Cortez' New Clothes!

Cortez made out like a bandit today, with new hat and coat given to him be delightful Dachshund Hound Haberdasher Miller, and his lovely assistant the Pretty Paisley (not to mention proud parents Tracy and Jodi)! Cortie is all ready for the cold weather to come, and really seemed to enjoy the hat-- no scratching it off here. He really is a dapper little gentleman.

Miller has had some great fashions in the past, he was just the pup to share some fashion tips with Cortie this morning.  Check out some of these great hats that Miller has rocked in the past!

I wonder if these cool hats come in XXXL for Gordon---who says that little dogs need a corner on the "cool clothes" market? Haha, maybe it's just time to get crafty! Everybody have a great night, and we'll see you back tomorrow for the weekend shift!

-Hope

Fun comes in all sizes-- Small, Medium, and Large!

Here's a quick peek inside all the play areas here at Fort Fido! First up are the small guys--Nancy got a great clip of the little ones interacting this morning. Pearl really loves chasing toys, Riley likes chasing Pearl, and Auchtung liked to chase Riley! Lots of sniffing and hanging out in the clip, too, with appearances by Jaeger, Dwayne, and Buzzette. Being small doesn't make these pups any less feisty!

In the medium roll we caught a cute one of Lucy and Marley having a fun romp. Lucy is a spunky puppy, and Marley is a bit older than she is, but they both know how to have a good time. Both very social and friendly dogs, they were a great match!

Big boys Zipper and Marty love to spend their time together, and really seem to treasure the days that they get to tear it up here. When these boys are both present, they will play together all day long--best friends for life!

Have a great night everybody!

-Hope

GIF time!

 Thanks to Diego & Carla for sending me that gem!

You probably know this already, but a GIF or "animated .gif", used to be a little "moving-graphic-type-of-thingy", that was/is used on many websites. Nowadays, a GIF is the same thing, yet you see it mainly in the form of small, low-quality, compressed video clips. The point of it all is that GIFS are extremely hilarious and fast loading compared to a higher resolution video clip. OK, enough of that techno-babble and on to the knee-slappin' funny Dog GIFS!

As you know, I'm regularly cracking up at dog related funnies. Over the past couple of weeks, I've saved four of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

http://i.minus.com/iRPf9WIGfXCdi.gif That one is my favorite! We need to get that device for the Little Roll. Or maybe you can build one and not need daycare anymore, nooo lol!

http://imgur.com/lnVM5 "How I flirted in Grade School"

http://www.gifbin.com/987101 Wow, wearing a cone can be a good thing under the right circumstances.

http://i.imgur.com/71Cta.gif A true "Rescue Dog"

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Never forget, if you have pictures of your pooch in action or know of any dog related funnies, please send them my way! It is fun to share them. grant@fortfido.com

A star is born!

Woo-hoo! Our main-man Gus, The Jack Russel Terrier, is famous! Checkout the air-time he scored from King 5's Evening Magazine. You can spot him at minutes 1:30 and 2:42. Good on ya Gus, we are so proud. ;)

http://www.king5.com/on-tv/evening-magazine/Pet-photos-with-Santa-180633311.html

Please note, the SUNDogs are throwing their annual, and might I add, awesome, "Santa Paws" this coming Saturday. Santa Paws, is Pet Photos with Santa at the U.P. City Hall. Follow this link for more information and a swell picture of Fort Fido gal Hershey. Hershey is alongside her owner, the late, great, Jim Schultz. He was a wonderful man and patron, who always rooted for The Fort. R.I.P. Jim!

Cheers,

-Grant

Cute!

After a day at Fort Fido from Lucy and Riley. Super cute! Now that is how it's supposed to go lol. Thank you very much for the pictures you two!

 

Take it easy today, hope you had a nice holiday.

-Grant
P.S. Fairly busy in here today for a "Monday"... Especially with the furnace-repair-man hanging above the Medium Roll, literally, lol. One of our darn furnaces broke. Doh! Just in time for winter no doubt...

Dog (and Cat) Humor

 

 

I found some great dog humor hanging around the internet today! First check out this pup discovering Beggin Strips. I think that she's pretty excited. :-)

 

It's the great debate, back again! Cats versus Dogs!

