Scampers Weekly Recap - September 2, 2016
Dear --Valued Customer--
We've seen some more changes this week - a little less of the warm sun and a little more of the cool. This particular change has happened so fast that we're not really sure yet, but the pools may actually be retired for the season already.
Still, the dogs are finding their fun, whether indoors or outdoors, and they're having a blast with the many new puppies they've been meeting this past month.
We've reached Labor Day weekend, though, which means we're fully into Back to School, nose to the grindstone, back to business.
Scampers will be closed except for boarding dogs, and by appointment only on
so our staff can enjoy a holiday with their friends and families, and...
"...celebrate the contributions that workers have made to the strength,
prosperity and well-being of the country." (credit: Wikipedia)
prosperity and well-being of the country." (credit: Wikipedia)
Should we be Resetting, Reviewing or Removing your Recurring Reservations?
If you would like us to set up, change or remove recurring appointments for your pooch, please let us know.
It's a very easy thing for us to set up and change as needed, and having your reservations in place ensures space for your pooch as our attendance grows again with the Fall season.
Watch for the updates of our framed Friday Funny in our reception area.
We'll also make sure they're posted on our Facebook page so you can share them with your friends.
We'll also make sure they're posted on our Facebook page so you can share them with your friends.
Yay! It's Pooch of the Month time again!
We've uploaded an album to Facebook with a selection our wranglers best pooch pics.
To vote for your favorites, open the photos and click on "Like". The winner's picture will grace our reception area for the month of September.
August Pooch of the Month, Cedar, modeling Amanda's fancy sunglasses.
Play is important in the development of both humans and dogs! Many behaviorists believe that play offers pups a safe way to explore social and emotional interactions and develop skills they will use for the rest of their life. Plus, who doesn’t love to watch two dogs play bow, with smiling mouths wide open and tongues lolling?
Sometimes play is easier said than done. Dogs who are not thoroughly socialized as young puppies or who live in single-dog homes may overreact to play invitations from other dogs. It can be hard to determine the fine line between very excited play (which is essentially a mock fight) and an imminent threat (a real fight).
Experience is the best way to learn the difference between play and fighting – let the dog park be your classroom. Dogs of all ages, breeds, and personality types come together freely, and most of the time, they resolve their own differences without the need for any human intervention. The key things to look for in good play mates are play signals (like play bows, hip tosses, and self-handicapping for the benefit of smaller, younger, or less confident playmates) and displacement signals, such as licking, sniffing, yawning, or sneezing, which should end or pause the play session. Owners are often surprised at the amount of noise and posturing a healthy play session can produce; we tend to discourage both in daily life, but they are important aspects in some play groups.
Unhealthy play looks very rough, and usually involves the more submissive dog cowering, tucking tail, averting gaze, whimpering or crying out, and can lead to fear aggression towards the rough playmate. If your dog plays at a very high level of excitement, having a strong recall (dog reliably and immediately comes when called) can prevent play from getting out of hand in social situations. Always make sure to praise your dog profusely if they leave the excitement of a game to listen to you instead.
If you are concerned about the safety of your dog in play settings, check out Victoria Stillwell’s article on understanding dog play, http://positively.com/dog-training/understanding-dogs/understanding-dog-play/.
Thanks to Elise Poston for this submission. Look for more Did You Know tidbits from Elise in future editions of Scampers Weekly Recap. Learn more at www.thefoxandthehound.org.
We're a pretty close knit group of pooches - we form strong friendships, and we get to know each other very well. When new pooches join us, we love to introduce them around and get them started in their Scampering adventures - that's why they call us the "Welcome Waggin".
Our Welcome Waggin team has had a fun week welcoming a lovely assortment of newbies.
Rocco and Lady, a perfectly contrasted pair of Bichons, made themselves right at home with the Littles on Tuesday. Rocco's a little more outgoing, but Lady is quite comfortable in her own way.
Riley B joined the big dogs on Wednesday, and found several sympatico pooches to show her the ropes. She's a seasoned daycare pooch, but we did want to make a good impression.
Thursday was intro day for Red Beagle Ollie, who was a total hit with his new beagle friends Remy and Rosie. For his next visit, we'll try to get Daisy, Hazel and Harley S to join in the fun. Don't worry, though, all the other Littles rounded out Ollie's day of entertainment.
Meanwhile, young Cooper S found a terrific party everywhere he went. He loved meeting all the Littles during the morning, and for the afternoon, he moved in with the Big Dog group where he happily found lots of playmates just his age and size.
Macey's big brother Toby is giving handsome Cooper
the once-over, as any doting big brother would.
the once-over, as any doting big brother would.
Today, we're welcoming Blitzen, a handsome English Cream Golden Retriever. He's settled nicely into his playgroup, and seems to have figured out the lay of the land already.
Hey, Peeps, don't forget, if you're curious about how we spend our days and you're not quite sure what those report cards really mean, you can watch the adventures in the photos and videos our wranglers are posting on the Scampers Facebook page.
Hercules and Letty have been practicing their synchronized dry-land swimming.
There's also a ScampersDogs channel on YouTube where you'll find all kinds of fun videos, and we update that selection periodically.
We've added Instagram to our assortment of Social Media tools. Tag or search #scampersdogs and join in the fun.
