In the News...
Dog drifts 75 miles on ice floe, rescued in Baltic Sea
A frightened, shivering dog was rescued after floating 75 miles
(120 kilometres) on an ice floe down Poland's Vistula River and into the Baltic
Sea.
>> Read the Article |
Yappy Birthday to...
1-Feb
Ticker
K
1-Feb
Harlow
K
1-Feb
Sierra
M
1-Feb
Cal
H
2-Feb
Daisy
M
3-Feb
Pullo
O
7-Feb
Lulu
H
11-Feb
Toodles
M
12-Feb
Maisy
R
15-Feb
Cali
A/B
15-Feb
Steve
M
16-Feb
Cooper
H
18-Feb
Fergus
P
18-Feb
Huxley
P
18-Feb
Shadow
D
23-Feb
Abbey
N
23-Feb
Winston
S
28-Feb
Tigger
C
28-Feb
Chrissy
T
|
Wag Zone's Hours
Monday 7am - 6pm
Tuesday 7am - 6pm
Wednesday 7am - 6pm
Thursday 7am - 6pm
Friday 7am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday CLOSED
Holidays CLOSED
|
|
|
|
Greetings!
Is it just me, or is it incredibly ironic that after several uber-white winters these past few years, Vancouver decided to wait until we host a global winter sports competition and celebration to completely SKIP winter and jump right into spring??? Oh well. What can you do? Perhaps the Cherry Blossoms will snow down instead. Regardless of the less than cooperative weather we at Wag Zone want to heartily say WELCOME, WORLD, TO BEAUTIFUL VANCOUVER!
While this is a very exciting and proud time for our city, taking in the sights and sounds of the spectacle and events and the inevitable traffic congestion will no doubt present our clients with some commuting and timing challenges. To make things easier for you, Wag Zone will be extending its hours to 6:30am - 7:30pm from Monday, February 15th
through to Friday, February 26th. We hope that you will get happily caught up in the Olympic spirit and rarely caught up in Olympic traffic.
|
|
Pup Smarts: Prepping Pups for Vets & Groomers
Our dogs are
such a big part of our lives, living in our homes for a long time. They need to be
brushed and combed and bathed and their toenails trimmed. These are all unnatural
behaviors for dogs. Let's not forget that vets will defy your pet's dignity and
look in his mouth and ears, draw blood samples and do all manner of rude and
undignified things to him. Unfortunately, if your dog is problematic around
vets and groomers they may find themselves muzzled which only adds to being traumatized.
 Do your
puppy a favor and get him used to having his feet and body handled. One
activity we do in puppy class involves having owners swap puppies to get them
used to being handled by strangers. This can go a long way to setting the dog
up for success at the vet or groomers. The 'stranger' calmly places their
finger through the collar and asks the puppy to relax. Once the puppy relaxes,
the handler gently looks in the ears, mouth, and around their 'privates', runs their
hands over the puppy's legs and down the tail and gently squeezes little pink paws.
If puppy starts to squirm, handlers are asked to stop touching the puppy until
it settles, then resume. Most inexperienced handlers tend to soothe by cooing too
much which often adds to the puppy's confusion and squirming. In vocalizing
with your pooch, less is better.
 To
desensitize your puppy - or even your adult dog - to nail trims, gently squeeze
your pup's toes as he sleeps - just to the point where the nail extends. Trim the
toenails with human nail clippers at first. Put your finger gently between the
pads and apply slight pressure. Rub your puppy's foot pads and between the pad
with the curved back of a large spoon - this gets them used to shiny, metallic
objects around their feet. This helps prepare them in a non-threatening way for
nail trimmers and grooming scissors. While your puppy is eating dinner, handle
his entire body, check his ears, bend his legs, bend his foot back, squeeze the
foot pad and lift his tail.
It's
important that the puppy be in a calm state to experience his handling exercise
- it can't be part of play as play will stimulate him and he may nip. If he
nips during a calm handling exercise, slow down to a place where he becomes
calm and continue handling but keep practicing. For those feisty fellas, have a
friend feed him tasty treats while you handle him. After handling, then bring
on the play and the fun - just don't forget to let him pee first. :-)
So, make
time your friend and start handling your puppy early. Puppies are like sponges
and can absorb just about anything you want them to learn, provided it's taught in a manner that they understand. Vary the length of your handling
sessions and only allow children to perform this handling exercise under
supervision. Handle your puppy on a table, on the ground, in your lap or in its
bed. Brush with different tools. Reward, reward and cuddle! Just don't wait until
your puppy is 7 months old and weighs 70 pounds to try to trim his nails!
And of course, if you've prepped your puppy well and he's comfy getting his nails trimmed, you can always ask us to take care of the job for you!
|
In The 'Zone: New Walk Policy and Daily e-Kibble
 New Daily Walk Policy
Due to the increasing numbers of fuzzy attendees each day, we are only able to guarantee our morning river walks to licensed pups dropped off at Wag Zone no later than 9AM. Those arriving later will still get to enjoy our two-hour Happy Yappy Outside Playtime in the yard. So if you want your pup to get some leash action you'll need to yank 'em out of bed a little earlier.
Introducing...The Daily Kibble!
Sign up for our new fun and informative daily email. A quick 'dog e-kibble' that can amuse, inform or simply help you pass your coffee break with training tips, ruminations on dog behaviour, the latest pup jokes and more. Interested? Click below and select "Daily Kibble" to join! | |
|
|
|
|
Heard at the Hydrant: Belly Bug & Pups Seeking Homes
Mild Doggy Stomach Bug Hits North Shore A fellow local pet professional passed on the alert that there appears to be a mild stomach bug that is making the rounds through the canine community. This confirms what we have noticed in the past week or so - dogs still active, though slightly under the weather with lower energy, upset tummies, some vomiting and diarrhea. Apparently vets have seen a number of these cases though so far there have been no reports of the illness being anything serious or lasting more than a few days, but it's important to ensure affected dogs remain well-hydrated. To help contain the spread, if your dog has had diarrhea or has been vomiting up food (as opposed to simply yellow bile) please let us know and keep him or her home with plenty of water to drink until it clears up. If your pet's symptoms appear to be serious or last more than a couple of days, it's a good idea to contact your vet. Does Dogwood Rescue Have Your Next Friend? Our newest recruit Curtis also volunteers with Dogwood Rescue, a non-profit "specific breed" rescue group that rescues "sporting" or "gun" dogs. He passed on to us that Dogwood is bringing in a bunch of new dogs this month including 2 boxers, 5 black labs and a 6-month old beagle puppy. If you are interested in these or any of the other dogs available through Dogwood, phone 604-926-1842 or send an e-mail to: lichen-t@shaw.ca. |
|
Woof!
Robina & Shelley
Wag Zone Urban Dog Retreat, Ltd. |
|
|
