Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Click on the photos to enlarge them, have a fun evening and stay safe!

-Grant
P.S. We thought Zeus came in as Casper today hahaha.

New Dog news and New friends

I found a few interesting doggie news stories today.

A woman's English Bulldog is being held for ransom.

A new style of dog shelter is trying to change the image of shelter dogs.

A beagle that survived an attempt at euthanasia is now up for adoption.

This one is very touching, it made me tear up a little. Sad end to an unusual friendship between a dog and an elephant. Make sure you watch the little movie, it's really amazing.

And one last Halloween safety article--this time about possible dangers that Halloween treats pose to your pet.

At the Fort today, I caught a good clip of some new best friends. Gordon and Buddy became fast friends today, and spent a lot of their time here together.


Everyone have a fun and safe Halloween!

-Hope

Cool Kona

A peek at beautiful Kona Hawaii

Today Kona, a four-month-old Portuguese Water Dog, had her first day here at the Fort. She is in the perfect age window for socialization at doggie daycare-- puppies really thrive when they are given the opportunity to spend time with other dogs, learning the ropes.

Kona had a blast with the medium dogs! Her favorite buddy was a Miniature Australian Shepherd mix named Chewy. He is a spunky little guy, and a daycare veteran, whose energy level matched Kona's perfectly.

We look forward to seeing Kona back here again next week!

-Hope

SHOTS - LINKS

Our very first customer, Faramir AKA Wubbie (among other aliases), tore it up right today with Beagle Mix buddy, Buddha, in the Medium Roll.



Also from medium, Barkley did what he does best here everyday... Stir the pot! :)



Everything was normal in the Little Roll, they're off to the ball races, every pups favorite sport.



In the Big Roll, Abby, Abby and Ziva were an unstoppable trio.




Here are some links for ya:

Blind teen keeps on running, thanks to guide dog

Mayor hit by lightning praises dog

More Halloween pet safety tips

Dog found 600 miles from home reunites with owner

First images of Tim Burton's new film "Frakenweenie"


Take care,

-Grant

Serenity

Please welcome Serenity to Fort Fido.

The dictionary definition of Serenity is as follows:

1.(n.) The quality or state of being serene; clearness and calmness; quietness; stillness; peace.
2.(n.) Calmness of mind; eveness of temper; undisturbed state; coolness; composure.

What a wonderful name for your dog!

She is a four year old, twenty-eight pound, Terrier Mix. Serenity is a very striking animal. She headed to our Medium Roll where she didn't do half bad. Although she didn't engage in much play, she meandered and sniffed a few behinds, always a good thing lol. We believe Serenity could benefit from Dog Daycare and might even "Bust Out" into play after a few sessions. Either way, she is more than welcome to attend and is a very fine dog.

Cheers,

-Grant

Tikvah (and others) doing great!

Got some neat clips today... Tikvah, in particular, has really been blossoming here at The Fort. She is now a member of our Medium Roll. Tikvah has grown a bit and plays hard, those are the factors the facilitated the move. :) Since being with the medium group, she has been doing exceptionally well. Check it out!





Watch this next clip, Ginger, is one of the most agile dogs we have here. She almost does a full back flip, attempting to snatch the ball mid-air, in the beginning of this one.



The last clip is some ball from the Little Roll and play from the best friend-"Rebel Rousers" Chloe & Pearl. You can hear our newest employee, Kelsey, just making sure the pups aren't getting too wild. ;)



Leaving y'all with a few news articles found this afternoon:

Training a dog to stop jumping up (Always a tricky one, we get asked about it often.)

When it's time to sue over poop (Heaven forbid!)

Halloween tips for you and your dog (Posted one like this last week, there is always some good stuff in articles like this.)

Take it easy,

-Grant

A word about...

Salmon poisoning.

I found this article a bit ago on King 5 News and wanted to point it out to everyone. Most of you are likely aware of this already.

In short, don't feed any raw or smoked Salmon to your canine companion. It has the potential of really hurting them and is possibly fatal. What a shame, I love the stuff any way it's prepared (yes, even raw lol) and could see myself breaking Gibby off a tiny piece in the right circumstances... Me saving it for him, waiting until he is around, giving him a command and then letting him enjoy it. Of course, of course! ;)

Some clips scored today: Gordo tries out the Big Roll again and Koji, Zachary and Zoey have became quite a cute trio of pals.







Have a great week!

-Grant

Cool Clip Saturday

I caught some great clips of the pups at play today. First up is a little clip of Tikvah and Gordon, with a glimpse of Lukas being so patient with excited little Buddah toward the end.


Next we have another one of Tikvah and Gordon--they were best buds today, and it was just hilarious watching the 40-pound (he's gained 20 pounds already!) malamute pup roll over to play fair with the little ten-pound terrier.


Last is a clip of Buddah and Emily, who are a great match. They have very similar energy levels, and play well together. That's probably why there are so many clips of them doing just that! They are great friends, whenever they are here together.


Have a great weekend!
-Hope

Bits from the news...

