Ode to an Aussie

Its been a while since I dedicated a blog to a specific breed but when you've got something nice to say... say it! I have taken a special liking to a few of my friends here at the Paw (Jib, Argos, Stella, Blue) and wanted to study up on their breed and share with you a little about the wonder that is the Australian Shepherd. Just by spending daycare time with them, I have noticed a few common personality traits. First and foremost, they are energetic...very energetic. I have yet to see a single one of them join into the afternoon nap and I have definitely never seen one yawn. They run around the room instinctually herding everything that moves and only Jib will stop for a moment to put his head in my lap for some pets. They are gorgeous, loving, and extremely friendly but as it turns out, aren't Australian.

Weird huh?
To really get into it I did a little background research and found out the Aussie really originated right here in the US. It was so named because the sheepherders they worked with came from Australia. Their little helpers, however, are pure breed North Americans (western, to be exact). The rest of their history was pretty straight forward.

-Bred to be working dogs so are now absolutely fantastic at agility, obedience, flyball, frisby, etc,

-Appearing in all the coolest colors (Stella and Argos = blue merle, Jib and Blue = red merle) plus two additional tri colors

-Have the most striking eyes in either light blue, golden brown, or if you're lucky, one of each.

-And, coming in two sizes. The original (all our clients) and mini which can be as small as 15 lbs!

If you havent met one yet, hopefully this blog encourages you to seek one out at your next doggy outing... though you'd never actually catch one. In fact, my bet is if you did, you'd probably earn three wishes out of the deal. Give it a shot! :)

Daycare August 4th

A celebration is in order!!!

Today, we were introduced to Bailey for the first time. He is a puppy chow mix of some sort and he is cute cute cute! As soon as I walked in the lounge, there he was giving me a huge hug and getting me up to date on the games they were playing so I could join in.

"Hi hi hi, nice to meet you here's the deal... only two rules, no biting and time outs automatic for pee breaks. All wrestling, punching, kicking, chewing, pinching, pushing, and scratching is fair game. Roxy and I are in the middle of it now but you play winner"

..and he was off. Roxy got a surprise as Bailey pounced on her when her back was turned (catching by surprise was not only fair, it was extra points!). Roxy was barely phased anyway. She quickly found her footing again and the game was on, full throttle. Fortunately for me, their match never resulted in a clear winner. I cheered them both on until I finally had to tear my eyes away to answer the phone. What rascals! By the end of the day all I was finally able to deduce from watching their endless game was that Bailey was great (extremely friendly, obviously a fair player, and probably the only dog at the Paw that can tire out Roxy). It was a pleasure meeting his bouncy self and I can't wait to see who he challenges tomorrow. Included is a pic of his foe, Roxy and a few more of them "following the rules." Enjoy!

Daycare July 31st

Wa Hoo!

Please welcome back to the Paw...the stunning, the well mannered, the energetic, and the humble Stella and Blue!

In case you don't know, our Canine Behavior Academy is finally up and running (with the first class on Saturday 8/2 @ 9am) and I have been studying the daycare dogs like a maniac these past two weeks to try and get ahead of the game. All day today my attention has been on Stella and Blue (them being the fresh faces in my crowd) and I must say, they are wonderful! Never playing too rough , not attached at the hip (they are very confident playing separately and being apart), and very very loved by every dog they meet. Fenway, one of our many Puggles, fell in love with Stella at first smell and Otis, preteen Airdale extraordinaire, cant get enough of his new friend Blue's crazy ways. They blended into our everyday daycare group seamlessly and are obviously used to the madness that ensues when over15 dogs get together. While I watched them I remembered when we first met ... two tiny Aussies still figuring out what they could get their young bodies to do, jumping like this, twisting like that until they pooped themselves completely out. Now that they are older it is obvious they have figured that mystery out but that they have managed to maintain control and socialize perfectly. Kudos to them and big Kudos to their parents! :)

The Canine Behavior Academy is Here!!

