A neat link and two clips

A couple weeks ago, Rainier's ma, Joyce, sent me a link to an awesome video. It's titled, Useful Dog Tricks 2 performed by Jesse the Jack Russell Terrier. Wow! Too cool, that Jesse is one smart canine and he also has one hell of an owner. Great job! Those Jack Russell Terriers sure are cute but you gotta be on your game to own one.


Attained two outstanding clips this morning.

One from the Big Roll, everyone is ramming and jamming in this clip. Looks like fun!



Almost every time I looked in the Medium Roll today, there was a wild group just having a blast. Bogie, Gus, Pupcake and Tikvah, were an animated quartet indeed!



Have a great day,

-Grant

Some Recent Photos

One from Dakota during snowmageddon, one from Diego (He's jump starting his modeling career with this pic haha.), one I took of Miura and one dad (David) took of Mom (Nancy) showing off new Fort Fido puppy Zoe. Thanks you two for sending in these pictures and thanks to you others for posing lol.





Enjoy your week!

-Grant

Local Dog News!

Local animal activists come together to help an injured pup and the family who could not afford her care.Little Luna broke her leg after a tumble from a table, and thanks to help from a few rescue organizations and a generous vet, she was able to get the care she needed.

KOMO news viewers also came together to give a second chance to 8-year-old Black Lab Piper.

Loose dogs in an Idaho town have put a hold on incoming mail. Remember, both Tacoma and Seattle were on the list of Top 10 cities for dog bites to mail carriers this past year. Make certain that your pooch is securely tucked out of the way, if they are aggressive or even over-exuberant ("don't worry, she's friendly" are some famous last words, lol).

The Seattle Humane Society posted some tips for keeping pets safe in the cold weather. I know it seems like we go over this every summer and winter (and we do!), but it's only because the advice is just as good now as ever. :-)

The Washington Sportsmen's Show is going on this weekend, where Dock Dogs are going to be making a splash! They will be there every day of the show.

Here is another great rescue story--a lost dog was extricated from some bramble bushes and thanks to help from Facebook and Twitter, Irish Setter Zweetie made it home okay.

This next story isn't local, but it's something cool you should check out. The Stage Stop sled race began yesterday, and will end February 4th after 240 miles. This race is modeled after the Tour de France, with stops in different towns daily. This is a nice 'alternative,' I think, to the grueling nature of races like the Iditarod.

Hopefully we don't have conditions for a sled race around here anytime soon!

Hope

A bear of a day...

(Yeah, he's pretty much like that hahaha!)

Not really ;) it was smooth sailing around here today. This morning we assessed another super-cute puppy, you know, the type that make you go "Ahhh". Meet Bear, he is a three month old, itty-bitty, English Cream colored, Golden Retriever. Bear did pretty good for a first day. We started him in our Medium Roll where he was a bit hesitant at first. Bear slowly began to come out of his shell as more pack members joined him. He played nicely with Tikvah among others. We know, with the right training and consistency, Bear will become an awesome adult dog. He is such a looker, we all can't wait to meet with him again.

Well, I'm pooped lol! Enjoy your weekend,

-Grant
P.S. You can spot bear in this clip but it doesn't do him justice, it's mainly Kona and Pupcake going at it... Every time I saw Bear go into play we weren't "Camera Ready". ;)

Double Dog Dare Ya

Boy o boy, what an eventful week it has been. I figured it would be a big one due to last week's snow. This morning, we assessed two new Medium Roll puppies! We were as pleased as punch when both young dogs passed with flying colors.

First up was Sadie. She is a five month old, thirty-two pound Labrador Retriever / Coonhound Mix. Sadie has "puppy" written all over her. She is tall and lanky, quite adorable yet ruff and tumble. Sadie did very well with the other dogs and played like there was no tomorrow.

Later on Jax rolled in. He is a four month old, thirty-four pound, Boxer. Like Sadie, Jax is a high-energy and curious puppy-dog. He went to playing right away and excelled at it. Jax is a fine specimen that got along great with the others pack members.

