Last Sunday, my folks and I celebrated an early Mother's Day. We walked down along Ruston Way, in Tacoma, with our pack (Marco Polo, Cortez & Gibson). It was a very nice time, with lots of sun and good company. After our walk, we checked out The Spar for lunch. Good times.
This glorious weather we have been receiving, and that is coming up, has had me planning a ton of outdoor activities and mini-trips. Even a few "action sports", like skimboarding, hiking, and rock climbing.
Unfortunately, my dog can't always get in on many outdoor activities. The climbing and board sports really aren't his thing, yet he loves cross-country running lol. However, it sure is amazing to see the canines around the world that can and do push the envelope, participating in outdoor sports you could never imagine a dog could!
From bicycling, to snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, and even skimboarding... Here are a few clips of some amazing canines having a go at all of it!
I don't know, maybe I'm not giving dogs in general, or Gibson, enough credit? Maybe I can get him to "Hang Ten" when we visit the Oregon Coast in June? Hahaha! We shall see.
This morning we met two great new pups-- 5-year-old Beagle Dragon, and 5-month-old Lab-mix Pond.
Dragon was as cool as a cucumber, and quite confident to boot! He had a great time in the medium roll, and really took a liking to our friend Keegan. These two boys were fast friends, and were caught on camera running about. He may seem like an old guy, but he sure knows how to pull out all of the stops.
Pond tried out both the medium and large packs today, and did equally well in each! This spunky little girl had a great time romping with Keegan as well. We caught some of the action on tape! Keegan sure was a popular guy today-- he was a great ambassador for the Fort!
Today in viral doggie news, check out these cool pictures of Jack the Australian Cattle Dog. This boy is the king of balancing!
If you are the techie sort, and you want to know if your pup is active enough, check out this new product: FitBark. Just attach the little transmitter to your pets collar, and it will monitor their activity level and send the data directly to your smartphone! You can see how long Fido spends sleeping, running, and walking, and get a daily "BarkScore" that lets you know how active your dog has been. I really like the cool stuff that happens at the intersection of Bark and Science!
This weekend in Austin TX, there will be a hilarious wiener dog race! This year's theme? "Les Wienerables." I bet that the costumes and footage from this will be hilarious--I'll make sure to keep you all posted ;-)
Lastly, check out this adorable trick! :-) I've seen a few cute doggie relationships over the years, but this one is extra darling.
Today we're taking a peek at a slice of the action from each dog pack here-- small, medium, and large!
Upstairs with the little pack, just about everybody was getting in on the action. In this clip you can spot Mollie,Pearl,Dixie, Henry, Klaus and Keriko, Dwayne,Cody, and Dolly all getting in on the romp. I think that there's a peek at Seamus and Lucy too! These little guys really know how to have a great time, and play just as hard as their larger counterparts.
In the medium roll, puppies Sahale and Yuki were having a great time tearing it up in the early morning. These two are both high-energy, and give each other a great run for their money. They definitely made sure that there was some non-stop-action going on in their group!
Big pups Brutus and Baer have been buddies since they boarded together for a time. The two of them will stick together like glue on the days they both attend. Best friends forever!
It was all fun and games for us today! Have a great night,
The medium pack got one dog bigger today, as we welcomed sweet gentleman Jack-- a four-year-old tri-colorBorder Collie. This guy is a daycare veteran, and a great example of his energetic, intelligent, and frisbee-loving breed, and had a good time romping with our friend Gracie.
We all hope to enjoy more time with this little guy, and to get to know him even better.
Please join us in welcoming newcomer Hank to Fort Fido. Hank is a handsome, 3 year old, 90 pound Black Lab. Hank starting out his morning over in our big roll and had a great time meeting some new friends.
Here is a clip we got of Hank smelling out his new surroundings just after he arrived.
Hank did an awesome job on his first day and we hope to see him back soon!
This morning we had the privilege of meeting adorable little Yuki. This confident fellow is a three-month-old Shiba Inu, weighing almost ten-and-a-half pounds. This little guy was ready to go when he met some of our other pack members this morning, he really seemed to understand what he was here for, and went for it! He was even captured on camera having a blast with Sammy, one of his favorite buddies today.
I just know that he's going to continue having a blast here with us in the days to come. :-D
Good god, yuck! We have been educated about a few of these horror stories within the pet food industry... That's why we sell, and stick to, Kumpi! Heck yeah, you don't have to worry about that kind of garbage with Kumpi, thanks to it's owner Evy.
I have heard of this, how excellent! Now they need to train them to sniff out seizures before they happen, in other pack members. That would be a tool we could really use! It is no fun when a dog with an ailment has a full Grand mal in the play area. :(
Working here is always fun and exciting-- I get to see dogs doing all sorts of cute things! These guys caught my eye, and I just had to whip out my smartphone to grab some shots
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Brutus loves sprawling out in front of the fan when he's tired.
With the weather generally getting better, a lot of people are starting to head out to the dog parks! I know that I always have a lot of fun taking Gordon out with me-- I love watching him play and have a good time, and it's good for him to socialize with new dogs and people. This cool article in the Volcano gives some great opinions about the local dog parks (Wapato and Pt. Defiance are definitely my favorite ones).
