Leeloo Smith, DOTW for 12/23-12/27!

Leeloo Smith is the DOTW for 12/23-12/27! Since Dog Days is closing, I thought it fitting to make each of my dogs a DOTW for the remainder of our time. Leeloo is my 5.5 year old Lab, and she's been coming every day to daycare since I brought her home in November 2008. Leeloo, like her brother Colson, is a released Guiding Eyes dog, but unlike Colson, Leeloo is sweet and silly and a bit sensitive. Leeloo has some good friends at the daycare, but her BFF is definitely Kathleen's Alice. She also likes Chloe S., Fenway B. and Avery D. Once she realized she could stand up to her obnoxious little brother Colson, she decided she likes playing with him too. But it took a while. :) She's very attached to her big brother Murphy as well, and occasionally is successful in getting him to play a mean game of tug o' war with her. Leeloo, I love you sweetie, and are happy to make you the DOTW this week.

As a probably 10 week old at the daycare

Playing with her BFF Alice

Colson Smith, DOTW for 12/16-12/20!

Colson Smith is the DOTW for 12/16-12/20! Since Dog Days is closing, I thought it fitting to make Colson the DOTW this week. Colson is my now 7 month old Lab puppy, and he's been coming every day to daycare since I brought him home in late July. Colson is a released Guiding Eyes dog, and was described by Guiding Eyes as a "firecracker." Hmmm. Obviously they thought he wouldn't make a good Guiding Eyes dog. :) Colson LOVES coming to daycare, and has some special friends - Avery, Lake, Sheldon and Waffles are probably his favorites (besides his sister Leeloo and brother Murphy). He is full of puppy energy and still manages to get himself in trouble on occasion, but maintains some cuteness, so he can get away with some things. Colson, my little man, congratulations on being DOTW and please try not to embarrass me.

At 10 weeks in my backyard

Sheldon and Colson are kind of spooning here

With Murphy behind him at home at 6.5 months

Dog Days Playcare is closing

It is with great sadness that I have decided to close Dog Days Playcare. Our last day will be January 15, 2014. We have been taking care of our clients' dogs for almost 10 years, and this decision was not an easy one. Dog Days would never have been the wonderful place it is without our clients. We have become very close to so many of our clients' dogs (and the clients too), and it will be difficult to let them go - so many of the dogs have grown up with us, and we've watched them grow from gangly, shy puppies, to rambunctious teenagers, to settled, dignified adults. We've had to say goodbye along with the owners, when one of our charges passed to the Rainbow Bridge, and each and every one of those was so hard for us.

As I said, this was not an easy decision. I started this business because all I wanted was to spend time with dogs, especially with my own dog, Emma. I really opened Dog Days for Emma. When Emma passed away, my husband thought I might close Dog Days, knowing that I built it for her, and suddenly she wasn't a part of it anymore. By that time, I was already so bonded with our clients, I knew I couldn't close. Now that it is time, I feel particularly sad - I'm closing this chapter of my life, this chapter that Emma wrote with me, so it is a true closure, and not one that is easy. This is the only life I've known for 10 years, and the only life my dogs have known for their entire lives. What will we do with ourselves?

I want to thank again all of our wonderful clients, who've entrusted us with the care of their family members - I know how particular I and all my staff are about our dogs, so we know what it means to have that trust. I will miss each and every one of you, and will always wonder how everyone is doing, and be sad that I'm missing out on some wonderful memories with your dogs.

We are "business as usual" until January 15th, and hope that our clients continue to visit with us until that time. That will give us some time to say our goodbyes appropriately. We love you all.

Joyce Smith, Owner

Ella Linn, DOTW for 12/9-12/13!

Ella Linn is the DOTW for 12/9-12/13! Ella is a 6.5 year old Golden Retriever who's been coming to Dog Days since mid-2008. Ella is one of those little Goldens (she barely comes up to my knees), but has a lot of spunk and energy. She likes to play ball, and typical of many Goldens, always wants to hold the ball or a Kong in her mouth. She'll walk around the play area, making grunting noises, with a toy in her mouth and a wiggle in her butt. She loves her people the best though and will come sit at your feet and stare at you until you give her attention. We always enjoy Ella's visits, and are happy we get to see her fairly often. Congratulations Ella, you deserve it sweetie!

Hangin' with Cece

Bentley Brown, DOTW for 12/2-12/6!

Bentley Brown is the DOTW for 12/2-12/6! Bentley is a 1.5 year old Shih Tzu mix who's been coming to Dog Days with his brother Mason since late 2012. Bentley was a rescue, and a pretty shy boy at first, but has blossomed into a friendly and happy little guy. He has some friends in the small dog area, like Juniper and Chewy, but he also sometimes just hangs out and watches the antics of the other dogs. He loves his brother Mason, and when they're here together, he's always by Mason's side. We always enjoy spending time with Bentley and are happy to make him the DOTW this week! Congratulations Bentley!

