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| What a nice profile! |
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| Wes got the ball! |
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| What a pretty smile! |
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wesley Spencer, DOTW for 1/24-1/28!
Wesley Spencer is the DOTW for the week of 1/24 -1/28! Wesley is a 10 year old Golden Retriever who's been coming to Dog Days for years (since 2006). He has always enjoyed a good game of ball, although he's slowed down a bit as he's aged. We use Wes alot for interviews; he's such a laid-back fellow, without a mean bone in his body. He's a very lucky dog, because he lives with his dad on lots of land out in the country, and he gets to be a country dog when he's not here at Dog Days - chasing rabbits, deer and squirrels, playing in the mud and grass, and generally being a dog's dog. He's always happy to visit us here at Dog Days though, when he's more of an urban dog. Wesley also likes some snuggling on occasion, which makes him a favorite with the staff - when you need a dog hug, Wesley is happy to oblige. We love our Wes, and he deserves to be the DOTW this week! Congratulations, Wes!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Inclement Weather Policy
I thought I should restate our Inclement Weather Policy, since we're probably going to get some snow in a few hours. Dog Days Playcare is ALWAYS open when we say we're going to be open. We do not close early, or open late. If the schools are closed, we don't close. If we say we'll be here til 7:00PM, we're here til 7:00PM. There are a few reasons we do this, but the most important one is that, for 365 days a year, there are dogs here. Those dogs need to eat, and go to the bathroom in an appropriate location and get some exercise. So even if everything else is shut down, we're here.
That doesn't mean we don't have a skeleton crew - but bear in mind that I live about 5 miles away, and I drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle (as does my husband). I can always get here, even if some of my employees can't. Last year, when we had those huge snowstorms that dumped feet of snow in our area, I and my husband spent a few nights at Dog Days, to ensure that someone would be here in the morning to take care of our boarding dogs. That is when I discovered that, just because you turn the lights out doesn't mean dogs stop barking. :| But it was kind of fun, like camping out, but with heat and hot water, and food and a real bathroom.
We tend to get inclement weather in January and February in this area, which is even better for our clients. Because if you can't get over here to pick your dog up, these are the quietest months of the year for us, so we always will have room to keep them overnight if we need to.
The only days we close are major holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. We are HERE on those days; we're just not open to the public. But rest assured that your dogs are getting ample play time (at least 6 hours of it), plus regular feedings and potty breaks, just like a regular day.
So please please please don't worry about your dogs, if they're here with us during inclement weather or during a holiday. We'll be here, and we'll make sure they're well taken care of while they're here. That's what we do.
That doesn't mean we don't have a skeleton crew - but bear in mind that I live about 5 miles away, and I drive a 4-wheel drive vehicle (as does my husband). I can always get here, even if some of my employees can't. Last year, when we had those huge snowstorms that dumped feet of snow in our area, I and my husband spent a few nights at Dog Days, to ensure that someone would be here in the morning to take care of our boarding dogs. That is when I discovered that, just because you turn the lights out doesn't mean dogs stop barking. :| But it was kind of fun, like camping out, but with heat and hot water, and food and a real bathroom.
We tend to get inclement weather in January and February in this area, which is even better for our clients. Because if you can't get over here to pick your dog up, these are the quietest months of the year for us, so we always will have room to keep them overnight if we need to.
The only days we close are major holidays: New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. We are HERE on those days; we're just not open to the public. But rest assured that your dogs are getting ample play time (at least 6 hours of it), plus regular feedings and potty breaks, just like a regular day.
So please please please don't worry about your dogs, if they're here with us during inclement weather or during a holiday. We'll be here, and we'll make sure they're well taken care of while they're here. That's what we do.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Our New Walls
I've been asked by several of our clients why we're putting up walls in place of the chain link fencing. For those who remember their tour, we had chain link fencing around each play area. To keep the dogs from getting over-excited by seeing lots of strangers (that is, people who don't work here at Dog Days, but are for example, taking a tour), we have installed FRP (fiberglass reinforced plastic) which we refer to as "whiteboard." We have started replacing the chain link with drywall (still with the whiteboard installed) and windows. There are two main reasons for this: first, the chain link and whiteboard combination was really hard to keep clean - let's face it, boy dogs will pee on anything vertical! And all that dog hair would get caught in the fence. Second, the less the dogs in the play area see of strangers or strange dogs wandering around our office area, the less excited they are. This is better for the dogs (obviously).
