Marley

Today we had the pleasure of meeting Marley. Marley is a 4 month-old, 60 lbs., Great Dane pupper. He entered Fort Fido curious about his surroundings as he entered our Large Dog Program. While exploring the Large Dog Program Marley had the chance to meet a new friend, Neo. After having the time to explore, Marley broke into some fun play with Neo (see the video below). Later on, Marley decided to observe many of the other dogs as they played. We are looking forward to seeing Marley some more in the future.

Have a nice day,
- Sophia

- Remy -

Remy (Cool name!) came in today for his Assessment. He is a very good looking, seven month old, seventy pound, Doberman Pinscher and Great Dane Mix. Remy is attending Fort Fido, so that he can have even more of an opportunity to better his social skills... And he most definitely got that opportunity today. Naturally, we had Remy meet the gang in the Big Roll, where he ended up fitting in rather nicely. Although he didn't get into much play, he did however, get quite a workout in socializing with the Big Dog Pack. It was a very stimulating time for Remy, and we were pleased with how he handled himself, especially since he hasn't been around a "pack of dogs" too often. Given time and consistency, we know that Remy will continue to improve on his socialization skills, heck, he'll probably even start to play, but ya never know. Either way, he can get much enjoyment and well being out of The Fort. Working-out a canine's brain (through games, socialization, or other means), can, tire them just as much as working-out their physical body. A tired dog is a good dog. 

That a boy Remy, welcome!

Have a grand weekend,

-Grant

Bailey & Hugo

Yesterday we welcomed Bailey to The Fort. She is a happy, nine year old, fifty-five pound, Mixed Breed. As Bailey walked into the lobby, it was clear that this "wasn't her first time at the rodeo" lol. She was pretty calm and balanced, definitely a mature and happy canine. With that observation, we had Bailey spend her time in the Medium Roll Play Area. There, she met with each and every pack member joyously, as they rolled in throughout the morning. She had somewhat of a "mothering" quality, that really meshed well with The Medium Roll and it's wide array of small to medium sized, young and wile canines. Bailey exhibited great patience with the pack, and specifically, many of it's "crazy puppy" members. Bailey even played a tiny bit with a couple of different dogs, however most of the time, she just cruised around socializing actively. We're pretty sure that Bailey will be doing a lot more playing in future visits to Fort Fido, time will tell.

This morning was a BIG Assessment morning... Get a load of Hugo! He is a one year old, 150 pound, Great Dane. Talk about a good looking dog (unfortunately our pic doesn't do him justice), Hugo's contrasting colors and harlequin coat pattern make him a site to see. Inside of the Big Roll, he acted fairly calm as he sniffed the floor a bit, in anticipation of meeting some other dogs. After a few minutes passed, the other dogs began to show up, one after another, per usual. Right away, Hugo exhibited to them all, that he speaks quite fluent "Dog", meeting and greeting with each new pack member in the proper way, with much fluidity and canine etiquette. As the pack continued to grow, Hugo continued to socialize well with the other canines, he even began to play a good amount with Jesse and a few others. He's a real "gentle giant", and the pack took to him well.

Both Bailey and Hugo are neat canines that are welcome to hang with us here whenever they'd like. We look forward to their next visits!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Welcome Emmy & Maurice

Here are The Fort's latest recruits... Two total opposites lol, Emmy & Maurice!

We Assessed Emmy on Tuesday morning. She is a three month old, five pound, brown and black colored, Shih Tzu. This super cute little gal, was absolutely fabulous upstairs in our Little Roll Play Area. She really enjoyed meeting with the other canines and being part of the pack. For such a young dog, Emmy, exhibited great confidence and socialization skills.

In the following clip, you can spot Emmy scurrying around.

