Yesterday we met up with Rio for his Assessment. He is a charming, two year old, twenty-five pound, Shetland Sheepdog. This "Sheltie-dude" did fabulous inside of The Fort's Medium Roll. From there, he explored the facility calmly yet alertly... When it was time to meet the pack, Rio did so skillfully. Within minutes, he turned his canine acquaintances in to rebel-rousing-playmates. It was a sight to see, Rio, enjoying himself so much, so quickly! Now obviously, we are wee bit biased when it comes to Shetland Sheepdogs around here lol, however, we also understand that they are "a lot of dog" and sometimes, due to their "work ethic", can have a plethora of issues. Lucky for us, Rio didn't exhibit any of the bad/stereotypical Sheltie behavior (skittishness, excessive, barking, etc...). He is quite a well mannered and fun-loving gent, who didn't vocalize once during his visit. We look forward to having Rio at Fort Fido again. Good on ya boy!
Take a look at this little clip of Rio hamming it up with Captain and Cooper:
Man, it has been awesome around these parts lately... We've had quite the influx of one of my favorite dog breeds, The Shetland Sheepdog. This morning marked the fourth "Sheltie" that The Fort has assessed in the last two months. Woo hoo! It's funny, because after eight years of being in business, we've only seen three other shelties before the current four. So including my dog, Gibson, there are currently six Shetland Sheepdogs here at Fort Fido. Maybe their popularity is on the rise once again? They were definitely most popular in the 80's/early 90's, and were Japan's most popular breed for years up until recently. I'm chalking it up to celebs getting them... Thanks Miley lol!
Ok, now in all seriousness, meet our latest recruit, Augie! He is a energy-filled, seven month old, fourteen pound, Sheltie. We had Augie try out the Little Roll upstairs, just to see how it'd go, knowing that he'd most likely graduate to the Medium Roll... Sure enough, he was too much for the tykes up there. He did nothing wrong, he just needs more room, more stimulation, and more rough and tumble types of playmates. So after a couple of minutes upstairs, Augie headed to the Medium Play Area. Waiting there, was the absolutely perfect dog to meet Augie, and match his energy level, it was none other than, Georgie. The twosome sniffed each other for about ten seconds, before the sprinting and chase games ensued. Augie's owner was not joking when she said he was a "wild one". All in good fun, Augie continued to make new canine buddies and play hard throughout his stay. Although quite a live-wire, Augie, did a great job here today. With time and consistency, Augie and his owner can get quite a lot out of Dog Daycare. It will sharpen his social skills, and will most definetly take away "some" of his energy. Hopefully he's "down a notch" after today's visit, haha!
In the following clip, Augie and Georgie, meet for the first time:
Up for his assessment early this morning was Max. He is a sprightly, seven year old, twenty-three pound, Schnoodle (Schnauzer and Poodle Mix). Quickly scanning the room, Max entered The Fort's Little Roll play area with wonder and excitement. He met with the other dogs gregariously, and many of them liked him right away. Max is no stranger to socializing and play. He is a a livewire, ready and raring to play hard, yet he's gentle enough to know when another dog doesn't want to play. His canine communication skills are quite good. Due to his size and play-style, Max is flexible enough to do well in our Small or Medium Roll. This wily but kind fella, is welcome to attend Fort Fido anytime. We look forward to his return. First rate job today Maxwell!
It sure is fun when a new dog gets into play so quickly, Max was in the thick of it, minutes after his arrival. It shows that he is pretty darn "calm and balanced", and comfortable here. Awesome! Here he is sprinting around with Sheltie-man Gibson.
Meet the wonderful Willow! She is a thee month old, seven pound, Bi-Blue, Shetland Sheepdog, who was in for her assessment this morning. Very excited, Grant, eagerly waited for Willow to arrive haha. Upon her arrival, he did everything he could to keep cool, and not fawn all over her. As many of you know, here at Fort Fido we want each and every dog to have the best day possible. We want each guest to "be a dog", fit in with the pack, and have fun. We strive to approach and assist each canine in a certain way, helping them to stay calm and balanced throughout their visit. Puppy "comings and goings" and how we handle them, are of the utmost importance. To aid in avoiding the dreaded S.A., we must set the right example (no fawning, no baby talk, etc...), and be quite diligent. Surprisingly, and despite Willow's best efforts of "extreme cuteness", Grant did good... Good thing Gary was there lol.
Now back to Willow! This little doll went directly to The Fort's Medium Roll, once therein, it was clear that she wanted to meet the pack, and be with other dogs right away. Although small, we wanted Willow to be with slightly larger dogs right away, Shelties are tough and we know she could handle it. Especially since she has a Collie "sibling" at home. Willow is a cute pup and showed her ability to adjust in new situations. Willow seemed to enjoy the pack and communicated well with the others. She had quite a bit of fun while relaxing around the other dogs. Willow didn't fully play, however she did a few slight "hit and run" play styles (which is where she doesn't fully play, but attempts to). With some more time, I think that Willow will be playing with the rest of the pack and having a fantastic time.
