New Arrivals

Well it has been a couple of really exciting days for us. Yesterday we got our shipment of Lupine Collars and Leashes. We decided to carry these at the daycare because 1)They are good quality, 2)They are attractive, 3)No one else in town carries them and 4)They are guarranteed - even if chewed! We have 9 different styles of dog collars and leashes and 3 styles of cat collars. Coulee is wearing the flower power collar.

Then to add even more excitement to our week, the calendars arrived today! I have to admit I was holding my breath when I opened the box because we hadn't seen a sample before we ordered $500 worth of calendars. But they look really good and I'm very happy with how they turned out. I hope everyone else enjoys them too! We only have 3 extras so if you didn't order one but want one, you better stop in soon.

Howling Good Time!

I have to admit, when Amanda first suggested we host a dog halloween party, I was a little less than enthusiastic. I have been so busy lately that the thought of doing one more thing "extra" was a little too much for me. But I agreed and Amanda ran with it. She did the decorations, the organizing, the planning, the advertising and everything else that needed to be done. And I'm very thankful. I'm not sure where she finds the time or energy but I'm glad she did because I had a GREAT time!

It was so fun to see all the dogs dressed up - some looked miserable in their costumes and others seemed to shine. Duke managed to destroy his before the party even started! We had a costume contest with prizes for the scariest, the cutest and best overall.

Buffy the vampire slayer won the scariest
(Jane was a close 2nd), Clyde won the cutest - he just suited his costume so well and Lucy the ballerina won best over all.

We had weiner dunking (of course) and Tundra was the new champion. She was in a pretty slow heat to start - none of the dogs had done it before so they weren't really sure what to do...but once Tundra figured out those were hotdogs floating in the water, there was no stopping her! We had a tricks contest - Pheonix won as he was able to roll over, say hello, weave through April's legs and play dead. We also played musical mats (sorry no photos - I must have been napping) and Sadie was the winner (we think! - it was a long day).

I also want to thank Sarah for putting together a scary music CD and helping out with the party, Amanda's mom for baking some amazing cupcakes and Amanda again for all her hard work!

Be sure to check out our Flikr site for lots more photos!

Bark-a-matic

Today I had a call from someone asking about a bark collar that was on one of the dogs that they saw on our Flickr site and I thought maybe I should explain a little bit about what we do to keep the noise levels down to a dull roar.

1. Some dogs bark when they are excited . At the daycare they can be excited a lot!
2. Some dogs bark when other dogs are playing. I think they want the dogs to stop so one of the participants can play with them. It never seems to work because they are really good at ignoring other barking dogs.
3. Some dogs bark whenever someone passes by outside. They all seem to bark if the person stops and stares!
4. Some dogs (I'm not naming any names, Coulee and Tundra) tend to howl if we "ignore" them (you know for a whole 30 seconds or so!) and they get everyone else howling along.

So to try and reduce barking we:

1. Ask the dogs to be quiet (if they can hear us above the racket!)
2. Spray the dogs with water. It is amazing how well this works. With most of them, we just need to be holding the water bottle and they won't bark. With others, they bark to make us spray them because they think it is a great game!
3. Use Citronella spray collars. We have a few at the daycare that we tend to rotate around the dogs depending on the time of day and what activities are happening. So for example, Coulee tends to wear a collar when the dogs are running around outside as she tends to instigate barking at people that are passing by, whereas Polly wears the collar in the morning when there is a lot of activity because she barks (loudly and shrilly) at other dogs playing.

Bailey sporting a bark collar

It is important for us to keep the barking to a minimum so that we keep our neighbors happy (they love watching the dogs play but I'm sure they don't like listening to them!) and so that we don't go crazy from all the noise.

Focus

Amanda noticed Maggie Mae standing perfectly still staring through the fence.

What could possibly hold her attention for so long?

Finally!

We've looked after Barley (golden retriever) and Ruby (bulldog) a few times but each time I either forget the camera, the batteries were dead or there was no "film" in it. So today they both came to the daycare and we were ready with the camera. For a bulldog, Ruby has some amazing energy. I don't think she stopped all day...neither did Barley but he's a golden and that is what we would expect! So at long last, here they are! Aren't they cute?

Cat Video

Amanda saw this on another blog and it was too cute not to share. It is frighteningly close to real life.

Howl-o-ween Party!

