Buddy The Bold

This morning I received an absolutely awesome photo of The Buddy Man cruising in style. The wind is blowing through his hair and it's evident that he's loving life. Buddy is the epitome of happy. A bold little fellow, Buddy get's a lot out of coming to The Fort, he truly enjoys it. Here he is playing in our Medium Roll this morning with Sammy and Tikvah.





Have a nice day,

-Grant
P.S. I am now back from vacation, it was great! A special thank you to Hope for keeping our Fort Fido Blog in action. Ya did a first rate job! ;)

A whole load of news!

Online Dating Sites for Dogs

Aging pets are well-cared-for in their golden years

Puppies rescued from a puppy mill have found news homes

Firefighters save family boxer from blaze

Cactus Jack has been adopted! And his story also led to the adoption of others

Psychiatric service dogs help war veterans cope

Darling Companion is a new indie film exploring the relationships that people have with their pets and each other.

Cow Dogs show of their skills!

Freeway, who I mentioned on the blog last Thursday, is recovering well and is expected to be adopted in a few weeks. His story has led to a massive outpouring of goodwill and fundraising, all of which is benefiting his local Humane Society, and the Maya Fund that was used to save his life.

This cute piece from Denver features dog owners describing their relationships with their pets.

Pet rehab helps to transform four-legged survivors.

Next month the Seattle Humane Society is having its annual Tuxes and Tail Gala, auction, and fundraiser. Some of the auction items are pretty neat (like a 25-person cocktail party aboard a 92’ classic 1929 motor yacht). Sounds like it will be good fun for a great cause.


-Hope

P.S.- Diamond Pet Foods has recalled four production codes of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul dog food.

Quirky Quincy

Quincy is a 10 month old boxer that came to Fort Fido for the first time this morning. He's a dashing young gentleman, that is coming to daycare so that he has a chance to burn off some excess energy! Boxers tend to be a very energetic bunch--he had quite a good time putting the moves on Bella (another Boxer) who just couldn't resist the chance to play. We caught a cute clip of the two in action.



Needless to say, Quincy is welcome back, and we (and Bella) hope to see him again soon!

See you back here tomorrow,
-Hope

Mini Movie Madness!

It was an action-packed day at the Fort! It was pretty easy to get some good clips of the action.

KC, Bogie, Tilly, and Lucy were tearing it up in the medium roll.


In this next clip, Jasmine and Bogie get in on it too!


Old man Murphy was tearing it up with Standard Poodle Max in the big roll this afternoon. Even at about nine years old, Murphy has still got it!


Also in the big roll, hound puppy Zipper and Zodiac (a German Shepherd) had a few good romps.



And from upstairs we have this cute clip of Cortez, Dwayne, and Buddy.

La Guardia flights delayed over loose dog on runway

Woman saves dog being dragged down the freeway

Not sure how I feel about this, but it's good for a laugh! Odd Jobs: Prosthetic Dog-Testicle Maker

Have a great evening everyone!

-Hope

Behind the scenes at Fort Fido!

Here are a handful of clips from the daycare action today! This first clip features Marley and Sammy, having a good romp during nap time.

Here we have Golden Retriever Baer and Labradoodle Sammy, rolling around together. What a cute pair of pups! These two are fairly close in age, and both babies still. It was fun to see them buddy up.

Next is Gracie and Sammy, tearing it up in the medium roll.

Last, but not least, we caught a clip of Maddy keeping her watchful eye on the little whipper-snappers upstairs! She likes to socialize and hang with the pack, and make certain that everybody is minding their manners.

-Hope

bits from the web

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog."

-- Edward Hoagland

Remembering the dogs of the Titanic

Titanic dogs remembered

Dogs acquire 24/7 TV Channel

Three legged dog teaches others to seize the day

An unlikely dog person

Take care,

-Grant

New Website!

We just launched our new website this morning. There are still a few little things to tweak, but it's pretty much done. Most importantly, our new overnight boarding information is up, exciting! Please check out the new website and feel free to make overnight boarding reservations now!

www.fortfido.com

Have a wonderful sunny day!

-Grant

Giant George, Earth Day, and a Saturday Clip

Check out these pictures and excerpt from the book Giant George, a memoir written by the owner of the world's largest dog

Exercise can help dog's behavior

Woman is reunited with her pup after spotting him on TV

Colorado woman awarded $65,000 after dog's wrongful death

Dog reunited with owner after six years apart

What your dog's eyes can tell you about his or her health
Here's a funny one for Earth Day--American pooches produce over 10 million tons of feces a year

You can also honor Earth Day by purchasing cool eco-friendly toys for your pets! Seattle Times had a cool article listing a few of the things available on the market today.



