Say there Sammy

 

Meet Sammy! He is a very handsome, two year old, forty pound, black/white & brown colored, Border Collie Mix. Sammy is a rescue dog that has fit in well with his forever-family. He tried out The Fort today, to get ready for some future Overnight Boarding. Sammy stayed with us in The Medium Roll and wasn't exactly sure what to make of it at first. As the pack grew, Sammy relaxed into his new social scene well. We think Sammy did a good job here today. In time, hopefully he will become even more comfortable here, let his "hair down", and get some more play time in. Fine work this morning Sammy, we look forward to your return.

 

Be well,

 

-Grant

P.S. One cool fact about Sammy, his owner is a University Place Firefighter, who recently helped us on our latest Fire Inspection.

Two great new dogs!

Last Sunday we assessed Max. He is an eight year old, ninety pound, Coonhound. Max stayed in the Big Roll. He was a curious and confident fellow, quite fluent in "Dog Speak" lol. He did very well here, playing with boxer friend, Liberty, among others. Max used to come to The Fort for training, when we had classes here back in the day... Now, he's ready and eager to experience daycare, as well as overnight boarding here at Fort Fido. Unfortunately, we accidentally deleted our digital picture of Max, but I assure you, he is a good lookin canine-dude. We'll get ya next time Max!

This morning we had the pleasure of assessing Bailey. Bailey is a nine year old, twenty-two pound, Cocker Spaniel. This cute little guy hung out with us in our Medium Roll and seemed to enjoy the affair. It was evident that Bailey had met a dog or two in his day. Although he didn't play a whole lot, Bailey was cool, calm, and collected around the others. He is more than welcome to join our ranks.

Awesome job Max and Bailey, we shall see you both soon!

Take care,

-Grant

K-9 Articles

Here are some dog related articles I thought I'd share with you today.

Enjoy!

'Norman the Scooter Dog' goes for Guinness World Record

Take Your Dog to Work Day

Rescue puppies get surprising stand-in mom: A capybara

Blind golden retriever Ray Charles becomes Internet star


Have a good one,
-Matt

Trick or treat!

       Just like humans, dogs need to find different ways of stimulating their brains. Besides daycare of course, one of the ways to help deal with high energy dogs, or any dog for that matter is to set them loose on a Treat Puzzle. This type of puzzle helps the dog feel accomplished and entertained while earning it's treat. These are important things for the pup's mental health (which is just as important to our canine friends as their physical health) as it creates an avenue of stimulation that is natural in the way it makes your pup "hunt", instead of just being presented with his or her meal. 

 

 

Here we have Miller, one of The Fort's good friends, setting a prime example of how to play with his treat puzzle, and having a blast doing so!! His particular puzzle hides the snacks under the "paws", which Miller will have to pull out of the base in order to his reward. A great game and a healthy way to keep them preoccupied.    

  

One fairly common treat puzzle is the Kong, many of you have seen and maybe even used them before. By loading the Kongs up with the variety of treats made specifically to be placed inside the toy, Or anything healthy you could think your dog would enjoy, Such as this recipe using Apple, Pumpkin, and kibble. Or for a more sophisticated pallet, we have this scrumptious looking recipe.  Your pup could spend anywhere from 10-15 minutes all the way up to an hour, trying to get at those delicious goodies!

 

Being able to distract your dog, with something fun for them to do, even for just a couple minutes can be a lifesaver sometimes, but a joy to watch every time.


So next time you stop in at The Fort, be sure to check out our wall-o-toys, to find a puzzle game that would work best for your pup. Here at Fort Fido we carry lots of Kong toys, along with balls that hold the treats until smushed a particular way very similar to the way that Kongs work.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check in on the fun come Monday :)

-Ryan

One clip, one crazy Dog Island

This clip features our buddy, Thorn, ripping it up with young dogs Max and Pancake, in the Medium Roll.

Way to go you wild ones!


Well, if you thought Fort Fido was cool... Wait until you get a load of Dog Island. OMG! This is the epitome of a canine-paradise-sanctuary, albeit a bit "Lord of the Flies"! Here is an excerpt from their front page.

"Over 2,500 dogs are already enjoying a better life at Dog Island. Separated from the anxieties of urban life, dogs on Dog Island are healthy dogs who live a natural, healthy and happy life, free from the stress and hardship associated with daily life among humans.

They live with almost limitless space, and tens of thousands of rabbits, rodents, fish and other natural prey. Surrounded by thousands of other dogs, this is the only place for them to be truly social and create healthy families.
Dogs at Dog Island have another chance."

Maybe I'll send Gibson to Dog Island to visit... But IDK, maybe he wouldn't want to come back lol! If you are interested in sending your dog there, let us know, I'd love to hear about the experience. Maybe we could get a mini NW one going on Anderson Island? Some land is cheap there, ha!

Stay cool,

-Grant
P.S. Yes, I've attempted to trick you... Dog Island, of which I was told about by a friend (who totally believed in it), is not real. I could not believe it at first, and argued with my friend about it for a bit lol. Then, I looked it up online with the trusty old Snopes, and confirmed my suspicions. Hahaha! I am sure they have pranked thousands with that website. Too rich!

You must watch this!

I really enjoy watching the short documentary films that, Vice, offers. The other day, I came across one of the best ones yet! Checkout "Living with Wild Wolves". You will not be disappointed, it's absolutely entertaining, and only eleven minutes long. Now, it's not quite like a day working at The Fort, but it is close. Hahaha! ;) This flick is in good quality HD and has subtitles, so you may want to make it "Full Screen". Enjoy, I sure did!

Take care,

-Grant
P.S. I mentioned this fella a few months back in a news article that I found... It's awesome to learn a bit more about him, and get some real video footage of the man.

- Congratulations Hope & Ryan! -

Welcome new baby Robin, well done! Wishing all three of you the best!

Woo Hoo!!!

-David, Nancy, Grant & everyone here at Fort Fido. :)