Sad but true.

 

I have not looked forward to writing this post.

It is with sadness that I tell you, a piece of Fort Fido passed away Monday night...

Our beloved, Cooper, resident Shih Tzu, Boss-Man and Fort Connoisseur, crossed The Rainbow Bridge.

Cooper, no dog has been our spokesman quite like him. No dog has made us belly laugh harder than him. Fort Fido Doggie Daycare has learned much from him. The place will be different without, Cooper, a canine that lived his life on his own terms and called no man "Sir" lol. He did whatever pleased him, at all times. In actuality, a lot can be said for that. Many of us need to incorporate a little more "Cooper Style" in our lives.

Cooper started attending daycare here at six years old. After his first day, he pretty much never left. Cooper has been at our facility, damn near everyday, since our first month open in 2006. A special case, Cooper, was allowed to roam Fort Fido at will... And that he did! Never wanting to leave, even when offered an open door lol, Cooper wholeheartedly loved his days with us. He spent his time roaming the halls, lounging on a leather sofa, playing ball in the Little Roll and just plain having fun. Cooper's life was truly "The Life of Riley". In many ways, I was jealous of him hahaha!

One can only imagine the numerous stories we have involving him. They would most literally fill a book. His owner, Roz, deserves a special mention. She is a neat lady that took Cooper on as a rescue. fulfilling the wish  of a passing loved one... Something many of us haven't faced. For this, we commend her. Not to mention, she has cheered our business and my family on since day one. Thank you Roz! Your kindness and generosity has been and always will be appreciated. Our hearts go out to you, we apologize for your loss. We know for a fact that you did right by "Mr. C". You gave him one hell of a happy life. Each stage of his journey, you were there for him. It was true commitment, very outstanding indeed. I know, Cooper, among others, thanks you for it.

Personally, I like to remember Cooper with celebration and laughs, rather than sorrow. From what I know about him, he wouldn't want it any other way. If he were a human, and had a will, I'm certain that a wake/party would be of his choosing. He'd want plenty of spirits, sweet treats and an array of the finest cheeses.  Hahaha! After all, cheese, was his absolute favorite food.

I will leave you with some of our favorite cooper photos. Click to enlarge.

On behalf of the whole Fort Fido Staff, here's to remembering the good times! Rest in peace Coops, thanks for everything.

Cheers!

-Grant

Two New Pooches!

On Sunday, we met up with Sara for her assessment. Now unfortunately, her picture just doesn't do her justice... Sara is a super cute, five year old, seventeen pound, Shih Tzu. Our manager, Hope, said she was a, "Chill little lady". She hung out with the pack in a very calm and confident manner. Sara didn't play a whole heck of a lot but may in time. She interacted with the others wisely and seemed to enjoy her stay. We look forward to having this happy dog return, she is welcome anytime!

Early Monday morning we finally assessed Dino! He is a experienced, fourteen year old, seventy pound, black Labrador Retriever Mix. Now we have heard about "The Legend of Dino" for ages! His younger brother, Dempsey, is a Fort Fido original who has been attending daycare regularly for years. Dempsey and Dino's owners weren't too sure how Dino would fare with the pack at The Fort. Because he is an older fella, they thought he might not dig it, which is understandable. Daycare is most often a "young bucks" game. However, we found out rather quickly, that Dino The Dinosaur isn't a dusty fossil after-all hahaha. He took to the Big Roll smoothly, doing just fine with the other canines. Heck, Dino even gave young whippersnappers, like Zipper and Jake, a run for their money. We like Dino's style. We are awfully glad he worked out here and plan on seeing him again. Dempsey can't have all the fun! ;)

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. This, has become quite the sensation, it is very touching.

Fun with Windows Movie Maker!

Our assessment rescheduled for tomorrow, so I don't have any news on that front for you guys. What I have instead is a really neat video that I worked on this afternoon. It features Gus, Gordon, Baer, Wally and Winston. It was especially good to see Wally starting to bust out today--he played with Winston, which we caught on camera, and was also having a great time with a few other big dogs. I'm glad to see he's getting more comfortable, and mixing it up more!

I hope that you guys liked it! :-D

-Hope

P.S.-- In case you needed a story of motherly-canine-love to brighten your day, here is a story about a mother dog that rescued her puppies from a blazing house fire, taking them one by one to the firetruck outside.

Another couple of new kids on the block!