I will say, I do miss the more open feel that we had with the chain link. But it was time we made the change. So the few remaining fences that are chain link will soon be coming down as well.
I am the sole primer/painter, so please be patient as I slowly work my way through priming it all, then painting it all a nice shade of blue. But it will get done!
I will say, I do miss the more open feel that we had with the chain link. But it was time we made the change. So the few remaining fences that are chain link will soon be coming down as well.
I am the sole primer/painter, so please be patient as I slowly work my way through priming it all, then painting it all a nice shade of blue. But it will get done!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Bunny and Zuzu Howard, DOTW 1/17-1/21!
Bunny and Zuzu Howard are our Dogs of the Week this week! Bunny is a 6 year old Peekapoo, and Zuzu is a 5 year old Maltipoo. They have been coming to Dog Days forever, since they were both about 4 months old. It's been a lot of fun to watch them grow up into adult dogs. Because they've been coming for such a long time, they've met just about every small dog that's ever stepped foot in Dog Days' small dog play area. They have lots of friends, but in particular, Bunny plays with Zoe and Gimli (in addition to her sister). Zuzu, well, Zuzu will play with ANYBODY, but really loves Zoe too. They are just the right combination of snuggly and playful. We've loved having them, and they are an integral part of Dog Days. It wouldn't really be Dog Days without these two! So thanks Karen, for sharing them with us, and congratulations Bunny and Zuzu!
Bunny after a groom
Zuzu, keeping her eye on the ball!
The two girls, together
Friday, January 14, 2011
Cali Collins, DOTW for 1/10-1/14!
Cali Collins is our DOTW this week. Cali has been coming to Dog Days for years, and was one of my first clients. She is a sweet, gentle Springer Spaniel who loves to play ball and roll around on the floor. She's particularly good with younger nervous dogs, and we use her all the time for interviewing new dogs. She greets us most mornings with a "woo woo" so we always know when she's arrived. We love our Cali - congratulations, Cali!!
All of the other pictures of Cali we have are of her, laying on her back showing us her belly. So here are some where you can at least see a portion of her pretty face. :)
All of the other pictures of Cali we have are of her, laying on her back showing us her belly. So here are some where you can at least see a portion of her pretty face. :)
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| Cali, resting after playing ball |
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| Cali is letting Chloe chew on her |
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| Cali (on the right) is snuggling up with Lucy, another Springer |
Monday, January 10, 2011
Fat Dogs
Okay, I said it. There are definitely fat dogs out there. Today I want to talk about 1) how to figure out if you have one of those dogs, and 2) some things you can do about it.
First, just because your vet hasn't told you your dog is fat doesn't necessarily mean your dog isn't fat. Vets, like the rest of us, don't want to offend anyone, and certainly don't want to lose a client because they've told that client something they don't want to hear. At Dog Days, we will sometimes try to let you know (in the nicest way possible) if your dog has put on a few pounds, or could lose some weight. We love our clients, and a heavy dog can suffer from so many more health issues than a trim dog. They also don't live as long, and we don't want to lose any of our furry friends to a fixable health problem. So if we do happen to mention this to you, please don't take it personally - we are concerned for your dog's wealthfare, and dogs, like people, have all kinds of reasons for being heavy.
So, how do you tell if you have an overweight dog? Sometimes it's pretty obvious. Sometimes it's not. Your dog should have a waist (right in front of the hips) when you're looking down on your dog from above. Your dog should also have an abdominal tuck, which, if you're looking at your dog from the side, is where the chest narrows under the hips (right before the back legs). In addition, you should be able to feel your dog's ribs if you run your hands over their ribcage. And finally, if your dog is sitting, and you look at your dog's rear end and back from behind, you might notice a pudge of fat right above the tail (if your dog is quite overweight, they don't even have to be sitting to see that fat roll). Although you might think your dog is better looking with some meat on their bones, in most cases, a slightly thin dog is more healthy than a slightly heavy dog. For some breeds, it can be difficult to tell if your dog is overweight. For example, if you have a golden retriever, or a shih tzu or another long or heavy-coated dog, you really have to FEEL your dog, you can't just look at him. You can always ask your vet the next time you go in for a visit as well - if you bring it up, most likely your vet will be honest with you.