What are you doing this Sunday (Oct 28)? Come join us for the 1st Annual Howl-o-ween Party! It is from 2-4 p.m. at the doggie daycare (242 12 St. N). We are going to have lots of fun doggy games, costume contests and of course yummy doggie cake from Diggers Delights! No need to RSVP just bring a toonie to cover admission. We hope to see you there!

Black Dogs Everywhere

Today seemed to be the day for black dogs. By 9:00, 8 of the 11 dogs here were black or mostly black. They were all having a great time playing outside and Amanda got some of it captured on film. Here are a few to get you started. The rest can be found on our flickr site.

Addiction

Just a heads up. This post is not about pets...it is about an addiction I have. It all started about 2 weeks ago. Amanda brought a case of frozen grilled cheese from M&M's to the daycare. Yes - frozen, microwavable, grilled cheese. Sounds disgusting doesn't it? I was horrified...but then I ate one when I was hungry and desperate and my addiction blossomed. I think I ate 90% of the sandwiches in the first case (there is only 6 so it isn't that bad) and I've bought 2 more cases since then. So I thought I'd share with you all the wonder of the microwaved, frozen, grilled cheese.

Here is the grilled cheese in its box...

Here is what the individual packets look like prior to microwave.

This is a picture of the sandwich in the microwave - 2 minutes to bliss!

Here it is after being microwaved. I think the secret of the sog-free sandwich is all in the packaging. It is weird and wonderful.

And last, but not least, here is the finished sandwich. Yum!

See, I told you I was obsessed. But I think Amanda is on her way as well - she has just gone to have one because mine smelled so good!

Bad Cat Pictures

So just in case there are some of you out there who don't believe me about my bad cat pictures (and hence no cat calendar), I thought I'd show you an example from this morning. This is Mau.

She is a beautiful cat but you probably can't tell from the photos I took.

I also wanted to post these pictures of Doggie TV...

Chewy loves to hang out with the dogs and sometimes we'll even find that she has crept into the main play area with the dogs. So one afternoon, I put her in the smaller play area where there were no dogs. This way, she could still be with them, yet not have to worry about a energetic pack chasing her. Before long, she had gathered a little crowd of spectators and I had to get my camera because it reminded me of her watching the fish. I guess now she knows how it feels!

2008 Dog Calendar

We are really excited to be offering a 2008 Dog Calendar for sale. You can see the full set of months on our flickr site. If you'd like to order a calendar for $15 just send me an e-mail (info@paws-on-the-run.ca) and I'll put you on the list.

I'm sorry to all you cat owners out there! My indoor photography skills are seriously lacking and we just didn't have enough good photos to make a calendar of cats. One day, I'll manage to find a photography course that I want to take, and hopefully, have the time to take it.

Big Green Ball

Here is some more video footage we took. It is completely unedited so please forgive my really bad video skills. There will be times when you'll be watching the floor and ceiling. This clip mainly stars Vito as he herds the Big Green Ball all around the daycare. Jack also tries to get in on the action. Enjoy!

Kitty TV

Amanda brought one of her aquariums to the daycare so we could enjoy watching the fish and listening to the trickle of water. I think Chewy is enjoying it the most though....

We Ate, We Laughed...

...and we lost. :( Last night was the final presentation for the Chinook Entrepreneur Challenge where Paws on the Run made it to the top two but no farther. Am I dissapointed? Of course. $15,000 would have been very nice to have (I mean who wouldn't want free money and services). Do I regret entering the contest? Not one moment of it...okay maybe one moment. The moment when I passed over my credit card to purchase a new outfit for the event that I will probably never wear again. "Formal Business Attire" is hardly appropriate for walking dogs! :)

In all seriousness though, it was an incredible program and if you are even thinking of starting up your own business you should definitely check it out as well as visit the Community Futures office. They have great information and great people to help you out.

And the good news is, the company that won sounds like a great company. They are called Titan Tough and they are a welding company that makes equipment for Agriculture, Oil and Gas and recreation. Once the judges said that "Economic Impact" was one of their decision criteria, I knew Paws on the Run wouldn't win. Titan Tough is looking at millions of dollars in annual gross revenue and we are looking at...we'll let's just say it is miles off the million mark!

Training Classes

We've had two types of training in two days.

