Nauset Kennels

The sun came out yesterday and we were all just thrilled! I can’t speak for the dogs, but I could swear their tails were wagging just a little bit more. Some of them might have even been smiling; I know I was!

The parents of our day care crew love the pictures and I love taking them (the dogs are hams!). They don’t always sit as still as I would like, but you get the idea even if it’s a bit blurry from the motion!

It is so much fun to watch them all at play. They wrestle, dig, race around the yard, and do a lot of sniffing! Some are more laid back than others and just sit back and watch. Ozzy Pug is our referee, running around herding everyone where he wants them to go and doing the equivalent of blowing his whistle by barking at them. Some go just wild when one of us is out there, vying for our affection, while others only want to be with the dogs. 

I am off to get dirty with the pups. Enjoy the sun! We are!

Hannah & Jem

Some pictures from today’s day care. LOTS of motion, so some of them are blurred a bit!! Digging holes, chasing balls, and general romping seemed to be the activities of the day. Some of these dogs need agents!

Stay posted for more!

Baker

one of those blurry ones I mentioned!

A view from the big yard into the small yard

and you wonder why they are exhausted?!!

Paddy & Kodi

Zeus & Zander

Shayna digging in her hole

Lucy posing

Customers are always saying that they would love to watch their dogs playing at day care, particularly when we share news from the day: Shayna and Summer are best buddies; Scout and Cue shared a blanket; Hannah played well with everyone; Danzig played with two of his girls today, Stella and Lucy. The conversation then turns to the idea of webcams. Webcams are a great concept, and I will cover them in another blog. This blog is my attempt to share some videos from day care. I haven’t edited them, so you might want to keep the volume down since my voice is pretty loud coming through the mic! I hope this is just the start of sharing some of what we get to see during the course of the day. If you keep tuning in, I’ll keep working on my videographer skills!

Day Care Video 1

Day Care Video 2

Day Care Video 3

Kirsten said that when she drove past me the other day I had a grin ear to ear. She’s right. How could I not? Our new bus makes me smile, and even better, it makes other people smile.  I get to drive a bus with cute dogs on the windows and cute dogs inside in their crates. People drive by and point and smile. And I get a lot of waves from friends and customers. It’s fun! Our kids love being driven to school in the bus (Yeah, I know. They are only in preschool right now and don’t mind being seen with their parents). The first time we dropped them off in the bus, their schoolmates came over asking, “Do you have real dogs on this bus?” They were fascinated and a bit disappointed that we didn’t have any dogs yet since we hadn’t started our route!

The next time you see us, give a honk or a wave. Better yet, smile. It’s nice being part of something that is contagious in a positive way!

Crate training is an all-out wonderful concept. Every puppy should be crate trained. There, I’ve just put it out there without any diplomacy. On this issue, I don’t think I need to play that diplomatic card and worry about offending anyone because crate training is a simple, benign concept.

Crate training provides your dog with his own home, his own room. It provides you with a safe place to put your pet should the need arise. Here on the Cape we are planning and discussing emergency shelters. If we ever did have an emergency, wouldn’t it be a small comfort to know that your pet is used to a crate and won’t be freaking out at being put in one? And whether or not you can admit it, not every person visiting your house likes dogs, even the friendliest  of dogs. A crate is the perfect solution to having those friends over that don’t love your dog.

Crate training should start when you first get your puppy. Ideally, the crate should be just big enough for the puppy to sleep in, so if you have a growing pup, you will need to switch crates as he grows. Avoid  the “getting the next size up in case he grows” thought. If a crate is too big for the dog it will defeat the purpose, which is to convince the puppy that this is his home. Instinctively, dogs do not like going to the bathroom in their sleeping area. If the crate is just big enough to sleep in, then he won’t want to go potty in it. This also highlights the concept that crates serve as excellent house-training tools. Just remember that once that crate door is opened in the morning, immediately put your puppy out to potty. To this day my dogs still go from the crate to the back door.

Entice the dog to enter the crate with treats and a command, such as “Kennel up,” or “Crate.” We actually tell our dogs to go to their house. Don’t use the crate as punishment, sending the dog to the crate when you are mad. After awhile, they will actually head to the crate on their own when in trouble. Remember, it is their safe haven. Your puppy will probably make some noise or scratch at the door of the crate for a few nights. Don’t let him out! Do leave the door open to the crate during the day and encourage the dog to spend some time in it with toys or treats.

My dogs love their crates. I know some customers who say that their dogs really ignore their crates after awhile, and that is fine. At least the dog has the concept of the crate. Because we use ours every day though, the dogs really do see them as their safe spot. If the kids are being too rambunctious and Pecan gets a little scared, he will seek out the safety of his crate. As Scout gets older and has more trouble jumping up onto our bed, she ambles into her crate for a snooze instead of trying to get on the bed. We leave their crate door open during the day and at night we close them in (remember, I’m the one who can’t stand sleeping with my dogs!).

