In the News...
Shoplifting Dog
Comes Clean
Just before Christmas, security cameras caught this pup red-pawed in the act of Grand Theft Rawhide. But Kira came back to apologize in person...er, dog. >> Watch the video |
Yappy Birthday to...
3/01
Tazz
H
3/01
Vegas
T
3/01
Ruby
R
3/01
May
T
3/01
Newman
H
3/03
Mattie
S
3/05
Kahlua
P
3/05
Maple
B
3/06
Duff
A
3/07
Rosie
O
3/11
Bailey
B
3/12
Scotia
S
3/12
Pint
S
3/13
Shadow H
3/13
Ruby
M
3/15
Diesel
M
3/17
Kenshin W
3/19
Ruby
N
3/20
Charlie F
3/21
Fergus P
3/21
Molly
M
03/22
Jackson M
03/24
Oscar
M
03/25
Gilligan B
03/26
Cooper
W
03/29
Charlie P
03/31
Bailey
C
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Greetings!
The crocuses are blooming, but the snow's still falling. Must be March. Along with the return of spring flowers comes the far less welcome return of fleas and lice. Check out our informative article below on how to keep these vermin in check. Also, we're happy to introduce Puppy Hour for puppies younger than 6 months of age to get their paws wet with pack play. Lastly, our newly revamped online reservations system allows you to book daycare and boarding from home or work without having to call or email us. Check it out today!
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In The 'Zone... Puppy Hour!
Got puppy? Puppyhood is the most important time in your dog's development. To help your pup grow into a healthy, well-adjusted dog, it is critical to expose him to a wide variety of positive and pleasant experiences during the first few months of life. The greater the exposure during this critical window of opportunity, the better the chances your puppy will mature into a confident, well-socialized adult. Well-socialized dogs are easier to train, more stable, interact more comfortably and appropriately with people, places and other dogs, and are less likely to exhibit fear-based reactions that are all too often linked to aggression. In addition to exposing your puppy to a variety of people and places, it's important that your pup learns doggie speak, pack manners, boundaries and respect for personal human space. And, let's not forget that a tired puppy chews fewer shoes, barks less, and sleeps more so you moms and dads can enjoy the puppyhood with a lot less stress. We at Wag Zone can help you with all of this. Wag Zone is now offering FREE Puppy Hours every Saturday at 10am for puppies up to 6 months of age. These one-hour sessions are the perfect opportunity for you to introduce your puppy to supervised off-leash play with other puppies in our clean, safe, indoor playroom. Your pup gets to romp with dogs his own age and size and you get to commiserate with other puppy owners. We will provide:
- a safe and positive environment where your puppy can interact with others his own age and size
- an experienced handler to ensure safe and appropriate play
- clean-up service
Your puppy must:
- be healthy
- have completed at least his 2nd set of vaccinations
- be under 6 months of age
- be fed at least two hours in advance and been completely toileted
- be under your personal supervision at all times
To take part in Puppy Hour, please register in advance each week online at www.wagzone.ca or via email to info@wagzone.ca. At the close of the session, if your pup is having so much fun that you would like him to stay and play you can always check him in for supervised daycare for up to six additional hours (regular daycare charges will apply). Also, for safety and dog management purposes, we ask that children please remain at home.
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Pup Smarts: Combating Fleas and Lice
Courtesy of
West Vancouver's Animal Medical Hospital
Lice
 Lice cause intense itching and
scratching, and can make pets a bit crazy with all the crawling and biting. The
good thing is that lice seldom cause long-lasting problems.
Like human head lice, dog lice are
usually transmitted from dog to dog by direct contact. In this respect, lice
infestations are a sign of a pampered pet! The dogs most likely to get lice are
those who go to dog day care, puppy classes, agility, dog shows, or on group
walks.
Does my dog have lice?
The first sign of lice that most people
notice is that suddenly the dog is intensely itchy. Upon close inspection, you
might see some small, tan to medium-brown colored critters down near the skin.
You can tell lice from fleas by the color (fleas are quite dark) and the speed
(lice are quite sluggish movers, while fleas usually zoom out of sight before
you are really sure you saw anything). You might also notice nits (eggs) which
resemble little bits of dandruff or dead skin but which adhere to the hairs
instead of shaking off.
Help! My dog has lice!