Both pups enjoyed their stay immensely. They are welcome back to The Fort anytime. We are excited to have them in again, these two shall turnout to be some marvelous adult canines.

Watch these clips of the newbies having a ball.







Be well,

-Grant

*Update*

A special WELCOME BACK! goes out to our Big Roll pal Big Duke. You may recall that Duke has been going through some serious health issues. Surprisingly, things are on the up and up for him. So much so, that he was able to attend daycare today with his brother Jack. Way to be Duke, you are one tough animal... You can do it buddy! :)

Exuberant Zoe

Get a load of Zoe! The latest addition to Fort Fido's Little Roll. She is a three month old, ten pound, Miniature Goldendoodle. We have several Goldendoodles at The Fort and even a few Miniature Labradoodles but no Miniature Goldendoodles until now... This Zoe, cute can hardly begin to describe her. This precious one is a cuddle-bug that you wouldn't want to put down (but you must lol don't want any S.A. happening). She did a fine job meeting the pack upstairs and even found a good friend in little roller Gherie. Zoe and her owners will really be able to reap the benefits of dog daycare. As most of you already know, it is the "bee's knees" for socialization and extracting puppy energy. ;) Wonderful job today Zoe, we look forward to seeing you again.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. Here are a few neat clips from today, one featuring Zoe.

``` Daring Dwayne ```

Please welcome little Dwayne to The Fort. He is a ten month old, thirteen pound, Miniature Poodle-Shih Tzu-Yorkie Mix that assessed this morning. Dwayne was named after "The Rock" AKA Dwayne Johnson, striking resemblance hehe? I remember watching that Rock fella back in my WWF (now WWE) days as a middle-schooler lol... Fake wrestling, how funny, it's entertaining as a lad. A soap opera for men if you will haha. Anywho, back to our new pal. He did just fantastic upstairs in the Little Roll! Dwayne has the longest eyelashes we have ever seen, he is quite dapper. When the dogs started to pour in, he was quick to greet them with positive energy and exaggerated play-bows. Dwayne spoke awesome "Dog" for a pup and truly seemed to thrive here. We plan on seeing him again. Way to go Dwayne, you are welcome back anytime and ya definitely smell what The Rock is cookin, I couldn't resits posting that, it was The Rock's famous line. ;)

Take a gander at this clip of Dwayne. Unfortunately it doesn't do him justice. He was really going at it with Fendi but every time the camera came out he stopped. That's how it goes a lot of times. :(



Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Ahhh, also wanted to post this nice clip of Doberman youngin Hank and tall black lab guy Jake.

Getting ready for class

Howdy, I hope your weekend went well. Sure glad that this weather is approaching "normal" lol, what a headache it has been. We had a great group of dogs today even if they were a bit wound-up, you know, cabin fever and all. ;)

My folks and I (David & Nancy) spent part of Sunday getting ready for our group training class starting January 31st. There are three more spots available in the class, it is not too late to sign up. Just give us a call (253-460-0299)! Mom spent her time doing a lot of touch-up painting while dad and I hung up our old outdoor banner/sign near the Big Roll. It turned out pretty cool. Dad also did some fence repair. On Saturday, Manager Hope sealed the seams of our rubber flooring. That is a difficult job, lucky for us she's good at it.


This morning I caught a great action clip of the Medium Roll, have a look.



Take care,

-Grant

Sunny Saturday

The storm has broken, and I expect that things are going to get back to normal here at the Fort. I hope that you all made it through the storm without being too much worse for the wear! The sunshine today was a nice break from the gray of the past few days, and the dogs here today were really feeling their Wheaties after having been cooped up for a couple of days.

Today was a great Saturday, with an almost record number of dogs for this day of the week. Here are a couple of clips of what went down today!

Buddah and Tikvah were tearing it up together.


Then they split up to go play with Louis and Gordon. :-)


Here's hoping that the weather keeps getting better!

-Hope

Artic Diego Pics!

Thanks once again to Diego's owner Carla for sending these outstanding photos in... The Beagle-Boy is in his element here, ripping up some fresh powder, o yeah lol!