This one may not be "appropriate for all audiences," but is absolutely hilarious nonetheless. A skit done by a comedy troupe on Youtube, Cat-friend vs. Dog-friend asks "what if our friends were like our pets?" I was cracking up the whole time!

Here's another funny "cats versus dogs" blog; the conclusions that people draw (tongue-in-cheek, of course) about the differences between the canine and feline can really be hilarious.

Topping it off is a funny photo series of a Rottweiler pup who discovered some cupcake batter, yum! Not gonna be quite as cute in a few hours, lol.

 

Hope you enjoyed your "busiest shopping weekend of the year!"

 

-Hope

A post-Thanksgiving Peek at the Pups!

Hopefully not what your pup did this Thanksgiving! Lol

We got some great clips today, showing the pups enjoying their time here at Fort Fido. First up were Gordon and Aryan in the big roll-- every time they are both here, these pups really gravitate toward each other. The have the same high-speed, action-packed play style and are really great for each other. I think I smell the beginnings of a romance!

Over in the medium side, Hopper was tearing it up. First he met with his old friend Buddy, and they had a good wrestle. Next up was Phoebe, a pretty Viszla who has been staying with us for a couple days. She is definitely doing great boarding here, and loves all the doggie attention that she gets during the day!

 

Enjoy all of your leftovers (those turkey sandwiches are the best part of Thanksgiving, in my opinion), and have a great weekend!

-Hope

Happy Turkey Day!

I could definitely tell that our pack was thankful for the opportunity to play with all of their friends today! There was a ton of action here at the Fort--take a peek at some of it below.

Marley And Lucy had a good romp early in the morning. These are both real hugh-energy pups, and they were a great match.

 

Next up was Theodore and Harley, tearing it up in the big roll! These big boys really know how to go at it--all in good fun!

 

Back in the medium roll, little pup Samwise was loving little Boston Terrier Lucy. These two played together all afternoon--it's really funny how some pups will gravitate toward each other, and play together all day long.

 

The last clip of the day features Tula, Buckwheat, and Cody. Buckwheat and Tula usually go upstairs with the little guys, but today they were rockin it with the medium dogs! And boy did they have a great time--not a wasted minute for those guys. Cody made sure that they had a great welcome into "his" play area, and just loved romping with the tiny guys!

From the news, we saw a cool slideshow of interesting and unique dog breeds spotted at the 2012 National Dog Show (these photos are great!).

Another great rescue story-- after being saved by his forever-family just days before he was slated to be euthanized, Boxer-Mastiff mix Tank returned the favor by alerting his owners to a fire in their home. Now that's really a dog to be thankful for.

Here's a neat new use for sniffer-dogs--some are being trained to nose out ovarian cancer! That's a much less invasive screening than what is available at this time, lol.

I know that Grant thanked you all on my behalf yesterday, but I wantedto say personally--a big thanks to all of you for making Fort Fido such a fun and exciting place to work. Never a dull moment! :-D Have a great Thanksgiving, guys

-Hope

Jocund Jack!

Jocund - What a perfect word to describe this morning's new Fort Fido guest. Say hello to Jack! He is a fun-loving, eleven year old, forty pound, American Eskimo (One of the famous "Spitz Breeds").

Unfortunately, Jack has a lot of things going on at home right now. His owner is in the hospital, not to mention, it is also the holiday season! Talk about a change in routine for a dog. Despite these recent life changes, Jack did absolutely first-rate today in the Medium Roll. He even busted-out into some play with new Fort "bad-boy" Hopper. It's a funny thing about Hopper, he really has a thing for American Eskimos, his other new pal is the legendary Buddy.

Now back to Jack, we really enjoyed having him in here today. He seemed to have a ball here as well and is welcome back anytime.... And not just because we are partial to the American Eskimos LOL!

We wish Jack's owner a speedy recovery!

Also, on behalf of the entire Fort Fido Staff (David, Nancy, Grant, Hope, Gary, Matt, Jacob, Andrea, Kelsey, Lexi & Taylor), have a truly Happy Thanksgiving! There are so many wonderful reasons to be thankful.