Firefighter revives dog, mouth to snout

Pets need some extra care and attention on Oct. 31st

Dog doesn't like Halloween Costume? Accessorize!

Rin Tin Tin: American Hero

Workout with your dog

Dog buried alive, survives

Dog stays by dead owner's side for nearly two weeks

Blind dog and pal seek new home


Enjoy your weekend!

-Grant

Lucky Lukas!

Lukas is a two-and-a-half year old Shepherd mix who joined the crew here at the Fort this morning. Lukas really is a lucky guy--he was found in a dumpster in Los Angeles at 4 1/2 months old, and was fortunate enough to be discovered and rescued. Despite his rough start, Lukas is as very happy fellow who speaks great "dog." He spent some time getting the lay of the land, and meeting the other pups before he started to play a bit toward the end of the assessment. With more time and consistency, I'm sure that Lukas will spend even more of his time tearing it up!

-Hope

P.S.--Lukas was a great example of why we keep the assessments so short--just a four-hour visit in the morning. Right when he was starting to get antsy, it was time for him to go home. Now he has created that good association: he comes here to have fun, but he isn't abandoned. The four hour assessment is long enough that we can get a feel for the dog's personality and watch their interactions with other dogs, but is short enough that it doesn't become a stressful experience.

- Clip Day -

Check out these great clips from The Rolls today!

Up first is one of Boxer Sam and Yellow Lab Big-Boy Ryker sharing in some fun.



Two from the Medium Roll.

Gordon, Jasmine, Emily and Marley were tearing it up, a very normal occurrence lol.



Barkley and Niko have been buddies for some time now, Jasmine, has also been welcomed into their session.



Upstairs was your daily crazy-ball-time. The Littles sure learn how to retrieve well due to the constant stream of tossed-toys. It's fun up there, for the dogs and the "Wrangler".



One more clip from the Little Roll features busy-gal Samarah enjoying a jolly time with the loveable Gherie. ;)



Take care,

-Grant

Thanks for sending this granny!

Friendship Forever <3

(Click photos to enlarge)

After losing his parents, this 3 year old orangutan was so depressed he wouldn't eat and didn't respond to any medical treatments. The veterinarians thought he would surely die from sadness.

The zoo keepers found an old sick dog on the grounds in the park at the zoo where the orangutan lived and took the dog to the animal treatment center. The dog arrived at the same time the orangutan was there being treated.

The 2 lost souls met and have been inseparable ever since.

The orangutan found a new reason to live and each always tries his best to be a good companion to his new found friend.

They are together 24 hours a day in all their activities.

They live in Northern California where swimming is their favorite past time, although Roscoe (the orangutan) is a little afraid of the water and needs his friend's help to swim


Together they have discovered the joy and laughter in life and the value of friendship.


They have found more than a friendly shoulder to lean on.






Long Live Friendship!

I don't know... Some say life is too short, others say it is too long, but I know that nothing that we do makes sense if we don't touch the hearts of others... While it lasts!

May you always have love to share, health to spare, and friends who care.

Darn, that's a good one, a tearjerker if you will. :)

Cheers,

-Grant

Wesley & Petey

We had two very cute and wily little guys in for their assessments this morning. Meet Wesley and Petey, best buddies in the same family.

Wesley is a two year old (?), fifteen pound, Shih Tzu. He was recently rescued by his current owner. Apparently, Wesley was an absolute mess, found on the streets malnourished and severely matted. Lucky for him, his life is now awesome and includes a loving permanent home. In the Little Roll, Wesley was a free spirit that romped around and had a good time. He became even more excited when he met fellow Shih Tzu, the ever popular, Cooper. The two became quick playmates. Wesley is more than welcome to attend The Fort anytime.

Next up was Petey. He is a five year old, twenty-four pound, American Cocker Spaniel, also recently rescued. Petey was a Veterinarian "practice dog" for three whole years. Let's just say, it didn't sound like a fun experience and he didn't get out much. His life is vastly improved nowadays. Petey joined his roommate Wesley in the Little play area. Unfortunately he was a bit more reserved then Wesley. Petey is an amazingly sweet dog, I'm pretty sure that Mom (Nancy) fell in love with him lol. He did just fine with the others in the pack but didn't interact as much as Wesley did. Petey too is welcome anytime.

Swell job today lads, hope to see you two again soon.

Take it easy this week, we're gonna see sunshine for two days. ;)

-Grant

Tribute to great canine partners

Tacoma City Hall is displaying an art exhibit honoring hero dogs. The exhibit is composed of 22 paintings, pastels, and digital work by Janette Stiles. The exhibit runs throughout October, if you want to stop in and have a look!

Here's a great story about a faithful partner helping a teenage girl to achieve her goals. With her guide dog, Sami Stoner can run cross country again.

Another great partner was found for a hearing-impaired woman. She has been paired with a "hearing dog" that is trained to recognize certain sounds (such as the sounds of a baby crying) and alert her.

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill in support of a program to pair veterans with therapy dogs.

