King of the Ramp

This week was a whirlwind and we had to kennel Andy for a night  because of our crazy schedules. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind because it meant he got to play with his buddies at Camp Bow Wow for 2 days straight. The boy loves going to Camp!

Post-Camp Zombie Pup

My husband and I were both out of the house all day yesterday so Andy got to chill with his buddies at Camp Bow Wow. As we were preparing to leave the house he figured out what was going on and got himself worked into a frenzy of excitement and anticipation. Whenever this happens it's as if all the sounds that emanate from his little body are somehow magically amplified. The boy is loud. Embarrassingly loud. "I'm afraid it's going to wake the neighbors" loud. Arg. Andy was exhausted at the end of the day and slept most of the evening. He wanted nothing to do with anything - just wanted to sleep on the couch. He didn't even have the energy to harass his brothers. Makes me feel like we got our money's worth.

Doggy Day Care

I had a chance to have a nice long chat yesterday with the owner of the doggy care facility Andy frequents.  Unfortunately he was unable to shed anymore light on what happened because none of his staff actually witnessed the incident. From what he can surmise, Andy was bitten while rough housing with another dog. Normally the perpetrator in such incidences are permanently dismissed from the facility for the safety of both dogs and staff. The dog in question for this particular incident happened to be a foster (Camp Bow Wow is big into fostering and adopting out homeless dogs) and I was told he was "sent back." I have no idea what this means, I can only hope it means he was "sent back" to whatever foster situation he was in prior to arriving at Bow Wow. The owner told me this dog had a difficult time adjusting to the environment at the facility and was likely over-stimulated when the bite occurred. I hope the pup is given the proper training and environment he needs in order to find a forever home and that nothing drastic is done. The dog was obviously not well suited for this particular environment and will hopefully thrive in another. I believe, for the most part, that there are no such things as "bad" dogs, just dogs that need extra love and special attention and training.

Some Thoughts on Doggy Day Care

Andy came home from day care last week with a gash under his right eye (you can kind of see the scab in the photo). A staff member pointed it out to us and told us they had put some Neosporin on it.  At the time, she referred to it as a "nick" - but once I got home and took a closer look at the injury I was surprised at how much worse than a "nick" it actually was - it was more like a small gash. It wasn't bad enough to take him to the vet but I definitely kept on eye on it all week and diligently applied Neosporin to it twice a day. My guess is that another dog's canine caught Andy's face while they were wrestling. It's more or less healed at this point. 

I wasn't actually upset by the incident. I wish it hadn't happened, but really, the occasional scratch or bruise is inevitable when you have a group environment with a bunch of dogs running around playing with one another all day. The dogs at Camp Bow Wow are supervised at all times so I trust this didn't happen due to their neglect. The environment is as controlled as it can be considering there are typically 10 or more dogs in a play area at any one given time. One of my neighbors stopped taking her dog to day care because she didn't like her pup coming home with scratches. The way I see it, the benefits of day care outwiegh the occasional scratch or minor injury. If you're considering taking your pup to day care you should expect that these things will happen and decide for yourself how much you're willing to tolerate.   

Andy in the "Small Dog" Yard

 

It sprinkled on and off today so I kind of suspected Andy would be extra dirty when we picked him up from day care. He did not disappoint. His grimy state called for a double-wipe post camp wipe down. His brand new collar was also covered in mud. Arg. 

The dogs at Camp Bow Wow are separated by size and temperament. Generally this means small-medium dogs are in one section, large dogs are in another, and a third section is reserved for special needs dogs - seniors, dogs that need some quiet time, etc. Andy's a little energizer bunny when he's at camp. The pup keeps going and going and going! Why am I not surprised? The owner told me last week they did a little experiment and put Andy in the "big dog" yard to see if he could handle it (under supervision of course). Apparently he got overwhelmed by all the big pups so it didn't last very long. Haha. He's a "big dog" at heart but a "small dog" in practice.

Day Camp

Andy's at day camp today...aka doggy daycare. He seems to have figured out our new Wednesday routine and gets super (super!) excited when we head towards the front door. I'm pretty sure he knows he's headed to Camp Bow Wow. As soon as he hears the jingle of his collar he goes nuts. I love that he's enthusiastic about camp but unfortunately this enthusiasm translates into uncontrollable whining and barking the entire drive to camp. He did the same thing last week. I'm interpreting his behavior as nervous anticipation and would like to find a way to break this pattern. Arg. If it's not one thing it's another. Here's a shot of Andy at camp I snagged from the "Camper Cam." Looks like the pup is having fun hanging with his day care buddies and a camp counselor.  