-Grant

GOAL!

Unfortunately The Sounders didn't get as far as I wanted them to this year (You still rock though!) but...

The Big and Medium Rolls did, with "Hearding Ball" soccer or "Treibbal" this morning LOL!

Zeus and Thorn ended up being the star forwards. It was a fun game for all the pups involved, even the dogs not into the ball, yet into chasing the dogs chasing the ball!

Have a look:

 

 

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. What a fun looking game this "Treibbal" is... Here is another article I found about it.

Advice column?

Of course Fort Fido has one... A special thanks to Pearl and Phylis for kicking-off today's blog post.

Dear Grant...

Would like your opinion. Peal the Leeetle Girrrrl takes her sweet time in the morning for her poop-a-doop. It's like she's trying to find just the perfect spot. Sometimes I think she's looking for a spot with no previous use or scents and other times...well, I'm just mystified. So is this an instinctual thing left over from before dogs were domesticated? Say, for example, they're looking for scents of prey, predators, or other animals in the area before they actually go?

Or is this conditioning from me? Is there the possibility that when we go on a walk and when she defecates, that signals the termination of that activity? In other words, “Dog poops, walk is over”? Sometimes our walks are nice a long around the neighborhood and it's not poop and over. It's poop and walk more. What do you think?

Mystified on Memory Lane,

Phyllis

Dear Mystified on Memory Lane AKA Phyllis,

LOL! Thank you for your hilarious inquiry. I suppose we shall never truly know why dogs doodie some of the things they do, ha... However, I think your observations are quite good. Ya know what? Maybe it is a combination of all of those reasons, or maybe it varies from dog-to-dog. Either way it is interesting.

Being the self-proclaimed "Prince of Poopy" that I am, here is my belief. Essentially, I believe a dog's poo-rituals are straight up "Marking". Now, there may be different reasons for the marking of different areas/things at different times… And those ideas could vary from dog-to-dog, IE, male vs female, age, breed, etc... But yeah, it's all marking in my book.

 

I've come to this conclusion, after several years (six) of watching dogs poop. After-all, this is how I make my living haha! My own dog, Shetland Sheepdog, Gibson, always demands and seems to find, that "Perfect Spot". My Daycare and Boarding Dogs, as a rule, are the same way. Again, I don't know what attributes make the "Perfect Spot" but I do know it exists LOL!

Yes, it is true, dogs do mark with feces, as well as urine. I'd sure prefer that they didn't but they do. Emma, The Australian Terrier, taught me this a few years back, upstairs in the Little Roll. I choose not to get into how she taught me!

With the utmost seriousness,

;)

-Prince of Poopy AKA Grant

 

This just in!

A collection of dog news from around the internet--

A paralyzed pooch is able to walk again, thanks to the help of some colorful braces and a pair of crocs!

A pup named Midnight has become something of a hero in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy. Having survived hurricane Katrina some years past, Midnight was adopted into a family in Manhattan, and probably never suspected that she'd come face-to-face with nature's fury again. Midnight carried groceries, water, and other goods to people stranded in apartment buildings after the storm. What an amazing pup!

An early Christmas miracle has helped out a neglected pup taken in at a Mississippi shelter. The poor pup, dubbed "Chris" for Christmas, was in very poor shape and the shelter would not be able to afford all of the care that he so desperately needed. After reporting this fact on Facebook, the donations started pouring in. Soon, all his medical care was paid for and there was plenty of food for him and others. He is now gaining weight and getting better by the day!

I report quite often on dog heroes, but here is a story about some everyday heroes. Firefighters saved a pup from a house fire in Winnipeg. This happens every day, but it isn't often that our First Responders get the recognition that their heroism truly deserves.

Another story about the power of social networking-- Facebook helped to reunite a dog owner with her pup. When you know how to use these tools, you can make some really amazing things happen.

After leaping out of the car at a freeway rest stop, chow/shar pei mix Chico has been reunited with his family. This pup has been missing since October 25th! It is truly remarkable that they were able to be reunited after such a long stint on the road.