This last story is a sad one about the boundless faithfulness of our canine friends. A weimaraner kept watch over his owner's body for three days. There really is no limit to their dedication to their partners.

I'll be seeing you again next week,

-Hope

P.S.-
In response to increased cases of canine distemper in the local raccoon population, the Humane Society had a vaccine clinic today. Please make sure you keep all of your pets up to date! Distemper is a very serious and contagious disease.

Judicious Jessie

This morning, we welcomed another new pup into the Fort Fido pack. Jessie is a ten and a half year old Yellow Lab, and weighs in at 74 pounds. While she has never attended daycare before, but it's definitely not her first day at the rodeo! She has been to the off-leash dog park, where she learned how to speak good "dog." She didn't bust out the moves today (who would expect that from an old gentlewoman?), but we got a great glimpse of her no-nonsense personality.

Jessie was in good company today--ten-year-old Hank and eleven-year-old Luther were both in attendance as well. There have to be some old-folks to make certain that the youngins are brought up right and learn all their manners! Though the younger crowd tend to do the most rip-roaring-around, daycare is great for dogs of any age. Even pups that don't play very much can benefit from the calming influence of being with the pack. Dogs are social animals! It's good for them to get out and meet new people, just like it is good for us humans.

We'll be seeing Jessie again for a few days next week, when we'll get to know her even better.

Be seeing you again soon!

-Hope

Feel free to use the leashes

Some of you may have noticed the pile of slip-leads hanging behind the bench in our lobby. Please feel free to use them, that is what they are there for. I'm surprised we haven't put them out a long time ago. In a hurry, some folks forget to leash up there canine companion... It's usually no big deal but sometimes getting your pooch into The Fort can be tricky without a lead. Especially with a crazy-full lobby and parking lot. So anywho... If you've forgotten your leash or don't want to use yours for any reasonn, we'd truly appreciate it if you came in and grabbed one of ours to use. We need things to go as smoothly and safely as possible! We understand that your dog is exceptionally well trained, doesn't need a leash and is under perfect voice control... However, please, just humor us. ;)

Get a load of these clips from today.

New dog Brodie loves it here. In this clip, he tears it up with the infamous Marco Polo.



More Polo in this one as well as some German Shepherd Love featuring Ziva and Zodiac, those two gotta be a match made in heaven lol.



Two from the Medium Roll. This one is just a cross section of the good times these pups have.



The second clip I've titled "Kissy Face", I think you can see why hahaha. Buddha and Phoebe frequently make us chuckle.



Take care,

-Grant

Jocular Jasmine

Say hello to Jasmine. She is a four month old, twenty-three pound, Black/with white, Labrador Retriever that assessed this morning. Jasmine loved playing in our Medium Roll. With her age, size, temperament and play-style, doggie daycare appears to be the epitome of what she wants and needs right now. It'll give her owner a bit of a break too, always good, as this loveable canine has tons of energy! Pup Jasmine is a perfect fit in our pack, she has many similarities to happy-go-lucky medium roller Emily. She did a first rate job today, go Jasmine, you are welcome back anytime!

Cheers,

-Grant

P.S. Check this clip of Jasmine meeting her first new-dog-friend... The "Bad Boy" Hunter! ;) As you can see, they are both having a darn good time.

Check out these kicks!

Thanks to Pearl's ma, Phylis, for the pic of these puppies... I think Hope and or Nancy should get a pair hahaha!

Our Dog Trainer, Garrett Stevens, is going to be launching a new website soon... Looks like our man Gary will end up being the webmaster, too cool, way to go!

Garrett has sent me some fantastic photos of him and his boxers, I've updated the Training Page on our site with them. We hope to have some new training class and seminar dates up soon. I'm guessing the dates will be after the holidays.

Take it easy today,

-Grant
P.S. O yeah, we scored a nice clip of the Little Rollers doing there thing today. It was a fun group!

Why Kids Need A Pet

Scored another funny-dog-email from my grandmother.

This one is cute, lookout lol.

"Why kids need a pet"

Hope you got some laughs/smiles.

Happy Monday! ;)

-Grant

Happy Anniversary! and Welcome Back Brooklyn and Bentley

We have been updating our Fort Fido blog six days a week (barring those few incidences of technical difficulties, that is) since the first of October 2009! The anniversary slipped past us last Saturday, but it is still worth a mention. Time sure does fly--these past two years have just rushed right on past me! I think that we've gotten better at this blogging thing over time, thank you all for sticking with us and continuing to read and comment here.

Another thing to slip past us this week was the return of Weimaraners Brooklyn and Bentley! This pair attended Fort Fido years ago--I'm not certain of the precise dates, but their badge pictures were created in 2007! They moved to Arizona, but have kept in touch. They even sent us pictures for the blog a while back!

These two are just as beautiful as ever, and still strong as a pair of oxen!

Check out this cute picture of Bentley from when he was a puppy here at the Fort! The two of them began attending here at just four months old.
It's been good to see you again!

-Hope