Friday Fun

Ahh its finally Friday! Time to kick up those paws and relax. Or you could get out there with the pooch for some weekend frolicking! Here is a link to a list of off-leash dog parks and on-leash dog friendly parks where you and Fido can romp.

 

Remember to keep your pooch well hydrated and rest them often if you are planning a trip outdoors this weekend as its going to be a warm one!

 

If your looking for something you and your pal can do inside to avoid the heat, here are a couple practical options for you to consider

 

First, the dog treat puzzle, featured in another blog of ours titled Trick or Treat?

 

 

If that's not enough for Fido, Hide and seek can be a fun game, not only to play but to train as well. Follow these simple steps I found on this website and they will be seeking like a pro in no time!

 

"This activity requires two people unless the dog already follows a command to "stay." Instruct the dog to sit and stay or ask someone to keep the dog in place while you find a hiding spot. Call the dog's name one time to begin its search for you, at which point the other person would release the dog. Praise and rewards upon finding you teaches the dog to repeat the activity. The ASPCA recommends that you leave part of your body visible when hiding, as this helps the dog locate you when first learning the game, and then gradually make it more difficult for the dog to find you."

 

 

Thanks again for stopping by to read, and be sure to check in on Monday in order to keep updated on the happenings here at Fort Fido.

 

-Ryan W.

 

Trick or treat!

       Just like humans, dogs need to find different ways of stimulating their brains. Besides daycare of course, one of the ways to help deal with high energy dogs, or any dog for that matter is to set them loose on a Treat Puzzle. This type of puzzle helps the dog feel accomplished and entertained while earning it's treat. These are important things for the pup's mental health (which is just as important to our canine friends as their physical health) as it creates an avenue of stimulation that is natural in the way it makes your pup "hunt", instead of just being presented with his or her meal. 

 

 

Here we have Miller, one of The Fort's good friends, setting a prime example of how to play with his treat puzzle, and having a blast doing so!! His particular puzzle hides the snacks under the "paws", which Miller will have to pull out of the base in order to his reward. A great game and a healthy way to keep them preoccupied.    

  

One fairly common treat puzzle is the Kong, many of you have seen and maybe even used them before. By loading the Kongs up with the variety of treats made specifically to be placed inside the toy, Or anything healthy you could think your dog would enjoy, Such as this recipe using Apple, Pumpkin, and kibble. Or for a more sophisticated pallet, we have this scrumptious looking recipe.  Your pup could spend anywhere from 10-15 minutes all the way up to an hour, trying to get at those delicious goodies!

 

Being able to distract your dog, with something fun for them to do, even for just a couple minutes can be a lifesaver sometimes, but a joy to watch every time.


So next time you stop in at The Fort, be sure to check out our wall-o-toys, to find a puzzle game that would work best for your pup. Here at Fort Fido we carry lots of Kong toys, along with balls that hold the treats until smushed a particular way very similar to the way that Kongs work.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check in on the fun come Monday :)

-Ryan

Season's Greetings from Diego & Miller

We received two awesome Christmas cards/photos recently (Click them to enlarge).

One from Diego. He is looking as sharp as ever posin' in front of the tree. Note that he is sporting some holiday accessories. So Vogue lol!


The other is from Main Man Miller. I think this one is spectacular, the card is an ornament that you can actually hangup. Miller is a natural dog-model putting on his best "Blue Steel" for this winter warming pic.

THANKS YOU TWO!!


A few dog related headlines from this afternoon:

Dog found three years later and 71 miles away (Pretty good but the last link tops this one!)

New dog for Christmas? (Some great info. here. We always meet a Xmas pup or two :)

Why dogs do the funny things they do (I really enjoyed this article, I've often wondered about several of the things mentioned, very cool.)

Man credits dog with saving his life (Another nice one where a dog saves the day.)

Dog returns home after 8-year, 2,700 mile trip (Holy Mackerel! Really ? LOL.)


Cheers,

-Grant

Assessment & Sad News

Lucas, October 2006

Harriet, October 2006

Our fourth assessment this week (Wow, busy busy!) was the super-cute Stuart. He is a four year old, twelve pound, Isabella Dachshund (a rare coloring). Stuart Little is currenty being fostered in a very loving home filled with great pups. Miller and Paisley are Stuart's new foster siblings, he couldn't ask for a better setup. This morning, we took Stuart upstairs to the Little Roll. He wasn't quite sure what to make of all the action yet had definitely been around dogs before. Stuart didn't play a whole heck of a lot but he interacted some and spoke decent "Dog Language". He had no problem telling rowdy youngins to give him some space... In a good way, meaning, he wasn't too harsh and exhibited good bite control. We believe this has been a good experience for Stuart and he may attend whenever he likes. His foster parents and future new parents can be comfortable knowing he is ok with little dogs off-leash. This is definitely a plus. There's no doubt in our minds that this pooch will find a warm/loving permanent home in a short amount of time. Even if it takes awhile, it won't matter, he'll be hard-pressed to find a better gig then the one he has now. :)

Now for some unfortunate news... Lucas and Harriet have been attending Fort Fido weekly for five years, let's just say, we know them well. They both just recently crossed the Rainbow Bridge after very long, healthy and active lives.