Metropawlitan Dog and The Collared Scholar are VERY proud to announce, after several months of hard work, late nights with plenty of coffee, and a little blood, sweat and tears shed putting together the curriculum, our Canine Behavior Academy is finally launching!

What's exactly is our Canine Behavior Academy you might ask? Well, it's simply the most comprehensive dog trainer academy currently available. Our program teaches how to understand dog behavior and will give our students the tools to apply that knowledge as a professional dog trainer. You will learn ALL current methods of dog training; not just one or two like many of the other dog training academies available. You also get hands-on experience working with actual training client dogs and have the opportunity to troubleshoot dog behavior problems with certified dog trainers.

Our first class will begin on Saturday, August 2nd and we are so excited to welcome our first group of students! If you think you might be interested in learning more or attending our Canine Behavior Academy, give us a call here at Metro - 619-233-1364!!

Daycare July 23rd

Finally my research is complete and I can introduce to you the Queen of the Fashion, the Epitome of Trendy ... Ms. Maddie. Maddie is by far the best dressed doggie at daycare. She would never think of coming in until she is fully accessorized and stylized from head to foot. She has been seen wearing the latest in puppy couture including the Palms HOT line from Dior's Summer 08 catalog, the Stripe Me Silly line from Chanel's Spring Fashion Show, and the MelonWater line made exclusively for her by Oscar de la Renta himself! She always has her hair done to match each outfit and always remembers to top each gorgeous ensemble off with a colored hair bow by Mizrahi and Think Pink nail polish by Gucci. When I asked her how she manages to afford such a beautiful wardrobe she laughed and said, "Buy?! I dont buy anything! Honey, with a physique like mine, designers are falling over themselves to dress me. Simply doing them the honor of choosing them is all the payment Ive ever had to give." With a flip of her hair, she walks away to get some water (but not before doing a little spin so I get the full picture).

As eccentric as Maddie's attire is however, she still keeps both perfectly groomed feet on the ground. Though seemingly aloof by keeping her distance from the most playful dogs in the pack (not wishing to muss her dress), she is actually extremely friendly and loving, always being up for a giggle with the girls or (duh) any conversation at all regarding fashion. Check her out on the Web Cam now and you'll see her gabbing away with Abby about the importance of nail polish...even if her dad wont approve.

Daycare April 10

One day, with the sun shining and the dogs barking, Olive came to her first day at the Paw. She entered the daycare room a little unsure and frightened of the other dogs. What was this place? Who were all these dogs and why were they barking at her? Who were these people and why were they gushing over her? She hid under a bench and started working through the possibilities. Maybe this was the initiation to the Paw dog club. Like if you can stand the barking for long enough, your in... but that wouldnt explain the people gushing. Maybe she had lost a tooth ... but that wouldnt explain the dogs barking. Gasp! Maybe she had poop on her nose! How embarassing!... but no, that wasnt it either. She left for home that day still confused.

On her third or fourth day at daycare Olive, still a little worried, watched as a brother/sister pair, Bella and Radar, entered the room. From the moment she saw them, she knew... these are my sole mates! She burst from under the bench and ran straight over to them. Radar smelled great but Bella... WOW! She had never met a dog so wonderful in her life and regardless of Bella's reserved personality, she knew she felt the same way about her. She started talking so fast she couldnt get all the words out ... "Omigosh! mynumisOlive an iluvyou!" And you know what!? Bella loved her too! In fact, everyone loved her... ie the barking, ie the gushing. It all made sense now and her Bella let her see it all. She vowed to spend the rest of her paying Bella back for this gift with a million kisses... more if she could count any higher :)

Now that Olive is an old hand at the daycare thing she has become very involved in many of the daycare activities. In fact, as of a week ago, she was appointed the new head of the welcome crew (a title she practices heavily on her greatest love Bella every Thursday). She is also working her way up the ladder in puppy class.. her goal, of course, to become the best and teach Bella everything she knows.