Christmas Buddy and Clips

Checkout this great photo of Fort Fido's very own "Buddy" with Santa Claus. It turned out real nice but my scanner didn't do it justice. Buddy's owner told me that Bud snagged Santa's beard right before the shoot, haha, typical Buddy style! Also, notice that Mrs. Claus had to fill in for the Jolly guy in this pic lol.

Remember, send us in your holiday pet photos (or any pet photos for that matter), they are all Blog worthy and we love receiving them.


Clips from today:

Two different colored "Golden Retrievers", Lulu & Sam played hard today.



The Medium Roll was as wild and boisterous as any day.



The Little Roll was also it's high-energy, fun-loving self.





Take care,

-Grant

A & O Dog Training Site Launches and Documentaries

Our in-house dog trainer, Garrett Stevens, of Alpha & Omega Dog Training, has been working with us for a couple of years now. Garrett offers some outstanding dog training classes and seminars here at The Fort. We are excited to announce the launch of Garrett's new website, check it out here. Congratulations Alpha & Omega Dog Training! Another interesting fact is that our main man, Gary, is the Webmaster/Designer of Garrett's new website, too cool, nice job.


I am a big fan of Documentaries and Non-Fiction... I've watched several of the neat films over at snagfilms. There are many wonderful, canine related, documentaries on the site. I thought I would list some of them here for y'all to enjoy. Please note, not all of these are total "feel goods", specifically the top two, but they are all very informative none the less.

Rez Dogs

Dog Bless You

Those Wonderful Dogs

Man & Dog, An Evolving Partnership

A Pug's Life

Canine Confidential

Demon The Biker Chihuahua


Hope your week has started off well!

-Grant

Walking Fido in a Winter Wonderland!

With the cold weather settling in for the next few months, it's important to consider how you are going to keep your pet warm and safe in this weather.

The first and most obvious thing is to, of course, limit the amount of time that your pup spends outside in the cold. Especially if there is snow or ice on the ground, time outside should be kept to manageable chunks. More pets are reported lost during the winter than during other times of year--this is because snow and cold can dampen smells and make it harder for your pooch to find his way home. Be cautious, and don't let your pet off-leash in a place where they may become lost.

Sweaters, coats, and booties can help to protect short-haired pets from the elements. It may feel a little silly to dress up a dog (who am I kidding, it's adorable!), but Fido will thank you for the extra layers. I've heard from several pet owners here at the Fort that their pups will refuse to go out in the cold or wet without a coat, instead waiting until they are all bundled up. Can't say that I blame them--I haven't been anywhere without a coat in ages!

Protect your pup's pads from the cold and ice by applying something like Musher's Secret. This is a product made from all natural waxes, that coats your pup's paws and protects them from the elements, and any chemicals (such as de-icers) that have been put down to help us two-leggers deal with the weather. Make certain that while walking in this weather you keep an eye out for places that rock salt or other thawing chemicals have been used, and keep Fido from getting too interested! Puddles outside can also act as reservoirs of these chemicals. When you return home, your pup's feet and legs should be rinsed to make sure that no lingering chemicals are waiting to be licked.

There are non-toxic alternatives to the typical lime rock salt and calcium chloride salt, that can be used around pets. Morton Salt has a product, aptly named Safe T Pet, that is completely salt and chloride free. It is safer for pets, plants, and people! It's even easier on the concrete than traditional rock salt.

Just as you wouldn't leave your pet in the car during the summer, you should also avoid leaving them in a vehicle during the winter. While it is out of the wind, cars can still become very cold in a hurry, and this becomes a serious hazard to pets inside. On the subject of cars--many outdoor cats will sleep beneath the engine of parked cars during the winter, enjoying the last bits of radiating heat. If you park outside, make certain that you make some loud noise and check around for sleeping cats before starting your vehicle.

Puppies and older dogs do not tolerate heat as well as adult dogs do, so if you have a junior or senior pet, keep a close eye on how they are doing, and be sensitive to any signs of discomfort that they might be showing. Older dogs especially can have a hard time, if the cold sets off their arthritis. Adequate nutrition from a good food like Kumpi can help to combat this, as well as limiting time spent in the cold.

Make sure that any portable heat sources are out of pet range and keep your fireplace blocked off from Fido, to avoid any dangers that the heat may pose.