There is no need to panic if your dog
gets lice. First, dog lice do not like to infest humans - they prefer canine
company. Next, a lice infestation is a highly treatable condition. For a
thorough rundown of how to handle a lice infestation, click here to read this
article in full. During treatment your pets should be kept away from situations
where they will be in contact with other animals. They can go to the parks and
for walks, but they should not play with other dogs until at least 4 weeks of
treatment have passed.
Naturally, the trick is to stop the
cycle before it starts - especially if your dog comes to daycare. Wag Zone
recommends the regular use of a persistent insecticide such as Revolution or
Advantage to prevent infestations and to help ensure all the pups playing here
are lice-free.
Fleas
 Fleas are the scourge of dog-dom. Your
dog can get fleas from other dogs, from animals travelling through your yard,
or you can bring them home on your clothes. Once on your pet the fleas will
rarely leave, they will simply stay and feed. A female flea will lay up to 25
eggs per day over her 2-week lifespan (that's 300 eggs!).
Unlike adult fleas, the eggs do not
stay on your pet. Instead, they fall off and lodge in the carpet, floor, or
bedding. Larvae that look like tiny worms hatch from the eggs. They feed for a
while, then make "cocoons" (pupate) and are dormant for a while. When
conditions are right, the new flea hatches from the cocoon and leaps onto your
pet and the whole process starts again.
Does my dog have fleas?
One of the best tools available for
detecting fleas is the flea comb. This small, metal-toothed comb allows you to
comb through the hair and pick up bits of flea dirt and the fleas themselves.
Another sign of fleas that you will see
is the excrement they leave behind, rather than the fleas themselves. If you
part the hair on your pet, particularly in areas such as the base of the tail
and the back of the neck, you may see small specks of "flea dirt".
Fleas are flat, dark critters that move
very quickly and tend to hop as opposed to the slow movement exhibited by lice.
Help!
My dog has fleas!
If your pet already has fleas, just
killing the adults is not effective for long term flea control. You could treat
your pet with a flea shampoo or spray to kill most of the fleas on him, but as
soon as one of the eggs in the environment hatches the new flea will jump right
on your pet and your problem starts all over again. So it is important to treat
not only the adult fleas on your dog, but stop the flea life cycle in its
tracks.
A persistent insecticide like
Revolution or Advantage will do the job of killing adult fleas however, you will also want to use Program tablets to prevent flea
infestation of the home by preventing the eggs from hatching, and killing
the larvae.
Animal Medical Hospital
 AMH is a general practice veterinary
hospital located at 2459 Bellevue Avenue in West Vancouver, British Columbia. Visit them at http://www.vet.bc.ca/.
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Heard at the Hydrant: New Online Reservation System
As Wag Zone's attendance grows it's becoming
increasingly important to reserve a spot for your dog in advance and avoid the
risk of being turned away due to a full house.
While reservations can always be made by phone,
in person or via email, Wag Zone is happy to announce a new, more streamlined
and automatic online booking system on www.wagzone.ca.
Now you can reserve your pup's play and
stay dates from the comfort of your home or office more conveniently and
confidently. This new system is hooked directly to our daycare/boarding
software so you no longer have to worry about sending emails or wondering if
the booking request was received. As soon as your booking is confirmed here at
Wag Zone, you will receive a confirmation email.
 Playcare or Staycare?
Whether your dog is here for the day or
will be tucked in for the night, you can create your booking online. Simply choose
from Daycare or Boarding and you will receive a confirmation email as soon as
we've been able to verify we have space. Boarding bookings will also receive a
separate email outlining the estimated costs of your visit.
One day, or twenty?
Would you like to set up regular weekly
play days for your pet? The new system allows you to select the days of the
week you would like your pup to attend as well as specify a date range. So if you want your dog to come every Friday
until 2010, simply request it through our system and you'll be guaranteed a
spot! Please note that three reservation no-shows will cause your recurring booking
to be cancelled and you will need to reserve your space again.
User ID and PasswordsTo be able to utilize our online
reservation system, you will need to be set up with a User ID and Password.
Please click on the Get User ID link in the reservation box or email us at info@wagzone.ca.
We look forward to seeing you online and
your pup in our playroom!
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Woof!
Robina & Shelley
Wag Zone Urban Dog Retreat, Ltd. |
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