I know y'all know how much we enjoy receiving pictures of our Fort Fido dogs outside of The Fort. :) Send 'em if ya got 'em, grant@fortfido.com!

Thank goodness this freezing mess is almost behind us. Watch out for falling ice chunks, they are a not so obvious danger, particularly the ones off of power-lines... I'm not used to having to look up while walking to and from home. While shoveling the driveway, pops and I almost got nailed, yikes!

Have a nice weekend,

-Grant
P.S. Yes, we are open tomorrow. Should be having a busy week next week, the canines are restless ;). Cabin fever? Hehehe!

Are we thawing out yet?

Looks like it is beginning to... Although this morning was fairly treacherous, be careful on that ice or any slick looking pavement for that matter. We are doing our best to get De-Icer down in the patch/trail we've dug out at The Fort. Gibson and I's walk was ironically quite a workout, that snow, with it's icy-morning-layer, is tricky for us low to the ground folk lol. Gibby has been real tired from playing in the deep snow, he thinks he has to bunny-hop it rather than walk through it, it's pretty comical. I'll cut him some slack though, it is up to his neck haha!


In non-frosty news, a friend told me about this book by Rupert Sheldrake titled, "Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home". It sounds quite interesting, looks to be worth reading. Here is the information about it from the Author's website. It is an image, click on it to enlarge.


Be well!

-Grant

Snow Pictures and a Clip

Here are a couple pictures of Nancy and Polo out in the snow.





and a clip of Cortez, Gherie, Bogie and Miura.




Dog Brings Comfort to Ill Children

Have a Great Day!
- Gary

Some good articles found online

Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon canceled due to lack of snow - Hahaha, bummer for them, however, it looks as though we won't be having that problem.

Retired bomb-sniffing dog captured after airport escape - Darn that wild Arco, sounds like a smart one but quite the rebel. I believe we have come across a few Belgian Shepherds or a mix with that breed in the past. They are neat dogs!

Big dog saves her little pal from the clutches of a hungry owl - That Ramadi is one lucky little pooch, way to go Sadie! One of our past customers would bring in her Chihuahua from time to time because Hawks would attempt to swoop down upon it in the backyard. Once they built an arbor, the pup was safe. That's pretty intense.

World's smallest working dog - Therapy dogs our awesome, way to go Lil' Lucy you're one cool pooch, even if you don't weigh more than a few sausages lol.

Dogs have built-in Snow Boots - Rivaling the frost stopping powers of Penguin wings! Too cool! I've been wondering about Gibby's paws during our arctic treks to and from home haha. He doesn't seem to mind the cold and absolutely loves the snow.

Dog eats 100 rocks, lives to bark about it - Wild stuff... Antler dog chews are wickedly popular with customers here at The Fort. All of our personal dogs gnaw on them too. With that said, I do my best to remind customers to monitor their canine friends while they enjoy an antler. Inspect the antler from time to time as well. If it seems really hollow, like a chunk is going to break off, or, if it is "splintery" discard it!

Take it easy,

-Grant

The Musher's Secret

Click on the image to enlarge it and actually be able to read the info :)

Well, considering it's a snowy day out there I thought I'd mention a real swell product we've been carrying here at The Fort for years. Our buddy James, Vet Tech next door at Fircrest Veterinary Hospital, recommend we carry it. It's called Musher's Secret and I may have mentioned it a bit in the past. It is amazing, all-season, Paw Protection for dogs. We use it on our own dogs pads when they've been through some heavy activity. For instance, a long summer walk on hot asphalt or hiking trips. Occasionally we will have a new canine friend at Fort Fido that's a tenderfoot. If they play really hard and their pads can't handle the rubber-flooring, due to dryness, Musher's Secret saves the day by preventing cracked pads. It's made from 100% natural waxes, ideal for any dog be it working, hunting, mushing, service or pet. It's cool stuff folks, we and many others swear by it.

Take it easy out there today on the roads. We won't be closing regardless of weather conditions. Please call to reschedule your day if you can't make it due to the weather. If you don't let us know you risk losing the day, nobody wants that now now!

;)