So now you've decided you have an overweight dog. What do you do? First and most obviously, you need to cut back on their food. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't follow the feeding instructions on the back of the can or the bag of dog food. Remember dog food companies want to sell more food, so your dog's health isn't in their best interest. Growing puppies do need a substantial amount of food, but depending on the breed, you should start cutting back the amount when the dog becomes an adult (at a year). For example, my Lab puppy Leeloo started off eating 4 cups of food a day - 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. When she was a little less than a year old, I started cutting her back to 1.5 cups two times a day. When she turned two and had finished filling out (she's weighs about 53 lbs), she dropped to 1 cup two times a day. She's now almost 2.5 years old, and will stay at 1 cup two times a day for the forseeable future. Murphy, my 6 year old, is actually eating 3/4 cup two times a day and he's 57 lbs (and needs to lose a little weight).If I followed the back of the dog food bag, I should be feeding Murphy about 4 cups of food a day! So think carefully about how much you're feeding your dog - they don't need as much as you might think they do. You can always supplement their kibble with pumpkin or green beans (which are relatively high in fiber and are therefore filling).
Also, think about the number of treats you're giving. Some people have no idea how many treats they give their dog. Treats should never amount to more than about 5% of the dog's total daily calories. So only give treats occasionally. Perhaps you can swap out their treats for things that are healthy and low-fat, such as carrots.
Finally, just like people, the best way for your dog to lose weight is to burn more calories. So in addition to cutting back on their food, you need to exercise them more. This means walking them, or playing ball with them, or running with them. If your dog isn't used to exercising, you'll want to start slowly and work up. And just because your dog comes to daycare several days a week, that doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise your dog. I walk my dogs at least once (and usually twice) every day, regardless of whether they've been to the daycare or not. Exercising is good for you too, so you can both benefit from a daily walk or run. A walk also helps you re-establish yourself as the alpha dog, and lets you work on obedience commands while exercising. So get out there and walk!
So if you are one of those people who has an overweight dog, you know what you need to do: feed them less, and exercise them more. It's simple. And your dog will thank you for it!
First, just because your vet hasn't told you your dog is fat doesn't necessarily mean your dog isn't fat. Vets, like the rest of us, don't want to offend anyone, and certainly don't want to lose a client because they've told that client something they don't want to hear. At Dog Days, we will sometimes try to let you know (in the nicest way possible) if your dog has put on a few pounds, or could lose some weight. We love our clients, and a heavy dog can suffer from so many more health issues than a trim dog. They also don't live as long, and we don't want to lose any of our furry friends to a fixable health problem. So if we do happen to mention this to you, please don't take it personally - we are concerned for your dog's wealthfare, and dogs, like people, have all kinds of reasons for being heavy.
So, how do you tell if you have an overweight dog? Sometimes it's pretty obvious. Sometimes it's not. Your dog should have a waist (right in front of the hips) when you're looking down on your dog from above. Your dog should also have an abdominal tuck, which, if you're looking at your dog from the side, is where the chest narrows under the hips (right before the back legs). In addition, you should be able to feel your dog's ribs if you run your hands over their ribcage. And finally, if your dog is sitting, and you look at your dog's rear end and back from behind, you might notice a pudge of fat right above the tail (if your dog is quite overweight, they don't even have to be sitting to see that fat roll). Although you might think your dog is better looking with some meat on their bones, in most cases, a slightly thin dog is more healthy than a slightly heavy dog. For some breeds, it can be difficult to tell if your dog is overweight. For example, if you have a golden retriever, or a shih tzu or another long or heavy-coated dog, you really have to FEEL your dog, you can't just look at him. You can always ask your vet the next time you go in for a visit as well - if you bring it up, most likely your vet will be honest with you.
So now you've decided you have an overweight dog. What do you do? First and most obviously, you need to cut back on their food. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't follow the feeding instructions on the back of the can or the bag of dog food. Remember dog food companies want to sell more food, so your dog's health isn't in their best interest. Growing puppies do need a substantial amount of food, but depending on the breed, you should start cutting back the amount when the dog becomes an adult (at a year). For example, my Lab puppy Leeloo started off eating 4 cups of food a day - 2 in the morning and 2 in the evening. When she was a little less than a year old, I started cutting her back to 1.5 cups two times a day. When she turned two and had finished filling out (she's weighs about 53 lbs), she dropped to 1 cup two times a day. She's now almost 2.5 years old, and will stay at 1 cup two times a day for the forseeable future. Murphy, my 6 year old, is actually eating 3/4 cup two times a day and he's 57 lbs (and needs to lose a little weight).If I followed the back of the dog food bag, I should be feeding Murphy about 4 cups of food a day! So think carefully about how much you're feeding your dog - they don't need as much as you might think they do. You can always supplement their kibble with pumpkin or green beans (which are relatively high in fiber and are therefore filling).
