Watch a whole morning at Ft Fido!

Jake has been on a roll with the neat time-lapses! This morning, starting dark and early at 6:30am, Fort Fido opened its doors to all of our fun furry friends (and their chauffeurs, lol). Before we know it, the sun is up and our play areas are getting full. This was especially fun for me to watch, since I am usually here for the evening roll-out, and not during the morning roll-in. Some real firecrackers come in very calm-- I was surprised by how relaxed the dogs seem to be in the morning. Once loose in the play areas, I know that all bets are off! That's probably pretty good leverage to get a nice "sit" out of them ;-)

 

Cortez keeps a watchful eye over everything from the comfort of his bed--I know that my Gordon wouldn't be so reserved about watching all those fun dogs go by. Dave and Nancy sure do run a tight ship! After years in "the biz," they've got it down to a science, or an art.

See you back for another round tomorrow!

-Hope

- Titan -

 

Meet Titan! He is a adorable, three month old, twenty-five pound Rottweiler. This young pup did well for his first day. He even played a good bit in the Medium Roll. Titan is welcome to attend The Fort anytime... And we definitely hope he will. He is going to be one large and powerful canine, honing his social skills here at Fort Fido will be quite beneficial to him. One neat fact about Titan, is that his "cousin" is Big Roll longtime-regular, Miss Bella The Boxer. She is the perfect teacher for Titan. I'm certain their paths will cross in here soon!


Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Ah! I can't forget these three short but sweet clips of Titan, introducing himself to Dolly, early this morning.

 

 

Hardcore Huskies

I'm really not sure if this will give everybody a laugh, but I gotta tell ya, for me, this has been the funniest dog related video I've seen in 2013 thus far. It had me cracking up extremely, because the music in the video is certainly a parody... Poking fun at a genre of music that, although I don't often admit it, YES, I used to listen to and love on a daily basis.

Call it what you will, Rock, Punk, Thrash Metal, Hardcore, or for some, just plain awful LOL! We won't go there, and I won't attempt to justify it (But I can, I swear!). Point being, the song "Moshes Me" down memory lane towards my teenage years haha. An exhilarating social time, where my friends and I "Rocked Out" from show to show without a care in the world. Funky hair, tight pants (Ya know, before males could buy them, and they had a name AKA "Skinny Jeans" ROFL), dancing, singing (screaming), crowd-surfing and spending wayyy too much time on Myspace. HAHAHA! Ahhh, those were the days. Whoa, sorry, tangent almost over. You know how music can often be a time machine?

Anywho, enjoy this hilarious, canine-related-clip, regardless of the tune. By the way, NO, we don't play any "Wild Music" back there with the dogs. We don't want to get them too riled up. At times it can be a "Most Pit" in here without any music lol. I stick to 98.1 King FM and even then, some of the suites are too amped up!

-Grant
P.S. It's quite funny how we change over time, especially in our youth. How did I manage a steady diet of that? It must have been the ladies I was meeting (O Grant, you are sooo dark and mysterious!), ok fine, maybe it was the beer? HA! Either way, I look forward to humbly laughing at myself in another ten years. ;)

P.P.S. Eureka! This super-funny show, Portlandia, definitely explains where my mind went, after the "Husky Music" spurred me to reminisce with awkward teen dreams haha. Just watch this clip also, and enjoy. It's a great show!

Happy Birthday Tazzie!

Today was our friend Tazzie's 6th Birthday. Happy Birthday Tazzie! And a thanks to Lisa (her owner) for bringing in homemade mozzarella dog treats to share with all of Tazzies friends here at the Fort. Be sure to grab some for your pup when you come in, there are plenty for everyone!

 

 

 

 Lately we have been doing a lot of sprucing up at the Fort. Our current project is painting the interior walls. The low odor, satin finish paint we use works exceptionally well for this application. Here you see Jacob and I hard at work! With the bay doors open and the fresh air coming in this is my kinda painting!

 

 

 

 

 

Have a good one,



-Matt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast Friends--and a few Cool Companions

We caught Aryan and Lola (these two might be distant cousins!) having a great Husky-style romp. They were fast friends today, and look like they will be for quite a while.