Kissing his girlfriend Chewy

Hangin' out in the middle of the pack

Rex O'Quinn, honorary DOTW for 11/25-11/29

Rex O'Quinn is the honorary DOTW for 11/25-11/29. Rex has already been the DOTW, but sadly, Rex passed away on Wednesday after a valiant fight against cancer. Rex was such a part of Dog Days, that I felt he should be the DOTW again, to honor his memory. Rex was a 9 year old Vizsla who'd been coming to Dog Days for over 6 years. Rex's two favorite things were playing ball and being with his people - he was a true Velcro dog. Rex gave great kisses, squinched his eyes up and wiggled when he was excited and allowed us all to hug on him when we needed to. He was very entertaining in his attemps to catch the ball, but he loved playing, so it didn't matter if he wasn't successful alot of the time. He fought the good fight against the stupid cancer, but in the end, it won, as it almost always does. We are thankful that his parents entrusted him to our care for so long, and that we got to see him the day before he passed. Rest in peace, Rex, and God speed.

Woody Shugol, DOTW for 11/18-11/22!

Woody Shugol is the DOTW for 11/18-11/22! Woody is a 4 year old German Shepherd who's been coming to Dog Days since mid-2010. Woody is a big boy who doesn't always know that he's so big. He's very playful for such a big guy, and his best friends are Lake, Riley B. and Sheldon, although he also sometimes plays with Avery too. He can sometimes play pretty roughly, but he's super smart, so he quickly learned to always play with a toy in his mouth. Woody might be one of those dogs who's almost TOO smart, and he seems to always be thinking up ways to test his mom and us. Woody keeps us on our toes, and we've decided it was time to make him DOTW. Congratulations Woody! Behave yourself!

Playing with Riley B.

Jackson Duvaleus, DOTW for 11/11-11/15!

Jackson Duvaleus is the DOTW for 11/11-11/15! Jackson is an approximately 6.5 year old puggle who's been coming to Dog Days since mid-2012. Like most puggles, Jackson is an easygoing fella who gets along with pretty much anyone. He particularly likes Brutus and Chewie, but is happy to hang out with all of the small dogs. He's not one of those crazy players, and tends to sit on the sidelines and enjoy the show. He has a great smile and really likes his people, so we tend to shower him with attention when he's here. Congratulations Jackson, it's well-deserved! Smile, buddy!

What a great smile!

Hangin' with his buddy Chewie

Cody Virgil, DOTW for 11/4-11/8!

Cody Virgil is the DOTW for 11/4-11/8! Cody is a 1 year old Goldendoodle who's only been coming to Dog Days for a month or so. But he's quickly ingrained himself into our hearts. Cody is a tall drink of water - he's a very leggy boy. He's very playful, as you'd expect of a young doodle, and is quite a goofball. He is happy to play with anyone that will have him, but especially likes playing with Duncan and Auggie. He tries to play ball, but he still needs some practice with that! We enjoy seeing Cody and are happy his parents trust us with his care. Congratulations, Cody, woo woo!

Cody, with Big Black (Doberman) and Colson (Lab, behind)

Playing with his buddy Duncan (chocolate Lab)

Miles Amirgholi, DOTW for 10/28-11/1!

Miles Amirgholi is the DOTW for 10/28-11/1! Miles is a 1-year old white Miniature Schnauzer who's been coming to Dog Days since March 2013, when he was just a little puppy. Miles is very energetic and loves to play, especially with Sammy V. and Waffles. He likes to play ball too, and always keeps himself very busy when he's here. He's very entertaining and acrobatic, so we always get a good chuckle watching his antics in the play area. We're happy to make Miles the DOTW this week. Congratulations, little man!

 

Duke and Delilah Samson, DOTW for 10/21-10/25!

Duke and Delilah Samson are the DOTW for 10/21-10/25! Duke and Delilah are Staffordshire Bull Terriers. Duke is 7 and has been coming since August 2007; his little sister Delilah is 5 and has been coming since April 2008. Duke and Delilah are clowns - they make a lot of noises when they're playing (snorts, grunts, whines), have silly grins, and are always entertaining. They can have a lot of energy and will occasionally race around the play area, especially when there's a ball in play; they can also just lay in a corner and sleep. They always make us laugh when they're visiting, and we decided it was high time to make them DOTW this week. Congratulations you two!

Duke (in front) and Delilah

Delilah, taking a break

Duke

Abigail Johnson, DOTW for 10/14-10/18!