Also, think about the number of treats you're giving. Some people have no idea how many treats they give their dog. Treats should never amount to more than about 5% of the dog's total daily calories. So only give treats occasionally. Perhaps you can swap out their treats for things that are healthy and low-fat, such as carrots.
Finally, just like people, the best way for your dog to lose weight is to burn more calories. So in addition to cutting back on their food, you need to exercise them more. This means walking them, or playing ball with them, or running with them. If your dog isn't used to exercising, you'll want to start slowly and work up. And just because your dog comes to daycare several days a week, that doesn't mean you shouldn't exercise your dog. I walk my dogs at least once (and usually twice) every day, regardless of whether they've been to the daycare or not. Exercising is good for you too, so you can both benefit from a daily walk or run. A walk also helps you re-establish yourself as the alpha dog, and lets you work on obedience commands while exercising. So get out there and walk!
So if you are one of those people who has an overweight dog, you know what you need to do: feed them less, and exercise them more. It's simple. And your dog will thank you for it!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Dog of the Week, Brutus Uecke, 1/3-1/7!
Dog Days Playcare has officially started a Dog of the Week (DOTW). Our first DOTW is Brutus Uecke, an almost 2 year old Boston terrier. If Brutus sounds familiar, he should, because he was prominently featured in the video I uploaded over the Christmas holidays. He was playing tug o'war with another Boston (named Ubu). Brutus is a friend to all dogs, and is particularly great at helping new dogs in our small dog play area get accustomed to daycare. Once he's said his hellos, he tailors his play to what the new dog wants to do (wrestling, tug o'war, chase). We use him to conduct small dog interviews alot, because he's so well-socialized. He also loves his people, and will occasionally stop playing long enough to come over and ask for (and get) tummy rubs and extra attention. He's here alot (most days during the week) so we know him really well, and he knows us really well. We are happy that Brutus' dad has entrusted us with his care, and shares him with us so often. Congratulations, Brutus, we love you!
Monday, January 3, 2011
Worms are yucky and all too common
Well after a very busy holiday season, we're back to our regular schedule. Today I want to talk about worms and your dog. First of all, most dogs will get some sort of worm or parasite during their lifespan. It is nothing to be embarrassed about. But it's important that you as a dog owner understand how your dog can get worms, and what to do about it.
There are many different kinds of worms that dogs can get: roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, heartworms, and hookworms. All are parasites, which means they feed off of the dog, and some are more common than others. Except for heartworms (more about that later), dogs get most other kinds of worms from one of two different sources: from the mother directly (if they're puppies) or from ingesting the worm eggs. If you have a new puppy, that puppy is almost guaranteed to have some sort of parasite. It is standard vet procedure to deworm a puppy, usually more than once. This is because 1) puppies have picked up worms from their mothers, and 2) puppies (like babies) put EVERYTHING in their mouths!
Adult dogs tend to get worms by ingesting eggs that have been shed from a dog that has worms. And by ingesting, I mean eating. So that means that, if your adult dog has worms, he probably got them from eating another dog's feces, or from picking something up off the ground and eating it. I know, it's disgusting, but dogs will be dogs, and alot of dogs have sampled other dogs' feces at one time or another.
You usually won't know if your dog has any of the worms, because you won't see any sign of them. However, two of the worms MIGHT be visible in your dog's feces: tapeworms and roundworms. If you see something that looks like rice - white, flat, segmented - that might be a tapeworm segment. You aren't seeing a live worm, but a segment from a worm that is living in your dog's intestine. Roundworms are the only worm that a dog can get that you might see, alive, in their feces. It's pretty obvious - you'll see a long, thin, white moving worm. They can vary in length (depends on their age) from quite short (half an inch) to quite long (a couple of inches - almost looks like thin, white spaghetti). If they're moving, they're roundworms. If your dog's feces don't show any of these signs, the only way you MIGHT suspect your dog has a parasite would be if, no matter how much you feed your dog, he doesn't seem to be gaining weight. Otherwise, you just won't know.