We are excited to have her back, and can't wait to see that cute face!
- Zach
Checkout some of the sweet new toys and products that just came into The Fort!
We have some really awesome stuff from KONG. They now have many more good "interactive toys", to help keep the canine-brain stimulated. Some you can stuff with wet food or peanut butter, while others are to be used with dry kibble. Another cool thing KONG now has, is a frog squeaker toy that really lasts... At least compared to other squeaker toys we've come across.
There is also a real neat new line of poop bags and poop bag carries. One of the smartest products we have in now, is an all-in-one food bag clip/measuring cup. The same brand, DEXAS, also have a very clever collapsible bowl.
Last but not least, Cortez, is selling a tremendously good canine oral hygiene spray. It is really neat stuff made by PetzLife. "Corty" has even gotten Gibson and Marco Polo to try it. It freshens breath, while also keeping teeth and gums healthy. It's even safe for humans lol! Made in the USA and Veterinarian recommended.
No just for fun, here's a rad clip, taken today, of the "Handy Man" in action in the Little Roll.
Do you give your dog a bath at home? Sometimes I do. Other times, I take my pooch to The Soggy Doggy in University Place. For me, it is much faster, easier, and, I don't make a big old mess at home. Give the place a try and see how you like it.
If you do the Bath Time thing at home, checkout these articles I found. You might find a tip that will make the job more efficient...
This clip features our buddy, Thorn, ripping it up with young dogs Max and Pancake, in the Medium Roll.
Way to go you wild ones!
Well, if you thought Fort Fido was cool... Wait until you get a load of Dog Island. OMG! This is the epitome of a canine-paradise-sanctuary, albeit a bit "Lord of the Flies"! Here is an excerpt from their front page.
"Over 2,500 dogs are already enjoying a better life at Dog Island. Separated from the anxieties of urban life, dogs on Dog Island are healthy dogs who live a natural, healthy and happy life, free from the stress and hardship associated with daily life among humans.
They live with almost limitless space, and tens of thousands of rabbits, rodents, fish and other natural prey. Surrounded by thousands of other dogs, this is the only place for them to be truly social and create healthy families. Dogs at Dog Island have another chance."
Maybe I'll send Gibson to Dog Island to visit... But IDK, maybe he wouldn't want to come back lol! If you are interested in sending your dog there, let us know, I'd love to hear about the experience. Maybe we could get a mini NW one going on Anderson Island? Some land is cheap there, ha!
Stay cool,
-Grant
P.S. Yes, I've attempted to trick you... Dog Island, of which I was told about by a friend (who totally believed in it), is not real. I could not believe it at first, and argued with my friend about it for a bit lol. Then, I looked it up online with the trusty old Snopes, and confirmed my suspicions. Hahaha! I am sure they have pranked thousands with that website. Too rich!
Mickey, is a handsome, six year old, thirty-five pound, Tri-Colored, Shetland Sheepdog. Mickey tried our Medium Roll on for size and thrived. This high-energy herding dog, had a surprisingly calm and balanced disposition, Gibson, you should really start taking cues from Mickey haha!
Anyway, Mickey, unfortunately didn't engage in any lively play, however he did interact with the pack flawlessly. His canine communication skills are outstanding! He had no signs of stress in his stay and just sort of took it all in. With regular attendance, we believe Mickey will begin to really enjoy Dog Daycare. He is currently in a transitional period of life, with different things to digest and adjust to. Luckily, canines are quite adaptable, and Mickey seems to be no exception. He is an absolutely gorgeous specimen, that we look forward to having here at Fort Fido.
Whoa! Woke up this morning to the sound of crunchy ice under car tires... I thought to myself, "No way!". But sure enough, it snowed last night lol, just in case you didn't notice. Luckily the light dusting we received didn't put a damper onto any Fort Fido plan, twas smooth sailing today. Very nice!
Pops (David) went on a trip to get some new dogs toys. The majority of our toys come from a "cash and carry" type of place that specializes and only carries pet supplies. Ahhh Toy Day. It's a bit of fun and work rolled into one. You have to budget, pick out what you think will sell, what you think people will like, price each item and then organize the whole lot into our small retail space. It takes a couple of hours and we usually take turns. I'll post up a picture with some of the new merch soon.
In the very near future, we will be carrying an absolutely outstanding line of locally made collars and leads. They are made, by hand, by none other than Jinx's dad, Mike. He specializes in custom work and I assure you, these are the coolest dog leads and collars ever! Not only do they look awesome, they are extremely functional, comfortable and super-heavy-duty yet light. All of us at The Fort are quite excited about getting them in and we think y'all will enjoy them too . Gibson is going to get a custom one made for sure! :)
I'll leave ya with a few clips.
From the Big Roll... Love was in the air, Golden Retriever Love that is! Benny and Mollie were a hot item haha.
The Medium Roll was more fun than a barrel of monkeys!
In the Little Roll, Dwayne hooked up with Little Pearl and busted out even more! Every dog upstairs seemed to be having a blast today.
Sorry, Haikus just pour from me while I'm at Fort Fido wrangling the dogs hahaha.