Today, we had Maurice in for his Assessment. He is a striking, five month old, sixty-five pound, Great Dane. Now Maurice, just so happens to be the "little" brother of Fort Fido Member, Jude, talk about a house-full! Maurice is here to burn off some extra energy and improve his canine communication. In the Big Roll, he did a fine job of that, making pals, and integrating into the pack easily. Maurice even got a chance to meet with a few of our other Great Dane buddies today, Theodore and Verbena. He took a liking to Theodore, and the two dogs frolicked for a little bit right after exchanging sniffs. Given strong leadership, time, and consistency, we think that Maurice will become a very well balanced adult dog. We also think that we are going to see a lot more play and activity out of him, in future visits to The Fort.

Both Emmy and Maurice are welcome to attend Fort Fido anytime they'd like, we are sure happy to have them!

Be well,

-Grant

Freya & Verbena

What an awesome double-whammy we had today! Get a load of Freya & Verbena, who had their Assessments today. Freya, is a nine year old, 125 pound, blue merle, Great Dane... And Verbena, is a four year old, 140 pound, black colored, Great Dane. These two large and in charge Dane-gals, hung-out with us today in The Fort's Big Roll, naturally. Freya and Verbena both did very well here today. The more "mature" Freya, hung back from the pack a little, and carried more of an alpha presence with her. While Verbena, branched out a bit more socially. The two didn't really play too much, however, they most certainly interacted with the other canines, and enjoyed their stay.

Here, you can see Freya and Verbena getting to know the handsome Theodore... I think they were smitten with him lol.

Swell job today ladies, welcome to Fort Fido, hope to see you again!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Zoey

Howdy! Today we assessed the happy-go-lucky Zoey. She is a neat looking, ten month old, ninety-six pound, Labrador Retriever and Great Dane Mix. When Zoey first arrived at Fort Fido, she was not sure what was going on, and was a wee-bit hesitant to enter the play area. Once we got her into the Big Roll, she explored a bit,  and slowly began to settle down and relax. We had a feeling, that as soon as she met some other dogs, she'd become even more OK with the situation here... Sure enough, that proved more than true. Once Zoey began to meet the pack, her personality totally blossomed, and from that point, it was "game on" for the rest of the day. Zoey speaks good "Dog" and makes canine friends easily. She played hard, and took a particular liking to Brix, among several others. Zoey's great, we'd be quite pleased to see her at The Fort regularly.

Here you can catch Zoey in a bit of play-action with Brix, awesome!

Cheers,

-Grant

Miguel / Slevin

 

Well everyone, we've finally made it to Friday, way to go lol! It was an awesome week to "pretty much" wrap up March. We had many new canines try The Fort on for size this week, and lucky for us and them, they all passed their assessments. We end this week on a high note, with two successful new comers, Miguel and Slevin.

Miguel is an adorable, four month old, eleven pound, brindle, black and white colored, French Bulldog. She hung out with us in our Little Roll play area. Up there, Miguel was jubilant, and super eager to meet the other canines. She was constantly on the move, getting to know one pack member after another. Miguel is a fun pup that just wants to play and be happy... Knowing that, she'll continue to do great here!

Slevin is a three year old, one hundred and twenty-eight pound, "blue" and white colored, Great Dane. Slevin wasn't quite sure what to make of the Big Roll at first. As time passed and more dogs arrived, he started to really open up to the experience. He met with dogs favorably, then relaxed enough to engage in play with several of them, including, you guessed it, another Great Dane, Theodore. It was exciting to see the two massive canines interacting so well, and having a blast.

Miguel and Slevin are two great dogs, capping off our assessment-filled week. We hear that we'll be meeting up with them again real soon.

Enjoy your weekend, stay dry!

-Grant

P.S. Unfortunately, we didn't capture any clips of Miguel this time around. We did however, get a glimpse of Slevin on the camera.

 

- In memory of Athena -

Yesterday we received the very unfortunate news that, Athena, long time Fort Fido regular, passed away. Sadly, Athena had health issues from the very beginning of her life, which compounded as she got older. Despite this, she was one amazing and active dog that attended The Fort for many years. You would never know she had health issues if you met her.

