What an incredible time this is for all of us. The feeling of love that comes from achieving a dream is unlike any other feeling. We are just finishing spring break. The RSM facility was packed with vacationers. Our staff have been battling the human flu that is going around so many staffers have been doing double shifts and coming in on off days. I always worry about the strain on our employees but they all say they love coming in and seeing their favorite dogs. It makes it all worth it for them. Many of them even stop by on their regular days off or come by to visit the Tustin location. Our website states we are all a family affair at Wags & Wiggles. I never felt this statement was more true than in the last couple weeks.
I personally keep a love file. This is a collection of all our wonderful client emails that remind us why we do this and work the long hours. I just took some time to read the most recent ones and it made me so happy we decided to open the Tustin location. The RSM facility set the example and now Tustin is following in it's footsteps like a small puppy. It means we can reach out to even more people and dogs to help improve the quality of everyone's lives.
The Tustin facility just ended it's second week. We finished up with 20 dogs boarding and 35 dogs overall on Friday. We've already hired and started training more staff. It's so wonderful to see how dedicated the new staff already is to the well being of every dog here. They are constantly asking me and Lysa questions about behavior, activities, health and more. They want everything to be perfect. We are putting the last finishing touches on the facility. The last of the scenic painting is being done, touch ups on the floor, central vac and watering systems, and finally our training center. We have had 100s of calls on when our agility, puppy, and obedience classes will be starting. We are finally getting closer. Classes should start end of May. We are also interviewing for additional trainers to our facility. We are pretty choosy. They must be fluent in the art of positive attitude and reinforcement for our human clients as well as clicker training for our doggie clients. For now, Lysa and I will be teaching the classes but we look forwad to our apprentices getting their wings and starting to teach soon as well. Julia, Ranaye, Jenny, and Lisa are still teaching at RSM and doing a fantastic job! Thank you to everyone!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Obedience Class Superstars
We have all kinds of classes that you can take with your dog here at Wags, and I just wanted to take a moment to talk about my recent class graduates. A few weeks ago my Wednesday night class graduated from Level 1 obedience. Everyone in that class worked really hard throughout the 5 weeks and it showed on graduation day. We had a few dogs living with kids, and the kids came in to be a part of class and learn how to work with the dog too.
Then, just yesterday, I had two great classes graduate, one Level 1 and one Level 2. In Level 2, the class was very advanced and the owners skilled with their dogs. On graduation night we were "leapfroggin" through the parking lot, weaving around one another, and every dog was able to come back to their owner from across the room, even while being tempted with treats or a ball. The graduates were Dash the chocolate lab, Bosley the bearded collie, Ember the aussie, Corby the standard poodle, Kirby the golden doodle, Apollo the chow mix, and even little Chloe the aussie mix, who is only 4 months old. Her mom really got lucky with that dog.
Right after that class our Level 1 class graduated. We had two cavalier brothers who couldn't get enough of each other, Freddy and Albert, and their wonderful owners who are good friends. We also had our training apprentice, Paige, with her border collie Soda, and a recent rescue from the Irvine Animal Shelter, Louie the pit mix and his incredible parents. The great thing about those two is that Paige also works at the shelter and was the one who adopted Louie to his owners. Louie's owners are the model of what a good dog owner should be like. They took notes in class, asked great questions, and did a ton of homework. Louie was a totally different dog on night 5 than when he started. Paige and I are so proud of their efforts and are really happy that Louie got such a wonderful home.
We have a lot more classes available all the time, so if you're looking for a way to connect with your dog and gain some mutual understanding of each other, check out our class schedule.
Then, just yesterday, I had two great classes graduate, one Level 1 and one Level 2. In Level 2, the class was very advanced and the owners skilled with their dogs. On graduation night we were "leapfroggin" through the parking lot, weaving around one another, and every dog was able to come back to their owner from across the room, even while being tempted with treats or a ball. The graduates were Dash the chocolate lab, Bosley the bearded collie, Ember the aussie, Corby the standard poodle, Kirby the golden doodle, Apollo the chow mix, and even little Chloe the aussie mix, who is only 4 months old. Her mom really got lucky with that dog.
Right after that class our Level 1 class graduated. We had two cavalier brothers who couldn't get enough of each other, Freddy and Albert, and their wonderful owners who are good friends. We also had our training apprentice, Paige, with her border collie Soda, and a recent rescue from the Irvine Animal Shelter, Louie the pit mix and his incredible parents. The great thing about those two is that Paige also works at the shelter and was the one who adopted Louie to his owners. Louie's owners are the model of what a good dog owner should be like. They took notes in class, asked great questions, and did a ton of homework. Louie was a totally different dog on night 5 than when he started. Paige and I are so proud of their efforts and are really happy that Louie got such a wonderful home.
We have a lot more classes available all the time, so if you're looking for a way to connect with your dog and gain some mutual understanding of each other, check out our class schedule.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
It was our 4th day of business today! Our numbers of dogs has been wonderful. Wednesday, we had 21 dogs. Not bad! Our new staff is doing a great job. They are doing tons of cross training. At some points they are tugging with dogs in the back, interviewing new clients, or building the new play equipment. Everyone is being so supportive and working great as a team. Lysa and I have been working a lot of hours trying to balance a million tasks at once but it sure is easier the second time around. Lysa's parents have been great. They became master dog bed builders, window washing experts, and fed us good lunch each day. Al, my dad, has been busy building the rest of the kitchen items we need (like bins to feed all our guests during boarding) and organzing the construction crew to finish our gates. We will have our first boarding dogs this weekend and we are excited! Chris, my mom, has set up all the books and banking needs....what a relief!!! Wags RSM Staff have been incredible to keep our spirits alive there during the Spring Break. We are constantly asking to borrow or use this or that and need client's info faxed over. I sure miss the RSM STaff and can't wait to come back in a week. Thanks for helping us make this journey so wonderful!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
It's Finally Here!
It's hard to believe but the Tustin Location is finally opening. Our Grand Opening Party is Sunday, March 30th and we will be open for business the following day (Monday, March 31st). This week has been a crazy mad dash to the finish line. We've had every contractor working on top of each other this week to get everything done. Flooring, Phones, Computers, Fire System. Electrical, Carpenters, & Air conditioning workers were all in warp speed. Our General Contractor really made this project happen on time. We weren't even sure today whether we would get inspectors approval but we did. It was meant to be. Our sign goes up tomorrow and then it will really look official around here. There is so much still to be done and I'm sure we will still be tinkering on things for at least a month. However, the play areas are done and ready for some dogs to come have some fun.
My poor husband has been worked over. He even had to sleep in our RV outside the building for a week before the alarm system had been installed. Thank goodness the building is now secure and he can come home to sleep. He's had to juggle so many hats and jobs and still deal with me and Lysa breathing down his neck. My dad, the first W&W Tustin employee hired, has been a machine. He's helped put together 40 kennels with some help from Ian & Justin from RSM wags (Thanks guys!). He's lost 20 pounds since the project started!
People have already stopped by trying to drop off their dogs. The response is truly amazing. We are happy to report that now all the residents of Irvine will have a little Wags & Wiggles in their lives. We are expecting about 600 people at the Grand Opening Party. It's gonna be a good time. We have several reporters coming down for the event and even Joel Silverman from Animal Planet is stopping by.
We look forward to seeing everyone, meeting all the new Wags family, & becoming a part of the Tustin/Irvine community. Thank you for your support form the bottom of our hearts.
My poor husband has been worked over. He even had to sleep in our RV outside the building for a week before the alarm system had been installed. Thank goodness the building is now secure and he can come home to sleep. He's had to juggle so many hats and jobs and still deal with me and Lysa breathing down his neck. My dad, the first W&W Tustin employee hired, has been a machine. He's helped put together 40 kennels with some help from Ian & Justin from RSM wags (Thanks guys!). He's lost 20 pounds since the project started!
People have already stopped by trying to drop off their dogs. The response is truly amazing. We are happy to report that now all the residents of Irvine will have a little Wags & Wiggles in their lives. We are expecting about 600 people at the Grand Opening Party. It's gonna be a good time. We have several reporters coming down for the event and even Joel Silverman from Animal Planet is stopping by.
We look forward to seeing everyone, meeting all the new Wags family, & becoming a part of the Tustin/Irvine community. Thank you for your support form the bottom of our hearts.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Updates, Good Times, and Good DOGS!!
Well, first let me say that we really are sorry that it has been so long since we posted. It’s been crazy here and we do hope to write more often about what’s going on here at Wags.
Today was chilly and overcast but boy, the dogs sure remind us that gloomy is in the eye of the beholder. What a fun day we had. Casey and Callie the shepherd mix twins are here boarding with us. It is always such a pleasure to see them. They did our board and train program but live so far away we only get to see them occasionally. They were ripping it up today chasing their friends and playing ball. Scout the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Nemo the Pittie Mix were bouncing from play group to play group. They are equal opportunity playmates…they love everyone!! In the middle of the room Harry the Jack Russell Terrier was chasing Roxie the Aussie. She wasn’t trying very hard to get away, but enjoyed the game. Then there was Tally Husky and Barkley the Lab. They were wrestling and having a grand ‘ole time. Tally got Barkley down and part of her victory dance was to sit on him victoriously. What a riot.