It's funny to see how dogs choose their companions. Some prefer to stick with their own breed, while others have a particular breed that they really enjoy. Still others look outside the species for their favorite companions! Check out these cool dog friendships.

 

 

 

Dogs are really fantastic creatures, so full of love!

 

-Hope

With a little help from my friends--dogs and partners in the news

When a working dog is stricken with any kind of disability, you have to re-assess whether or not continuing to work is in his best interest. When Gonzo went blind, the veterinarian offered the advice that this driven dog--still young and fit--needed to keep running. With help from his faithful brother Poncho, who is always lined up at his side, Gonzo gets to keep running as an active member of the Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel team.

A sweet pup was rescued from a frozen lake by firefighters--way to go first responders!

A pet owner is crediting her Boston Terrier with saving her from a possible death, when the pup awoke her as their apartment was filling with deadly carbon monoxide. The dog may also have saved many others living in the same condo complex-- the source of the carbon monoxide was a neighbor's car in a garage below, running for hours in the night. Good thing that everybody made it out safe and sound!

Just a short byline, but the picture was too much to resist! Check out this mini-sled-dog race in Duluth!

You may have noticed Dave's mini-quiz on the chalkboard (what is the world's largest dog?)-- I'll give you a hint with this article about super-sized Zeus, the current Guinness World Record holder for the world's tallest dog. I thought that some of our dogs here were huge, but this pup definitely takes the cake!

And lastly, I'll leave you with a cool science-news article about the early domestication of dogs. It's amazing how much we can learn about the past by studying things (such as dog DNA) here in the present! This new study presents the ability to digest carbohydrates with ease (an important part of a dog's diet, though not essential to their predecessor wolves) as a key turning point in the domestication of wild dogs.

We'll see you again tomorrow!

Hope

Sweet Sisters Lilly and Stella



These two lovely ladies are proving themselves to be welcome additions to the Fort Fido crew! Three-year-old mixed-breed Stella and her sister, a nine-year old Viszla named Lilly, had their first playdate with us today. Friends and neighbors of longtime Fido regular Abbey, a spunky little wire-hair Fox Terrier, these ladies definitely know how to be sociable. Stella was a little more of the "social butterfly," while her older sister preferred to share her calm energy with the pack.

Stella made good friends with Marley, another mixed-breed who looks like he could have been her littermate! In this short clip of them playing, it is hard to tell who is who!

 

These good little gals are more than welcome back, and we would always love to see more of them. Assessments passed with flying colors!

 

Have a great night everybody,

 

Hope 

Ginger and Macey keep them groovin'

Hotdog! I thought the clip we scored yesterday was good... Get a load of these two clips from today.

First up, we see Ginger runnin' amok (BTW I'm using that phrase in a jokingly good way lol.) upstairs in the Little Roll. She has been having a blast here at The Fort since her first day. She also has been getting the Little Pack to engage in lots of play... Not just ball time play. From wrastlin' to chase-me games, this little dog does it all with any pup that can keep up. Gherie, Marlee, and Riley, were just a few of Ginger's chums this visit.

In the Medium Roll, Ginger's big sister, Macey, had her "Whirling Dervish" impression on par with Gingers hahaha. Macey has been playing strong with several dogs from our ranks. Today, she sprinted around the most, with young dogs Pancake and Sammy.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. If you like Tim Burton, his style, and or, quirky canine-related films lol... Checkout "Frakenweenie"! It is available in those Redbox machines right now. It's a great movie, especially if you enjoyed The Nightmare Before Christmas or Coraline.

Birthday boy & A great clip!

 

Today was our pal Buddy's second birthday. Congrats little dude! With that, Fido's Pack really lucked out... Buddy's ma, was very kind to make homemade dog cookies for all the dogs in attendance today. Talk about super cool, thank you Bonnie & Buddy. Please be sure to grab a few cookies for your pooch on the way out, there are plenty. :)

Earlier today, we captured a real swell clip of Fort Fido "power-doodles" lol, Jackson and Lucy, playing fast & furious in the Medium Roll. It is what these two dogs do best! They have gotten to know each other quite well over the past few months. It's really neat to see them play so wonderfully together.



