| SOCIALS | | Our socials are a wonderful
opportunity to watch your friendly, social dog friend romp and play with others.
We offer a variety of socials for dogs with similar interests (and their owners!) to meet each other.
Check our calendar for more details.
Remember - NO SOCIALS or CLASSES November 20th to 29th and December 19th to January 2nd
Small Dog Social
All small dogs up to 20 pounds
$10 Admission Register
Every Saturday
from 11:15AM to 12:45PM
more calendar
Puppy Social OPEN TO THE PUBLIC for pups from 7 to14 weeks (15-20 weeks with permission) This is an opportunity to let your pup meet and play with other puppies in a safe, controlled environment.
$10 Admission Register
Every Saturday
from 10-11AM
more calendar
training@metrodog.com if you have any questions.
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Metro Dog Home-Based Services
| |  Metro Dog is a busy place during the holidays. If your dog prefers a calm, familiar environment to the hustle and bustle of day care, consider our home-based services. Our professional staff can see to your dog's (or cat's or any other pet's) every need in their familiar home setting. Our services include walks around your neighborhood, trips to the park with up to 5 other dogs, and overnight house-sitting. Book now for the holidays. email:Call:
510.524.3647 option 4
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Classes / Workshops
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Upcoming!
Last classes and Workshops of 2012
Reliable Recall
60-Minute Workshop
Basic Manners Saturdays at 2:30PM November 10th to December 8th 4 weeks of sit stay come and leash skills $150 Register
Intro to Rally-OWednesdays 6:30PM
Oct 31st to Dec 12th
6 weeks $200 Register Play With me 60-minute workshop Sunday Dec 9th 5PM $35 Register
More being added all the time. Keep checking the calendar or send us an email.
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NEWS FROM METRO DOG
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Looking for that special holiday treat for your four-legged friend? Check out some of the toys we carry:
Don't forget, you can always buy a gift certificate.
AMAZING TREAT MACHINE - inexpensive, creative and made from recycled cardboard. http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=JJ9pyh78EJ0
NINA OTTESEN Problem Solving Toys. The very best brain teasers for you dog.
 
Kong Wobler
Or make your own. Here are some of our favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjX2oVE_sB0&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UKj8t8YuAU&feature=related
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| Training Tip | |
If the rain is keeping you and your pooch indoors, you can still tire your dog out mentally with training games. Instead of having your dog chase a tennis ball across the yard, try hiding the ball or some treats in the living room and let him use his nose to find it. To teach your dog how the game works, first place the toy in plain sight and indicate that you want him to get it. Then try easy hiding spots such as behind a table leg or peeking out from under the rug. When he has mastered this, he is ready for some real searching. Using his nose is what your dog was born to do. Put his natural talents to work, and he'll be ready for a nap before you know it!
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| Fun Things To Do With Your Dog | |
 Point Pinole Regional ShorelineIf you're looking for a little solitude but lots of space with your dog, check out 2,315-acre Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond. It has seemingly endless, gentle trails to roam (though you'll need to keep your pup leashed at the picnic area near the entrance as well as at the far end by the fishing pier), and it's nowhere near as crowded as Point Isabel, especially on weekends. While your dogs explore, you can soak in the views of Mount Tamalpais, the Marin shoreline and San Pablo Bay. To get there, take the Richmond Parkway exit off I-80; from the Parkway, turn right on Giant Highway and head to the park entrance. There is a nominal fee to park in the lot.
For More Information Map
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 Happy Holidays!
Please remember to get those holiday reservations in so we can be sure to save a spot for Spot.
If your dog is new to Metro Dog we will need to schedule an assessment before we can take your reservation.
If we haven't seen your dog for daycare or boarding at Metro Dog in 6 or more months we will need to schedule a re-assessment before we can confirm your reservation.
Following an assessment or a re-assessment we may require a trial day of daycare or other specific services before we can accept your dog for services.
We always require that your dog come in for at least 1 day of daycare within 2 weeks of the assessment or re-assessment. All of this is to be sure that we have the best chance to provide the care that will work best for your dog.
The assessment/re-assessment process is the same all year round. During the Holidays, because all or most of our rooms are full, we are less able to make special accommodations after a dog has begun their stay with us.
Please leave plenty of time for us to evaluate and help you find the right services for your dog.If it has been a while since your dog was away from home and away from his family we may need to make changes to the program your dog once had with us. Dogs change as they age and what was once easy and fun can become challenging and stressful. We truly want what is best for each dog. To do this we offer many options including caring for your pets in your home.
so we can get started making those holiday plans for your pooch.
