DogBoy's Dog BlogDog boarding, training, daycare and wellness in the Austin area

Noodle is fired up and ready for 2012!

Noodle and I would like to welcome you to 2012!  What an exciting year it is going to be!  Let’s see if I can catch you up on all the news:

First of all, if you haven’t already heard, DogBoy’s has been invited to try out for a reality TV show called Doggy Day Care!  We are sending our video submission today, and can’t wait to hear back to see if we get chosen.  We spent the Christmas holiday capturing video of puppies, staff, customers and doing our best to capture all the wonderful people and parts that make up DogBoy’s.  Whether we get picked to do the show or not, making this video has reinforced what a special place this is, and how much we have to teach and share with all of you.  Thank you to our clients and staff who were able to participate, and we promise to keep you posted on this exciting adventure!

Next up, our new Spring Classes have been posted on the website, and there are 30 to choose from!  You will never find a better way to bond with your dog, learn about dog behavior in a fun environment and get the results you want than with one of our classes taught by our top notch trainers.  Our team works tirelessly to keep their own behavior knowledge and training skills honed, so that you can be sure you’re learning from the best.  Visit our schedule of dog training classes to see what might be fun for you to try!

Along with the wonderful work we do with the dogs of the Austin Humane Society, DogBoy’s has also begun working with the Friends of Austin Animal Center ‘s Hard Luck Hound program.  These are the 15 dogs who have been in their shelter the longest, and are having trouble getting adopted.  So our up and coming trainers Lydia, Jeanie, Kelly and Alice are taking on these special projects to see if we can teach them some manners and coping skills.  We will be giving these dogs some much needed training, lots of one on one time, furthering the behavior knowledge for our trainers in training, and hopefully increasing the chances of a successful adoption for these forgotten animals.  Giving back to our dog loving community is a win-win for everyone involved!

Tomorrow is the day to make your 2012 holiday reservations!  I know, I know, it seems too soon!  But DogBoy’s has been filling up for holiday slots a year in advance for many years now, so we want you to have every opportunity to get those much coveted spots!  Call, email or fax in your request, and we will make your reservations as quickly as possible.  With the new year, we are also adding a few new services, like our Private Dog Park opening in February, self-service dog wash appointments, and discounts with multiple days of Doggy day care and Chelsea’s Charm School!  See the Our Prices page of our website for all the latest details and prices.

Thank you all for a wonderful year, and we look forward to enriching the lives of you and your dog for years to come!  We are truly blessed to have each of you and your dogs in our lives.

With joy,

DogGirl

While boarding, daycare and training will always be our primary focus here at DogBoy’s, we do our best to have a selection of quality food, treats, toys and food puzzles to keep you and your dogs happy. To make sure our wonderful two-legged and four-legged customers stay satisfied, we’re always looking to try out new items on our shelves. Here’s what’s new this fall at DogBoy’s:

DogBoy’s branded treats and merchandise

“Life’s uncertain–eat dessert first,” a wise person once said. So we have to tell you about the most exciting new thing we have at DogBoy’s–our very own branded treats and merchandise.  Supplied by Healthpro Nutrition, a maker of quality dog treats, DogBoy’s brand treats come in turkey/sweet potato, cranberry/sweet potato, smoked salmon,  and peanut butter flavors.

You can show your DogBoy’s pride by buying a leash with our familiar ranch dog silhouette logo. The leashes are six feet long and are made of sturdy nylon–perfect for walks or for use during a training class. We also are selling logo “leash links.” They attach to the hand loop of a leash (they also make pretty good key rings), and are perfect for attaching accessories such as hand sanitizer, bug spray and cleanup bags. All of these leash accessories are also available here in the office. Be completely prepared for your next walk and do it in style!

New High Quality Foods

Diet is so important to us here at DogBoy’s. From day one, we strive to educate our clients about how diet affects all aspects of a dog’s life, especially when it comes to behavior and overall health.  And we know that our customers expect that when we offer dog food for sale, it will be food that meets our highest personal standards: free of fillers, and full of good protein, fruits, vegetables and other healthy ingredients. That’s why we’re excited to offer Life4K9 brand dry dog food, in both chicken and barley and lamb and barley varieties.  A number of our staff have tried it; Jay reports that his dogs Graham and Hoosier both love the chicken and barley formula.