Ally the Shepherd Mix (AKA “Alley Cat”) got to see her best friend Jake (AKA “Little Jake”) the Lab. These two are inseparable and look more like a tornado than two dogs playing. Dakota the Lab was playing tug with anyone that would play. First he was tugging on a nylabone with Bailey the Black lab. Then he was tugging on a big jolly ball with Bunker the bulldog. Next it was a kong with my Lab, Guinness. In the middle of the room Bonita the Husky was lounging in a chair and Kodiak her brother was poking at her trying to get her to play. She was supervising from up high and didn’t have time for him. Poor Kodiak…but he found a friend in Sage the Lab (“Sagey Poo”).
When I went out in the afternoon Maggie the Rottie Mix and Luna the Lab were laying on the sidewalk. They were both upside down, side by side, and nibbling on one another. Spooning and playing…that’s what it is all about!
In the Land of the Little it was anyone’s game! Raisin, Ricky, and Rosie (“The Triplets”) were sleeping in beds by the window. They just got a bath and it must have just worn them out! Sienna the Shepherd Mix was a few beds down chewing on a toy. Thumper the All American and Dakota the Labrador puppy have discovered that they love each other and barely took water breaks in between wrestle matches. They should be nice and pooped tonight! We are very proud of Meadow the Aussie’s progress. She is a rescue and very apprehensive. Today she roamed the entire room and almost played with Riley the Sheltie. She’s really coming along and learning that the world isn’t as scary as she thought. Yeah!
The trainers kept busy today with our 17 training dogs. Believe it or not that is slow for a Thursday! At any point you could see me, Ranaye, Julia, Jenny, Lisa, or Laurie working a dog in the lobby, Kennel room, Play area, training center, and even the RSM Lake.
For those of you patiently awaiting the opening of our new location…it’s coming along! The walls are painted, the air conditioners are going in…It almost feels real. We will be having an open house for all our current and future Wags Families before we open. We are hoping for one of the last 2 weeks in March and we promise to keep you posted.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for entrusting us with your furry children.
Today was chilly and overcast but boy, the dogs sure remind us that gloomy is in the eye of the beholder. What a fun day we had. Casey and Callie the shepherd mix twins are here boarding with us. It is always such a pleasure to see them. They did our board and train program but live so far away we only get to see them occasionally. They were ripping it up today chasing their friends and playing ball. Scout the Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Nemo the Pittie Mix were bouncing from play group to play group. They are equal opportunity playmates…they love everyone!! In the middle of the room Harry the Jack Russell Terrier was chasing Roxie the Aussie. She wasn’t trying very hard to get away, but enjoyed the game. Then there was Tally Husky and Barkley the Lab. They were wrestling and having a grand ‘ole time. Tally got Barkley down and part of her victory dance was to sit on him victoriously. What a riot.
Ally the Shepherd Mix (AKA “Alley Cat”) got to see her best friend Jake (AKA “Little Jake”) the Lab. These two are inseparable and look more like a tornado than two dogs playing. Dakota the Lab was playing tug with anyone that would play. First he was tugging on a nylabone with Bailey the Black lab. Then he was tugging on a big jolly ball with Bunker the bulldog. Next it was a kong with my Lab, Guinness. In the middle of the room Bonita the Husky was lounging in a chair and Kodiak her brother was poking at her trying to get her to play. She was supervising from up high and didn’t have time for him. Poor Kodiak…but he found a friend in Sage the Lab (“Sagey Poo”).
When I went out in the afternoon Maggie the Rottie Mix and Luna the Lab were laying on the sidewalk. They were both upside down, side by side, and nibbling on one another. Spooning and playing…that’s what it is all about!
In the Land of the Little it was anyone’s game! Raisin, Ricky, and Rosie (“The Triplets”) were sleeping in beds by the window. They just got a bath and it must have just worn them out! Sienna the Shepherd Mix was a few beds down chewing on a toy. Thumper the All American and Dakota the Labrador puppy have discovered that they love each other and barely took water breaks in between wrestle matches. They should be nice and pooped tonight! We are very proud of Meadow the Aussie’s progress. She is a rescue and very apprehensive. Today she roamed the entire room and almost played with Riley the Sheltie. She’s really coming along and learning that the world isn’t as scary as she thought. Yeah!
The trainers kept busy today with our 17 training dogs. Believe it or not that is slow for a Thursday! At any point you could see me, Ranaye, Julia, Jenny, Lisa, or Laurie working a dog in the lobby, Kennel room, Play area, training center, and even the RSM Lake.
For those of you patiently awaiting the opening of our new location…it’s coming along! The walls are painted, the air conditioners are going in…It almost feels real. We will be having an open house for all our current and future Wags Families before we open. We are hoping for one of the last 2 weeks in March and we promise to keep you posted.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for entrusting us with your furry children.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Wags & Wiggles 2008
I just realize that it has been 6 weeks since I posted on the blog! Geez! Things have been going great though! We just completed our busiest holiday season ever with tons of wonderful sweet dogs staying with us and celebrating the new year with us. We also have celebrated several employee anniversaries with us. Some of them have worked for us for 4-8 years. We also have some great new staffers that love working with your dogs. They have also managed to acquire some of their own dogs: Ashley just adopted Ember and Katrina just adopted Copper. Both dogs were in the aussie rescue program. We are getting a new rescue puppy this weekend, a catahoula/aussie mix. We plan to post pics soon and start looking for a permanent home.
The new location is slowly moving forward. Permitting is taking FOREVER!!! Nothing is wrong, it's just the process. We now plan to open March 2008. We have had so many inquiries and believe me we want to be open as badly as you do. However, we also want everything to be up to code, safe, and since we are using so many state of the art products it will take time to install these things. We hope (fingers crossed) to start a whirlwind construction phase in the next couple weeks and have more pics to post.
Meanwhile, our training center has been so busy and we've been able to work with so many great clients. Our board/train and dayschool program has been booking solid. Ranaye and Jenny both got their certifications this month, congratulations!!!! They are taking over Sat classes. We also had some great clients doing private lessons to improve greeting guests, walking on leash, and some dog-dog reactivity problems. We have a feisty fido group class starting in February. SAMLARC and W&W are teaming up again this February for the Dog Day Afternoon event to be held in RSM. This will be a great agility event and more for local residents. We are also offering Real Life Manners, CPR CLASS, Musical Freestyle & more.
The new location is slowly moving forward. Permitting is taking FOREVER!!! Nothing is wrong, it's just the process. We now plan to open March 2008. We have had so many inquiries and believe me we want to be open as badly as you do. However, we also want everything to be up to code, safe, and since we are using so many state of the art products it will take time to install these things. We hope (fingers crossed) to start a whirlwind construction phase in the next couple weeks and have more pics to post.
Meanwhile, our training center has been so busy and we've been able to work with so many great clients. Our board/train and dayschool program has been booking solid. Ranaye and Jenny both got their certifications this month, congratulations!!!! They are taking over Sat classes. We also had some great clients doing private lessons to improve greeting guests, walking on leash, and some dog-dog reactivity problems. We have a feisty fido group class starting in February. SAMLARC and W&W are teaming up again this February for the Dog Day Afternoon event to be held in RSM. This will be a great agility event and more for local residents. We are also offering Real Life Manners, CPR CLASS, Musical Freestyle & more.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
It's Official!
On Tuesday, Nov 13th the city of tustin passed unanimously to approve the Wags & Wiggles, Part Deux project in their city. They stated that they were extremely impressed on how we presented our project and alleviated any concerns about a dog business entering their city. We have been through this process before in the City of RSM since in our history we have moved once and expanded 3 times. It definitely gets easier after you have done it a few times but it was a GREAT feeling to have surpassed this hurdle in the project. This means we can now start construction and feel like we are progressing. It has taken 2 years to find the perfect location. Then it took over 5 months of negotiating with the building owner and going through the proper channels at the city to get approval. We have a great construction guy lined up ready to get started.
We are sure that things will get hectic now as we tear down walls, build new walls, install new flooring, install over 10 air conditioning units (just imagine that cost on that alone...sheeesh!), paint, build play equipment, build kennels, install web cams & computers, and start the hiring process. We plan to start interviews the first week of December. We will be running a few ads to hire staff but if you are interested, now is the time to submit applications.
We already have close to 500 people on our grand opening list. Check out the website for how to get on that list. We have people waiting to come from Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport, Fullerton, Anaheim Hills, Corona, & More. We have gotten so much positive feedback about how they have been waiting for Wags & Wiggles to come closer to their homes and workplaces. The hours at the NEW Location only will be extended to 6:30pm. We have not yet set a price schedule but we will have that up shortly. Many people have been asking about classes at that location and we expect to have those available by March 2008. I will be moving some of my advanced agility classes down to that location since the space is twice as large. However most of the current instructions, staff, and classes will remain at the RSM Location. We remain just as committed to our current RSM patrons. The RSM location is the original and will always remain our "baby".
Dave, my hubby, is so giddy right now he's like a kid. He's can't wait to get his hands on tools and build, build, build. My dad is giving notice at his job this week in preparation for coming on board in December. Lysa is tying up loose ends to make sure Julia, Ranaye, & Jenny are prepared to run the training center and help me like she currently does. They are ready for the challenge and they are more than qualified than take over. Lisa McFarland is joining the training team so that will be a little confusing for you all for awhile.....Lisa is replacing Lysa. Wow! We couldn't have made that more confusing....eh! Lysa is going to catch up on her sleep because as co-owner she will be at the new facility 7 days a week for quite some time ensuring everything goes smoothly.