If you do know your dog has worms, they are usually easily treated. Your vet can deworm your dog simply and quickly. Some worms are a bit harder to get rid of than others, but for the most part, there's an easy fix. To keep your dog from getting worms in the future, you should try to keep your dog from ingesting anything that might contain worm eggs (feces for example). You should also request a fecal test from your vet (if your vet doesn't require one) on an annual basis. For a fecal sample, your vet will take some feces and look at it under a microscope to search for the eggs. It's a very simple and quick test.
Heartworms are a whole other thing entirely. Dogs get heartworms from being bitten by a mosquito that's bitten another dog with heartworms. Heartworms live only in the heart, and can damage the heart muscle beyond repair. You probably already give your dog a monthly heartworm pill - that's incredibly important, if you live anywhere there are mosquitos. The treatment for heartworms isn't easy on the dog either, and some dogs don't survive it. So remember to give that heartworm pill monthly. Heartworms are detected from a blood test, and most vets require this test annually before they'll prescribe heartworm medication for your dog.
Unfortunately, we sometimes see worms in dogs that visit us for daycare. If we see either a tapeworm segment or roundworms in your dog's feces, we'll let you know when you pick them up. Again, please don't be embarrassed - it doesn't mean you're not a good dog parent, it means that you maybe weren't paying attention one day when your dog was out in the yard, or taking a walk, or playing at the dog park. It happens to the best of us! Just make sure you get it treated quickly.
There are many different kinds of worms that dogs can get: roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, heartworms, and hookworms. All are parasites, which means they feed off of the dog, and some are more common than others. Except for heartworms (more about that later), dogs get most other kinds of worms from one of two different sources: from the mother directly (if they're puppies) or from ingesting the worm eggs. If you have a new puppy, that puppy is almost guaranteed to have some sort of parasite. It is standard vet procedure to deworm a puppy, usually more than once. This is because 1) puppies have picked up worms from their mothers, and 2) puppies (like babies) put EVERYTHING in their mouths!
Adult dogs tend to get worms by ingesting eggs that have been shed from a dog that has worms. And by ingesting, I mean eating. So that means that, if your adult dog has worms, he probably got them from eating another dog's feces, or from picking something up off the ground and eating it. I know, it's disgusting, but dogs will be dogs, and alot of dogs have sampled other dogs' feces at one time or another.
You usually won't know if your dog has any of the worms, because you won't see any sign of them. However, two of the worms MIGHT be visible in your dog's feces: tapeworms and roundworms. If you see something that looks like rice - white, flat, segmented - that might be a tapeworm segment. You aren't seeing a live worm, but a segment from a worm that is living in your dog's intestine. Roundworms are the only worm that a dog can get that you might see, alive, in their feces. It's pretty obvious - you'll see a long, thin, white moving worm. They can vary in length (depends on their age) from quite short (half an inch) to quite long (a couple of inches - almost looks like thin, white spaghetti). If they're moving, they're roundworms. If your dog's feces don't show any of these signs, the only way you MIGHT suspect your dog has a parasite would be if, no matter how much you feed your dog, he doesn't seem to be gaining weight. Otherwise, you just won't know.
If you do know your dog has worms, they are usually easily treated. Your vet can deworm your dog simply and quickly. Some worms are a bit harder to get rid of than others, but for the most part, there's an easy fix. To keep your dog from getting worms in the future, you should try to keep your dog from ingesting anything that might contain worm eggs (feces for example). You should also request a fecal test from your vet (if your vet doesn't require one) on an annual basis. For a fecal sample, your vet will take some feces and look at it under a microscope to search for the eggs. It's a very simple and quick test.
Heartworms are a whole other thing entirely. Dogs get heartworms from being bitten by a mosquito that's bitten another dog with heartworms. Heartworms live only in the heart, and can damage the heart muscle beyond repair. You probably already give your dog a monthly heartworm pill - that's incredibly important, if you live anywhere there are mosquitos. The treatment for heartworms isn't easy on the dog either, and some dogs don't survive it. So remember to give that heartworm pill monthly. Heartworms are detected from a blood test, and most vets require this test annually before they'll prescribe heartworm medication for your dog.
Unfortunately, we sometimes see worms in dogs that visit us for daycare. If we see either a tapeworm segment or roundworms in your dog's feces, we'll let you know when you pick them up. Again, please don't be embarrassed - it doesn't mean you're not a good dog parent, it means that you maybe weren't paying attention one day when your dog was out in the yard, or taking a walk, or playing at the dog park. It happens to the best of us! Just make sure you get it treated quickly.
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