We caught some great action on the camera today, featuring some awesome little dogs. First up is a clip from upstairs, featuring Dolly, who is an expert at getting everyone in on the game. She starts off with Miss Marlee, but ends up tempting Buzzette into joining her in a good romp.
Downstairs, little guys Jackson and Beano were having a ball playing with German Shepherd pup Schatzi. They were good buddies the whole day long, and really seemed to enjoy each other's company.
It was fun all around today! I hope that your Wednesday went just as well :-)
A friend of mine introduced me to this spectacular band Blitzen Trapper. They have a real nice song titled "furr", the music video that accompanies it is very cute. Since it happens to be sooo canine related, the video, and the song's lyrics, I thought it blog-worthy lol. I hope you enjoy it as I did. Seriously now, read the lyrics, they are amazing... To me anyways haha.
Yeah, when I was only 17,
I could hear the angels whispering
So I droned into the words and
Wondered aimlessly about till
I heard my mother shouting through the fog
It turned out to be the howling of a dog
Or a wolf to be exact.
The sound sent shivers down my back
But I was drawn into the pack.
And before long, they allowed me
To join in and sing their song.
So from the cliffs and highest hill, yeah
We would gladly get our fill,
Howling endlessly and shrilly at the dawn.
And I lost the taste for judging right from wrong.
For my flesh had turned to fur, yeah
And my thoughts, they surely were turned to
Instinct and obedience to God.
You can wear your fur
Like the river on fire.
But you better be sure
If you're makin' God a liar.
I'm a rattlesnake, babe,
I'm like fuel on fire.
So if you're gonna' get made,
Don't be afraid of what you've learned.
On the day that I turned 23,
I was curled up underneath a dogwood tree.
When suddenly a girl
With skin the color of a pearl,
She wandered aimlessly,
But she didn't seem to see.
She was listenin' for the angels just like me.
So I stood and looked about.
I brushed the leaves off of my snout.
And then I heard my mother shouting through the trees.
You should have seen that girl go shaky at the knees.
So I took her by the arm
We settled down upon a farm.
And raised our children up as
Gently as you please.
And now my fur has turned to skin.
And I've been quickly ushered in
To a world that I confess I do not know.
But I still dream of running careless through the snow.
An' through the howlin' winds that blow,
Across the ancient distant flow,
It fill our bodies up like water till we know.
You can wear your fur
Like the river on fire.
But you better be sure
If you're makin' God a liar.
I'm a rattlesnake, babe,
I'm like fuel on fire.
So if you're gonna' get made,
Don't be afraid of what you've learned.
The other night I stopped for a pint at my new favorite place, Pint Defiance, a speciality beer store and taproom located in Tacoma. If you haven't been here, and you enjoy beer, you must stop by! It is quaint, charming and comfortable... It's also filled with the most wonderful brews you can find, definitely the place for grog these days in the South Sound. They have an outstandingly wide selection of beer (in bottles and on tap), coupled with an extremely knowledgeable, first-rate staff. Gary, Justin and RJ, among others, all rock!
You can even bring your own food into "The Pint" and eat it there, which is super cool. The owners have been in the restaurant/brew game for sometime, they definitely know how to run a successful and quality establishment. They sold their last restaurant, The Rosewood Cafe, in North Tacoma, and opened Pint Defiance (what a great name too eh? It ranks right up their with "Fort Fido" haha!).
While sipping, I browsed through the magazine, Beer Advocate, and spotted the cutest little logo and beer. Sea Dog Brewing Company, of which I wasn't familiar with (believe it or not lol), has a delightful dog theme and new beer... It's a Blueberry Wheat Ale, not exactly "my cup of tea", but it sounds interesting none the less. I feel like mom (Nancy) would like it hehe. Either way, the dog on the container would be enough to make me purchase it.
Even when he's slowing down from a long day (or two!) of daycare, Fort Fido mainstay Louis loves handing out with his buddies. Check out this sweet moment caught on tape between Louis and his friend Benny. What a couple of sweeties!
Check out these adorable photos of sleepy dogs at the Fort! Even before the lights are out, these guys are ready to crash for the night.
Lovely Labradoodle Libbi came to meet us on Sunday. She had a fantastic time with big rollers Brutus and Baer, who were glad to welcome in this spunky new girl. We caught a good clip of the pups in action, all having a great time.
This great gal pal is welcome to come back and visit with us again anytime! I do really hope that we get to see more of her-- these big boys really enjoyed playing with her during her assessment, and she had a great time giving them a run for their money!
We've been a little backed up with all of our new assessments this week-- it took a few days to get this lovely lady posted. We're fortunate to have so many great new faces joining our pack. :-)
Hey y'all, check out this looker... Li'l Bro is his name, and being a super-cute Pug is his game haha. Li'l Bro is cousins with the awesome Fort Fido Papillon, Riley. Li'l Bro is a one year old Chinese Pug that weighs about fourteen pounds. He had a nice time upstairs in our Little Roll this morning and truly did well. Li'l Bro enjoyed playing fetch and all-around socializing. He is an easy going dog that got along well with our pack. Lil' Bro really liked Alexander Graham Pug (Go figure!) and Miss Dixie. Good times. Welcome Bro, sweet job today, we'll see ya around for sure!