Toys

Last, but certainly not least, we have some fun new toys for sale. We have a line of fun–and tough–stuffed toys from Mighty Dog Toys. From cows and goats to possums and beavers, we have animals for large and small dogs alike. From Sprocket Pet Goods comes P:ECO the Penguin. P:ECO is the green dog toy, made entirely from organic and recycled materials. It’s the perfect toy for the green dog in your life.

Be sure to let us know how you like these new products. And if there’s something we’re not carrying that you’d like to see at DogBoy’s, let us know that too!

Howdy, Dog Lover!

Noodle Doodle can be a Little Napoleon.

Most of our dogs are perfect angels, right?  I know Noodle is!  Well, the truth is, Noodle can sometimes be a pill around strangers who come in the house.

Occasionally, dogs who are great with their owners can be less angelic in public, and can sometimes even snap or bite.  Of course, we can help if you are experiencing this behavior.

But in honor of National Dog Bite Prevention week, I thought it might also be helpful to hear some tips from world-famous trainer, Victoria Stilwell.

Take a listen to this AVMA Animal Tracks podcast, and get tips on preventing dog bites.  Victoria gives advice about teaching your dog WHAT to do, when you encounter a situation that makes your dog uncomfortable, and a few things you can do to prevent your dog from biting at home and in public.

For more information about National Dog Bite Prevention Week, visit the AVMA website.  Until then, socialize your dog as much as you can – we can help with that too!

Take it easy,

DogGirl

Rise and shine, Bunny Lover!

This weekend is filled with special goodies for you, and for Mother Earth too!

The Office front garden is planted with Easter Eggs, each filled with a special treat just for you.  Pick one to find out what you win!

Also today in honor of Earth Day, DogBoy’s will be donating 5% of your purchases to 6 non-profits committed to protecting the environment.  Visit AustinGive5.comfor more information on how you can help.

Just a reminder, DogBoy’s will be closed Easter Sunday to customers, but our kennel staff will still be here taking excellent care of your pups.

Easter Weekend Tips to remember:

• Keep your dog away from the chocolate – it can be poisonous to them, or at the least cause a lot of digestive upset.
• Boiled eggs (even colored) are fine, shell and all.  Just make sure they are fresh.  Break them up for the little pups.  If you hide one, make sure your dog finds it!
• Keep Easter grass and cellophane wrappers out of reach of dogs – they can cause intestinal blockage (and I know you don’t want to spend your holiday in the animal ER!).
• Easter Lillies can be toxic, especially to cats, so keep them up high.
• Finally, artificial sweeteners like Xylitol (found in many sugar-free candies) are poisonous to dogs, so keep those Easter baskets up high, and out of paw’s reach.

Have a safe and hoppy Holiday, everyone!

DogGirl

Yep, we even teach kiddos about dogs.

Good behavior comes more easily to some dogs than others. Some just seem to get that they shouldn’t jump up; they walk beautifully on leash; they don’t bark and will sit, stay, and maybe even come on command with just a little work.  If you have such a dog, consider yourself blessed. You’ve won the doggie lottery! But you can still benefit from taking a class at DogBoy’s with one of our outstanding training staff.

It’s easy not to think much about training unless you have a specific issue or set of issues you want to work on with your dog. But any human-dog duo can benefit from taking a training class. “In training classes, they don’t so much teach the dog but teach the human to teach the dog, and always with a 100% positive-training method. On numerous occasions, staff have stayed long after class to help us with individual issues we’ve had,” says Jon Campbell, whose dogs Ali and now Guinness have been long-time regulars at DogBoy’s.