Here's a clip of the Big Roll Action and a little bit of Gibby and Gus from the Medium Roll. Please note, the fellas in the Big Roll (specifically Gideon and McGee) sound a bit rough but I assure you it's all play and or "Fluff and Stuff" as I like to call it lol. Everyone is safe! ;)
Take it easy,
-Grant P.S. Our phone line has been down for hours. It will most likely stay that way... Our internet has been in and out as well... It seems as though are credit/debit machine is also down... More on this tomorrow, let's just say, a tall Semi-Truck ripped down several lines in front of The Fort, literally! Things are getting cleaned up but it's going to take awhile. Thanks for bearing with us, glad nobody got hurt!
Looks like it is beginning to... Although this morning was fairly treacherous, be careful on that ice or any slick looking pavement for that matter. We are doing our best to get De-Icer down in the patch/trail we've dug out at The Fort. Gibson and I's walk was ironically quite a workout, that snow, with it's icy-morning-layer, is tricky for us low to the ground folk lol. Gibby has been real tired from playing in the deep snow, he thinks he has to bunny-hop it rather than walk through it, it's pretty comical. I'll cut him some slack though, it is up to his neck haha!
In non-frosty news, a friend told me about this book by Rupert Sheldrake titled, "Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home". It sounds quite interesting, looks to be worth reading. Here is the information about it from the Author's website. It is an image, click on it to enlarge.
Not a medium dog but hey it looks like a medium sized mug ;)
It was pretty much non-stop crazy fun in the Medium Roll today... Only had to intervene a few times, that's good lol. There was just the right mix of hard playing regulars ready to let out their energy. Have a look:
(Unfortunately the quality on this pic isn't that great, had to be scanned, it's an old one. Either way, this Big Mama tipped the scales at 160 pounds!)
Just a few article-links found this afternoon, enjoy!
Pooch has ruff time delivering 15 puppies (Whoa! Good thing you didn't have to do that Miura lol. Hard to believe it isn't even close to the record of 24, held by a Neapolitan Mastiff. We had one of those here at The Fort for awhile. She was a sweet yet tricky to handle gal named Olivia. Let's just say, she knocked one of us over once real good hahaha.)
Scored a clip from the Xmas parade, in Enumclaw, the band and I attended. See if you can spot me. Here's a clue, I'm very Elf-Like hahaha. Sometimes ya just gotta go all out.
This is definitely not for everyone... I'm neutral on the idea of it all (feel free to ask me in person why lol). It does give me a chuckle though! However, I will not be turning Gibby into an Armadillo anytime soon, hahaha!
What follows is copy and pasted, click photos to enlarge.
This is Crazy! So a new trend has EXPLODED in China’s upper class where people are transforming their pets intominiature version of animals, fairies or dying them crazy colors. Pandas seem to be a big hit and obviously their favorite. It’s become a huge industry and people are spending THOUSANDS of dollars in professional hair dye,
All I can say is O M G…. Poor dogs…
Panda Puppies! Canine Camel No Clue… Uuuh... Princess Fairy Dog? Sharon Osborn as a dog… Kinda Looks like an Ewok from star wars… BUBU! Tiger Horse Puppy ? Extreme!
Kelly.jpg)
Stella.jpg)
Kevin%26Marci.jpg)
Up for his assessment early this morning was Max. He is a sprightly, seven year old, twenty-three pound, Schnoodle (Schnauzer and Poodle Mix). Quickly scanning the room, Max entered The Fort's Little Roll play area with wonder and excitement. He met with the other dogs gregariously, and many of them liked him right away. Max is no stranger to socializing and play. He is a a livewire, ready and raring to play hard, yet he's gentle enough to know when another dog doesn't want to play. His canine communication skills are quite good. Due to his size and play-style, Max is flexible enough to do well in our Small or Medium Roll. This wily but kind fella, is welcome to attend Fort Fido anytime. We look forward to his return. First rate job today Maxwell!
Kristine.jpg)
Meet the wonderful Willow! She is a thee month old, seven pound, Bi-Blue, Shetland Sheepdog, who was in for her assessment this morning. Very excited, Grant, eagerly waited for Willow to arrive haha. Upon her arrival, he did everything he could to keep cool, and not fawn all over her. As many of you know, here at Fort Fido we want each and every dog to have the best day possible. We want each guest to "be a dog", fit in with the pack, and have fun. We strive to approach and assist each canine in a certain way, helping them to stay calm and balanced throughout their visit. Puppy "comings and goings" and how we handle them, are of the utmost importance. To aid in avoiding the dreaded S.A., we must set the right example (no fawning, no baby talk, etc...), and be quite diligent. Surprisingly, and despite Willow's best efforts of "extreme cuteness", Grant did good... Good thing Gary was there lol.
Joe&Erin.jpg)
Canine Camel 
No Clue… 
Uuuh... Princess Fairy Dog?
Sharon Osborn as a dog… 
Kinda Looks like an Ewok from star wars…
BUBU!
Tiger
Horse Puppy
?