In the daycare today, I caught a clip of Buster and Gordon rolling around together

Those boys are sure packed full of energy!

I hope that you all make it out to enjoy the sunshine--

Hope

F is for FRIDAY

Some wonderful links found today.

Dogs help children excel at reading (I love these stories, it really does work!)

Tips on keeping your dog safe in the car (Always good to know, it sure can be bad when you hit those brakes in an emergency.)

Go dog go! (More on dogs and autos.)

Dog taking over your bed? (This reminds me of this article I wrote...)

Dogs and their owners have matching personalities (I would most definitely say so, although, there are a few exceptions I'm aware of lol.)

Enjoy your weekend. It should prove to be a nice one. The band and I will be ending the Daffodil Festivities with the Junior Daffodil Parade on Proctor St. in North Tacoma.

-Grant
P.S. Ahhh hahaha... Thanks to Happy's ma Ginny, I've been shown "jump roping dogs", one can even double-dutch! Too hilarious, take a look.







I even found a "how-to" for the smaller breeds lol!



Good luck! ;)

A Thursday Of Clips

A new shipment of Kumpi is in, along with some righteous new Antler Chews (three sizes) and a bundle of Bully Sticks (Three sizes as well). Good times, I like the feeling of being all "stocked up".

Three Rolls, three clips.

From the Little Roll, your average cross section of funtastic play that has been going on and off for hours.



In the Medium Roll, Barkley and Diego are always best friends. Today was no exception.



The Big Roll welcomed back Miss Abby. She wasted no time today, getting right straight to play!



Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Don't forget to like us on Facebook! ;) Thanks!

Courageous Cody

My goodness, this has been one busy/exciting week already, with three terrific new dogs in a row.

This morning we assessed Cody. Boy did this handsome devil have a fantastic time here! He is a six month old, twenty pound, apricot colored, Australian Labradoodle, just like Abby we assessed yesterday... What are the odds of that lol?

Now, youngin' Cody hung-out in the Medium Roll and wholeheartedly enjoyed himself. He wasted no time, going straight to play with a number of dogs. His energy level and spirits were high, fast and furious play was his game. There isn't any doubt that Cody and his owners will benefit greatly from dog daycare. We are pleased that this little fella has been socialized early and look forward to taking care of him again. Well done Cody!

Here is a shot of Cody in action with the ever-so-hard-playing Tikvah!



Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Shoot! Too bad I don't live closer to Seattle and or knew about this event sooner. ;)

Adored Abby

The Fort's new recruit today was Abby. She is a two year old, thirty-three pound, apricot colored, Australian Labradoodle. Abby's assessment went smoothly this morning. She stayed with us in our Medium Roll where she had the opportunity to meet several other similar sized canines. Although she didn't bust-out into any rigorous play, Abby is a dog daycare regular. She has attended a few other facilities in the South Sound and has done very well at them. Here at Fort Fido, she was just fine with the other dogs yet wandered the play area in hesitant curiosity. It reminded me of being a kid, on a first day, at a new school lol! It takes some time and routine to get to know the others while finding your niche. We believe, it won't take long before Abby becomes more comfortable here. She is more than welcome back, we certainly hope she'll start playing hard soon.

Take it easy,

-Grant

Pretty In Pink

(She looks a lot like that actually... Hahaha!)

Decked out from head to toe in Pink, Zoe, was here today for her assessment. She is a sweet little, six year old, seventeen pound, dilute red colored, Miniature Dachshund. Zoe did well in our Little Roll and it was apparent that she had been around dogs before. Although she didn't venture into play, she seemed fairly comfortable during her stay and explored her play group a bit. Zoe is a very gentle and kind canine that Fort Fido looks forward to having in again. Excellent job today Zoe, we'll see you in a couple of weeks.

Have a wonderful day,

-Grant

A few cool clips!

Today was a pretty action-packed Saturday! Check out these clips of the action. I think that the nice weather today had everybody amped up--in a good way!









Here are a few doggie-headlines as well!

Dog braves traffic to stick by fatally struck companion That is true dedication and friendship--glad to report that the surviving dog in in care of volunteers at a shelter, and is up for adoption.