If you’ve never taken a class from DogBoy’s before, the place to start will be with a Level 1 obedience class. Even if you’ve taken a basic class before or if you feel your dog has a good grasp of beginning commands like “sit,” we cover so much more. Such as: how you set up your household; how you communicate with your dog, even if you don’t realize you are; dynamics of a multiple dog household and so much more. It is the foundation for all the more advanced classes we offer. And we offer many advanced classes.

Do you want your dog to be a therapy dog? There’s a class for that. A visit from a sweet, friendly dog brightens the day of many people in nursing homes and long-term medical care. Therapy dog programs usually require passing the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program as a prerequisite, and our CGC class is focused on preparing you and your dog to take the Canine Good Citizen test at the end of the class.

Do you want to do a fun activity with your dog that will get you both some exercise? There’s a class for that. Agility and Rally Obedience are human-dog sports that will really get you and your dog moving while deepening that bond and really improving your communication skill with your pooch. Our classes don’t emphasize competition, but if you decide you’d like to compete in Rally or Agility with your dog you’ll have a good head start.  Kari Trecker, who has taken Agility with her dog Freida, talked about another benefit of taking Agility or any other class with your pup—confidence building. In a review posted on Yelp!, Kari says “She [Freida] was so happy when she completed an obstacle!”

Do you want to help your children learn to handle your family dog and learn how to be safe with strange dogs? There’s a class for that. Family Dynamics, which has evolved from our former “Kids and Dogs” class, is geared toward children ages six to twelve with an eye towards helping them be respectful toward their own and other dogs.

Do you have a new puppy? There’s a class for that, too! Our Totally Puppy! class is for dogs ages 8 to 16 weeks (dogs must be able to finish the class by age 20 weeks). It is a constantly rotating four-week class with no set beginning or ending date. You can start any time and attend for four consecutive weeks. There is a golden window of opportunity at that age for your pup to gain maximum benefit from exposure to new dogs, people and places. Best of all, our Puppy Class helps you start off on the right paw with your family’s newest member.

Our mission at DogBoy’s is to help you have the happiest, healthiest, most well-adjusted dog possible, and our training classes are a big part of that mission. Our Certified Professional Dog Trainers will even arrange private lessons if you want to work on a specific issue with your dog. Please visit our website or call us for more information. Remember: training isn’t just for “bad” dogs!

photo by Nicole Mlakar Photography

It’s been a week and I’m just catching my breath to tell you all about our big Open House weekend.  What a wonderful time it was – celebrating with family, friends and staff.  We’re still smiling about it!

We kicked off the weekend with a pre-party, taking time to thank our builder, our bankers, our local vets, and many of the others who made this project possible.  We decided to give the Training & Wellness Center an informal nickname, Chelsea’s Place after our first dog, Chelsea Garbo.  She’s the reason we got into this business, after all!

We also announced some BIG news.  We have made a committment to a formal partnership with the Austin Humane Society!  We are SO excited about giving back to the Austin pet community, and can’t wait to get started.  DogBoy’s will be helping out some of their more active dogs – who really need to get out and run!  We’re giving a free evaluation and day of day care for up to three shelter dogs per week.  In exchange, DogBoy’s will have the honor of a dedicated run at the AHS, and will get to be a big part of their annual Rags to Wags gala.  We just love the work that the AHS does, and we’re so proud to be a partner with them.

I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to Nicole Mlakar-Livingston of Nicole Mlakar Photography for shooting the pre-party and Saturday’s Open House.  For even more of her great pics, you can read her blog.  We’re really looking forward to working with Nicole more in 2010!

I’d also like to send big hugs and thank you’s to my mom, dad & sister for all their help with Friday’s event.  We couldn’t have pulled off such a wonderful evening without their help! 

The Open House on Saturday was loads of fun too.  We had our wonderful trainers doing demos on Agility and Rally Obedience.  So impressive!  Lisa Knaggs, Owner of Bark for Peace gave some great mini-classes on canine massage.  She’s teaching her second class out at the ranch on Friday, 2/12 if you’d like to join us!

Marcella and I did three FULL tours and really enjoyed showing everyone around.  Thanks to everyone who helped out and please come join us at Chelsea’s Place soon!