Abigail Johnson is the DOTW for 10/14-10/18! Abigail (or Abby) is an 8.5 year old chocolate Cocker Spaniel who's been coming to Dog Days since fall of 2011. Abigail is very wiggly and very vocal - when she gets excited, she snorts and grunts - she's so loud sometimes you can hear her coming from quite a distance. Abigail always has a smile for us when she arrives, but is pretty laid-back once she gets into the play area. But there are a few dogs she really likes, such as Indi and Brutus. We always enjoy Abigail's visits and are happy we get to see her so often. Congratulations, Abby for being DOTW this week! Woo woo!

Abigail's sad face

Hanging with Indi

Cocoa Kendall, DOTW for 10/7-10/11!

Cocoa Kendall is the DOTW for 10/7-10/11! Cocoa is an almost 4-year old chocolate Lab who's been coming to Dog Days since early 2012. Cocoa is very sweet, and has a fantastic wiggle - when she's happy to see you (which she always is), her rear end moves side to side, and she ducks her head and almost grins. She's playful but not crazy and isn't too particular about who she plays with, although she prefers the more gentle players (like Fenway and Leeloo) to the crazies (like Miami). She likes to play ball too. She's always good if you're feeling the need to be loved on, because she so loves her people. We always enjoy having Cocoa come visit, and are happy to make her the DOTW this week. Congratulations, pretty girl!

Hanging out with Fenway (in the back)

Pippa Merrill, DOTW for 9/30-10/4!

Pippa Merrill is the DOTW for 9/30-10/4! Pippa looks like a mini border collie mix (perhaps there's some Papillon in there?) who is about 2.5 or 3 years old. Pippa is the younger sister of Tia, one of our favorite older ladies. Pippa is very energetic and playful and loves anybody who will play with her in the small dog area. She particularly likes Waffles and Sammy, but isn't that picky. It's difficult to get pictures of her standing, because she's either running around like a wild thing, or laying down. She is always entertaining, and has really perked Tia up since coming to live with the Merrills. We always enjoy having Pippa come visit with us, and are happy to make her the DOTW this week! Congratulations, Pippa!

Holding the ball hostage

Hangin' with Tia, Nittany and Suki

Max George, DOTW for 9/23-9/27!

Max George is the DOTW for 9/23-9/27! Max is a 5 year old probably chocolate Lab mix (with something small, because he's kind of a littler guy at about 40 lbs). Max has been coming to Dog Days for a few years now, since November of 2010. He is one of the sweetest boys in the large dog play area, and we love having him visit with us. He is pretty picky about who he plays with, but really likes Chloe W. and Daisy A. He's kind of a ladies' man. :) He can be very vocal when he gets excited, but otherwise, he's a pretty laid back fellow. We love showering him with attention when he's here, and are so happy to make him the DOTW this week. Congratulations, Max, we love you!

Watching Miami (left) and Daisy (middle) play

Brody Gary, DOTW for 9/16-9/20!

Brody Gary is the DOTW for 9/16-9/20! Brody is an almost 2 year old bichon frises mix who's been coming to Dog Days since mid-2012. Brody is one of the sweetest small dogs we have, and loves his people. He's a great cuddler and snuggler. But Brody also has some really good friends in the small dog area, like Brutus and Sammy V. He's a gentle boy with a not too rough play style, so he gets along well with everyone in the play area. He's a stable, laid back fellow and we always enjoy having him come visit with us. What a sweetheart! Congratulations, little man, woo woo!

Playing with Sammy P.

Lake Gammon, DOTW for 9/9-9/13!

Lake Gammon is the DOTW for 9/9-9/13! Lake is a 1.5 year old yellow Lab who's been coming to Dog Days since she was just about 4 months old, so she's grown up here. Lake has lots of friends and is a really active girl - her best friends are Miami, Riley B. and Woody. Not only does she like to play rough and tumble with the other dogs, but she's also really ball focused. She says "as long as you throw the ball, I'll go get it." She's not a girly girl either, but rolls around on the floor like a true tomboy. We love Lake, and are happy to make her the DOTW this week. Congratulations, Lake!

Waiting for the ball with Loki and Jameson

Sammy Viswanathan, DOTW for 9/2-9/6!

Sammy Viswanathan is the DOTW for 9/2-9/6! Sammy is a 4 year old Shih Tzu who's been coming to Dog Days since late 2012. We see Sammy often, which is great, because he's one of those very playful dogs that really enjoys coming to daycare. Sammy has a lot of friends, and can keep up with the best of them; his best friends are Waffles, Buddy H. and Suki (all pretty active dogs). He also loves to retrieve the ball and is always up for a good game of tug. We always enjoy Sammy's visits, and are happy to make him the DOTW this week! Congratulations, Sammy!

In the center, staring straight at me

Playing with Suki

Playing tug with Buttercup