~ Delightful Demitri ~

Demitri is a delightfully dashing, six year old, seven pound, Toy Fox Terrier. This little fella is one tough dog! He had his assessment on Sunday and chilled with the Big Dogs in the Big Roll. Demitri will probably hangout with the Medium Pack in the future but in all honesty, he can handle any dog that comes his way. Size wasn't a factor for Demitir, he was confident interacting with other pooches, regardless of their stature. Although he didn't "play" a whole heck of a lot, he seemed interested and entertained. I won't be too surprised if this guy "busts out" a bit more upon his next visit. Lucky for us, we will be seeing Demitri again soon. He sure is a pleasant dog that fits right in at The Fort.

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. Almost forgot, Demitri is a SUNDog. Way to go! Also, tomorrow, I will blog about this morning's new recruit. Stay tuned!

Beautiful Blackie!

 Sorry for the blurry photo-- I'm just such a happy and friendly guy that sitting still can be a challenge!

Blackie is an adorable five-year-old Cockapoo who came to play with us for the first time this morning. He was just about as cheerful as a pup can get, constantly wagging and wiggling. He was a little more interested in figuring out what us two-legged people were doing than he was in playing with the other pups, but he did have some flashes-in-the-pan playing some of the others. It's obvious that he has been well socialized, and he was equally polite with both people and pooches. We look forward to having him as a "regular" here at Fort Fido.

I'll leave you with these adorable pictures of Diego, aspiring model!

Have a great night everybody! Be sure to send pictures of your own pooch in his "natural environment" (lol) to grant@fortfido.com to see them featured on the blog!

-Hope

Bouncing Brodie

I think that we've struck gold with all the sweet Dobies joining our pack lately, and Brodie is no exception. An affable eleven-month-old, Brodie wasted no time getting in on the Big Roll action. He speaks great "dog," and will play with anyone that wants to be his friend. Brodie strikes a good balance between eagerness and respect, and isn't pushy when he wants to play. This boy is definitely just looking to have a good time with all his buddies!

We caught this cutie on camera this morning playing with another new pup, Flash. The two of them were fast friends, and played together very well.

This boy is a great addition to the pack, and we hope to see him soon!

-Hope

Bouncy, Flouncy, Trouncy, Pouncy, Fun-- Tigger!

T-I-double G-ER is a sweet and friendly little Jack Russel/Chihuahua mix that we had the pleasure of meeting this morning. This sweet little rescue pup (a big thanks to SUNDogs for helping to find this lovely lady's forever home), who absolutely adores her owner. She was a good pack member and a great doggie citizen, and played well with the other little guys. She loved chasing the ball, and has that half of fetch down pat!

 

Check out this little clip of Tigger and Buckwheat chasing down balls upstairs this morning-- neither were too big on retrieval, but they're definitely enjoying the chase!

We look forward to having her back with us soon :-)

-Hope

A battle of epic proportions between two ferocious beasts!

 

 

Hahaha! I Found those photos on reddit the other day and they had me cracking up. It was a wonderful title, coupled with ever so perfectly timed photos. They are what looks to be, a young Newfoundland and a Chocolate Labrador Retriever playing very hard. It surely is the epitome of The Fort on any given day. So perfect! To those out of the know... I guess dogs playing, can look like they are fighting lol.

Cheers,

-Grant

In the news

I've found some really good ones this time around.

Here you go, enjoy!

The Dogs of 9/11

Training dogs to stay calm and quiet, even when traveling

Mushroom extends lives of dogs with cancer

Worlds fattest dog goes on a diet

Rescue dogs sniff out endangered species

Robot dog pack keeps growls to a whimper

The benefits of having a dog

 :)

-Grant

A Canine's Utopia @ Ewe-topia

Darn, I can't believe I forgot to take pictures of Gibson's first visit to Ewe-topia! I was just so caught up in the excitement of it all. Several of our customers have recommended this place over the years and we finally took the time to check it out. We are quite glad we did!

Gibson and I drove out to Ewe-topia, in the town of Roy, on Saturday afternoon. Upon arrival, we were struck with a calming country breeze and the beautiful silence that is a rural area. We signed Gibson up for herding, while owners Linda and Joe explained the process to us. We waited for our turn, watching a German Shepherd and his owner, heard a trio of large sheep around an arena. It was most impressive! After pointers from Joe, it was my wife and Gibsons turn to meet a mini-flock of brown and black sheep.

Gibson wasn't sure what to make of it all. Rocky terrain, noises never heard and encouragement to "get rowdy", were unlike his city-slicker environment, but, that didn't stop him from enjoying the experience thoroughly. A smile adorned his face the whole time as he sprinted to and fro. He had a few "real herding dog" moments when he circled the large sheep, beginning to realize that they were scared of him. However, for the most part, he was distracted by his new surroundings and large amount of stimulation.

Later on, after the sheep and a quick rest in the dog-park, Joe allowed us to try Gibson with "The Ducks". He thought our Shetland dude would be even more interested in them. Unfortunately, he wasn't. The sheep got him the most riled up. Gibson pretty much ignored the paddling of ducks, no matter how hard we tried to get him involved, he just ran around happily. It was the opposite for a pack of 11 Rottweiler pups who, at only weeks old, and only inches high, were attempting to pull out ducky tail-feathers hahaha! It was a sight to see, too funny, the little Rotty pups will be expert flock wranglers in no time. I don't know about Gibby though lol.

We plan on vivsting Ewe-topia again soon, allowing Gibson to have another go at the sheep. Now that he is familiar with the place, we believe he will do a better job and will be much more engaged in sheep chasing. Joe said it can take time, it isn't often that we tell our dogs to "Go Get Em'!", while encouraging barking and nutty behavior. In some ways, getting your dog into herding, is an entirely different beast than obedience training. You must allow them to get fired-up and excited about the flock, while not correcting what would normally be "bad" behavior in most public settings. They need that fire in their belly, that "drive" to herd properly. Once that is initiated, the real training begins. We aren't there yet.

Ewe-topia also has a dog park, agility center and, they offer training. Linda, Joe and the rest of their staff were outstanding. They really made you feel comfortable. Thier "way" with animals is superb, calm and balanced... Their energy and dog-handling-skills are impeccable. The whole scene and facility is rather welcoming.

I highly suggest you take your dog for an afternoon of fun. You need not to have any apprehension. Just give them a call, follow the simple rules and enjoy yourself. All breeds are welcome, they have even had Chihuahuas and Miniature Dachshunds herding! Gibson won't be winning any herding trials soon but it was most definitely worth it for him. Whether it was the herding he attempted, or the running from two big Bouvier des Flandreses in the dog park, most likely the combination... I have never seen my dog so tired and contented. It was well worth the drive and mere $12!

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. On our next visit, I promise to get some photos and or video!