Cheers,
-Grant
P.S. Here are two small clips of Li'l Bro, we were unable to catch him "in action", however you can at least see how much of a cutie he is. ;)
We welcomed sweet 5-month-old Avi to the Fort this morning. He is a cute little Pembroke Welsh Corgi that enjoyed his time with the little guys upstairs. He met little Dolly, a Swedish Vallhund who has the same long and low look of a Corgi. What a cute pair! Avi also chased the ball, and showed us that he's willing to get comfortable here. I think that he will have more fun as he continues to attend daycare and get to know the pups and the staff even better.
Prince Beano was eager and enthusiastic to start his first day at the Fort this morning. His royal Demeanor was a welcome addition to the medium roll, and we are looking forward to seeing him again soon.
That's Right, today we welcomed three new German Schnauzers to Fort Fido! First up we had Henry. Henry is a five year old, 18lb, Grey, German Schnauzer. Henry had a great time over in the medium roll today with his cousin Pippin. Henry did great today and we hope to see him back soon.
Next, we welcomed two black and grey, German Schnauzers named Shatzi & Kumensi. These sweet little Gals did well and will be boarding here this week.
This morning we met Miss Mindy, a sweet Duck Toller. This is a really cool breed that I hadn't encountered before-- a hunting breed from Nova Scotia, whose purpose is to lure waterfowl into range for the hunter. Mindy is eleven years old, and this was her first daycare experience. She was understandably wary of her new surroundings, but was polite and patient with the other dogs in the medium roll. The more experience that she gets in this environment, the more comfortable she will become in it. For an older gal's first time, Mindy did well, and we hope to see her continue to learn about daycare and come back to spend more time with us in the future.
-Hope
P.S.-- If you're looking for a laugh, check out these pictures of dogs in pantyhose. They're sexy and they know it!
We were lucky enough to have two great little dogs start this morning. Klause & Keriko! Klause is a spunky boy-Shih Tzu, five months old, five pounds, with white & black coloring. Keriko is a nice, mature gal-Shih Tzu, seven years old, nine pounds, with white & red colored fur.
These two Miniature Shih Tzus were a lot of fun to have here today. They themselves, also had quite a blast upstairs in the Little Roll. Klause & Keriko were delightful guests. They have been very well socialized. Klause & Keriko love to play ball and chase games, all while interacting with the pack. It's a beautiful thing to see! First rate job today you two, we here at Fort Fido highly anticipate your return.
Checkout these three neat clips of the pooches in action.
Have a wonderful weekend,
-Grant
P.S. O, by the way, get a load of this crazy headline I stumbled across this morning! LOL! Reminds me of my friend Robbie in a few years hahaha!
As tough, rugged, and sturdy as her namesake, is sweet little Sahale. This young pup started out in the small pack, but after a while it was clear that this fearless and energetic pup was destined for bigger adventures! She came downstairs to boogie with the medium dogs, which was a better fit for her energy level. We spend the assessment making sure that we find a good fit for each dog, and that they are in the play area where they will have the most fun and get the most out of each day of daycare. Another of our new friends Louis showed Sahale the ropes, making sure that she learned how to play fair--it can be a lot for a young pup to take in! Louis was a great teacher, and Sahale a model student.
This sweet smiling Springer Spaniel named Roxy met up with us at the Fort this morning. She joined the medium pack, where she was in good company with another Springer named Samantha. These spirited dogs tend to do well in the daycare environment, we've had a few great ones over the years. As for miss Roxy, she politely introduced herself and tried to get a feel for the "flow" of things here. Although she didn't play, Roxy speaks good dog and seemed to enjoy herself. We'll have her back tomorrow for a boarding stay, during which she'll have plenty more opportunity to meet new pups and maybe try busting out a few moves!
This lovely lady makes a great addition to our pack, and we're glad to have her.
This last Sunday, The Fort had the pleasure of assessing Miss Ginger. Ginger is a six year old, sixty-five pound, Vizsla. Nowadays, we have quite a few Vizslas at Fort Fido, and I can see why. They are striking dogs, that are vey clean, agile and intelligent... Ginger was no exception! She hung out in the Big Roll and could definitely hold her own. She spoke great "Dog" and socialized a wee bit. Unfortunately, she didn't bust out into a lot of "play", but we figure she will as she becomes more accustomed to our facility. One neat fact, is that Ginger's neighbor/boyfriend is the ever-so-dashing, Martin Skully, who has been a longtime Fido Regular. We hope to see their paths cross in here soon. Wonderful work Sunday Ginger!
This first video is of Rain and Baer over in the Big Roll. Rain is an energetic, 1 year old, Golden Retriever/Lab and Baer is a playful, 1 and a half year old Golden Retriever. Baer and Rain are a great match and kept each other occupied all morning.
This next video is of King. King is a 1 year old, Shiba-Inu/Mini poodle cross. King spent this following weekend here at the Fort and loved playing fetch the whole time.
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