Dylan and Mimi
Our boarding facility has very been busy this year, especially over the holidays and long weekends. Remember to get your boarding requests in early to make sure there's room enough for your pooches. Your boarding requests can be submitted via GingrApp, or you can call us.
Samson is a frequent Scampers boarder. Here he is greeting the morning staff with his great big grin!
Boarding Drop Off Times
We ask that boarders be dropped off before noon, although exceptions can be made in case of an emergency.
Arriving at Scampers is very stimulating for your pooches - even after a busy day of adventuring elsewhere - and it takes several hours for the incomers to settle down.
And one stimulated pooch means a whole houseful of stimulated pooches.
One of the reasons that Scampers boarding facilities works well for most of our guests is that the guests are good and tired after a day of playing, roving and sniffing. Of course, a tired dog is a good dog!
Our online management system, GingrApp, is cooking along nicely now. All our customers are able to create private and secure logins to make reservations online for boarding and for daycare - whether full day or half day - as well as upload photos and documents, and, for speed and convenience, set up a completely secure credit card on file.
Chris Sugarbaker of Cut-N-Run, mobile groomer extraordinaire will make his next bi-weekly visit to Scampers on Tuesday, September 13th.
His schedule often fills up, so get your reservations in, or set up a reservation for Chris' subsequent visit on September 27th.
Feel free to give us a call to schedule an appointment for your pooch, or ...
If you've created your GingrApp identity, you can set up your reservations now on GingrApp. When you make your daycare reservation, you'll notice the option to select "Additional Services". Choose the service you'd like to add, then confirm by clicking the blue bar on the right, then choose the date (again), and choose from one of the times available.
Every once in a while we receive a photo from one of our customers showing us what their beloveds are doing after their day at Scampers.
We've seen many of our Scampers families expand recently, and we're looking for pics of our campers tending to their new humans. We hope we'll see lots more baby and pooch pictures! Click here to send your pics in via email.
Karsen was introduced to new baby brother, Hayden,
a couple of weeks ago. He's doing a great job
of keeping his tiny new buddy company.
a couple of weeks ago. He's doing a great job
of keeping his tiny new buddy company.
Maggie O as Big Sister - she takes her job very seriously.
Abbey S is helping Leo as he starts his athletic career.
He's almost walking!
He's almost walking!
It looks like Pliny's baby brother is
learning to walk too - fun times ahead!
learning to walk too - fun times ahead!
Here's Aussie Ozzie O
looking after his new baby, Tali.
What a beautiful pair!
looking after his new baby, Tali.
What a beautiful pair!
Apres Scampers Hooch
is one very contented pooch.
is one very contented pooch.
Sera is pretty much wiped out after her day at Scampers.
Odie just needs a place to put his snout
while he takes a little nap.
Apparently, young English Setter Leica is getting lots of exercise when she comes to Scampers. Here's what she looks like at home.
We loved this shot of Sadie - the look on her face says that she's not pleased that her belly rub got interrupted for the sake of a camera.
Like many pooches, Swiffer enjoys the world through an open car window, even if he so tired after his Scampers day that he sleeps through it!
Bliss is a place to rest my head, a hand to stroke my neck.
This category of owner-contributed pics features dogs enjoying their extracurricular fun.
This is where we'll post the pics we've received of your pooches enjoying summer vacations, beach roaming, ball games, and any other such general exploring.
We wonder why Odie's climbing trees to pick limes.
Perhaps he was planning on Gin & Tonics this afternoon.
Perhaps he was planning on Gin & Tonics this afternoon.
Little Miss Chomchom is all dressed up and ready for her tromp around Whistler.
Murphy C surveys his domain!
We have also received some great shots documenting "The Real Reason" you bring your furkids to Scampers.
Ripley S' mom doesn't usually maintain
an open-door policy for her home office.
And this would be the reason.
an open-door policy for her home office.
And this would be the reason.
Pretty Abby G is a very helpful pooch indeed. This lovely picture shows her effort at helping to unpack mysterious things at the office.
A gentle reminder that Scampers daycare hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and our weekend and holiday daycare hours are by appointment only, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Canine Nosework Classes at Scampers
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and an inborn desire to hunt. The sport of K9 Nose Work is designed to develop the natural scenting abilities of your dog by using their passion for hunting and their love of toys, food and exercise.
It's a great class for your dog to have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy and you get to find out just how good your dog's nose is.
Vicki Francks, owner of Cascade Canines continues offering K9 Nose Work Classes using Scampers facility. If you'd like some information on the next round of classes, give Vicki a call at 206-849-7643. More information is also available as Scampers front desk.
It's a great class for your dog to have fun, build confidence, and burn lots of mental and physical energy and you get to find out just how good your dog's nose is.
Vicki Francks, owner of Cascade Canines continues offering K9 Nose Work Classes using Scampers facility. If you'd like some information on the next round of classes, give Vicki a call at 206-849-7643. More information is also available as Scampers front desk.
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.
Very best regards,
Linda Olsen and Stina Hughes
Scampers Daycamp for Dogs
Scampers Daycamp for Dogs
Play all day - go home happy.
12532 124th Street NE Kirkland, WA 98034
T 425-821-9100 | F 425-821-4685
T 425-821-9100 | F 425-821-4685
