Puppy Class Testimonial!

Mitzi was my first puppy. When I got her I was starting from scratch. Not only did I not know anything about puppies, but I am a pediatric nurse and wanted to treat Mitzi like a baby. (A human baby!) Thank goodness I found Barkz! We enrolled in the Puppy Kindergarten class where Maria, our instructor, gave us the guidance and tools to successfully teach Mitzi basic commands, and help her develop healthy socialization skills. She also helped me understand puppy behaviors which made a big difference in my approach to ‘puppy parenting.’ She was great! I am pretty certain that without Maria I would have a spoiled, coddled and probably demanding little pup, but instead, at age 6 ½ months, I have a delightful little pup who will sit and stay in one spot while I go out and get the mail… with the door open.

We always look forward to going to play groups. It’s fascinating to watch how puppies learn to play. I really appreciate the high standards Barkz has and knowing that Mitzi is in a very clean and safe environment. The staff is really wonderful, and the people I’ve met are friendly. It’s been fun!

Many thanks!
Diane Gates

Training Tip: When do you start socializing your puppy?

Each day we have new puppies that enter Barkz. Some come into puppy playgroups right away at 8 weeks old and some come in later. There are discrepancies in the information provided on the Internet and through vets regarding when to socialize your puppy. Some vets believe to wait until all vaccinations are effective whereas professional dog trainers and the team at Barkz believe that we need to socialize our puppies right away starting at 8 weeks old. Listed below is an article from the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) discussing the effects of not socializing your puppy right away.

http://www.apdt.com/about/prog/scholarships/win/2003_winner_01.aspx

Reef's favorite flying toy

The 'Flying Squirrel' is Reef's favorite toy. She has now mastered catching it in the air and of course completes a victory lap whenever she does catch it. This is a great alternative to a frisbee or disc since the shape of it makes it easy for the dogs to pick up off the ground. It's also easy for the human to look like a pro when throwing it minus the slobber. Your dog can also play with at night as it glows in the dark! However you cannot leave the toy alone with it as it can easily be chewed up. We mistakenly did that and Reef shredded the ends very quickly.

Dog at Shelter needs a home

Hi Everyone!

We have a wonderful dog at the shelter who is so stressed, we can hardly get him back into his kennel. He is a sweet, boy who is just petrified to be at the shelter. He is a people dog, doesn't seem to mind other dogs, and he is a great walker. When we put in back in the kennel after a walk, he just shakes....he needs to get out of there as soon as possible....hopefully, someone can help!!! Please see his pictures to the side...and call me if you think you can help!

Thanks, everyone!

Dale/Kitsap Humane Society
360/471-8229

Good News!

Hello Barkz Members
If anyone has heard through the grapevine that a puppy at Barkz had kennel cough - this is incorrect. Thank goodness the puppy does not have kennel cough. The vet was incorrect in their diagnosis. She sent us a letter declaring the puppy does NOT have kennel cough.

What happened?
The owner of the puppy noticed it was coughing yesterday morning and thought something was in its throat. The vet jumped to the kennel cough diagnosis just on the cough. After a few hours the puppy threw up a foreign object and has been fine ever since. The puppy went back to the vet this morning at 11:25 am and the same vet corrected their diagnosis.

Therefore there was NO KENNEL COUGH AT BARKZ ON WED. Jan. 28th.

All puppies, dogs are SAFE to interact with other dogs and to come to play.

We have completed two rounds of bleach cleaning so Barkz will smell a little funny when you come in. To celebrate that none of your puppies and dogs haven’t been exposed to kennel cough – PLAYGROUPS TONIGHT (Friday Jan. 30th) ARE FREE!!!

PLEASE RSVP as space is limited.

We thank you for your patience and understanding and we apologize for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. Safety of our pets come first and we hope you understand that we had to take extreme precautions in preventing potential break outs.

Please note there will be some changes to the playgroup schedule starting next week as we are reviewing procedures to minimize the chance of this happening again.

Enjoy your weekend.

Tough Chew Toys!!

Here is a picture of Reef with one of our new tough chew toys. On Jan. 17th Reef passed her Good Canine Citizen Exam and picked out a toy. She carried her lamb toy home at 3:30 pm Saturday honking it at everyone that noticed her. She has chewed it for over 5 hours. This toy is still in one piece! I'm amazed. The toy comes in many variations - cows, pigs, lambs, baboons and monkeys. We'll keep you posted on how long this toy lasts.
Update: After 7 hours of chewing the squeakers in the feet have gone but the main squeaker that honks is still going strong. None of the material has been torn off!

Another Testimonial of the same toy: "Hi Diane: Just wanted you to know that Noodles just loves that toy you brought her. She runs around with it in her mouth about half the day. She loves to bite and chew it so she hears that honk/squeak. It must make her feel she has a live animal in her mouth that she caught. HERB E. "

Small Dog Play and Medium Dog Play

Oh what fun!