:( We are saddened by this news yet find feelings of happiness when we reflect on their lives. These two pooches were always up to something, many of their antics were quite comical. They were the old timers of the Big Roll but could handle any wiseguy or naive whippersnapper that came there way lol. In short, they were great dogs and we really enjoyed them.

Lucas and Harriet's owners are some of the best people you could find. They've loved these two dogs for years and have always took the very best care of them. They have also been extremely supportive of Fort Fido, even in our humble beginnings... Recommending us to several of their friends and associates. For this, we thank them wholeheartedly and apologize for their loss. Lucas, happened to be the oldest Bernese Mountain Dog that his Veterinarian had ever seen, twelve years old! How's that for awesome?

Enjoy your weekend,

-Grant
P.S. If you spot me at Puyallup's 7th annual Oktoberfest Northwest this weekend, do say hello, I'll do the same! ;)

Cute Miller Pic & Articles

Miller's owners (they also own Miss Paisley) sent me an outstanding photo of Mr.Miller. Here he is after a busy day of playing hard at The Fort. Hahaha Awesome! That is what we like to see, keep up the good work buddy! :) Thanks again for the photo.

(Out like a light!)

City offers to turn dog poo into gold (Sounds like a good plan, I should turn mine in lol, I'd be rich!)

Korean scientists produce glow in the dark dog (I'm not sure about this one... Not feeling it.)

Owney the postal dog officially has his day (Very cool looking stamp.)

Some dogpark prep tips

I've seen tons of these articles lately (obviously because it's summer in some places) and have already posted a few but here is another one:

Hot days are not dog days

Take care,

-Grant

wrestling clips of the day

One from the Medium Roll featuring a hard to beat tag-team of Lab pup Emily and Black Pug Cooper. Those two were battling it out against Fort Fido old timers Bella and Lucy. From this clip it sure looks like Emily and Cooper will be walking away with the title hahaha!



Upstairs was a triple-threat-match with Little Buddy, Miss Mia and the original Bad-Boy Miller. I'm not too sure who the victor was in this one, the only thing I do know is that this trio should sleep well tonight!



Take care,

-Grant

Dog Feels Guilty / Finnegan The Squirrel

You might not have seen these yet. Thanks to Rainier's pa Colin and Miller & Paisley's ma Tracy.

This one had my folks and I seriously cracking up...

Dog Feels Guilty

If this one isn't a heart-warmer, I don't know what is!

Finnegan The Squirrel

Take it easy,

-Grant

))) Here comes 2011 ! (((

2010 was a good year but I'm definitely ready to hail in 2011! Thank you for being such marvelous customers and supporting Fort Fido Doggie Daycare.

Have a joyous and safe New Year's Celebration. I wish everyone much happiness and prosperity for the upcoming year.

I'll leave you with two clips from today. By the way, our new buddy Cooper started playing today, score!





Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. If you are looking for something fun to do tomorrow, head over to the little town of Olalla (right outside of Gig Harbor), specifically the Olalla Bridge. At Noon there is an exciting Polar Bear Jump and bonfire. It's entertaining to watch all the nuts jump into the freezing cold lol... I was one of them two years ago but I only need to be in water that cold once in my life. :)

Perfect Book!

Miller's ma Tracy let me borrow a wonderful dog book: The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest - The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog By Val Mallinson Illustrated by Phil Frank.

I've been thumbing through it over the past few days and think it's the perfect book/gif for a PNW dog lover. The book shows you where dog friendly spots are (including off leash dog parks) throughout Washington and Oregon. It describes in detail what you can do, where you can eat and where you can stay. Very cool!

Cheers,

-Grant

Miller's Party!

Mr. Miller just turned one on Tuesday 8/17/10! He is one lucky guy, his parents made him a special dinner and took him out to his favorite store to get a new toy. The Fort gave him a stuffed birthday cake. Happy Birthday Miller, may you have many more great birthdays in the years to come.

Cheers,

-Grant

Dachshunds on parade!

This funny little clip was taken yesterday. It shows three of our many Miniature Dachshunds, more commonly referred to as "Wiener Dogs" lol. First Miller, the fawn colored, waddles off. Not too far behind him Coco, a chocolate colored guy, heads the same way... Followed by Dixie who is a black and tan little gal. We are fortunate to have so many mini dachshunds at Fort Fido. In our expierenece they make delightful daycare dogs, even if they can get a bit too rowdy at times. :)



Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. If you are interested, this link goes to a page that talks all about Dachshund colors, patterns and Coat types. It is very informative and has pictures.

Just a few pics...

We are busy bees today... Just a few swell pics.

Take care,

-Grant

It's Miller Time!

Miller is one of the youngest and cutest pups that we have ever had here at Fort Fido. He is a neat fawn colored Dachshund only 11 weeks old! All four and a half pounds of him started this morning and Miller thoroughly enjoyed his stay. He was a bit unsure at first but his nerves settled quickly and the play time extravaganza commenced. Right on Miller!



Have a great weekend,

-Grant