Friday, July 18, 2014

Radiant Ruby

Today we welcomed Ruby to the Fort. She is a 7 year old, 57 pound, Siberian Husky. She did very well for her first day, she didn't play, but she was very curious and mingled with the other dogs. She is welcome back any time. Good job today Ruby!
 
 
In this clip Parker the Golden Retriever is having a blast with the herding ball.
 

Have a great weekend,
Gary

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Newsin it up


"Fresh off the press this morning"

Photographer captures faithful dog's last day Watch out for that one, it's a sad one, gulp.

Horribly mistreated dog gets an epic makeover Holy smokes!

Dog saves deaf boy from fire Way to go Ace!

Lost Dog App using facial recognition gains traction Dang, the future is now lol... That sounds like a project Gary should be working on.

Common complaints from dog owners Ha! I'm quite sure we've all experienced one or all of those "complaints" at some point in our dog loving lives.

Family creates 'canine bucket-list' for dog with cancer Pretty awesome, similar to that first article. I'm enjoying this "cool new trend" in the celebration of a pet's life.

Dog drives to celebrate birthday Ok. Maybe that is getting carried away a bit, or maybe not? They lost me on that one.

That was my dog, now let me explain Dang Bella, that's embarrassing!

New tech helps injured dog get prosthetic paws Way to go Brutus, lucky dog!

4 things your dog can teach you about customer retention Never thought of this... Very interesting.

New dog carrier allows injured older dogs more freedom Great idea, too sweet!

Italian beach offers Dog Ambulance What a novel idea.

Be well,

-Grant

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Nice Nina

This morning we had the pleasure of assessing Nina. She is a seven year old, sixty pound, silver colored, Weimaraner. Lucky for us, Nina, has been a long time Dog Daycare and Overnight Boarding attendee, at facilities in and around Seattle... Making her a  versatile dog, that is more than comfortable around a pack. She has a calm and mature disposition, akin to our Ginger of the Big Roll. Nina did great in the Big Roll play area, where she pretty much acted as though she'd been here times before. This sweet gal didn't play a whole heck of a lot, however she did "meet and greet" with the other canines healthily. Nina meandered bout the play area, socializing and getting familiar with her new surroundings. She is one neat dog that is welcome to hangout at The Fort anytime. Wonderful job today Nina! We hope to see you again soon.

Cheers,

-Grant

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

RIP Kirby


It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of one of our canine friends today. Kirby, a Fort Fido regular, just died. His owner let us know over the weekend, and our most sincere apologies go out to him. We are sorry for your loss!

Kirby was a real character, a very fun dog, that often times made us chuckle with his antics... Although tiny in stature, and a senior in age, Kirby, had a rather large, youthful, and happy personality. He still had a lot of spunkiness, up until his last day. Kirby thoroughly enjoyed coming to The Fort, where he'd arrive bright and early, eager to hangout upstairs in the Little Roll. There, and like clockwork, he'd play and socialize throughout the day, acting quite spry for an older gentlemen. We will definitely miss Kirby now that he is gone, luckily however, the memories of him will live on. Be well old friend!

Some find the Rainbow Bridge Poem helpful during pet loss and it's grieving process. It certainly means well, regardless of your beliefs. I consider it a classic poem, check it out if you never have.

Take it easy,

-Grant

Monday, July 14, 2014

Cheerful Barkley

This morning, The Fort welcomed Mister Barkley. Barkley is a thirty pound one-year-old Irish Terrier whom loves to play. He came in curious as to what The Fort was and what to do here. After meeting some other pack members, like Kaya (as seen in the video below), and learning that he was not here for a "vet visit" he warmed up to the others and began to have a wonderful time playing with the pack in the medium roll. Barkley also determined that this was similar to a dog park (although different) since he was able to interact with fellow pack members. Barkley is continuing to relax and play with the pack while enjoying his time here. He is prepared to return to Fort Fido, elated to see and make new friends. 



Welcome to Fort Fido,
- Zach

Friday, July 11, 2014

Ball Time!

In this clip from upstairs, the small dogs are enjoying ball time.



Check out this real-life version of "The Fox and the Hound". The baby fox was rescued by a tourist in England, and adopted by a wildlife ranger. Take a look at the pictures here.
 