And me? Well I'll be in the bahamas.....not just kidding. I'll be frantically racing back and forth attending to the needs of everyone, clients and staff. I often can't sit still or get a full nights sleep cuz I always gotta be doing something and this should certainly keep me busy for quite some time. We look forward to posting many day by day details over the next few weeks so this blog will be busy. Check back soon.
We are sure that things will get hectic now as we tear down walls, build new walls, install new flooring, install over 10 air conditioning units (just imagine that cost on that alone...sheeesh!), paint, build play equipment, build kennels, install web cams & computers, and start the hiring process. We plan to start interviews the first week of December. We will be running a few ads to hire staff but if you are interested, now is the time to submit applications.
We already have close to 500 people on our grand opening list. Check out the website for how to get on that list. We have people waiting to come from Irvine, Costa Mesa, Newport, Fullerton, Anaheim Hills, Corona, & More. We have gotten so much positive feedback about how they have been waiting for Wags & Wiggles to come closer to their homes and workplaces. The hours at the NEW Location only will be extended to 6:30pm. We have not yet set a price schedule but we will have that up shortly. Many people have been asking about classes at that location and we expect to have those available by March 2008. I will be moving some of my advanced agility classes down to that location since the space is twice as large. However most of the current instructions, staff, and classes will remain at the RSM Location. We remain just as committed to our current RSM patrons. The RSM location is the original and will always remain our "baby".
Dave, my hubby, is so giddy right now he's like a kid. He's can't wait to get his hands on tools and build, build, build. My dad is giving notice at his job this week in preparation for coming on board in December. Lysa is tying up loose ends to make sure Julia, Ranaye, & Jenny are prepared to run the training center and help me like she currently does. They are ready for the challenge and they are more than qualified than take over. Lisa McFarland is joining the training team so that will be a little confusing for you all for awhile.....Lisa is replacing Lysa. Wow! We couldn't have made that more confusing....eh! Lysa is going to catch up on her sleep because as co-owner she will be at the new facility 7 days a week for quite some time ensuring everything goes smoothly.
And me? Well I'll be in the bahamas.....not just kidding. I'll be frantically racing back and forth attending to the needs of everyone, clients and staff. I often can't sit still or get a full nights sleep cuz I always gotta be doing something and this should certainly keep me busy for quite some time. We look forward to posting many day by day details over the next few weeks so this blog will be busy. Check back soon.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
October Blast!
I know it has been a few weeks since we posted. We've been spending quite a lot of time getting our Tustin Location approved. We are in the final stages now and hope to start construction by the end of November. Yes, that means we will NOT be open at the Tustin Location for xmas or thanksgiving boarding. We anticipate opening in Jan 2008. Ultimately this is a better plan for us anyway to allow us more time to get it built just the way we want it and the new Tustin staff will have time to get trained properly at the RSM Location. We have had many calls about employment at the Tustin Location. We will start employment interviews mid November so get your applications in now. If you are looking to board over the holidays, book it at the RSM Location now....really book it today. We already have waiting lists for some dates. As always, remember that if you bring your own crate you are pretty much guaranteed a spot.
The other event that has kept us really busy was our Halloween Party! It is going to become an annual event. The turnout was truly incredible with 300 people and over 100 dogs. We are amazed and pleased to see how well the dogs behaved at the party. Most of them were pretty distracted by wearing all the crazy costumes and the parents did a great job and keeping the dogs under control. A special thanks to Lysa, Jodi, and Ranaye who helped plan and setup for the party. It took 2 days to setup for the party. We had so many scary decorations. We setup a tunnel that everyone walked through to get to the party with many spooktaculars hanging everywhere. In the main training area, we had seating for 50 people with balloons, the works. Ranaye spent an entire day baking all the cakes and goodies homemade for the dogs. We also provided a ton of food for the human party goers. A couple of the biggest hits were the Got Play Hats for the people as a door gift and there was a tunnel labyrinth for the dogs to go through.
Then we started the contests. Winners received FREE daycare....what could be better! The categories were: prettiest dog, scariest dog, best original costume, best dog/owner lookalike, and best overall costume. All the dogs entered pranced around while the judges tallied their votes. Prettiest dog went to Shelby the shihtzu as the princess. Scariest dog went to Ebon the Newfie as King Kong. Best original costume got a couple votes: Annie the cocker was the horse with a the headless horseman on top, Rocky the lab and both parents were pirates. Best dog/owner lookalike went to Frankie the Grt Dane and mom who both came as Cows....truly hysterical. Best overall went to Lynn, Dot and Fletcher who won 5 days of free daycare....wow! Special mentions went to Piper the sheltie who was a witch and Corby the poodle who was the clown he was born to be. Other winners were Alyce and Kris, the humans, who came was Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones but the kicker was their dogs Chezzy and Max came as dinosaurs. Finally, the best employee costume went to Katie and Jenny who dressed their dogs up as Me and Dave. Wigs, glasses, underwear sticking out (Dave, not me!), it was hysterical.
The party was a lot of work but every single person who attended said they HAD SO MUCH FUN and I continued to get tons of emails afterwards with thank yous. So we will definitely do it again next year. However we may have to turn it into a block party since we expect the attendance to grow next year. We hope to see you all at the Grand Opening Party for the Tustin Location which will be scheduled for Jan 2008. We have not set a date yet but we already have about 500 people on the waiting list so we expect it to be HUGE!
The other event that has kept us really busy was our Halloween Party! It is going to become an annual event. The turnout was truly incredible with 300 people and over 100 dogs. We are amazed and pleased to see how well the dogs behaved at the party. Most of them were pretty distracted by wearing all the crazy costumes and the parents did a great job and keeping the dogs under control. A special thanks to Lysa, Jodi, and Ranaye who helped plan and setup for the party. It took 2 days to setup for the party. We had so many scary decorations. We setup a tunnel that everyone walked through to get to the party with many spooktaculars hanging everywhere. In the main training area, we had seating for 50 people with balloons, the works. Ranaye spent an entire day baking all the cakes and goodies homemade for the dogs. We also provided a ton of food for the human party goers. A couple of the biggest hits were the Got Play Hats for the people as a door gift and there was a tunnel labyrinth for the dogs to go through.
Then we started the contests. Winners received FREE daycare....what could be better! The categories were: prettiest dog, scariest dog, best original costume, best dog/owner lookalike, and best overall costume. All the dogs entered pranced around while the judges tallied their votes. Prettiest dog went to Shelby the shihtzu as the princess. Scariest dog went to Ebon the Newfie as King Kong. Best original costume got a couple votes: Annie the cocker was the horse with a the headless horseman on top, Rocky the lab and both parents were pirates. Best dog/owner lookalike went to Frankie the Grt Dane and mom who both came as Cows....truly hysterical. Best overall went to Lynn, Dot and Fletcher who won 5 days of free daycare....wow! Special mentions went to Piper the sheltie who was a witch and Corby the poodle who was the clown he was born to be. Other winners were Alyce and Kris, the humans, who came was Wilma and Betty from the Flintstones but the kicker was their dogs Chezzy and Max came as dinosaurs. Finally, the best employee costume went to Katie and Jenny who dressed their dogs up as Me and Dave. Wigs, glasses, underwear sticking out (Dave, not me!), it was hysterical.
The party was a lot of work but every single person who attended said they HAD SO MUCH FUN and I continued to get tons of emails afterwards with thank yous. So we will definitely do it again next year. However we may have to turn it into a block party since we expect the attendance to grow next year. We hope to see you all at the Grand Opening Party for the Tustin Location which will be scheduled for Jan 2008. We have not set a date yet but we already have about 500 people on the waiting list so we expect it to be HUGE!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Training Day
Wednesday started off with a bang. I walked into the daycare and saw all of your kids having a great time. I got to spend a few minutes getting my cuddles and slobbery kisses before heading off to my obedience classes.
First off was Obedience Level 1. Staff Trainer & Weekend Manager Jenny and I greeted the new students: Gizzy the Porkie (that’s a Pekinese/Yorkie mix), Cash the Malamute Mix, Zoe the Pit Mix, Lola the Havanese, Rex the Puggle, Spanky the English Bulldog, and Jiminy the Min-Pin. The class was topped off with one of our staff members, Julio and his new Aussie rescue Pebbles. Yes, we got another member of wags sucked into the aussie possie through our aussie rescue efforts! What a great class! Everyone was so well behaved and their owners so committed to the growth of their pups that it touched my heart.
After that class left to go show off their skills to the world, I got to check in with the other trainers and watch in awe at their brilliance. Today we had apprentice’s Credele and Esther working with Senior Trainer Julia training Choco the Beagle, Bandit the Bernese, Junie the Retriever, Riley and Maddie the Boxer/Wiemie sister pair, and Sydney the Aussie.
Jenny and I then went off to Puppy class. Today was the last class for Sami the Black Lab and Bentley the Jack Russell Mix. These girls have come such a long way since day one. Both have come to join us in the daycare so even though they are done in puppy class, I still get to see their growth and give them lots of hugs. I hear Bentley is coming to agility and Sami to Level 2 obedience! I can’t wait!!
Lunch time comes to pass as the trainers are working on their report cards for the dayschoolers so that all the dog mom’s and dad’s know what their pup kids learned that day. We also got to talk about how smart the kids we work with are, and how fun their owners are.