Be well,

-Grant

Hello Dolly, and Olive Too!

First we have Dolly. Dolly is a 2 year old, 20 pound, Swedish Vallhund. Much like Corgis, The Swedish Vallhunds are affectionate, energetic, cattle herding dogs. Dolly was a bit hesitant at first but quickly warmed up to the medium roll. Here is a clip of Dolly playing with Jackson the Goldendoodle and Jackson the French Bulldog.

 

 

Next we have Olive. Olive is a beautiful, 2 Year old, 50 pound, Liver Spotted Dalmation. Olive did great in our big roll today, jumping right into the action with the other dogs. Heres a clip from this morning of Olive playing in the big roll.

 

 

 

 

Both Olive and Dolly did a great job today and we hope to see them back soon!

 

 

Have a good one,

-Matt

Happy Harley, and Fort Fido takes the Bing Challenge!



 

This chilly Saturday morning we got to meet a sweet and sassy lab pup named Harley. He is nine months old, and is all about playing! He took on any and all comers, and played hard but fair with some of the other labs we had here this morning. Bubba, Flash, and Ryker all had a turn playing with this fun guy, and everybody was left exhausted by the end of his assessment! This little guy is going to be a lot of fun in with our big dogs, and will make a great addition to the pack-- welcome to Fort Fido!

 

 

We met Bingley for his first daycare day yesterday, and he stayed with us last night-- our fun doggie version of the Bing Challenge! He is a very sociable gentleman, and took to Tikvah straight away. Luckily for him, he gets to play with her for a few days as they are both boarding together. It's always more fun to have a slumber party with a good friend! He's been doing fantastically over with the medium guys, and seems to really enjoy his time with the pack.

 

We've been having some really great dogs joining up with us lately, and hope that the trend continues! A big thanks to all for your continued support,

 

-Hope

Jammin' Jackson!

Sometimes here at Fort Fido, opposites do attract! Jackson, this spunky little year-old French Bulldog, may have been the opposite of Dobie Bane physically, but it was easy for them (and all of us!) to see that their energy levels were the same. Both new to the Fort Fido crew, these pups were great playmates during Jackson's first visit this morning. It was great to see that Jackson was so well socialized-- he didn't even have a shell to come out of, he was excited and playful right out of the starting gates!



 

Both of these boys had a great time, and I know that they will continue to do so as they attend daycare with us here. It was great to get to meet Jackson, I always think we need more Frenchies in here ;-)

 

-Hope 

Bane

No, Not the villain

 

 

This Bane is a hero! Newcomer Bane is a 4 month old, 42 pound, Doberman. Its no surprise to us that Bane and Kelsey's dog Finnley were a dynamic duo! Heres a clip of their antics that went on after hours last night.

Take care,

-Matt

The BeSSt!

One of the best "Dog Badge" pictures we have ever taken that is!

Checkout this fine specimen Bess. She is a clever, eight month old, sixty pound, German Shepherd. Bess stayed in our Big Roll and had a fun German Shepherd filled day. We had our work cutout for us with four GSDs total today, Bess, Jake, Maggie & Ziva. How exciting!

Bess observed the pack and did her best to figure out what was going on. She was quite vibrant and alert while meeting and greeting the other canines. Although she didn't play in the true sense of the word, she was very active and friendly with the other dogs. We plan on seeing more of Bess in the future. She is certainly welcome to attend Fort Fido. Hopefully she will get even more comfortable here and bust out into some play soon... It definitely won't surprise us if she does!

Have a great day,

-Grant

Just a few things

Our pal Pearl scored this awesome "cave" from her Grandparents for Xmas a few weeks back. That is one lucky pup! According to Pearl, she would like to get more accessories for the new tent... She plans on doing a lot of  "Glamping" (Glamour Camping LOL!) this summer. Hahaha!