Dog rescue rooted in efforts to reach the homeless

Dog goes full circle, returning home again

Worker and dog at a pawnshop disarm a would-be robber

An article from a veterinarian about 4 benefits of crate-training your pooch!

Everyone have a great weekend--

Hope

Happy Friday Clips

Four fun clips from today, three from the Medium Roll (It was game-on in there today lol) and one from the Big.

Bogie, KC and Zipper romped for quite some time this morning.



Pupcake took on young buck Zipper for some vigorous play as well.



Finn and brother Ozzy were up to their normal, knuckle-headed games, in the Big Roll haha.



Buddha hadn't been in for awhile but came back today for some Fort Fido action. Welcome back old buddy, it sure looks like you had a blast today.



Please enjoy your weekend, it's gonna be nice out!

-Grant

P.S. If you are looking for something to do this weekend... Why not hit up one of The 79th Annual Daffodil Festival Parades? The Band and I will be in first rate form, come say hello. It is a fun-filled day of spring and a true South Puget Sound tradition.

My heartfelt condolences to all involved in the Daffodil Festival... Specifically the Queen, Princesses, friends and family of Miss Alexandria Cole. Rest in peace dear.

Dapper Dallas

(Sorry Dallas, that was the first thing that popped into my head hahaha. I really don't think I should even know about that show...)

Please welcome Mr. Dallas to The Fort. He is a ten year old, forty pound, caramel & white colored, Cocker Spaniel that had his assessment this morning. Dallas did extraordinarily well in our Medium Roll for an older chap. He only played a tiny bit, but interacted in other ways with many of the canines in his group. He would stroll around the play area confidently, meeting, greeting, and wagging his tail happily. Dallas really seemed to enjoy himself while hanging out with the pack. The energy of the pack appeared to have a calming/joyous affect on him. Even at his senior age, we believe Dallas will benefit from dog daycare, he has plenty of vigor. Swell job today Dallas, good on ya! You are welcome back anytime.

Cheers,

-Grant

Life & Longevity

The following was emailed to me from Rainier's folks Joyce and Colin. Thanks guys! They always send me great Blog-worthy stuff... I just had to share this one, really enjoyed it. Sorry, I was unable to make the photo set bigger. Click on it and it will enlarge a bit.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL LESSON IN LIFE AND LONGEVITY

Be nice to others, because. . .

Time WILL make a difference!

One day you will no longer be the big dog...

Just the old dog...

And it's nice to be surrounded by friends!

What a message!

Take it easy,

-Grant

In Memory of Mandy

Last week, friend of The Fort, Mandy, crossed over The Rainbow Bridge. She was the epitome of a doggie daycare veteran and one of Fort Fido's oldest members. Before meeting us, Mandy had been going to dog daycare since she was a puppy. So, essentially, she started long before the industry really took off. Talk about an old timer lol!

Mandy has now just passed at the tender age of 14. What an amazing run for a larger sized dog! She hung out in our Medium Roll for about two years and did very well there. She could handle any dog that came her way, regardless of size, age, or play style. She was a testament to early socialization and a loving home.

Mandy's owners are some of the nicest folks you'll meet. They care about their animals and always do right by them, it clearly shows.

Fortunately for us, Mandy's little sisters Allie and Kendi still attend, playing merrily in our Little Roll.


Our hearts go out to Malinda, Kerry, Allie and Kendi. We are sincerely sorry for your loss.

Be well,

-Grant, David, Nancy & The Fort Fido Staff

Scouting it out

Take a gander at this fella...

Scout is a one year old, twenty-eight pound Black Labrador Retriever/Dachshund Mix that had his assessment this morning. Scout is an extremely good looking canine with a very sweet disposition. We had him in our Medium Roll where he didn't do half bad. Scout is a rescue dog who's past was marred by neglect. Now, however, thanks to his new owner Kevin, Scout is on the right track to optimal health and wellness. He didn't mind the other pack members but kept to himself. We'll be seeing Scout here at The Fort again soon. We hope that Dog Daycare will aid him in becoming more well rounded.


Enjoy that weather,

-Grant

The Newsroom!

There was some great dog news to discover today-- here's a bit of what I uncovered, while the pups were playing under Kelsey's watchful eye.

Military Dog Sgt. Rex Returned to Handler After 6 Years I posted an article about Sgt. Rex before, and am glad to say that the story has come to a "happily ever after" sort of ending.