Athena was a Great Dane, and a high-energy one at that! Having a large and fun-loving personality, she took on any and all canines that would befriend her. Some of her best buds were Finn and Theodore. Her play style was surprisingly fast furious, especially for being such a big girl. She loved coming to Doggie Daycare, and we are quite proud to have been a part of her life, and specifically, one of many parts that she truly enjoyed. Rest in peace friend,

-Grant, David, Nancy & all of the Fort Fido staff.

Please follow THIS LINK, then begin to scroll down (past this post), for pictures, video clips, and all blog posts related to Miss Athena. definitely check it out, there is some great stuff.

Also, as always, I like to post a link to The Rainbow Bridge Poem when these heart wrenching events occur. The poem can be appreciated by most, and helpful for some.

P.S. In other, not sad news, our Soggy Doggy Event is these evening. Be sure to swing by and say hello!

Video Clips!

Hot off today's reel!

From the Medium Roll:

Shepherd Time! Featuring Bess and Kingsley.

Pancake gets down with them too!

Also, we had a whole lot of long-time pals, Lucy & Gracie, ripping it up today.

In the Big Roll:

We had some "Golden Boys", Finn & Jack, becoming the best of friends.

There was  a wee bit of "Dane Love" happening as well... You know, the love affair that is, Athena & Theodore.

Upstairs in the Little Roll, they were not to be outdone! This clip features a small cross section of today's fun-filled events.

Be well,

-Grant

Naaa, na na, na na na naaa, na na na naaa...

Hey Jude!

:)

 

Jude is a splendid, three year old, 130 pound, mantle, Great Dane. He had his assessment on Tuesday morning, in the Big Roll. Now Jude was an absolute pleasure to have at The Fort. He is a sweet-natured, gentle giant, that is eager to please. A social butterfly, Jude had a blast with the pack, making friends quickly. He played the most with Dobie Zeus and they had a jolly-good time together. Lucky for us, we will be meeting up with Jude again on Friday... We, and the Big Roll Pack, can't wait!

Take a peek at this clip of Jude in the thick of it.



Take it easy,

-Grant

Two swell newcomers to The Fort!

First up for their morning assessment was Theodore. Lovin' that name! He is a five month old, sixty pound, blue colored, Great Dane. Theodore is a very sweet dog. He hung out in our Medium Roll, where he will stay until he grows some more. He is in that lanky, teenager-dane stage lol. Theodore played well with the other pack members and truly had a blast. We look forward to having him attend.

Our second assessment of the day was Jake. He is a high-energy, five month old, forty pound, Yellow Labrador Retriever. Jake also stayed in our Medium Roll, he may or may not move to the Big Roll in the future. He is the type of dog that absolutely loves to play and exercise. Jake interacted enthusiastically with several different dogs in his play group. This "dog's dog" is a wonderful addition to the Fort Fido pack and we hope to see him again too.

O, by the way, I suppose I didn't mention that these two also became best buds today. They are the exact same age so it makes a lot of sense. It will be neat to see these two grow-up. Hopefully their daycare days will overlap. As far as clips are concerned, the one that follows, pretty much sums these two rascals up!



Be well,

-Grant
P.S. The Fourth of July is upon us. Do have a happy and safe one! Bring your canine companion into The Fort. We will get them burnout like a falling bottle rocket... Well, you know what I meant haha. The pack will help them burn off that extra holiday energy. Also, although it will be our record night thus far, there is still plenty of room to board your pooch overnight, feel free to!

The Real Mackenzie

It's always fun to reference a great band lol but I digress...

Meet Mackenzie! She is a beautiful, eight year old, seventy-six pound, Husky/Great Dane Mix. Mackenzie is a very neat looking canine. She is mostly black and white, with a hint of brown on her legs and across her back. Mackenzie spent the morning in the Big Roll and she did quite well. Although she didn't play, she was a nice addition to the pack. Her cool, calm, collectedness was a breath of fresh air. Mackenzie didn't mind the other dogs and she seemed quite content hanging out with the pack. Fine job today Mackenzie, we will see you on Friday!