Later in the day I move on to my next Obedience Level 1 class. In this class Laurie, the owner and head trainer, helped me to get everyone in and comfortable. I have the pleasure of having Max and Sparky the Black Labs, Maggie the Terrier Mix, Bob the English Bulldog (and puppy class graduate), Baxter the Viszla, Molly the Schnoodle, Murphy the Mini Aussie, and Tasha the Miniature Eskimo (another puppy class graduate). Another great class of brilliant dogs and their superb moms and dads.
Next Wednesday I get to see my Level 1 students again for more learning fun, and my Level 2/Canine Good Citizen class starts. I look forward to that, and telling you all about it!
First off was Obedience Level 1. Staff Trainer & Weekend Manager Jenny and I greeted the new students: Gizzy the Porkie (that’s a Pekinese/Yorkie mix), Cash the Malamute Mix, Zoe the Pit Mix, Lola the Havanese, Rex the Puggle, Spanky the English Bulldog, and Jiminy the Min-Pin. The class was topped off with one of our staff members, Julio and his new Aussie rescue Pebbles. Yes, we got another member of wags sucked into the aussie possie through our aussie rescue efforts! What a great class! Everyone was so well behaved and their owners so committed to the growth of their pups that it touched my heart.
After that class left to go show off their skills to the world, I got to check in with the other trainers and watch in awe at their brilliance. Today we had apprentice’s Credele and Esther working with Senior Trainer Julia training Choco the Beagle, Bandit the Bernese, Junie the Retriever, Riley and Maddie the Boxer/Wiemie sister pair, and Sydney the Aussie.
Jenny and I then went off to Puppy class. Today was the last class for Sami the Black Lab and Bentley the Jack Russell Mix. These girls have come such a long way since day one. Both have come to join us in the daycare so even though they are done in puppy class, I still get to see their growth and give them lots of hugs. I hear Bentley is coming to agility and Sami to Level 2 obedience! I can’t wait!!
Lunch time comes to pass as the trainers are working on their report cards for the dayschoolers so that all the dog mom’s and dad’s know what their pup kids learned that day. We also got to talk about how smart the kids we work with are, and how fun their owners are.
Later in the day I move on to my next Obedience Level 1 class. In this class Laurie, the owner and head trainer, helped me to get everyone in and comfortable. I have the pleasure of having Max and Sparky the Black Labs, Maggie the Terrier Mix, Bob the English Bulldog (and puppy class graduate), Baxter the Viszla, Molly the Schnoodle, Murphy the Mini Aussie, and Tasha the Miniature Eskimo (another puppy class graduate). Another great class of brilliant dogs and their superb moms and dads.
Next Wednesday I get to see my Level 1 students again for more learning fun, and my Level 2/Canine Good Citizen class starts. I look forward to that, and telling you all about it!
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Something In the Air
This morning was wild! Not bad wild but the dogs were on fire! It's probably the cooler weather and pending rain but they were running all over the place and wrestling like crazy. We pulled in some extra hands from the trainers and myself until it got calmer midday. All the dogs were getting along well but they were full of beans. We had tons of wheatons today. Baby Bear was the most active and was involved in most of the chase scenes. Oolong and Marin were new wheatons today. Murphy and Duffy rounded off the wheatons. Izzy and Junie the Goldens also stirred the pot by entering the play area with blazes on their heels. Rocky the y lab was always in the middle of the action. Zoe the Shep X and Bruiser the Bulldog were a great team. Deuce the rat terrier and Frankie the Great Dane are both black & white and look like a max and mini version of each other. Bailey & Tanner the bassets were in love with Jazzy the beagle. They made a great trio. Sherman the corgie kept leading Mia the c lab on a round and round chase game through the tunnels. Lincoln the cattle dog was another rebel rowser and was game for anything.
Riley the doodle has a sweet new sister Ruby the great dane. Ellie has a new brother Baxter. Baxter is finally acclimating well. He also starts group class tonight. Sophie the weimie and Georgie the y lab were constantly in action. Bella the 4 legged black lab and Bella the 3 legged black lab were best friends. Sierra the black lab was immediately ready for any and all action when she arrived. Boy is she gonna be tired. Komet the sweet rhodesian gave tons of kisses. Wyatt my special man cuddled a lot with me. Ginger and Lucy our sweet y labs got tons of love. Enzo the golden is still a bit shy to get down and dirty but he sure is sweet. Bailey the younger dark yellow lab had a love affair with the red ball. Bailey the older fluffy golden retriever liked to keep the rebel rowsers in check. Riley the brindle boxer and Sherman the white boxer were inseparable.
In the little dog room, Princess Breezy crammed her big body into LuAnn lap. Daisy and Shadow the bichons loved each other. Rudy the yorkie thinks he is a big dog. Chandler the little cavalier and Shelby the shihtzu played chase under the beds. Fudgy the poodle loves to lick Nick's face. Shadow the schnauzer joined her little sister Lucy the Fox Terrier today. Otto & Bailey are siblings too! Thanks for a great day today and everyone should be extra tired!
Riley the doodle has a sweet new sister Ruby the great dane. Ellie has a new brother Baxter. Baxter is finally acclimating well. He also starts group class tonight. Sophie the weimie and Georgie the y lab were constantly in action. Bella the 4 legged black lab and Bella the 3 legged black lab were best friends. Sierra the black lab was immediately ready for any and all action when she arrived. Boy is she gonna be tired. Komet the sweet rhodesian gave tons of kisses. Wyatt my special man cuddled a lot with me. Ginger and Lucy our sweet y labs got tons of love. Enzo the golden is still a bit shy to get down and dirty but he sure is sweet. Bailey the younger dark yellow lab had a love affair with the red ball. Bailey the older fluffy golden retriever liked to keep the rebel rowsers in check. Riley the brindle boxer and Sherman the white boxer were inseparable.
In the little dog room, Princess Breezy crammed her big body into LuAnn lap. Daisy and Shadow the bichons loved each other. Rudy the yorkie thinks he is a big dog. Chandler the little cavalier and Shelby the shihtzu played chase under the beds. Fudgy the poodle loves to lick Nick's face. Shadow the schnauzer joined her little sister Lucy the Fox Terrier today. Otto & Bailey are siblings too! Thanks for a great day today and everyone should be extra tired!
Monday, September 17, 2007
Monkey'n Around
We love Mondays. It's the slowest day of the week so we get to make up fun games to play with dogs. Julia and Ranaye were in the lobby practicing group down stays. Buddy, Claudia, Bandit Diesel & Bentley were all lined up trying very hard to hold their stay while the daycare dogs arrived. Jennifer was in the big dogs playing pile up on the highway. That's when you sit on the play equipment and see how many dogs can sit on you at once. It's hysterical. ZIggy, Vegas, Goldy & Phoebe were among the contestants. The puppies in the small dog room were playing marco polo around the water bowl. Then they would catch each other and fall into the bowl. The yorkies cheered them on: Challubie, Coco, & Louis. Sienna & Doheny were new puppies today. Sienna needs some cuddling and encouragement to join the fun which Amy was glad to oblige but Doheny was ready to join the party immediately. Gracie the Samoyed who started off so shy her first day a week or so ago has blossomed into the ambassador for the small dog room. The sopranos (Muffin, Shayna & Tiger the poodles) joined the bootcamp program today. Molly the sweetest cocker ever got a new nickname today: Perfect Molly.
Back in the big dog room, bulldogs were everywhere with Diesel, Ginger, the other Diesel (popular names for bulldogs), Lola & Lucy. Troy was new today, very cute & soft. He joined Koda who was an adorable new puppy in the big kids today. Jake the Weimie and Rocky the boxer battled it out today for top dog with Zeke the doodle cheering them on. And Finally, Bruno the puggle and Tessa the Fox terrier were quite the item today.
Back in the big dog room, bulldogs were everywhere with Diesel, Ginger, the other Diesel (popular names for bulldogs), Lola & Lucy. Troy was new today, very cute & soft. He joined Koda who was an adorable new puppy in the big kids today. Jake the Weimie and Rocky the boxer battled it out today for top dog with Zeke the doodle cheering them on. And Finally, Bruno the puggle and Tessa the Fox terrier were quite the item today.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Week Ends With A Bang
Friday was busy with lots of new dogs visiting us, two full boards of daycare dogs, private behavior consults, and a full staff of great employees. The day started in the training center with a new springer spaniel getting a private lesson from Lysa to start with dayschool lessons at daycare. In the big training room, I met with a great new client and her bulldog that is showing unwanted growly behavior towards people and dogs. Both lessons went great and we can see both dogs making great progress in the future. Ranaye and Julia were the other trainers on staff today who were busy working with Marshmellow, Jack, Diesel, & Choco. Jennifer the apprentice was here soaking it all in.
Shawna, Jenny, Tracy, & Chris were the front office staff in the morning dishing out the kisses and cuddles. Rachel and Julio were the floor supervisors in back making sure everyone was playing nicely and getting their groove on. The girl staffers in back included Lindsey, Jennifer, Kaycie & Ashley. The boys in back included Matt, Nick, Tyler & Justin. Everyone does such a great job and LOVES the dogs. Jillian was master bather today and got to give bubble baths to some of her favorite dogs. All the staffers already have their halloween costumes ready for the big party here at Wags on 10/20. We are also having a private staff party in a week at Dave & Busters to thank all our wonderful employees for their hard work! It just one big huge party around here all the time. No wonder the dogs love it here so much.