Stay warm,

-Grant

Big dogs play ball, too!

If you're curious about the playtime today, here's a cute clip of pups Gordon, Emily, Pearl, and Winston tossing a couple of balls around!


And here is today's news round-up!

Lucy is the World's Smallest working dog, tipping the scales at a scant 2.5 pounds and measuring only 5.7 inches at the withers. Lucy is a certified therapy dog who visits people in nursing homes, schools, and other places.

In Kansas City, a dog hero is revolutionizing policy at a shelter for battered women to allow them to keep their pets. This particular pup saved the life of a woman, who then refused a place at the shelter if it meant giving up her hero. The immense loyalty on both sides, woman and dog, is touching and inspiring.

A memorial is being erected to a police dog who fell in the line of duty in New Jersey.

Dogs in Hollywood can look forward to their own awards--Golden Collars!

Thanks to donations, an 88-year-old man and his beloved pup have been reunited in a new home.

In New York, a dog alerted its household to a burglary in progress, and the suspect was quickly apprehended by authorities.

Don't get snowed in now!

-Hope

P.S. If you're looking for something to watch while you're snowed in, consider checking out the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge.

Stella's a spitfire!

Please welcome Stella to The Fort. She is a darling, five month old, thirty pound, Boxer that had her assessment early today. Stella did amazingly well for her first day. She spoke darn good "DOG" for a pup and got along wonderfully with all of the pack members. The Medium Roll is the quintessential fit for her at this time. We have Boxers in both the Big and Medium Rolls. Stella is full of energy yet quite intelligent, most of the Boxers we come across here at Fort Fido tend to be this way, lucky for us lol! They are definitely a striking and popular breed. Swell job today Stell ;), we hope to see you around these parts again.

Enjoy your weekend,

-Grant
P.S. Checkout these two clips I scored of Stella playing this morning. One features Tikvah (no surprise there) playing with Stella and the other shows her tearing it up with Buddha... Unfortunately the fence got in the way of that one.

Cool, Calm and Calvin

Meet Calvin! He is a four year old, seventy-three pound, Golden Retriever that assessed this morning. This handsome, brown eyed, fella is quite unique. Calvin has an extremely tranquil disposition. Cool, calm and collected would be the best way to describe him. Being a newcomer to the Medium Roll, all the pack-members were eager to check him out. While Calvin didn't interact much with the other dogs, he seemed very comfortable and relaxed. We hope that regular attendance will give Calvin the confidence to engage more with the other canines and become a full-fledged pack member. Nice job today Calvin, see ya soon!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Nancy's Chicken Chase Game

The Little Roll was treated to some hilarious fun this afternoon. Nancy's brainchild, The Chicken Chase Game, was a comical hit. Beija, Frizzy, Gherie and Samarah seemed the most interested out of the group but many tried it out. Nancy thought that dogs with a bit of "prey-drive" would really be into this game... The game being a very popular Skinneeez Stuffing-Less Toy (they come in many different animals including chickens, foxes, rabbits, skunks, etc...) attached to a slip lead and stick. Kinda like an old-timey fishing pole or carnival game. You can whip this thing around and many dogs in the little pack seem to really enjoy it. Pretty funny stuff, here are a few clips of the Chicken Chase Game in action hahaha.







Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Of course, we carry the Skinneeez line of dog toys. They are quite popular, an awesome toy that tends to last, check 'em out! ;)

*Public Service Announcement*

We do not promote/recommend exacerbating any animals Prey Drive instincts (Notwithstanding, certain styles of training or activities; working dogs, hunting dogs, guard dogs, etc...) However, given the circumstances, this game ended up being just fine for the Little Pack. We would never try this in the Big or Medium Rolls, it simply would not fly (no pun intended there) and would potentially cause a fight. The Little Group is just a different beast. We know each of our Fort Fido dogs well and would never put them in harms way. Today's group was able to handle the chickeny-funness without drama. :)

Kool Kona Pic and Clips