 

In other happenings, found this video clip quite randomly. Apparently, the gentleman hosting, Huell Howser, was a longtime host of "Califronia's Gold", which is a popular Public Television show in Cali. Unfortunately, he recently passed away. I liken him to a Grant Goodeve, Rick Steves or George Ray type lol, however, I haven't seen the show. We are obviously only KBTC / KCTS folks around these parts. Anywho, the dog related clip from Huell's show had me rolling.

 

 

All for now, take care,

 

-Grant

Tried and True Tri

Today we welcomed to the Fort a 3 year old australian shephard mix named Tri. Tri fit right into the our medium roll and almost immediately started playing with the other dogs. Here is a clip of him playing with Buddy the shih tzu and Cody the australian labradoodle. Tri did a great job and we hope to see him back soon!

 

 

 

Heres a shot of the fort at night. Shyner and boomer are here for a long weekend and as you can see they're enjoying their stay and sleeping well.

 

Have a great week,

 

-Matt

Super Cute Overload!

Here are a few clips to get you your daily dose of cuteness! First up is an older dog teaching a young foster pup how to go down the stairs. See how the older guy makes an example, and then goes down slowly with the pup? What a great teacher!

 

Tiny puppy versus giant kong! 



Here's a pup who isn't quite sure whether or not she is still in the pool!

 

And now it's time for a round of Puppy VS Tortoise! I think that the fearless tortoise is the winner of this round--nothing was going to come between her and her snack.

 







Dogs are naturally friendly, and can enjoy the company of many animals. In this clip, a happy dog tries to share its love of toys with a pony (who doesn't quite get it).

While this seems like a horrible, diarrhea-laden idea to me, the video is startlingly hilarious!

Haha! I hope that you enjoyed these clips as much as I did-- I got quite a few well-needed laughs from them this morning. :-D

Precious Playful Pancake



 

 

This morning we had the pleasure of meeting a sweet three-month-old Border Collie by the name of Pancake. This sweet little bright-eyed girl did great on her first day, and young though she is, she didn't get overwhelmed by the other medium rollers. Walter was very gentlemanly and came right up to introduce himself, and he and Phoebe made a good example of what she was here to do--tear it up and have a great time!

Little Pancake tried to herd and romp with the grown-ups, and was a very confident little gal--I'm sure that as she comes more and grows into herself, she will blossom into a spectacular young lady. We're lucky to have her with us!

 

-Hope

A well-rounded post- featuring a clip, news, and funnies!

Today in the big roll, Red and Stella were caught in the act--of romping, that is! These pups are both very high energy, and make a good (and exciting!) pair to watch.

Around the web, I found this cool video about a sixth-grader who helped a lost dog find her way home in a snowstorm-- by practicing his turkey calls. The most amazing part-- the 17-year-old Springer/Lab mix can hardly hear, and a voice calling would have gone totally unnoticed. The higher-pitched turkey call was still in the range of sounds that old Maggie could hear, and she came right over.

A family whose child had epilepsy wanted to get him a service dog, so in raising the funds (almost $13,000 for a specially trained pup), the boy Evan, came up with his own idea--he wanted to write a book about the special canines and why he wanted one. This was more for Evan's benefit than as a major part of the fundraising--but the internet can bring some big surprises! The book was a hit, and earned enough money for Evan's service dog, and seven others for children in the same situation. Check out the book on Amazon here.

To finish, here are a couple funny dog park photos! Lol

 

 

 

This last one reminds me of Gordon! Dogs are pretty good at figuring out where we're going, as I'm sure a lot of you notice when you start approaching the Fort!

 

Have a great night,

 

Hope

A couple quick clips

We spotted some good action at the Fort today, starting with a great round of ball time upstairs. The little guys can really tear it up, and they pretty much all get in on the action. It's great to see so many dogs playing together. In this particular clip, there are four pups dominating the fetch-- Faramir, Frizzy, Marlee, and Gherie. Little Charlie and his buddy Buzz are also passing through.