It was aussie heaven today! Big Paws UP to Merline, Boomer, Sydney & Rudy (rescued litter mates), Meesha & Raffie (got really cute photos of them today), Jack (loving dayschool), Pebbles, Roxy (black tri), Sierra, Roxy (red tri - our favorite aussie veteran), TJ (agility pro), Wally Roo and Didgery Doo (voted cutest wiggle), Sara, Sam, & Beamer. Now that's a lot of awesome aussies. The bulldog brigade was in full swing. Oswald never let go of the ball but boy did Diesel and Sherman try to get it from him. Jazzy did the slut dance for Brennan, her new boyfriend. Honey the new lab pup is here and make everyone became an instant friend. Both Sadies the collies were here. They were fun to watch play together. What a great breed! Sage the y lab was doing her boot scoot run. The small dog room was full of puppies today. We had a great selection of breeds as puppies today: Twinkie the papillon, Otto the wheaten/corgi mix, Tasha the eskimo, Zinya the Springer pup, Sadie a really cool looking cocker, & Rocco the pomapoo. We look forward to seeing these puppies grow up in the years to come.
The transport crew are having a great time visiting all our Wags family neighborhoods and picking up all their friends. Bella the lab was on this list today for a transport and she hopped right in like she takes the Wags bus every day. Walter greeted her as she got in then she took over as the "Hostess with the Mostest" and greeted all rest of the morning travelers: Annie the basset, Bella & Sissy the labs, & Brennan. See you all next week!
Shawna, Jenny, Tracy, & Chris were the front office staff in the morning dishing out the kisses and cuddles. Rachel and Julio were the floor supervisors in back making sure everyone was playing nicely and getting their groove on. The girl staffers in back included Lindsey, Jennifer, Kaycie & Ashley. The boys in back included Matt, Nick, Tyler & Justin. Everyone does such a great job and LOVES the dogs. Jillian was master bather today and got to give bubble baths to some of her favorite dogs. All the staffers already have their halloween costumes ready for the big party here at Wags on 10/20. We are also having a private staff party in a week at Dave & Busters to thank all our wonderful employees for their hard work! It just one big huge party around here all the time. No wonder the dogs love it here so much.
It was aussie heaven today! Big Paws UP to Merline, Boomer, Sydney & Rudy (rescued litter mates), Meesha & Raffie (got really cute photos of them today), Jack (loving dayschool), Pebbles, Roxy (black tri), Sierra, Roxy (red tri - our favorite aussie veteran), TJ (agility pro), Wally Roo and Didgery Doo (voted cutest wiggle), Sara, Sam, & Beamer. Now that's a lot of awesome aussies. The bulldog brigade was in full swing. Oswald never let go of the ball but boy did Diesel and Sherman try to get it from him. Jazzy did the slut dance for Brennan, her new boyfriend. Honey the new lab pup is here and make everyone became an instant friend. Both Sadies the collies were here. They were fun to watch play together. What a great breed! Sage the y lab was doing her boot scoot run. The small dog room was full of puppies today. We had a great selection of breeds as puppies today: Twinkie the papillon, Otto the wheaten/corgi mix, Tasha the eskimo, Zinya the Springer pup, Sadie a really cool looking cocker, & Rocco the pomapoo. We look forward to seeing these puppies grow up in the years to come.
The transport crew are having a great time visiting all our Wags family neighborhoods and picking up all their friends. Bella the lab was on this list today for a transport and she hopped right in like she takes the Wags bus every day. Walter greeted her as she got in then she took over as the "Hostess with the Mostest" and greeted all rest of the morning travelers: Annie the basset, Bella & Sissy the labs, & Brennan. See you all next week!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
As Promised!
It's Thursday today and we are on a roll! As promised we are bloggin all week long. I came back into the office today after being gone (Gator got neutered and I was home nursing him along). My email box was filled with wonderful bday wishes that warmed my heart. Unbeknownst to me, Lysa has emailed out about my bday. What a sweet thing to do. I made my way over the daycare and loved hanging out talking to many of you in the lobby. It's so great to hear all the wonderful stories about what your doggies have been doing lately. Then I caught up with the front office staff on the latest gossip. Through the window into the small dog room, I caught a glimpse of one of new puppies today. Bella the aussie mix is too cute for words. Rachel was in the small dog room cuddling away....big shout out to Rachel who rocks! Toby and Foxy came by today for a romp and roll. Tank & Dash the Italian Greyhounds are doing so great with their play skills. Coco the havachon got special treatment by sitting with the staff in the breakroom on their lunch. The look of ecstasy on Coco's face was priceless. Freckles and Chili the doxies hooked up for fun. Nala & Tschotkes the chihuahuas are best friends and lay on top of each other in Amy's lap. The oddest match is the room was Chuck & Buddy. Mickey and Lola the cavalier made a love match today. Shelby a new cocker is making huge strides. She was extremely fearful and shaking her first day. With special attention and love from the staff, she is now hanging out in the crowd. Best quote of the day was from Amy, our manager "I always like to root for the underdog and see them accomplish the unexpected".
I moved to the big dog room to get the daily poop scoop. Jack the goodle was giving hugs to Lindsey. Matt was cuddling with Betsy and Roxy the aussie who were manning to toy tower. Justin was playing referee between Odessa & Bella the boxer. Ashley, the new employee on the block, fit right into the love fest. She worked at another animal care facility and said W&W was so much more fun and better organized. Love to hear we are the best! Erik, our new weekday maintenance guy, was outside rockin out with Beemer & Sam the aussies. Buddy the Basenji X was getting to the action too! Sophie was a new sweet border collie. Guiness the choc lab came up from behind and went right through my legs for a piggy back ride. Lucky the golden retriever who is petrified of daylight (I know that it is a unique fear), actually braved the light to come hug me outside. Magnus the aussie greeted me with snorts. Molly the golden greeted me with a sit very politely and then rolled around on her back taunting Mochi.
We had some old friends return again today: RBI, Darrell, Bear the C lab, Finn, Murphy the golden & Harley (cattledogX) & Sara the aussie. Scout the chessie on the other hand is one of our weekly residents and is our only chessie to date. Gabby Goo the C Lab never put down the ball. MAx & Major the Germ Shephards are protectors of the West Wing at Wags. They keep the puppies in line at all times. Ace the Black Lab and Casey the Y lab were the official greeters at the back door today. They made sure each dog felt welcome. Wild Man Harry and Boomer Blue kept the group stirred up. Cheyenne & Montana circled around me jumping with joy.
Nemo the Pit X and Phoebe the Pit X did awesome today! As you are probably aware, W&W does not accept full bred pitbulls which causes quite the controversy to some people. However we have many pit mixes that do wonderful. Each dog is screened and evaluated like the rest and those who show appropriate behavior are more than welcome. Since we work closely with the Irvine Animal Shelter who adopts out many of these wonderful pitbulls we do allow some flexibility in our policy on a case by case basis. Nemo and Phoebe are wonderful dogs who we love dearly. Frankie the Great Dane also loves these two and makes a great play partner. Sakura and Ben, brother and sister goldens, has so much fun today chasing each other non-stop. Allie the ShepX and Java the C lab carried the same toy around together. It was hysterical to see them trying to fit both of their mouths on the toy. Allie eventually moved on to Jake & Zoe the y lab for more doggin around.
I moved to the big dog room to get the daily poop scoop. Jack the goodle was giving hugs to Lindsey. Matt was cuddling with Betsy and Roxy the aussie who were manning to toy tower. Justin was playing referee between Odessa & Bella the boxer. Ashley, the new employee on the block, fit right into the love fest. She worked at another animal care facility and said W&W was so much more fun and better organized. Love to hear we are the best! Erik, our new weekday maintenance guy, was outside rockin out with Beemer & Sam the aussies. Buddy the Basenji X was getting to the action too! Sophie was a new sweet border collie. Guiness the choc lab came up from behind and went right through my legs for a piggy back ride. Lucky the golden retriever who is petrified of daylight (I know that it is a unique fear), actually braved the light to come hug me outside. Magnus the aussie greeted me with snorts. Molly the golden greeted me with a sit very politely and then rolled around on her back taunting Mochi.
We had some old friends return again today: RBI, Darrell, Bear the C lab, Finn, Murphy the golden & Harley (cattledogX) & Sara the aussie. Scout the chessie on the other hand is one of our weekly residents and is our only chessie to date. Gabby Goo the C Lab never put down the ball. MAx & Major the Germ Shephards are protectors of the West Wing at Wags. They keep the puppies in line at all times. Ace the Black Lab and Casey the Y lab were the official greeters at the back door today. They made sure each dog felt welcome. Wild Man Harry and Boomer Blue kept the group stirred up. Cheyenne & Montana circled around me jumping with joy.