A pup from Philly who started out life as a bait dog, is now a therapy dog helping with grief counseling, and visiting children in the Ronald McDonald House. Vivian is also the ambassador for New Leash on Life, a prison pet training program, similar to Purdy's Prison Pet Partnership. These are great programs aimed at teaching skills and reducing recidivism, and they really work for dogs and humans both!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend, guys!

-Hope

Cool clips of our Downstairs Doggies!

While all the rolls today were action-packed, I got the best clips from the Big and Medium sides. Check out these pups!

The Huskies were all peas in a pod, tearing it up today. Gordon, Aryan, and Juno were all here and definitely took to each other. They all have similar energy levels and play styles, and are ideal companions for each other.

Juno also made time to play with Giant Jude,  while Tobey and Zeus romped around the area as well.

Over in the medium side, an adorable matched set of Goldendoodle's, Beasley and Jackson, were tearing it up. These sweet bundles of fluff make it really obvious why Goldendoodles and other "doodle" breeds are gaining in popularity. They look like snuggly stuffed animals!

Also in the medium side were terriers Abbey and Tikvah, having a good high-energy romp. It's cool to see all the different energy levels that these dogs have, and to watch them pair up with pups that will enjoy their own particular play style.

Everyone enjoy the weekend! And don't forget-- Fort Fido is open regular daycare hours on Thanksgiving, and boarding is available as well!

-Hope

Adorable Auckie!

Today we got to spend some time getting to know Auchtung (also known as Auckie). This sweet and gorgeous little six-year-old spent his time getting the lay of the land upstairs with the little guys. I absolutely love his markings--I haven't seen many brindle and white dogs! He was the tallest pup in the little roll, and was fondest of some of the shortest--tiny Pearl, along with Dachshunds Dixie and Jaeger.

Daycare is a whole new experience for Auckie, so it's not too surprising that he wasn't busting out all the stops on his first day. Oftentimes it will take a few visits before a pup is completely comfortable in these surrounding (pups playing all around you, with some HUUUUGE ones downstairs, and no mom in sight!), and Auckie may well just need a little more time to ease into daycare. That said, he had a good, if not too playful, day.

I hope that Auckie will take his time getting comfortable, and learn to love the crazy fun at Fort Fido!

-Hope

Kenzie & Tula

Get a look at these two lovely canine-gals. Talk about striking a pose lol!

Kenzie is a finely-matured, ten year old, sixty-one pound, Black & Blue colored, Standard Poodle.

Tula, Kenzie's fun little sister, is a three year old, sixteen pound, Carmel & Blonde colored, Cavapoo.

Kenzie tried out The Fort's Medium Roll. She did rather well there with the others, especially for being older than most of the individuals in the group. Could you imagine hanging out with a bunch of young whippersnappers at her age lol? Kenzie did it with grace!

Tula had a more physical experience in the Little Roll. She interacted with many of the pack members, and even took part in a bit of play with Little-Roller Dixie. We believe Tula will look forward to letting off some steam here.

Both Kenzie and Tula are welcome to attend Fort Fido. We fondly anticipate their return for overnight boarding.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. Speaking of Overnight Boarding, don't forget to make your pet's holiday reservations ASAP... While there is still room! ;)

Gentle Ben

Meet The Fort's latest guest, Ben. He is a three year old, seventy pound, German Shepherd/Hound Mix. Ben had his assessment early yesterday morning, in the Medium Roll, and did well. A recent rescue, Ben was a bit shy and uninterested in posing for the camera-I can't blame him on that one, I'm not a fan of that myself lol. He was however, very good with the pack once they arrived, speaking his native language of "DOG" fluently and with ease. Ben seemed to enjoy being around the other canines. He is a nice and gentle dog that we will enjoy having amongst our ranks. Welcome to Fort Fido Ben, way to be!

Cheers,

-Grant

I know it was yesterday but...

 

Happy Veterans Day!

 

Thank you to all who have served!

Enjoy your day,

-Grant
P.S. Tomorrow I'll tell you all about new Fort Fido recruit, Ben.

Alliterative Buddies Red and Rommel Rip Around!

Snagged a great clip of buddies Red and Rommel tearing it up this morning! These two boys went hard all day, I bet that they are about to sleep like logs tonight.