Another unlikely friendship. One year old Cheetah "Winspear" and Black Lab "Amani", share a popsicle on their birthday at the Dallas Zoo.
 
 
Have a great weekend,
Gary

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Some words about Overnight Boarding



Our Overnight Boarding here at Fort Fido has proven to be a great success. We've been going strong with it for a little over two years now, my how time flys! Today, I wanted to throw out some Overnight Boarding Tips. Basically, what you should and shouldn't (or don't need to) bring with your dog to The Fort, for their overnight stay. What we have been running into is, some folks are bringing in wayyy too much, while others aren't bringing in enough... So here is our recommendations on the "perfect amount of NEEDED gear".

*Please note, if your canine has special needs (i.e., they need their bandages changed, insulin injections, hair styled, salve applied, diaper changed, booties kept on, etc...) please speak with a Fort Fido staff member prior to making boarding reservations. We may not be able to meet certain needs, and extra fees may apply.


For a fantastic Fort Fido Overnight Stay, along with your pooch, assuming they don't have any medications or special needs, please bring in the following:

- A towel, old human shirt, blanket, and or bed.

Either one is fine, your dog may not need any of that stuff, or you may want them to have all of that stuff... But please keep in mind the seasons, the fact that we keep our building comfortable at all times, and, that we have clean rubber flooring in all of our play areas. (My dog Gibson is hilarious, he prefers to sleep on the hardwood floor at my home, or rubber floor here, careless of the fact that I've purchased him a fancy dog bed. Come on dude, it's organic cotton lol!)

- Collar and Leash

As you already know, all dogs coming into The Fort must be on a quick-release collar and leash only. For a boarding stay, go ahead and bring them in on this exact same setup.

- Food and a Measure

If you canine already eats our wonderful "house food", Fromm Gold, then you have it easy, don't bring in any food... However, if your pooch does not eat Fromms. Please bring the food they eat daily from home. We do not want to deal with any Digestive Issues lol. You can bring your dog's food in the packaging it comes in, or a tub, or Tupperware, even a grocery bag or any bag works. Just be sure to bring enough food for the duration of their visit, and be sure to supply us with a measuring device for your dogs individual portion. Measuring cups, scoops, pint glasses, and to-go cups all work well.

That is it, easy as pie!

Any more gear than that pretty much just becomes a burden, and or can't be used. Some things, like treats and toys, don't get used because they can't be, for safety's sake, or because they will just get ruined by other canine guests. Here, we provide water and water bowls, food bowls, toys (little roll only), crates (if needed), etc... We even have extra bedding and towels.

We appreciate you going with the "less is more" approach when bringing in gear for your pet's stay. Thanks for making it easy on us lol!


Although accidents and mistakes can, and do occur, here and in life... While staying at For Fido, to the best of our abilities, dogs are monitored, and kept in optimal physical and psychological health.

People care for and communicate with dogs in many different ways, what may be a great way for one, isn't for someone else. Being Canine-care Professionals, we understand this in depth, and attempt to tread lightly on the subject. We have customers from all walks of life, whom each handle their canine differently. The one common thread though, and the thing we most appreciate, is that they all trust us to care for their dogs in our way. For this we thank them, we are truly obliged by their support and understanding. Believe us when we say, everything we do at our facility, is for the total health and wellness of the animals that come here. Safety for the dogs comes first, which is then followed by customer service.

As Canine-care Professionals, we have a keen understanding of the canine brain and a dogs individual actions/needs and how to address them. We ensure that they are safe, comfortable, and clean at all times... While simultaneously allowing them to "be dogs", the fantastic rabble-rousers, players, and socializers they are, truly part of a pack once in our care. We like to call ourselves, Dog Wranglers, jokingly defining that term as "Janitors and Referees", albeit it's true.

So with all of that, please, go about your day, night, vacations and trips, without a care, rest assured that your doggy companion is in good hands here. Trust us and let us work, we are the experts. If we are experiencing a problem, or an emergency arises concerning your pet, after addressing it, we'll be the first to contact you... We have a cheeky saying around here, but it holds true, "no news, is good news."

;)

To all of our customers, thank you so very much for your business. Don't forget to get your reservation in now for boarding!

-Grant, David, Nancy, & the rest of the Fort Fido Staff