Nemo the Pit X and Phoebe the Pit X did awesome today! As you are probably aware, W&W does not accept full bred pitbulls which causes quite the controversy to some people. However we have many pit mixes that do wonderful. Each dog is screened and evaluated like the rest and those who show appropriate behavior are more than welcome. Since we work closely with the Irvine Animal Shelter who adopts out many of these wonderful pitbulls we do allow some flexibility in our policy on a case by case basis. Nemo and Phoebe are wonderful dogs who we love dearly. Frankie the Great Dane also loves these two and makes a great play partner. Sakura and Ben, brother and sister goldens, has so much fun today chasing each other non-stop. Allie the ShepX and Java the C lab carried the same toy around together. It was hysterical to see them trying to fit both of their mouths on the toy. Allie eventually moved on to Jake & Zoe the y lab for more doggin around.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Wacky Wednesday
There is nothing better than walking into the play area and seeing dog that I have known for years (dogs I have seen grow from silly little puppies to well adjusted adults) light up and come running to me. Today my big smiles and bright eyes came from Deuce the Rat Terrier and Molly Rae the Wheaton. They jumped all over me, pretending they had never learned not to jump in obedience class. I, being the trainer, of course did not encourage the jumping and only said hi once they sat. (or did I?????) Then around the corner came Keira the Swiss Mountain Dog. No one greets me the way she does. She bounces on her back legs while whining a cute excited hello. I love this place!
The newer kids say hello too and greet me with enthusiasm, each day they get more excited to see us again. I gave my “welcome” kisses to Heinz the Shepherd, and Ryleigh and Enzo the Retrievers.
I look over, after my hellos and see Jackson the white Shepherd caught Ryleigh’s attention and they are wrestling. Their mouth’s are open and they are flailing around in bliss. True love sparks again. Koda and Bella the Shepherds run by, they are boarding for the first time after coming here for play dates for over a year and are doing so great! Guinness the Husky/Shepherd Mix and TJ the Aussie dance the night away in the center of the mist spray outside. Then I see Cali the Pointer and Sawyer playing follow the leader and chasing each other around the outskirts of the play area.
Off I go to the inside area of the big dog room and I see Taylor the Aussie and Sherman the Corgi wrestling. Bailey the Black Lab Puppy wants in so bad he is circling them and barking. They give in and the three of them run around like the wild dog posse that they are. Maggie and Brady the Labs are playing keep away with the ball. I watch the frenzy with glee as I say hello to Malibu the Lab (a.k.a. Malibu-bu-bu-bu…) and his brother, Snickers the Chihuahua mix. Yes, the little Chihuahua mix that runs the big dog room! What a riot.
As look to the side of room I see some nappers, getting ready for round two of the day: Betsy the BC Mix, Molsen the Retriever, Brennen the Flat Coat, Kihei the Samoyed, Lulu the Black Lab, and Jake, Dakota, and Kirby the Weimies. Little Jake (“Poopies”) & Kleinsea the Weimies were close by too. In front of the row of nappers was Walter the Newfie. He was laid out like a bear skin rug.
In the small dog room Bentley the Terrier Mix, Tanner the Basset, and Sadie the Puggle were a tumbling swirl of fur. If they are not tired tonight, nothing will do it! Roxy the Whea-poo puppy made her debut in the small dog room and was a big hit. She’s our first of this breed, and boy is she cute. Gismo and Rusty greeted me with their usual wiggles and hugs.
The trainers stayed busy today with all of our Training dogs. Maddie, Jane (Aussie Mixes), and Sydney (Aussie) got to run around and do agility with Julia today. They thought that was a blast. Choco (Beagle) and I bonded while working on resource guarding. Bandit (Berner), Mochi (Sheepdog), and Jackson (Shepherd) got their one on one time too. Then in puppy class we got to play with some fun puppies and their owners. What a blast that is. All the trainers got to come today and participate, which was really fun. A big shout out to Bailey (Puggle), Sammie (B. Lab), Ehvie (Aussie), Dakota (Lab), and Gracie (Samoyed) and their people too. Great job today guys!
We’ll see you all tomorrow for more fur flying fun and slobbery kisses!!
The newer kids say hello too and greet me with enthusiasm, each day they get more excited to see us again. I gave my “welcome” kisses to Heinz the Shepherd, and Ryleigh and Enzo the Retrievers.
I look over, after my hellos and see Jackson the white Shepherd caught Ryleigh’s attention and they are wrestling. Their mouth’s are open and they are flailing around in bliss. True love sparks again. Koda and Bella the Shepherds run by, they are boarding for the first time after coming here for play dates for over a year and are doing so great! Guinness the Husky/Shepherd Mix and TJ the Aussie dance the night away in the center of the mist spray outside. Then I see Cali the Pointer and Sawyer playing follow the leader and chasing each other around the outskirts of the play area.
Off I go to the inside area of the big dog room and I see Taylor the Aussie and Sherman the Corgi wrestling. Bailey the Black Lab Puppy wants in so bad he is circling them and barking. They give in and the three of them run around like the wild dog posse that they are. Maggie and Brady the Labs are playing keep away with the ball. I watch the frenzy with glee as I say hello to Malibu the Lab (a.k.a. Malibu-bu-bu-bu…) and his brother, Snickers the Chihuahua mix. Yes, the little Chihuahua mix that runs the big dog room! What a riot.
As look to the side of room I see some nappers, getting ready for round two of the day: Betsy the BC Mix, Molsen the Retriever, Brennen the Flat Coat, Kihei the Samoyed, Lulu the Black Lab, and Jake, Dakota, and Kirby the Weimies. Little Jake (“Poopies”) & Kleinsea the Weimies were close by too. In front of the row of nappers was Walter the Newfie. He was laid out like a bear skin rug.
In the small dog room Bentley the Terrier Mix, Tanner the Basset, and Sadie the Puggle were a tumbling swirl of fur. If they are not tired tonight, nothing will do it! Roxy the Whea-poo puppy made her debut in the small dog room and was a big hit. She’s our first of this breed, and boy is she cute. Gismo and Rusty greeted me with their usual wiggles and hugs.
The trainers stayed busy today with all of our Training dogs. Maddie, Jane (Aussie Mixes), and Sydney (Aussie) got to run around and do agility with Julia today. They thought that was a blast. Choco (Beagle) and I bonded while working on resource guarding. Bandit (Berner), Mochi (Sheepdog), and Jackson (Shepherd) got their one on one time too. Then in puppy class we got to play with some fun puppies and their owners. What a blast that is. All the trainers got to come today and participate, which was really fun. A big shout out to Bailey (Puggle), Sammie (B. Lab), Ehvie (Aussie), Dakota (Lab), and Gracie (Samoyed) and their people too. Great job today guys!
We’ll see you all tomorrow for more fur flying fun and slobbery kisses!!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
We Be Blogg'n
Whew! Things have finally calmed down since the summer rush. We've been so busy taking care of your kids we haven't had time to blog. Well this week, you get one every day. First, some updates. No real news yet on the new facility. We are still just plugging along with the city approval process. Once our paperwork is processed and our hearing is set, we will be able to predict an opening date. We have however started interviewing for the many job positions we will have open. Email us for details. The next cool news is our BARK N BOO Halloween Party. We set the date for Oct 20th 6-8pm. Come in costume, play fun games, and win cool prizes including free daycare. Check out website for details.
The air in the daycare today was silly happy play. Corby the poodle was practicing his gymnastics including his double backflip. Trooper & Ditto were playing the ole bait and switch game. Trooper would lure them in and Ditto would grab them from behind. Then all three dogs would play chase. Digby the Golden and Marble played hide and go seek with Loke around the play equipment. Gator, my pup, picked Harley the puggle as his favorite play pal today. Bailey the b lab, kirby the doodle, and Duffy W the wheaton were a three way wrestling match. Duffy the other wheaton (yes two Duffy wheatons) and Max the Basenji were a good match. Roxy the vizsla and Maggie the lab kept chasing each other around playing keep away with the very popular red balls. Blue the basset and Rocky the boxer really liked each other. Rocky was three times Blue's size but always layed down so Blue could tackle him. Bubba and Sally the goodles kept TJ the aussie busy. Hanks the boston terr and Bentley the puggle were unstoppable. Roxy & Lucy the aussie became best friends today. Heinz a new german shephard and Jane were best friends too. Ozzie & Kallie the schauzers graduated to the big kid room and initiated Katie the new retriever by teaching her the chase game. Buckeye & Mochi represented the Sheepdog group. Bunker & Cosmo the vizsla's kept everyone on moving and hopping. Roxy the yellow lab and Bella the ShepX got up on their hind legs and loved the wrestle in the air.
Lola the aussie rescue for adoption started her training program today. She loves the attention. Pebbles the latest aussie rescue was adopted today by Julio, one of our employees. Goodness they are cute together. She's going to be spoiled rotten. Pebbles best friend today was Romeo the boxer pup. Sadie the puggle has the moves and can out dodge any chaser. Sabrina the Grt Pyrnees loves to lay in the water and let puppies wrestle on top of her. Izzy the Golden and Bailey the Boxer were evenly matched in the wrestling ring. Sammy the y lab and Boone the springer collapsed in a heap to nap after zooming around after each other. As I walked up to say hi to them they both wiggled their tails furiously and offered up their bellies....simultaneously. Brutus the Mastiff and Betsy the border collie mix were an odd match but they loved each other. Who are we to judge, right? They pick their own friends. Bandit the berner and Ollie the terrier mix were together most of the day. When Ollie gets too rambunctious, Bandit just sits on him....it's hysterical. Baloo the b lab kept collecting all the nylabones into a heap and then tried to pick them all up at once. Jezzy & Jasper the cattledogs were the official supervisors today. Peyton the Aussie Mix was full of her normal kisses and cuddles. She makes us feel so special. We had a few faces we hadn't seen in awhile: Vaq, Jazzy the shep X, Shilo - our big grey faced boy, and Harry the newfie mix. We were so happy to see them today.