Over in the medium roll, we caught Hopper on film "terrorizing" Scandi, who has the good humor to play along with his little friend. Sammy was also pretty eager to get in on the action, romping with his friends.

There's always something fun happening here! It's good to see everybody having such a great time.

-Hope

P.S.-- Before you go, take a look at this funny picture I found!

Pug life!

oodles of news

 

Here's what is happening out there:

'Dog who wouldn't die' recovering after Facebook campaign
Good god, that is an intense one... What an amazing will to live.

Oregon man creates beer brew for canines
I always love news like this lol, and of course, I also love a nice pint every now and again. ;)

Ok, some more of this haha. Dog Beer? 'Dawg Grog' is Hooch for your Pooch (Video)

Zoo director hunts for "lion" dog
Hilarious! Reminds me of a dog I know!

Dog alerts couple to house fire
Way to go you canine hero!

(Warning, the following link is graphic) Hero dog from Philippines that lost it's snout saving two children, is getting help at UC Davis. Whoa! That is absolutely astonishing.

Dog Shampoos that make the grade
I can't personally vouch for any of these, so let me know if you end up using one. My wife and I have been using this shampoo, and we are quite pleased with the results. We can definitely recommend it!

Urban Dwellers share pets with City Dog Share
This is a really neat and unique non-profit... I have heard about things like this in the past from customers. I have some mixed feelings about programs like this, however, I'm mostly for them. It is certainly a positive, grand idea, for real city slickers. :)

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Might as well throw out a link to the Dawg Grog website. http://www.dawggrog.com/ I'm not sure that Gibson will try it, and I doubt we will ever be carrying it, but, I truly appreciate the effort and idea... Yes, it's not real 'alcoholic' beer. It is more of a dog treat. Too funny!

Just a few...

Funnies to brighten your Monday... Just in case it wasn't bright enough hehe. ;)

Haha, o man, that Monkey pic has been a favorite of mine for sometime. A few folks online called it "the best picture of the year", I'll roll with that.

Might as well cap this little post off with some funny gifs too, just follow these links and enjoy.

http://imgur.com/kE29y LOL! Reminds me of Cooper.

http://i.imgur.com/NtgrX.gif My wife and I laughed at this one for a longtime. I tried to figure out if it was faked, but I don't think it is. Too funny... Get out of his face guy!

http://i.imgur.com/BZC4t.gif Talk about skills, holy cow!

Be well,

-Grant

Super Sweet Saturday

Things were bumpin' in the Big Roll today! Zipper and Emily had a great time running and rolling around. These two are usually in separate areas, and made the most of their opportunity to get to know each other.

 

Red had a great time with his sweet pal Stella, who was a great match for speed and playstyle!

 

Red also had a great time tearing it up with his alliterative buddy Rain.

Over with the Medium pups, curly boys Cody and Keegan were best buds throughout the day. They might not be quite as large as the pups over on the big side, but they are just as feisty, with just as much personality. Dogs will be dogs, no matter the size!

Have a great weekend everybody!

-Hope

P.S.--Enjoy this funny picture that Lexi found for us!

Would you like that Small, Medium, or Large?

Fort Fido is fun for all sizes! Check out these clips from each play area today--everybody was having a really great time, from the tiny guys all the way on up to the big brutes.

In the small roll, ball time was a hit as usual. Marlee was dominating while Lexi filmed the crew up there tearing across the floor after a ball. Seamus, Buckwheat, Candy, and Frizzy tried hard to catch up but were no match for the speedy Cocker Spaniel! Some dogs enjoy the chase more than they enjoy the retrieval.

From the medium roll we got this great clip featuring doodle buddies Jackson and Gracie. These two have similar playstyles (not to mention hairstyles!), and really enjoy each other's company.

Over with the big boys, Rommel was tearing it up with whoever would give him the chance! This high-energy pup loves any and everybody, and has a really infectious smile. You can see him here with Stella and Jack, and as Theodore starts to come in, he gets really excited to greet his buddy!

It sure seemed like everybody had a great day today, and I hope that it was the same for all of you!