(Our badge pic of Kona doesn't do her justice lol, she was very excited that day, hence the blur.)


Kona's owner brought me in a marvelous picture of the ever so sweet Kona posing with the Christmas toy Fort Fido gave her. Thanks for the photo guys! We are glad you enjoyed it Miss Kona.



Here are a couple of clips from this morning.

Our Little Roll was having an awesome time today, that's fairly normal of course. I thought this clip was funny, every pup cheesin' for Nancy. Pearl even throws her own ball hahaha.



From the Medium Roll, we see that new friend of The Fort, Gus, is fitting in with the pack seamlessly. I should have recorded minutes later, Gus was taking on everyone, doing it well and having a great time.



Last but certainly not least, the Big Roll. McGee and Marco Polo are birds of a feather. There was a lot of action in there today amongst the big dogs but this clip seemed the best.




Take care,

-Grant

Medium Monday

Not a medium dog but hey it looks like a medium sized mug ;)

It was pretty much non-stop crazy fun in the Medium Roll today... Only had to intervene a few times, that's good lol. There was just the right mix of hard playing regulars ready to let out their energy. Have a look:







Have a great week!

-Grant

Dog News Around the World

The Times of India is reporting that many canines in Mumbai are suffering from lifestyle diseases. Those diseases stemming from insufficient exercise, poor nutrition, and obesity are also unhappily common in the United States. Please remember that treats are great...in moderation. The best way to pamper your dog is to feed a balanced diet and provide regular exercise, to help your pup have the longest and healthiest life possible. If you're looking for a great food for your pet, check out Kumpi. It is specially designed by an animal nutritionist to provide complete nutrition to your pet.

ABC reported on some amazing examples of intelligence by supposedly wild or feral animals. Stray dogs in Moscow have mastered the use of subways, to get to neighborhoods with better food, a house cat in England takes the public bus to get around town unbeknownst to its owner, a jungle leopard in India, needing to cross a swollen river with its cub, gets a man to ferry her and her cub across in his canoe. These and more stories of animal intelligence are being studied and compiled to help us build a better picture of animal consciousness.

To help study the decline of Killer Whales in the Puget Sound, an eight-year-old lab has been trained to sniff out whale scat. This allows scientists to study the diet of the whales and make hypotheses about what may be impacting the size of their population (such as high concentrations of foreign chemicals in their systems).

South Korea has a dog cloning industry that is raising a lot of sticky ethical questions. I'm sure that we all remember Dolly the Sheep, the first adult animal to be cloned back in 1996. A lot of the same questions that came up then are resurfacing, as cloning becomes a commodity.

An Australian newspaper reported on a kelpie and his trainer, and what it's like to get animals trained for television and film. The pup, Koko, is the star of an Australian film called Red Dog. If you are interested in seeing the film, I would suggest checking out Stadium Video Rentals--they are a great local movie rental place, and always have a great stock of foreign and rare films available for rent.

I also found this cute blog post about 5 things your dog wants from you. I especially agree with number two--your dog wants a pack leader. In the absence of a strong leader, your pup will feel the need to fill that role. Now, you wouldn't let your dog dress you or decide where you go for dinner on Friday night, so why would you want your dog to run any other part of your life? Dogs don't want to be "in charge"--that's a lot of stress and responsibility! They would much rather leave all that to you, if you can show them you are able to be strong and confident.

I hope that you guys enjoyed reading these stories! We'll see you again next week.

-Hope

:( Diego Pic & Links

From the Diego camp... Here he is brandishing his new Steelers collar he got for Christmas, one of his owners is from Pittsburgh. I told his owner we wouldn't let him get sacked too hard in the Medium Roll, good thing all collars come off before play lol. Folks around these parts have a hard time forgetting 2006 (Refresh your memory with the "Reaction to officiating" portion) hahaha. Thanks for the picture! Click it to enlarge.



Some links from today:

Dog found alive four days after Montanan avalanche

Study shows dogs can pick up on human intentions

When a dog isn't a dog

Couple finds $4,500 wedding ring in dog's stomach


Enjoy your weekend,

-Grant

Gadabout about Gus

Gus is a one year old, seventeen pound, Jack Russel Terrier that assessed this morning. Upon his arrival, Gus showed poise and confidence while using his nose to explore the lobby. We thought he would be the perfect addition to the Medium Roll and as it turned out, he was! Gus wasn't sure what to make of the dog-less play area but as soon as the canines began to trot in he figured things out quickly. Gus began to greet the other dogs and play, he truly enjoyed himself... Becoming quite smitten with our little Boston Terrier Mix Annie. First rate job today Gus, we look forward to seeing you again.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. The morning crew caught this wonderful clip of Gus in action.

Top Breeds @ The Fort

The other day, I got to thinking about the various canine breeds we've encountered here at The Fort. We have had well over 600 dogs walk through our doors since 2006. It's a bit tricky for us to determine how many different breeds there has been (including mixed breeds), but we would guess that at least 75+ varieties of dogs have attended.

With that said, here are the Top Five Breeds from Fort Fido Doggie Daycare. This was no trouble for us to figure out as it has become quite clear over the years.


1. The Labrador Retriever and all it's color variations. The Chocolate and Yellow Labs being the most popular. This makes a lot of sense considering the Labs make a wonderful all-around dog for any type of family or individual.

2. Oodles of Doodles... Poodles and all of their popular "designer" mixed breeds. The Labradoodle, Goldendoodle, Cockapoo, Maltipoo, Yorkipoo, Schnoodles, etc... All of these breeds are mighty cute and hypoallergenic, hence the popularity.

3. The Golden Retriever. Has been America's most popular dog breed time and time again. It reminds me of Baseball and Apple Pie lol.

4. Boxer. They have the most energy/stamina of any dog we have ever seen. Makes sense why there are several at The Fort eh? Even though they seem to be fully-ampled at all times, Boxers tend to be pretty well behaved and well rounded daycare dogs for us.

5. German Shepherd. These dogs are majestic and powerful creatures yet need much time, training and energy from their owners. They are, what we always say, "A LOT OF DOG". ;)


This was quite interesting and fun for us to think about.

We have to put the Shih Tzu as an honorable mention. We've had tons of these guys running around, besides, I wouldn't want to tick-off Mr. C !

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Found this interesting, you may too... The Worlds 10 Most Expensive Dog Breeds. Also, all of our Top Dogs were on the 2011 Most Popular Dog Breeds list from the AKC, no surprise there! Here is a cooler, visual, version of that same list.

The Rolls, The Clips

From the Big Roll, Mother Maggie was on patrol as usual... There is always some "correcting" to be done when Chocolate Lab gal Kodiak is in the thick of it! Osbourne seems to be watching in amazement lol, "How does she do it?".





In the Medium Roll it was business as usual. You know, Tikvah in every shot doing something super fun, Zeus too, haha. ;)



Samantha had us chuckling with her "after-romp lounge position". A dog has to be mighty comfortable to be on it's back like that, especially with the pack. :)



Upstairs, known as the "Little Roll", was its fast and furious self. We captured a bit of Wrastlin' in between ball time. The usual suspects were hitting it hard; Buddy, Chloe, Pearl and Frizzy just to name a few.





Take care,

-Grant

Missed Santa Pic and News

Hi y'all,

My apologies to Mr. Luther & Miss Payton. I somehow didn't scan there Christmas card until it was too late, doh! Either way, have a gander at it now, better late than never. These two cuties are always photo ready...

(Priceless! Payton always looks like that but I have never seen Luther with that petrified looking, don't-mess-with-me gaze hahaha!)

Some news links for ya:
Amazing dog can save lives by dialing 9-1-1

Neighbor revives dog hurt in fire

Tintin: A beginner's guide to the European Classic

New Year delivers helpful companion for Texas boy

Texas rancher trains dogs to tend to cattle


I hope your New Year's holiday went well. I cranked up the pipes at Midnight, always a pleasure to be able to do that lol. ;)

Have a nice week, welcome 2012!

-Grant