The small kid room was fired up first thing but then mellowed into sun bathing and brushings. Bailey the puggle was going all day long trying to play with everyone. Olley was a new westie who was getting into the groove. Shelby the shihtzu and Bijoo the Coton were best friends and kept each other very busy. Dash the doodle pup and Belle the terrier mix really loved each other and kept chasing in and out of the tunnel. Ben, Albert, and Old Man Charlie the Cavaliers were happy and sweet and joined the sunbathers later in the morning. Bandit and Skittles didn't stop for sunbathing and just kept the play going. Coco the Bichon and Skippy the papillon liked to mouth wrestle and then fell asleep on top of each other. Chewie was back for more fun today. He has a rare blood disease where his blood won't clot so he keep an extra eye on him.
That rounds out our busy day today! We look forward to seeing at our party in October!
The air in the daycare today was silly happy play. Corby the poodle was practicing his gymnastics including his double backflip. Trooper & Ditto were playing the ole bait and switch game. Trooper would lure them in and Ditto would grab them from behind. Then all three dogs would play chase. Digby the Golden and Marble played hide and go seek with Loke around the play equipment. Gator, my pup, picked Harley the puggle as his favorite play pal today. Bailey the b lab, kirby the doodle, and Duffy W the wheaton were a three way wrestling match. Duffy the other wheaton (yes two Duffy wheatons) and Max the Basenji were a good match. Roxy the vizsla and Maggie the lab kept chasing each other around playing keep away with the very popular red balls. Blue the basset and Rocky the boxer really liked each other. Rocky was three times Blue's size but always layed down so Blue could tackle him. Bubba and Sally the goodles kept TJ the aussie busy. Hanks the boston terr and Bentley the puggle were unstoppable. Roxy & Lucy the aussie became best friends today. Heinz a new german shephard and Jane were best friends too. Ozzie & Kallie the schauzers graduated to the big kid room and initiated Katie the new retriever by teaching her the chase game. Buckeye & Mochi represented the Sheepdog group. Bunker & Cosmo the vizsla's kept everyone on moving and hopping. Roxy the yellow lab and Bella the ShepX got up on their hind legs and loved the wrestle in the air.
Lola the aussie rescue for adoption started her training program today. She loves the attention. Pebbles the latest aussie rescue was adopted today by Julio, one of our employees. Goodness they are cute together. She's going to be spoiled rotten. Pebbles best friend today was Romeo the boxer pup. Sadie the puggle has the moves and can out dodge any chaser. Sabrina the Grt Pyrnees loves to lay in the water and let puppies wrestle on top of her. Izzy the Golden and Bailey the Boxer were evenly matched in the wrestling ring. Sammy the y lab and Boone the springer collapsed in a heap to nap after zooming around after each other. As I walked up to say hi to them they both wiggled their tails furiously and offered up their bellies....simultaneously. Brutus the Mastiff and Betsy the border collie mix were an odd match but they loved each other. Who are we to judge, right? They pick their own friends. Bandit the berner and Ollie the terrier mix were together most of the day. When Ollie gets too rambunctious, Bandit just sits on him....it's hysterical. Baloo the b lab kept collecting all the nylabones into a heap and then tried to pick them all up at once. Jezzy & Jasper the cattledogs were the official supervisors today. Peyton the Aussie Mix was full of her normal kisses and cuddles. She makes us feel so special. We had a few faces we hadn't seen in awhile: Vaq, Jazzy the shep X, Shilo - our big grey faced boy, and Harry the newfie mix. We were so happy to see them today.
The small kid room was fired up first thing but then mellowed into sun bathing and brushings. Bailey the puggle was going all day long trying to play with everyone. Olley was a new westie who was getting into the groove. Shelby the shihtzu and Bijoo the Coton were best friends and kept each other very busy. Dash the doodle pup and Belle the terrier mix really loved each other and kept chasing in and out of the tunnel. Ben, Albert, and Old Man Charlie the Cavaliers were happy and sweet and joined the sunbathers later in the morning. Bandit and Skittles didn't stop for sunbathing and just kept the play going. Coco the Bichon and Skippy the papillon liked to mouth wrestle and then fell asleep on top of each other. Chewie was back for more fun today. He has a rare blood disease where his blood won't clot so he keep an extra eye on him.
That rounds out our busy day today! We look forward to seeing at our party in October!
Monday, August 6, 2007
Project Updates
The new webcam is up and running now. By request, we extended the hours of the webcam (including Sats), it is MAC assessable, and it's super easy to setup. Took me less than a minute to download the active x component to see the cameras and I am computer challenged. However if you have any problems, you can contact onlinedoggy.com and they will walk you through the process. They have great customer service. The small dog room is not quite going as scheduled. We are upgrading the flooring. We are still trying to decide on flooring for the new facility and we came across the newest state of the art flooring for daycares. It still a cushioned matting but then a rubber product is poured on top to give it a seamless finish. It's a common product used in high end humane societies and sports clubs. We decided to try in the small dog room first to see if it was all it is supposed to be. It's very very expensive. The install process got delayed and unfortunately we had already pulled up the old flooring. So the little kids are hanging out in another part of the facility.... a change of scenery for them that they seem to be enjoying. They got brand new toys too! You can still see the little kids on the dogcam. The area they are in is actually larger so they are just going crazy with fun. We hope to have this completed by the weekend and get the kids back to their sun room. I am also working this week on getting the website updated. We have lots of fun things coming up, tons of pics to post, and the August email newsletter will be coming out.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Bark, Wrestle, & Roll
I arrived at Wags this morning early in the am to get started on several projects. We have had a string of bad luck with technical devices. First our color printer died so we purchased another which ended up having a defect and we had to return it. This meant that birthday bags and first day report cards were put on hold which was really a bummer. Then our main server blew up. We were without our kennel program and accounting program for 3 days. Wow...what a nightmare that was. The staff were incredible about picking up the slack though. We couldn't make any boarding reservations so we kept a huge list that we finally caught up on. Then we lost several days of inputing invoices and we appreciate all your patience while we sorted it all out. Finally today our server is back up and running. We also had no email access this whole time so we will busy returning all the emails tomorrow. The final straw was the webcam going down and dealing with a really bad contractor. Luckily online doggy.com will be coming to our rescue and it looks like it might be up by Monday. We are so excited.
So I head out to the play yard to get my fix of playing with the dogs. That always makes the day to day business problems fade away. As I look across the play yard, it looks like a whole mass of whirling tornadoes skimming across the yard. No, not wind driven tornadoes, but dog driven tornadoes. Dogs matched up into teams of two and became wrestling tornadoes. Millie the golden vs Brennan the flatcoat. Kirby the doodle vs Cally the golden. Range the golden vs Sophie the weimie. Jave the c. lab vs Bisky the corgi. Abby the Golden vs Abby the y lab. Cooper the rhodesian and Frankie the gr dane were the biggest wrestling match. Courderoy the boston was all over the place and was her own tornado. Joey the y lab vs Molson the golden. Jackie O & Gracie played tag team tornado with siblings Abby & Murphy the aussies. Ben the golden vs Callie the aussie. The mos interesting match up was Padme and Pasha the doodles. Lily, Lotus, Roxy, & Jessie watched all the action with great interest and then fell asleep in a 4 way pile. Angel/Flare/Bella/Roxy/Hurly the aussies created one huge blur of fur nipping at each other's ankles taking turns being the sheep to be herded around. Sally the beagle showed her sister Lucy the ropes and helped Lucy learn to play. Liam also brought his new brother Lucas to play today. Finally, Oliver the Terrier and Sexy Socks the beagle were rockin and rolling today.
In the small dog room, Molly the Terrier and Chuck were bff. Milky & Austi the malteses really hit it off. They were up on their back legs wrestling and then chasing each other around. Jake & Gretel played with the new baby yorkie Lola. Roxy & Gizmo wrestled atop the jungle gym. Hutner the Chi Mix and Daisy the Corgi loved each other's play moves. Toby & Kona the shihtzus played kissy face. Avery, Maggie & Riley the cavaliers got preferential tummy rubs.
Lola our new aussie rescue was visited today by Spartacus's parents. She's a 4 year old blue merle aussie looking for a new home. We'll see if it's a match or not in a few days. Tank & Dash were brand new Italian Greyhounds today. Scooter showed them what daycare is all about. Bomie finally got more comfortable about playing with the dogs. Enzo was a new golden retriever that had no problems jumping into the group. Lastly, we had a film crew out here today. They are starting a new show for Animal Planet and they did screen tests for us to possibly host the show. How exciting! More updates soon! Remember you can post any comments below.
So I head out to the play yard to get my fix of playing with the dogs. That always makes the day to day business problems fade away. As I look across the play yard, it looks like a whole mass of whirling tornadoes skimming across the yard. No, not wind driven tornadoes, but dog driven tornadoes. Dogs matched up into teams of two and became wrestling tornadoes. Millie the golden vs Brennan the flatcoat. Kirby the doodle vs Cally the golden. Range the golden vs Sophie the weimie. Jave the c. lab vs Bisky the corgi. Abby the Golden vs Abby the y lab. Cooper the rhodesian and Frankie the gr dane were the biggest wrestling match. Courderoy the boston was all over the place and was her own tornado. Joey the y lab vs Molson the golden. Jackie O & Gracie played tag team tornado with siblings Abby & Murphy the aussies. Ben the golden vs Callie the aussie. The mos interesting match up was Padme and Pasha the doodles. Lily, Lotus, Roxy, & Jessie watched all the action with great interest and then fell asleep in a 4 way pile. Angel/Flare/Bella/Roxy/Hurly the aussies created one huge blur of fur nipping at each other's ankles taking turns being the sheep to be herded around. Sally the beagle showed her sister Lucy the ropes and helped Lucy learn to play. Liam also brought his new brother Lucas to play today. Finally, Oliver the Terrier and Sexy Socks the beagle were rockin and rolling today.