-Hope

Overnight New Year's

The overnight boarders had a little New Years fun of their own these past couple nights. These buddies have been enjoying their time here together for a few days, and are getting to be quite close! Jack loves his buddy Finley, who comes in with Kelsey to work the night shift.

Those boys were nearly inseparable, even while Lucy and Candy were strutting their stuff playing fetch. Everyone has been having a super time with all their new BFFs!

Jack and Finley were showing off their strength for the ladies, but I'm not sure if the girls were interested in much outside their game of fetch. They must be used to the antics by now. ;-)

I hope that you enjoyed the "sneak peek" of Fort Fido Afterhours!

-Hope

After years...

He's still got it! Some believe it is because of his Kumpi diet. I'm not going to argue with that. I too, believe it to be the main factor in his grand health and good energy level.

;)

Check out Mr. Hank in action today, with fun and wily pooch Aryan.

Way to go old buddy, we love it when you teach the young whippersnappers a thing or two.

Cheers,

-Grant

To A New Year

Happy New Year Again!

Well, I got to thinking about some New Year's Resolutions this morning... I've never been too traditional about them, however, I attempt to stick to one every now and again lol. On top of the whole, "do more cardio" and "eat less junk", I thought about some canine related resolutions. Resolutions that will benefit me and my pal Gibson. Yes, even Dog Daycare Pros have less than savory moments with their pets. You know, "The Preachers Kid" syndrome, as I like to call it hahaha.

Anywho, here are my TOP FIVE Canine Companion New Year's Resolutions for 2013. My goal is to give them my very best shot. Feel free to use them in your doggy endeavors and or makeup a few of you own. They should certainly help to strengthen the relationship you have with your pet. Also, feel free to just chuckle at these and disregard them... We are open, 24/7, 365 HA! ;)


1. I will follow through with the commands I give my dog. AKA, I will not let the dog decide when it's time to come inside, when it's time to move from a stay and when it's time to eat, go out, get off the furniture, etc...

2. I will keep my dog on a regular feeding schedule. In turn, this will regulate his "Potty Time" and I won't need to let him out in the wee hours of the night, because I forgot to feed him, and fed him at 10:00 PM. Doh!

3. I will exercise my dog more. Yes, two daily mile walks, on top of a few hours of Dog Daycare five times a week, is barely enough for a in-shape, high-energy breed like the Shetland Sheepdog. Daycare is just another outlet and some dogs just can't get enough. On the weekends, we shall hit up one of the local dog parks and or go play "Soccer" at the park (Me kicking a ball around a field while he sprints around and herds it.). I have found that this added activity on the weekends, really helps Gibson behave. The more energy exerted, the more he tows the line and the better we communicate in general. Go figure eh? LOL!

4. I will have more "Touch Time" with my dog... Yup, "Touch Time", I think that is a more manly way of saying, "I'm going to cuddle my dog more."? This is a comforting, stress-relieving activity for both of us and I believe it generally strengthens our bond.

5. I will have more patience with my dog this year. To me, this means commands will be given firmly, clearly and without too much emotion or hesitation. My dog seems to be quite sensitive, if I take my energy down a notch, he usually responds to me much quicker. If he isn't doing what I need him to do, I'll correct him in the appropriate manner without getting red in the face. When I am relaxed, he is to, and listens well. If he senses my energy is off or that I am in a hurry, he calls my bluff, while suddenly becoming deaf and acting like he doesn't know what I want. Haha, ya know what I mean? Patience will be the key this year!


Woo, that will wrap it up! I Hope I didn't "Bite off more then I can chew" hehehe... Here goes nothin. If you tryout a few of these resolutions, let me know, and best of luck to you! We are all in this together, and at The Fort, we are here for you!

To a wonderful New Year, positive vibes to all of us and our pets!

Have a great day,

-Grant
P.S. Notice how I have nothing about S.A. in my resolutions... Time to "toot my own horn"! Fortunately for us, we don't have to work on that issue, because we have been working on it strongly since day one. If you do have to work on some S.A. stuff with your dog however, have no fear and take a gander at this article. It can be overcome and you can do it!