This has been a big week for us here at the Fort, welcoming all different kinds of new pooches into our pack! The newbies today were Jackson (an absolutely adorable three-month-old Apricot Goldendoodle), and Hazel (a spunky four-year-old mixed breed).

Jackson is a sweet little guy, and had a great time playing with Thorn in the Medium Roll. He is coming to us at a great time for socialization, and should grow up into a cool, confident dog with all this exposure to other pups. The Medium Roll is a great place for puppies, especially since the size range of pups in that group is rather large. Getting experience early on with all different kinds of dogs is a great basis for lifelong socialization.

Hazel got to romp with the big guys, which was a great match for her energy level. This good-time gal was eager to mix it up with the other dogs, and was caught on camera for a few seconds this morning having a quick romp with Baer.

We have even more new pups on the way tomorrow--check back to see those new additions tomorrow evening!

-Hope

Barley and Wally Join the Pack!

We found him bright and early this morning!

Wally is a handsome four-year-old Labradoodle who will be staying the weekend with us here at the Fort. He is a real curly guy with absolutely beautiful eyes. It's obvious that Wally loves to play, but he's still learning some of the rules and how to play fair--that's something that Doggie Daycare is great for! Once a pup learns to speak good "dog," they will be able to have a lot more safe fun wherever they go-- be it on the trails, to the dog park, or just greeting the pooches that live next door. I'm sure that he's going to have a good weekend here with us.

One of the ingredients of my favorite drink! ;-)

Also joining us for the first time this morning is little Barley-- a spunky little MinPin/Puggle mix. This two-and-a-half-year-old firecracker had a good time with the medium roll pooches. Sweet, confident, and above all good-natured and happy (just look at that grin!), Barley would be a great addition to any dog pack, and I'm glad that he's choosing ours!

Meeting these two cool pups was a great way to start off the morning, and coming here was a great start to their days, too! We're excited to see them both back soon,

Hope

Jumping Jack Flash

Jack's a dashing, three month old, twenty-nine pound, Yellow Labrador Retriever. He had his assessment first thing Wednesday morning. Jack is quite the sweet puppy dog. If you aren't careful, this charming little (for now) chap will steal your heart. Who could resist that happy face lol? He looks like the dog from the Cottonelle commercials!

As soon as Jack entered the Medium Roll, he instantly started playing with the group, which was pretty hilarious. These are the kind of "Assessments" we love... Puppies that are ready to socialize merrily, it sure makes our job easier haha. Jack is more than welcome to hang out at Fort Fido. He will most certainly benefit from doing so. We plan on seeing Jack sooner rather than later.



The clip above shows pup, Jack, ripping it up with Marley and Sheldon. He also received a bit of schooling from Mother Miura.

Take it easy,

-Grant
P.S. Couldn't help myself, the other Cottonelle commercial, even kookier!

First comes Riley, then comes Samson!

The above images are just what came to mind when I heard about the new dogs lol! The films "Papillon" and "Samson & Delilah", although not dog related, are oldies but goodies. The only reason I know of them, you may be wondering, mom's a diehard "old movie" buff. Sometimes I can't hang, but those two movies are quite entertaining hahaha. ;)

Twas another crackin' morning over at Fort Fido Tuesday. We had two early morning assessments. Both turned out well, as expected.

Riley was first through the door. He is a dapper, one year old, six pound, red, white and black Papillon. These dogs, Papillons, have such a unique and intriguing look that I really enjoy. Riley is no exception! His striking black mask contrasts his friendly demeanor vividly. Riley took to the Little Roll with ease, making several canine buddies. He was courteous and curious, which got him interacting with pack members quickly. Riley enjoyed chasing toys and running through our agility tunnel. Simply put, this dog is a lot of fun! We are stoked that he got so much pleasure out of his first day.

Not too long after Riley got settled in, Samson arrived. He is a bold, almost four month old, forty pound, German Shepherd/English Mastiff Mix. Samson is a kind young pup who will get a lot out of attending The Fort. A ruff and tumble sort of guy, soon to be quite large, there is no doubt that, Samson, will graduate to the Big Roll in time. For now however, he can learn much from the Medium Roll while playing hard and making friends... Two things that he truly excels at. Take a peak at this clip of Samson having a blast with Rocky. It's Samson in a nutshell!



We heartily welcome Riley and Samson. May they return soon!

Cheers,

-Grant
P.S. Found this gem online today: There's no fighting between this cat and dog!