Newbies

We had 4 new dogs today! First there was Max - a sheltie border collie cross. He started to play within 5 minutes of arriving and was almost instantly covered in slobber (you can see some of it on his neck) from Molly the lab. We've never seen Molly play so long with just one dog before! They still haven't stopped.

This is Jasper. He is much more attractive than this picture but he was not enjoying the camera, so I didn't want to push it.

This big girl is Kay-lee our very first Bouvier at daycare. She had lots of fun in the short time she was here. We'll see her again later this week so hopefully will get more pictures. I'm not sure what is stuck in her fur but it was probably some of the weeds we have growing along the fence.

And last but not least, is Tonka (I love the name!). He has he cutest little ears. I love the way they don't match.

Golden Love

Cooper is the biggest lover around. He ADORES people and wants to be touching you all the time....

A Little Scruffy

This is Tucker.

Isn't he cute? I love his scruffy little face.

Resting Up

Amber was here earlier in the week and despite playing for most of the day, she knew she needed to preserve some energy for her photo session this weekend. Be sure to check out the photography blog early next week to see some photos of Miss Amber!

Not So New

We try and take pictures of the new dogs on their first or second day. This doesn't always happen however and suddenly we realize that we'll have a dog that has been coming for months that we don't have any decent pictures of.

In Snoopy's case, he was a little shy to start so we didn't want to intimidate him more by sticking a camera in his face. He is feeling much more relaxed now and while he is definitely camera shy and does not like to look straight at the camera, I can trick him occasionally by making weird noises to get him to turn his head a little bit.

Jake on the other hand, has been confident and playful from day one. He only plays inside though. So every time we went to take a picture of him outside he would just stand there and look away (or he'd be doing his business and we don't need a picture of that!).

You'll notice Jake is still not looking at the camera. We will just have to keep trying for better pictures but I didn't want them to be neglected on the blog.

A Few Shots of Tequila

I know. That is an extra cheesy title but with a cute dog named Tequila what did you expect? :)

Peek

Leo and Zach live in BC so we only see them for a short time each year. Zach is completely blind but he navigates around the dogs amazingly well.

I guess Zach isn't technically "peeking" but it looks like he is.

Smile

It's Friday and I am in love.

I can't think of a better reason to smile. Have a great weekend everyone!

Kisses

Just one of the many perks of the job!

Trio

Today was Trio's first visit.

He wasn't too sure about playing with dogs yet, but he had lots of fun with the big green toothbrush.

Mr. Popular

Today was Rudy's first day but you never would have guessed it. Usually when a dog first walks into the back area (and still has the fence separating them and the other dogs) we see a few different responses. Some dogs get SUPER excited and start bouncing around like crazy trying to sniff everyone at once. However most dogs are a little overwhelmed with the new place and all the dogs. They'll approach the fence cautiously and sniff shyly at the other dogs.

When Rudy walked back there, he just acted calm and confident. He stood at the fence politely wagging and sniffing and didn't even bat an eye at the 20 or so dogs sniffing and wagging back at him. From the moment he entered the play area, he had a entourage following him around. Everybody wanted to be his friend.

All Aboard

Chewy has a chronic upper respiratory disease that among other things, makes her sleepier than most cats. And as I am sure most of you know, cats sleep a lot to begin with!

We can always tell when Chewy is feeling good as she spends the entire afternoon trying to climb on to people as they come to pick up their dogs.

If you stand too far from the counter she lets you know she wants you to come closer by raising her paw as if to wave you over.

So if you don't want a cat on your shoulders, beware the waving paw!

Big and Scary

Alfie, who is probably one of our largest dogs at daycare, took one look at Guiness (a Newfie) and said "Whoa. He's big. Like really big. I'm kind of scared. Help!" So we moved Alfie in with the "little guys".

Oliver was thrilled to have another victim playmate.

He was even happier to be able to tackle him to the ground...

... and try and bury himself in all that fur.

Baby Brothers

We got to meet two baby brothers today!

Kingston is Zenzi's new brother and is he ever fun.

He is super friendly and just a happy little guy that doesn't stop wagging.

And Beacon has a new little brother too - Ullr (pronounced Oolar).

He was oh so fluffy cuteness! These pictures do not do him justice. I think he'll be back again on Friday so I'll try and get his cute little curly tail. Seriously, it is adorable.

Wild Woman

Joule just started coming to daycare (today was only her second visit) and while she was pretty shy on her first day, she has quickly blossomed into a wild woman. You just need to crouch down a bit, hold out your arms, and she gets the zoomies.

She also likes to bark when she gets the zoomies!

Reservations

I hate to say it, but fall has arrived. Yikes!

And when fall and winter comes, the daycare get busier as everyone is back from holidays and are back to their regular work schedules. We have already seen an increase in the number of dogs at daycare and have recently had a few full days when we've had to turn dogs away.

If you want to make sure your dog has a spot at daycare there are a two things you can do:

1. Book your dog in for a regular day (or two, or three, or...). For example, you could book your dog in for every second Monday, or every Tuesday and Thursday or a half day on Friday afternoons. If your dog is on a regular schedule, you will be reserved that spot "until the end of time" or until you tell us to take you off the schedule.
2. Call in advance. Last year you could usually call the day before and reserve a spot. Some days you could even call that morning and we'd still have space, but we'd really recommend you call two days in advance if you can or at least in the morning the day before. Also keep in mind we are usually busiest Thursdays and Fridays so be sure to book these as early as possible.

And please, if you have booked a spot for your dog and are unable to come that day, we would really appreciate a phone call or e-mail as we would like to make sure that every dog can get a chance to play and be as happy as Belle.