Take it easy,

-Grant

Some Clips

It's been a busy day around here. Everyone has been working extra hard to get our overnight boarding plans in gear. There is lots of planning, marketing and running around to do before Memorial Day weekend in May... That is when we will be kicking off our 24/7 canine care operation, how exciting!

I'm going to post some clips now, that is all lol.

Miss Bella "The Dane" returned for a visit today. She's bigger and happier than ever. Bella played with lots of dogs in the Big Roll pack, taking quite a liking to Gus... Boy is he popular!



Also in the Big Roll, Grady, was being his normal happy-go-lucky self. He is a great dog, pay no attention to the fact that he looks like he is getting "beat-up" in this clip haha. Grady goes a million miles an hour while playing, sometimes the pack needs to slow him down a notch. This helps us and it is a good thing!



New Mastiff pup Tilly showed up this morning. She is doing mighty fine, making many new friends, including Terrier Bad-Boy "Lil Gus".



Take care,

-Grant

Double Dane Love

Here's a clip of our two Great Dane gals Athena and Bella taking advantage of "Nap Time" hahaha!



Take care,

-Grant

dog age chart, beer, Bella & Finn

Hey everybody,

Our Manager Hope has had a number of great blog posts this week, check them out if you haven't already.

I found this awesome dog age chart last weekend and had to share it. I'm so used to the old, one year for us = seven years for them ratio. This is obviously much more accurate.

This next link may not be for everyone but I got a chuckle out of it, I bring you, "Dogs with Beer" hahaha.

*Fort Fido, LLC does not condone giving your dog beer or any alcohol for that matter, these are just funny photos... Although some people say a bit of beer every once in awhile is good for the coat, seriously, we've heard that a couple times lol. I imagine this would be a better alternative (non-alcoholic)*

Enjoy the sun,

-Grant
P.S. Here is a clip of Finn the Yellow Lab having a super time with a pretty Great Dane named Bella. Finny has this crazy love affair with Danes haha, enjoy!

<<< Bella The Great >>>

Bella the Great Dane had her assessment this morning. She is a adorable, sweet and spunky gal. Bella is six and a half months old and already 86 pounds! She is going to be one big girl! Her first steps into the Big Roll went smooth... Here she is taking on Ruger and Dakota. Too fun!



Take it easy,

-Grant

P.S. Remember this amazing rescue I mentioned last week... Here is a little follow up, interesting.

- New Jersey Boy -

Jersey Boy began his assessment this morning. He did wonderful and had a fun time. Jersey is a one year old, 55 pound, German Wirehaired Pointer mix. He looks an awful lot like David & Nancy's dog Griffon who is supposed to be a mix of a very similar breed, the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon.



Remember the world's tallest dog battle I mentioned here in October? Well apparently neither of those two dogs have been crowned The World's Tallest. Guinness named "Titan" the worlds tallest dog last week and there is already a dispute, check out the article. Crazy! Good luck to both of them.

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. If you haven't already, make sure to check out Hope's Saturday Post!

Athena & Kitty Cuddle

Athena's owner Michelle sent me some great pics of Athena (a Great Dane) and her kitty, check them out!

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. If you have any digital pictures of your Fort Fido dog send them to me and I'll post them on the blog! grant@fortfido.com

Chase me games

Just a little clip from this morning... The young German Shepherd Hektor having some fun with Athena the Great Dane!



Cheers,

-Grant

They're Massive!

Stumbled upon this article today... It will be neat to see if he gets the
new record. Boomer has to beat this guy Gibson (above) for the title of worlds tallest dog. Holly cow, we thought Astro and Athena were big!

Here is a clip of Athena mixing it up with her boyfriend, a striking yellow lab named Finn. I guess opposites do attract lol. Athena is a sweetheart, even if she happens to be the most rambunctious Great Dane we have ever come across.



Cheers,

-Grant

P.S. It was Finn's second Birthday yesterday. Happy birthday Finny, stay outta these now!