A family dog in Australia certainly did his duty when he found the family's missing toddler and kept him safe in the Outback for 14 hours while rescuers hunted for the pair. The little boy is just fine, after being out during a thunderstorm. A little hypothermic and dehydrated, and with a few prickles in his feet, the two-year-old is safely back home, with the dog who kept the situation from spiraling out of control.

A curious piece of history, this article explores canine space suits from the earliest beginnings of humanity's venture to the stars.

If you are ever tempted to take Fido on a walk off-leash, make certain that you have them under firm voice control and that prey drive is not an issue!  Not only can your dog get itself into trouble, but you may end up with a crazy scenario like they had at the University of Wisconsin-- a deer that had been spooked and chased by a dog crashed through a building, causing an estimated 5500 dollars worth of damage. That would definitely interrupt your attempts to study!

I love these stories-- service dogs are helping veterans re-adjust to civilian life. The healing presence of a dog has probably been felt by us all, a snuggle when you're feeling sick or sad is sometimes the very best medicine. It's good to see that dog therapy is becoming more widely recognized.

And to round out the post, here's an adorable picture of our buddy Lucy, wiped out after a fun-filled day at the Fort. Thanks Michelle for sending this in! If you have any pictures you would like to share, email them to grant@fortfido.com It's great to see what our pack does in their off time.

 

Enjoy these brisk days!

-Hope

☺News and Funnies☺

Just a typical day here at the Fort-- I scoured the internet and found some news stories for you, along with a couple of hilarious little dog clips!

 

In Indiana, a strong canine who has overcome much tribulation (her eyes had to be surgically removed as a little pup), and is living a great farm-dog life. Her favorite game: fetch! Though completely blind, she can keep track of a moving ball and bring it straight to her owner's feet. It's really amazing what dogs can overcome!

 

 

A new pup is vying for the title of "world's smallest dog." Hardly taller than a can of coca-cola, little Meysi was nearly thrown out because the breeder literally did not notice this teeny-tiny runt. Luckily, that was not the case, and now Meysi is living a happy, healthy life.

 

A class project goes viral--Charli Kilpatrick was assigned to make a YouTube video in a communications class, designed to get 1000 views by December 1st. Her funny video of a dog-headed human (featuring her chocolate Lab Dudley, who was a great sport) already has almost a million-and-a-half views! Go and give it a peek here, it's funny stuff.

 

And just because everybody needs a good laugh--check out these two funny pooches!

 

 

Haha! Dogs can be just hilarious sometimes (I get to see that every day!), and it's great to catch on film. Have a good night, and I'll see you back tomorrow!

 

-Hope

Sweet Little Sadie

Check out this doe-eyed little darling that we had the pleasure of meeting today! Sadie is a twelve-year-old Beagle, with fantastic doggie manners. She did well in the medium roll, where younger Beagle Diego introduced himself straight off the bat. It's funny that sometimes dogs really seem to gravitate towards others of their breed. There was a lot of butt-sniffing and tail-wagging action, but Sadie kept it all low-key and relaxed.

Older pups can really add a  great energy to the pack, and help to calm everybody with their nonplussed attitude. Socializing with all age groups is good for everybody--dogs and humans alike! It was a great experience meeting this sweet gal.

Have a good afternoon and evening everybody,

-Hope

Hearty Hopper

This ones not so much like Dennis... More like the Easter Bunny, with his rabbit-esque gait and all lol! It is easy to see how he got his name.

Hopper is a two year old, fourteen pound, Miniature Schnauzer. He did good for his first day at The Fort... Especially as a rescue dog that has been through a lot. It was nice to see him interacting with the pack, despite not being too sure what to make of it all. His new owner, a long-time Fort Fido supporter (Thank you!), is truly doing right by Hopper and providing him with a loving "forever home". If only all rescue-dogs could be so lucky.

We believe Hopper can benefit from Dog Daycare greatly, he'll also get even more pleasure out of his visits in time. He is definitely welcome to attend Fort Fido and we plan on seeing him again soon. First-rate job this morning Hopper!