For our holiday period (November 15th - January 5th) Metro Dog has a special reservations policy. We require a deposit equal to the cost of your dog's board, not including services such as baths, walks, etc. Cancellations made in advance of two weeks from the first night of your dog's stay will be fully refunded. Cancellations made within two weeks of the first night will lead to forfeiture of half your deposit, with the other half staying on your account at Metro Dog for future services. For more information on Metro Dog's policies and recommendations for boarding click Holiday Information Letter. We look forward to seeing you. If you want share Metro Dog buy a gift certificate for that special dog on your list. Gift certificates can be used for anything Metro Dog does or has; walks, boarding, training classes, toys, anything. The Holidays are a busy time and there are lots of new and tempting things for your pooch to explore. Click on this link for some timely tips and reminders. Article on Holiday Safety for dogsWe love dogs and we love your dogs! Please don't get a puppy as a gift! Email our training department for advice on selecting and preparing for a new dog. training@metrodog.com
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Puppy time
Metro dog puppy socials are every Saturday (except Holidays) from 10 to 11 a.m. and are a great way for your pup to socialize with dogs and people in a controlled environment, with dog professionals available for questions and advice. But if you can't make the puppy social, try puppy day care. The benefits are many. Puppies need not have their entire round of vaccines to attend day care; they just need to be up to date on their puppy series. So day care is a great way to kick-start their social interactions with others until it is safe to take them to parks. Socialization is all about preparing your puppy to be comfortable with everything he will experience in life. Being away from you and under someone else's care is an experience he should be able to face confidently and joyously. At day care, puppies learn to socialize away from you in the care of our experienced dog handlers and trainers. It is particularly important for your pup to spend time away from you if you plan to board him in the future. Puppies are slowly introduced to others their age, or to handpicked, well-socialized dogs that are tested to be with puppies. This helps ensure only positive interaction for your pup's critical socialization period. Early positive experiences with new dogs will build confidence and prepare your pup for the wide range of dogs throughout his life. Puppies learn to follow and mind handlers as they move throughout Metro Dog, learning a bit of recall along the way. They learn to accept different types of handlers, and therefore different people. Handlers make sure to promote good behaviors such as sits, and ignore the inappropriate behaviors such as jumping and mouthing. Ignoring serves to avoid reinforcing the behavior, and helps puppies understand what is expected of them. If treats are OK for your puppy, she will occasionally get mini-treat training sessions in groups. Puppies will have a balance of play time and rest time. During rest time, most pups are crated to help them settle, as they are not allowed to play unattended (play is always supervised by experienced staff to make sure the pups learn appropriate social interactions with other dogs). They will also learn to settle away from humans. Puppies can sign up for additional fee-based training to help with manners and basic obedience. Training sessions are 15 minutes and include notes from the session and demonstrations with trainers if available. Owners will get full verbal reports about their dog's day and notes about behaviors we encounter during their stay. | | |
How METRO DOG works
| |  Metro Dog offers different accommodations to meet the needs of different dogs. We wanted to take a little time to explain how we determine what kind of room is best for your dog. While you may have an idea of how you would prefer to have your dog housed while in our care, it is important to understand that dogs behave differently when they are away from home and separated from their human family. Our goal is to provide safe and comfortable accommodations for every dog in our care. Because of this, we may make changes to a dog's rooming based on our own judgment. However, you can always request a single room for your dog. Likewise, family rooms are available for 2 or more dogs from the same family or dog friends boarding together.
Here are the different types of rooming accommodations:
Social Room-dogs play in social groups, and room with 2 or more dogs depending on size. Social rooms are 8 feet by 8 feet for big dogs and up to 9 feet by 10 feet for small dogs.
Social dogs are dogs that are regularly around and comfortable with all kinds of dogs even when they are nervous or excited.
Social crate-These dogs play in social groups and stay in a wire crate during downtime (never more than two hours during the day) and sleep in crates overnight. Most of our crates are in the open courtyards of the villages. Dogs must be comfortable with other dogs passing by the crates. Dogs are never crated if they appear agitated (drooling, panting, clawing at door). If the dog cannot be in crate for any of these reasons or if you request that we not crate your dog, then they will be designated 'single room' dogs.
Single Room Social-dogs play in social groups but need their own room and space when having downtime and sleeping overnight. This may be by request, or it may be for the dogs' comfort and safety. All Single rooms require a reservation for both daycare and boarding.
Here are some of the conditions that would cause us to take a dog out of social rooms and make them Single or Crate Only:
· Proximity issues-This dog is great in social play areas, but when it comes to smaller spaces, are a bit uneasy with dogs in their space and tend to correct (snap, growl, bite or bark at) the other dogs in the rooms
· Mounting - this includes pawing at or looming over the back of another dog.
· Resource guarding-when dogs do not like to share bedding, water bowls, with other dogs
· Won't Stop Playing-Dogs need their downtime. When a dog cannot rest and doesn't let the others rest we will require that the dog be crated or, if needed, in a single room. We will periodically try this dog in social rooms to see if he can settle.
· Bark excessively-this interrupts the dogs in the rooms who are trying to settle
Our last rooming designation is for non-social dogs:
Private- Dogs designated private at Metro Dog may be fine socially at home or at the park. Before we make this designation the staff will discuss options and if they feel it is safe, try the dog with several groups. Here are some of the conditions that would make your dog a private dog:
· Dogs who have limited tolerance or are only good with certain genders or breeds of dogs.
· Dogs who redirect (put their mouth on) the handler when she is interrupting play.
· Dogs who are relentless in play, do not stop when the handler calls them off and create highly aroused interactions in the group.
· Relentless inappropriate social interactions such as mounting, chasing, nipping, body slamming.
If your dog must be cared for solo, he will spend time with handlers one on one rather than social groups. A dog that boards privately receives three 15 minute mini play sessions and one 30 minute play session per day. Because we can only provide care for 4 private care dogs on any day, private dogs require a reservation for both daycare and boarding.
We highly encourage owners with questions about their dog's room designation to ask away! We are committed to the safety and well-being of all our residents, and to being open with owners about their dog's experience while at Metro Dog. |
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| Grooming Tips |
With the chilly air and holiday festivities, your pooch may be dressing up in finery, fancy sweaters and shrugs. Let her experience her inner diva, but do make sure that when you take her clothes off you check the fur that was underneath. Where ever an item rubs a medium- to long-haired dog (even collars and halters), the fur tends to become tangled. And some tangles (called "mats") might play hide and seek with your brush and comb. One way to discover them is to set a hair dryer on the cool setting but high airflow, and direct the air toward the dog. The hair should separate enough to see down to the skin. If it becomes too much for you, you can always call on our resident groomer to give your doggy a hair doo. Happy Holidays! Karen grooms dogs that need full hair cuts at Metro Dog on Wednesdays and occasionally other days. She is by appointment: 510-459-5908 For an extra fee, Metro Dog staff can give your dog a bath or brush-out and his trim nails while he is in day care. |
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