If you have any other tips or tricks for dealing with the winter weather, post them in the comments and let us know!

-Hope

PS--I posted before about a dog accidentally shooting his owner at the beginning of a hunting trip, and I come to find out today that another unfortunate would-be hunter has suffered the same fate. I'm starting to notice a pattern, watch out hunters! Lol

Happy Friday!

Here are some superb news articles that Hope found earlier today.

Dog and rooster alert family to fire

World's oldest dog dies

Dog rescues dumped kittens

Blind horses and dogs find sweet life on farm


Here are some clips from the rolls today.

First up, two from the Medium Roll.

Miss Black Bella has a blast here all the time, look at her make the rounds lol.



Fort Fido old-schoolers Annie (Lab Mix) and Sofee (Boston Terrier/Pug/French Bulldog Mix) have been best buddies for a few years now, they are some great dogs.



Two from the Big Roll as well...

Mollie and Polo played quite hard this morning, they can handle it though. ;)



Bubba, Max and Sam were an unstoppable trio of pals most of the day.



Last but not least, the Littles.

Buddy and Chloe go at it.



The chase is on in this one with Chloe for the win Haha! She usually steals the show up there, always doing something fun.




Happy Friday y'all, have a nice weekend,

-Grant

Jack & Santa

Checkout these two awesomely hilarious photos of Jack, Santa and Jack's nephew lol. Click them to enlarge.

Talk about priceless, they really show off Jacks personality. Jack is a fun-loving, large/strong, Chocolate Lab that has been coming to Fort Fido for years. Definitely a regular of the Big Roll, nobody messes with Jack. ;)



Thanks for sending those pics in, we love sharing them with everyone. Don't forget to send in photos of your pet outside of The Fort ( Grant@fortfido.com ). Holiday themed photos of your pet are even better. I'll post them all up here on the Blog.

Have a great day,

-Grant

]]] Luther's Adventure [[[

(Click Map To Enlarge It)

Wow, now this is a good one, although a bit scary...

This morning dad (David) was in the lobby greeting customers. While glancing out the window he noticed a dog across the street, near Roundtable Pizza, approaching The Fort. The dog looked very familiar, "Is that Luther?" he thought. He was astonished to find out that it was! Already heading his way, David called for Luther and he happily came into the door then straight into the Big Roll, where he rules the roost I must add. So, Luther decided to bring himself to Doggie Daycare today, ahhh hahaha! Everyone was shocked. We found it very comical, he seemed to have a look on his face like, "Yeah, so what?" lol. In the past we've wondered at the possibilities of something like this happening.

The dogs at Fort Fido have a really good time here, for many, it becomes their second home. Everyone is fortunate and relived that Luther, however the heck he escaped, made it here in one piece. He managed to make his way roughly two miles from Crystal Springs Road, near Titlow Beach, all the way to 27th and Bridgeport! He no doubt crossed several busy streets and intersections while avoiding the dog catcher lol! Luther's owner is out of town, the house sitter/dog watcher had no idea how he escaped... His sis Payton was still in the yard and all gates were locked down. Luther is an old pooch but still has quite a bit of spring in his step, maybe he jumped over something?

Anyways, good thing he is here and safe now. What a wild morning for all involved! I have had a number of house sitting/dog watching gigs in the past. I know how difficult it can be to keep track of another person's household/pets. I know the sitter and feel for her, she's a great gal and loves these dogs... Sometimes accidents happen!


To Luther: No more adventures like that ya crazy man!

;)

Take care,

-Grant

FOUR CLIPS

Short and sweet, twas a busy day.


Two from the Medium Roll with the ever so rowdy Buddah and Tikvah.





Two clips from the Little Roll, never a dull moment up there. Chloe and Pearl are always getting spunky no matter what day it is.






I should have had Mom (Nancy) film my dad (David) and I fixing the big utility sink downstairs this morning lol. Last night, Gary noticed that it was leaking heavily onto the floor! We had to shut the water off so there wasn't any bathroom/cleaning facilities downstairs for awhile. There was also a lot of mopping to do, doh! It was a bummer but luckily we got a new faucet on the thing and it's dry as a bone now. We actually got it fixed rather quickly without any foul language or bickering hahaha! We also got off cheap this time around. The last Fort Fido plumbing fiasco cost 50 times as much and let's just say we needed professional help.

;)

Cheers,

-Grant