Take it easy,

-Grant

- Beaming Beasley -

Meet Beasley! She is an adorable, three month old, twenty pound, white & cream colored, Goldendoodle. This sweet puppy did very well in our Medium Roll today. She played hard and fast with several different pack members. Beasley's trip to The Fort, and any future trips, will prove to be very beneficial to her. They will aid in the honing of her early socialization skills... Not to mention, she should be "dog tired" afterwards. As we all know, that is always helpful. Wonderful job today Beasley! You are certainly welcome anytime.

Get a load of this fine clip of Beasey & Tikvah, playing together early this morning.


Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Miller told me to tell y'all, "Don't forget to vote!". :)

Newz

Why dogs find some toys boring - This was quite interesting to me because I have a dog, Gibson, who could care less about toys. As you can imagine, he still has several toys and doesn't touch any of them lol. Don't get me started on the "Soccer Ball" though, he absolutely loves chasing that around. So for my dog, it is Human Sports Equipment 1 - Dog Toys 0. Hahaha!

Dog tumors may gives clues to humans with cancer - Great stuff here! In my opinion, the main-link, between any cancer in any human or animal, is the bad food that they have consumed over years, but who knows... And unfortunately, much of our current dog and human food, is not good for us. :(

Study: Classical music de-stresses dogs - O how I jumped for joy at this article! Let's just say, this topic is highly debated, between the owners and employees at The Fort. Hehehe... I'm a big Classical King FM 98.1 fan, especially while I'm running the show at Fort Fido.

White House Pets, focus of new book - How fitting for tomorrow!

Dog jumps into freezing water, saves man's life - Way to go canine hero! I wish the man well and hope he has reached some form of enlightenment through the experience.

Take care,

-Grant

Pooch Playtime

I caught some great clips this morning of a couple different sorts of play styles. First up was Rain and Ryker, enjoying some super-cute neckfighting.

Next up was mister Jasper, having a relaxed romp with Rain. That Golden is quite the social butterfly! She played with every dog in her play area today, and had a blast.

 



We definitely know how to have fun here at Fort Fido!

Dogs were also taking center stage in the news; here's a smattering of articles that I came across today.

Firefighters rescued a boxer from a lumberyard fire that took over 100 firefighters from 15 different communities to control.

Another great rescue story--a woman's adopted dog alerted her to the fact that her "migraine" was actually a stroke! One good turn deserves another.

A social media campaign is helping to organize owners who have lost pets and the good Samaritans who are finding them, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Check out this neat video of a salmon-fishing Labrador! This guy is an expert angler.

A mother dog is acting as wet nurse for a rare white lion cub born in a China zoo. Canine compassion truly knows no bounds.

Unrelated, but check out these amazing photos that a Seattle photographer waited two weeks in chilly Churchill, Canada for--great close-ups of a Polar Bear!

You guys have a great night, and I'll see you again tomorrow,

-Hope

Belated Happy Halloween

From the "D-Man" Diego... Belated because of me, not him lol. The photos are, "The Balancing Act", "Happy Halloween", apparently that is how he greeted trick or treaters lol, and "Winning" featuring his loot from the contest.

 

What a fright and how fun! Great pictures dude, thank you kindly. Also, congratulations on your second place finish in Fort Fido's first annual costume contest. Which, by the way, will be much improved next year. With good input, given to us from several of our customers. We will now be able to workout some of the "kinks" that were in this years contest. Let's just say, we will be "leveling the playing field" next time around. A special thanks goes out to our manager, Hope, for coming up with the grand idea and laying the groundwork. Awesome job!

Take it easy and enjoy your weekend!

-Grant
P.S. Speaking of contests, this one, with a bit of a different flavor, caught my attention yesterday. Hahaha! None of my customers will be entering that one. ;)

Precious Poppy!

 

Today we met this seven-year-old gem of a pup named Poppy. She's kind of a mama dog that adores the puppies, and the medium roll was thick with them today! Her demeanor was just great, and she exerts a good calming, Alpha influence on the dogs that she is around. She took time to play with foxy Mister Walter, and really seemed to enjoy her time with us today. We're all excited to have her back this weekend for a fun overnight stay!

I hope that you guys had as great of a morning as Poppy did!

-Hope