In the small dog room, Molly the Terrier and Chuck were bff. Milky & Austi the malteses really hit it off. They were up on their back legs wrestling and then chasing each other around. Jake & Gretel played with the new baby yorkie Lola. Roxy & Gizmo wrestled atop the jungle gym. Hutner the Chi Mix and Daisy the Corgi loved each other's play moves. Toby & Kona the shihtzus played kissy face. Avery, Maggie & Riley the cavaliers got preferential tummy rubs.
Lola our new aussie rescue was visited today by Spartacus's parents. She's a 4 year old blue merle aussie looking for a new home. We'll see if it's a match or not in a few days. Tank & Dash were brand new Italian Greyhounds today. Scooter showed them what daycare is all about. Bomie finally got more comfortable about playing with the dogs. Enzo was a new golden retriever that had no problems jumping into the group. Lastly, we had a film crew out here today. They are starting a new show for Animal Planet and they did screen tests for us to possibly host the show. How exciting! More updates soon! Remember you can post any comments below.
WebCam Update
We are so excited to have found a new webcam contractor and provider. Onlinedoggy.com will now be running our webcam. They are sending us the new equipment and we should receive it mid week next week (around August 8th). This new system is top of the line and the customer service is also top of the line. You will still be able to access all the cameras and the log in process will be much simpler. We will still allow for up to 100 people to log in at once so you will never get an error message. Yes, all activities will still be recorded. Once the system is up and running, we may switch out our cameras as well. We purchased them 5 years ago and the technology has improved greatly since then. The new system itself may clear up some of the quality issue so we will wait and see on that. The best part of onlinedoggy.com is that they provide all the customer service to our clients. If you encounter any problem using our webcams, you can call them direct and talk to live computer support to get it working on any computer. We will post more once the system is live....hopefully next week.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wags & Wiggles, Part Deux
Yes, the rumors are true. We are starting Wags & Wiggles, Part Deux in the Irvine Area. There isn't too much news to post yet on the project. We just started drawing up the plans and submitting the appropriate paperwork to the city. This is going to be quite the project. The building and lot are huge. We've already had a huge response of people wanting to attend the grand opening which will probably happen sometime late fall. Don't worry all your favorite people will still be at the original Wags. We are only stealing Lysa away who will be co-owner and running the new facility. There are many things to prepare for this new venture so that is why I have been slow to blog and get new pics up on the website. For all you recent class grads, the pics will be up by the end of the week.
Today at daycare, the dogs had so much fun. With the recent heat and rain, we had quite a few attendees today who took the opportunity to run and play. We had the misters going full steam so everyone stayed cool and active. In the small dog room, Slinky, Teddy and Coconut came in ready to rock and roll. Boots the BC pup and Chuck did major zoomies chasing each other around. Cali the Golden Pup held her status as the smartest pup of the day. Sadie the sheltie loved playing in the water bucket. MJ, Bailey the ShihTzu, and Charlie the cutest cocker pup were always in a wrestling pile. Oliver & Tiki the chihuahuas reigned king and queen on top of the jungle gym. Sookie and Rascal the papillons became fast friends and followed each other constantly.
In the big dog room, Rachel, Jillian, and Tim had all the good gossip on the dogs today. They couldn't wait to share for the blog. It was definitely husky day today with Paris, Zoe, Brody, Grayson, Kodiak, Bonita, and the new one ....Tara. Wow, it must be a record. Max the Aussie the Buck the Airedale were tumbling and wrestling from one end of the yard to the other. Rootbeer and Dollie were so happy to be here on the same day today. They really play well together. Opah and Cali were in heaven, wrestling right under a mister in the yard. They layed in the sun to dry off and rest up for Round 2. Tessie and Jojo were best friends today. Tessie started to flirt and Jojo obliged. Lily the wheaten and Padme the doodle played hide and go seek. Kelly's mom reported that all she has to do is say my name and Kelly starts to run around looking for me....that's so awesome! She followed me everywhere today. Sadie the B. Lab and Harley the JRT were totally in love and were up in the air bumping chests and wrestling. Jackson the ShepX (one of Dave's favorite dogs) and Wrigley the y. Lab were best friends. Rascal the Hound who is so super sweet gave us tons of kisses. Lucky the Golden the Jane had a love affair today. Ashland, a new employee, has fit in great and gave tons of butt scratches today to Sammy Jo and Frankie. Jake the Shep had quite a lot to say to Melissa today and he kept us entertained.
Thanks for coming by to visit us today. We love all your kids...every single one.
Today at daycare, the dogs had so much fun. With the recent heat and rain, we had quite a few attendees today who took the opportunity to run and play. We had the misters going full steam so everyone stayed cool and active. In the small dog room, Slinky, Teddy and Coconut came in ready to rock and roll. Boots the BC pup and Chuck did major zoomies chasing each other around. Cali the Golden Pup held her status as the smartest pup of the day. Sadie the sheltie loved playing in the water bucket. MJ, Bailey the ShihTzu, and Charlie the cutest cocker pup were always in a wrestling pile. Oliver & Tiki the chihuahuas reigned king and queen on top of the jungle gym. Sookie and Rascal the papillons became fast friends and followed each other constantly.
In the big dog room, Rachel, Jillian, and Tim had all the good gossip on the dogs today. They couldn't wait to share for the blog. It was definitely husky day today with Paris, Zoe, Brody, Grayson, Kodiak, Bonita, and the new one ....Tara. Wow, it must be a record. Max the Aussie the Buck the Airedale were tumbling and wrestling from one end of the yard to the other. Rootbeer and Dollie were so happy to be here on the same day today. They really play well together. Opah and Cali were in heaven, wrestling right under a mister in the yard. They layed in the sun to dry off and rest up for Round 2. Tessie and Jojo were best friends today. Tessie started to flirt and Jojo obliged. Lily the wheaten and Padme the doodle played hide and go seek. Kelly's mom reported that all she has to do is say my name and Kelly starts to run around looking for me....that's so awesome! She followed me everywhere today. Sadie the B. Lab and Harley the JRT were totally in love and were up in the air bumping chests and wrestling. Jackson the ShepX (one of Dave's favorite dogs) and Wrigley the y. Lab were best friends. Rascal the Hound who is so super sweet gave us tons of kisses. Lucky the Golden the Jane had a love affair today. Ashland, a new employee, has fit in great and gave tons of butt scratches today to Sammy Jo and Frankie. Jake the Shep had quite a lot to say to Melissa today and he kept us entertained.
Thanks for coming by to visit us today. We love all your kids...every single one.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
First I have to tell what great fun we all had at the Del Mar Wags for Wishes Event. It's the largest dog event in the US. There is agility competition, lure coursing, obedience, conformation, flyball, frisbee, dock dogs, the works. A lot of our agility students were debuting for the first time. Our agility clients become great friends as we take the journey together to train our dogs to compete in a team sport between man (or woman) and dog. It's quite the undertaking. Neither member of the team speak the same language and are from totally different species. The human member of the team must be patient, have a really good sense of humor, and above all get excited about their dog's training. My own dogs did very well this weekend. We didn't get tons of q's (qualifying runs) this weekend but we ran fast and had fun. That is ultimate goal. My students on the other hand rocked the house. Lysa with Guiness got 1st place in jumpers. Julia with Parker also got 1st place in jumpers. This was only her 2nd trial. Ian and Misty also got a 1st place with a blazing front cross the finish their course on top. Ian let me run Brandy his other sheltie in Novice. Her and I love each other. Lisa and Benson the lab came back after a haitis. He didn't qualify but he tried really hard to please his mom. Donna and Jezebelle were extremely impressive. They got 2nd place, their first run of their very first trial ever! She blazed her other courses as well. Diane with Buster the Brittany had great fun. Buster did his weaves ...yeah! He even conquered his fear of the chute and panel jump. Ranaye let me run Claudia the great dane in her first trial. She was a little worried and looked for mom but finished off strong. Bryce (son of Ranaye who is only 12) got to run my dog Easy in a masters level course. It was a great thrill for him and he almost qualified! He's a cool kid. Our cheerleaders consisted of Roxy the Cockapoo, Tchotkes the chihuahua, Tango & Lizzie the border collies, Max the Basenji, and Chezzy the Irish Setter. These guys are up and coming teams to watch for. Seeing all my students & friends running an agility course and having fun gives me such great happiness. Another great moment was when my puppy Gator got to try lure coursing for the first time. His natural instinct kicked in immediately and he chased that thing with a vengeance. By the third day of lure coursing, he was barking and screaming while chasing that darn bunny (not really folks....not a real bunny...it's a plastic bag on a line that goes really fast around a field). Gator will talk about his lure coursing adventure in our next email newsletter. You can sign up on the website if you don't get it already.
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