Last night was our first dog training classes. The dogs all did great and seemed to have a good time. Poor Gurdy was so tired during class she actually fell asleep while waiting for her turn - spending the day at daycare must have really tired her out!

Then this morning we had Tanner and Cole come again for the Gilbert Patterson Work Program. They had a great time playing with some of the smaller dogs and learning about different types of dog behavior.

Everybody's Friend

No one can get enough of Zoey and thankfully she likes to play with them all. I don't think this little girl has sat still once at daycare.

Amanda isn't here today and last time she left Vito here when she wasn't working, he just sat at the gate and looked sad all day. Today, he is having the time of his life with Zoey. But he has learned to share her with a few other dogs.

Grooming

We are finally able to offer full grooming services - starting October 23! We'll be taking appointments for Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to start. Our rates are as follows:

Bath, Brush and Trim
Small Dog (<20 lbs) - $40
Medium Dog (20-50 lbs) - $50
Large Dog (>50 lbs) - $60

Just Bath and Brush
Small Dog (<20 lbs) - $30
Medium Dog (20-50 lbs) - $40
Large Dog (>50 lbs) - $50

Nails
Trim - $10
For Nails, there is no appointment necessary - just drop in before 3 p.m. Monday to Friday.

You can also take advantage of our Shuttle Service if need us to pick up or drop off your dog for grooming. Just $5 each way.

Video

About a month ago, we took some video of the dogs playing. We then had some issues getting any clips on to our computer. But we've finally done it! Thanks to Sarah for loaning us the video camera and your computer!

On Youtube you'll see about 1.5 minutes of some dogs playing in the video. You'll see:

Duke - Black Lab
Sadie - Fox Terrier
Mira - Coonhound cross
Perkins - Dachsund
Clyde - Beagle
Rufus - black lab mix
Coulee - Retriever cross
Tundra - Husky Cross

The quality isn't great but you get the idea.

How to be a dog

Today has been a great day for Chico!

When Chico first came to the daycare a week or two or go, he had forgotten how to be a dog. He used to play with dogs but in the last 6 months or so, he stopped showing any interet in other dogs. On his first visit to the daycare, he spent all his time standing alone and avoiding all the other dogs as much as possible.

On the second day, he started to follow them around but didn't even come close to playing with anyone.

On his third day, he played chase but you could tell he couldn't tell if it was fun or scary.

On his fourth visit he played with Jasper...briefly.

But today...Today he has played for extended periods with 3 other dogs!!! It was so great to see. He played with Zoey (he really likes Zoey), D.O.G. and Keira. I'm so glad he has remembered how to be a dog.

New Wheels

Look a new van!

Well not exactly, just a newly decorated van. It is almost as fun as a new one.

This cat blooper link was sent to me this morning and it was so funny I just had to share... This is also a really neat narrated slideshow of a polar bear and husky. Have a great long weekend!

Flickr Site

I've put a few pictures up on a Flickr site. You can find us here. They don't all have descriptions because I put so many up at once. When I just add a few at a time, I promise I'll be more descriptive.

Transformation

A cute little guy got dropped off today for the Prairie Dog Canine Rescue. He was even cuter after Amanda gave him a bath and a haircut.

Going Down

Ponz likes to think he is a lap dog. The second you sit on a chair, he tries to join you. He even tries to perch on top of the back of the couch behind you. It would be really cute if he wasn't close to 100 lbs!

When you crouch down, Ponz seems to think that you must be wanting kisses. So the moment you lower yourself closer to the ground he comes over. In the first picture you can see me trying to hold him back. Gus then takes his place so Ponz moves over to the other side to see if he can get at me from that direction. I briefly regain the upper hand in photo 4 but he quickly overpowers me and knocks me over. Not caught on film is the mass slobbering I got from him and all the others nearby (thankfully Amanda was too busy laughing to keep taking pictures). Once you are down, they all take advantage!

As always you can click on the image to see it full size.

Slobbery Goodness

We had another wild and crazy day. I love these kind of days! Amanda took the dogs out back with the camera and got lots of good shots. So many in fact, that I think we are going to have to get ourselves a Flickr site so you can see them all. I'll let you know when we have that up...

In the meantime, here is a collage of Sydney, a new dog that came in today. Like any lab would, she bee-lined straight to the only puddle. The photos go in sequence clockwise starting from the top left corner...I repeated the best one in the middle. Click on the image to see full size.