A service dog and an autistic girl in our own city of Tacoma are working on forming a bond, as the pup grows into his responsibilities as a full-time service dog.

Dog escapes from PetSmart groomer. This sounds like every pet-owner's nightmare. I'm glad that it all ended well!

Dog eats Masters tournament tickets. A man in the Seattle area won tickets to the prestigious golf tournament, only to find them eaten by his dog!

Dogs become pawns in divorce and break-ups.



Gordon and Emily were up to their usual tricks--I'm surprised that I was able to get a clip this long!


Have a happy Easter!

-Hope

P.S.--Diamond Naturals dog food is having a recall. If you feed this to your pet, please make sure that you don't have any of the batch numbers named in that article! Kumpi has still never had a recall of any kind.

Kind Keegan

(Whoever said a good badge picture required visible eyes? Ha!)

This morning we assessed an adorable little pup named Keegan. He is a four month old, twelve pound, Wheaten Terrier. We put Keegan in our Medium Roll. He is very new to other dogs and hasn't really met or played with any since his litter mates. Although he was fairly timid throughout the duration of his stay, Keegan is a sweet dog. There were times when his tail would wag, his body would bow and he would almost engage in play. Long story short, Keegan didn't really "play" but had many little promising moments. The good news is that he is young enough. I would bet money (figuratively of course lol.), that he will bust out in play very soon. Regardless of not playing, Keegan did just fine for his first day. He'll be in the "thick of it", romping with the other canines soon.

Have a Happy Easter, our weather SHOULD BE glorious. Fingers crossed!

-Grant
P.S. In other news... Most folks know I love dogs. But, I am also not ashamed to say, I love beer hahaha! With that said, check these puppies out lol, what a crackin' idea!

As we slow down a bit...

Whoa, a day without a new dog starting lol. Time to catch our breath. :)


I caught some cute pictures last week of my folks and new pup Rocky. They were safeguarding his tender little feat with some Musher's Secret. Sometimes, a dog new to The Fort, that isn't used to a rubber floor, will play sooo hard that their pads get a little sore. Musher's Secret prevents this, among other things, it is an awesome product!


Here is a clip from today for good measure. Mother Maggie visited the Medium Roll today for a change. Bogie was all over her and she had no problem handling him.



Take it easy,

-Grant

Zany Zipper!

(Yeah, he's kinda like the ride. Ha!)

Guess what? We had another new dog start this morning... Not surprising at the rate we've been going eh? Spring has sprung and dog-love is in the air! ;)

Meet this young fella Zipper! He is a four month old, thirty-two pound, Labrador Retriever/Hound Mix. Zipper ventured into our Medium Roll where he did swell for a pup on it's first day. He needed a fair bit of "schooling" from the Alphas and older dogs. Zipper's canine communication skills will be sharpened and honed, more and more as he attends. He played umpteen amounts with any dog that would join him. Some dogs however, needed to correct Zipper. Many times, a happy-go-lucky pup, like zipper, won't take "No" for an answer when it comes to play. All in all, Zipper was great and we think he'll truly excel at Fort Fido. Rest up pal, we shall see you next week!

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Here is a little clip... It's mostly Buster and Jasmine ripping it up but you can spot Zipper. I think first-rate-employee, Matt (Little brother of Gary), was busy this morning. There wasn't too much time for getting clips.

Goody Gracie Lou

Today we have another wonderful Gracie in the house. Meet Gracie Lou! She is a six year old, 112 pound, Black Labrador Retriever that assessed in the wee hours this morning. Gracie has met a dog or two in her day, there is no doubt about it. She enjoyed her stay in our Big Roll and played with quite a few different dogs. Like many canines, we think that Gracie could really benefit from attending The Fort. She is a very nice dog that is welcome back anytime. That a girl Gracie!

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. I came across, this link, this morning... You just gotta check it out lol! I just realized what I am, "A Professional Animal Waste Specialist"! Hahaha! ;)

Refined Rudy

This week has also started off with an early-morning assessment. Dogs seem to be flooding in lol.

Here is Rudy!

He is a kind, five year old, seventy pound, Vizsla. Rudy spent his time in the Big Roll and meshed well with the pack. He played a bit here and there but was tricky to catch on camera. Rudy got along well with the other dogs. It was quite apparent that he had been to dog daycare in the past. We enjoyed having Rudy in today and he is welcome back anytime. Hopefully there will be even more play out of him once he finds his niche.

Enjoy that warmth!

-Grant