Doggy Day Care

We're now officially "those jerks." You know, the ones that take their dog to doggy day care. This is something I never would have considered doing in the past - it just wasn't necessary. Maxwell was a well behaved dog, for the most part, and did fine without supervision. Andy on the other hand has way too much puppy exuberance at the moment and doesn't handle being alone very well. Taking him to doggy day care once a week is the only real option that makes sense at this point. 

I'll be the first to admit we haven't done enough to deal with Andy's separation issues. Part of me is hoping he'll just grow out it...but the other part of me has a feeling it's not going to be that easy. Doggy day care is a temporary fix, one that we're going to experiment with this semester, but I know we need to address the situation more aggressively. It sucks being a prisoner to the pup and never knowing what we'll come home to when he is left to his own devices.

Andy @ Camp Bow Wow

Camp Bow Wow posts pictures of pups at camp on their Facebook fan page. A great way to keep parents in touch with their pups while also promoting their business. Here are some shots we spied of Andy while we were away.

Andy's Going to Summer Camp (Again)!

My husband and I are hitting the road for a week. We're sad to leave the boys behind but take comfort in knowing they'll be in good hands. Andy is boarding at Camp Bow Wow again and I know he'll have a good time roughing it up with the other pups there.  We'll be checking in on him online via Camp Bow Wow's Camper Cam and enjoy his antics from afar. A neighbor will be looking in on Pablo and Diego and I know the kitties will appreciate the respite from rambunctious Andy. I have mostly photos planned for the week but will back in full blogging mode as soon as we get back. Till then!

Welcome Home Andy!

Andy's back from camp! My husband and I got back from vacation yesterday and picked Andy up from Camp Bow Wow in the early evening. After 5 days of romping in the sun and shade with other doggy campers (that's Andy on the far left) our pup was a little stinker and got a bath as soon as we got home. He spent the entire evening completely passed out on the couch.

Overall I'm pleased with our experience with Camp Bow Wow. We chose them because we wanted Andy to have a different kind of boarding experience. In the past we always took our dogs to traditional boarding facilities where they sat in kennels for most of their stay and I was left racked with guilt; wondering how they were doing. At Camp Bow Wow dogs get to spend much of their time outside their kennels exercising and socializing. The socialization aspect was especially appealing given that Andy is still a puppy and continuing to learn proper social cues.

We were able to check up on Andy online through Camp Bow Wow's Camper Cams. It was fun watching him play with other pups and reassuring to see him doing well. We happened to catch him taking a poop once and got a good chuckle. Visiting family was fun but I'm sure glad to be home with my boys!

Who's Your Daddy?

The humane society told us Andy is a hound/pitbull mix. He does have the muscular shoulders, compact frame, and white fur across the chest that is common to pits but I'm not entirely convinced. I mostly see hound features - a little beagle, some rhohodesian ridgeback, some sort of coonhound - don't know what for sure.

For those that really want to know the genetic makeup of their pup check out Wisdom Panel (Canine Genetic Analysis). For $74.99 you get a DNA sample Collection Form, 2 DNA cheek swabs and a pre-paid envelope. After swabbing your dog's mouth you mail the sample back and Wisdom Panel will run a DNA test that'll give you an idea of your pup's ancestry. Personally I don't have a burning need to know Andy's exact makeup. I think a little mystery makes him all the more endearing.

Andy's Going to Summer Camp!

We're going out of town for the July 4th holiday and Andy will be staying at our local Camp Bow Wow. This facility came highly recommended by several of our neighbors; who use both the Day Camp and Overnight Camper services. Unlike a traditional boarding facility, where dogs are kept in kennels for most of their stay, Camp Bow Wow allows dogs to participate in extensive "play time" outside their kennel with other pups in supervised indoor/outdoor spaces. 

Owners can check up on their dogs while away through the Camper Cam. Cameras are located in the indoor/outdoor play areas with a live feed available via the web during active play time. I'm always nervous about leaving my pets behind when we travel. Hopefully Andy will enjoy his time at "camp" and his brothers will have a much needed break from the little scamp. I'm gonna miss them!

To find a Camp Bow Wow near you click here.