll, Abby and Marco Polo played hard in the AM!



Also, newer friends of The Fort Rocky and Mollie found love today haha.



Take it easy,

-Grant

How could I forget to mention...

The Fort's newest puppy dog Ozzy. He is the baby brother of long time Fort Fido friend Finn. Whoa! That was a lot of alliteration lol.

This guy is super social (due to the fact that he has his own pack at home) and is doing very well in our Big Roll with his Big Brother. Ozzy is a seven month old, thirty pound, Yellow Labrador Retriever.

It's great when we acquire a new young dog that already has the "dynamics of the pack" down well. We look forward to seeing more of Ozzy, he is a great addition!

Happy Monday,

-Grant
P.S. Don't forget to checkout Finn's Website and help him win the fight!

Happy Birthday Blue!

How cute is this pup?

Today it was Blue's birthday, the German Shepherd/Lab mix turned one year old today and her always crafty "mom" Darcy brought in a cute decorated basket filled with treats for all of Blue's friends here at the Fort. Feel free to grab one of the bags of treats when you stop by!





In other news, I caught this great clip of Bella the Poodle and Emily the Black Lab tearing it up. You can see Blue and her sister Lila neckfighting in the background, too.


Here's hoping that some more of our summer weather comes back!

-Hope

Two Logan Pics & Clips

Logan's ma Becky was kind enough to send in some funny photos of the big guy. Here he is posing with his favorite beverage hahaha. Wow, I've heard of a little beer now and again for a dogs coat but I can't vouch for the Irish Whiskey.




Here is a clip from very early in the morning. Beautiful Irish Setter Miura is usually the first one in the Medium Roll. When she is the first dog in, her and Nancy love having one on one ball time together.



It's official! Chloe and Pearl have "Busted Out" (AKA began to act like pack members, really interacting and playing.) there is no stopping these two pups now, everyday will be fun filled for them in the Little Roll.



Medium Roll pooch Madi has also been branching out and doing well. Here she takes on Boxer Boy Zeus for some excitement.




Have a nice weekend,

-Grant
P.S. No, Logan doesn't really drink whiskey... Don't worry! Fort Fido, LLC does not condone giving your dog alcohol. Heck, our pets don't even get table scraps! ;)

funny stuff & news

Two great video clips sent in to me from Diego's owner and Rainier's owners. Have a look!

Puppy defends the grub



Follow this link for the second video of the Skimboarding Bulldog!


In the news:

Chinese city cancels its upcoming dog ban

Medical: Dog ownership has many benefits

Why most of what you think about dogs is rubbish

Dog rescued from tar-pit

Video: New police dog training course opens


Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. O, gotta put up one more boarding pooch... You've all probably seen this guy skate (he is the best, same as above?) but what about a Sheltie? He even drops in on a staircase! :)

clips from the rolls

The Little Roll



Two from the Medium Roll





Two from the Big Roll





Stay cool folks,

-Grant

Howdy Tilly!

Meet Tilly, she is a one year old, twenty-five pound, Grey/White, Miniature Schnauzer that had her assessment this morning.
She is a charming little dog that has attended dog daycare in the past. Tilly hung out in our Medium Play Area and did alright for her first day. We hope that she will get more comfortable and engage in some play with the pack after a few more visits. Nice job today Tilly, we look forward to seeing you again soon!

Take it easy today,

-Grant

The 1st Of The Month

(Gibby strikes a pose in the backyard)

The first of the month around here at Fort Fido can be a very busy time for us. Most folks pay and or bring in their schedules around this time. It is also a time where we have a good amount of busy "office work". We go through our database and determine which dogs are members in good standing (aka they have attended The Fort at least once in 90 days), which dogs are due for shots/fecal tests, who gets put on the dreaded "Black List" (don't worry it's not as scary as it sounds), whose paperwork gets shredded (because they no longer attend) and who gets mailed a "We haven't seen you in awhile!" coupon.

In short, we dot our I's, cross our T's, spruce the place up and get organized! It does take some effort and can be a bit challenging but it really helps us run smoothly. Please bare with us if we have to communicate with you about anything mentioned above. Nobody is in trouble lol and everyone is welcome. As a business, we just have to have our policies in place to continue giving you great customers and your wonderful pets our best! So with that said, get out your planners and setup your daycare schedule! After-all, it is the first of the month! ;)

This week looks like it's going to be summer folks, enjoy! Get out there and have some fun. If for some unfortunate reason your pup can't join you, drop them off here for some summer fun with the pack.

-Grant