Another bonus to the crate? We don’t have the dogs deciding when we get up in the morning. Our dogs actually continue sleeping or hanging out in their crate until we open the door, even if the time varies from day to day. My father-in-law’s dog gets him up every morning at 5 whether or not my relative is ready. Would that happen with crate training? I can only speak from my own experience: the five different dogs that we have crate trained stay quiet until we let them out.

Yet another positive to the crate? Last night, Pecan started his whole throw up routine. Very commonplace in our house, so we didn’t fret over the vomiting, but we did worry about our babysitter scheduled to arrive that evening. She shouldn’t have to clean up dog vomit on top of watching our cherubs, so we put Pecan in the crate. Was there a chance that he would throw up and we would have to clean him and the crate? Sure, but we like our sitter and decided that was preferable to losing her because of our throw-up king. (Parents out there can understand the fear of losing a valued sitter!).

On that kid note, crates have given our kids some really cute moments with their puppies. The mantra in the house is that the crate is Scout and Pecan’s home, so we’ve tried to teach the kids to respect that. However, when they were smaller, they would sometimes wander into our room in search of the dogs. We’ve found Colby asleep with his head on Scout’s belly, half in the crate, half out. Before Pecan arrived, Delaney would bring her books and her blankets into Scout’s crate and read to her. And our dogs have the best decorated crate in town. The kids draw pictures and tape them to the crate, or, if Scout is in an “eating paper” mood, we will tape them to the walls around their crate. As the kids have gotten older, they are starting to respect that when the dogs are in their crate and the door is open, then perhaps they need a little time out from us.

To me, there is no downside to crate training, except the fact that crates really do make horrible additions to your decor, particularly if your dog is the size of a small apartment! Then I might reconsider crate training! However, I know that when I leave my house, my dogs have the opportunity to be safe in their crate. They don’t mind ever mind being put in the crate, so when the rugs are being cleaned or we are having people over, we are comfortable and more importantly, our dogs are comfortable.

The news for our pet insurance agency is not good. The news for us is not good. The only good thing is that Pecan and Scout remain healthy (knock on wood please) and we haven’t had to visit the vet lately. That said, the news is not good!

So we signed up both dogs awhile ago and have yet to hear whether or not the company would cover Scout. We sent over everything they requested, followed up with multiple phone calls, but never got an answer. The pat response given by the company usually placed the blame on “missing paperwork from the vet.” Doubt that! Last week we called to cancel Scout’s policy, even though she had not been accepted as an insured. We figured that if they continued dragging their feet, pretty soon she’d hit the age cut-off and they could decline her then.

Pecan, the accepted one, poses a whole other set of problems. As a puppy, the company accepted him with open arms, probably only giving his required records a cursory glance thinking, “He’s a puppy. What can be wrong with him?” (I’m only guessing, you know). We submitted a claim for a day-long vet visit that included multiple x-rays and barium. I faxed the claim in January and the company is still waiting for “the vet to send in some of the required information.” Sound familiar? Our vet has sent in the information. I know this because I facilitated the process.

Meanwhile, while we wait, the company sends mailing after mailing, denying each and every claim. Wait. Each and every claim? We submitted ONE claim that somehow got fragmented into at least ten different claims, none of which is being accepted. How can this be?

Needless to say, we will not be continuing our relationship with pet insurance. I’m sticking with knocking on wood. It may not always work, but at least I’m saving mountains of paper and not causing more work for my vet’s office!

Oprah recently had a show where moms confessed to all sorts of things that, I think, were supposed to shock all of us. I actually had the opportunity to watch thanks to my second case of strep throat in two weeks. While I wasn’t thrilled about the show because I kept thinking, “Yeah, I’ve thought that before,” or “Yeah, I haven’t done that, but something similar certainly,” it did give me inspiration to write a new blog! Today’s entry, in homage to Oprah, is aptly titled, Confessions of a Dog Owner.

1. I like one of my dogs more than the other. Sad, isn’t it? It’s kind of that nasty secret that isn’t talked about. Pecan is just easier. He comes when I call him, he is super at the kennel and loves playing with the other dogs, he snuggles like a pro, the list goes on.

2. Sometimes I forget to feed my dogs. Trust me, my dogs used to start the pre-dinner sit-in around 2 p.m. just to be sure that I remembered.  Now that we are down to two dogs, there just doesn’t seem to be that kitchen sit-in. In fact, I usually have to call them for dinner, so perhaps I can have a pass on this one since they aren’t in the kitchen to remind me?

3. I can’t stand sleeping with my dogs. It is always the same thing every night. I go into my room and find one or two of them on my pillows. They look super cute and snuggly so I figure why not? Within a few minutes, Scout is huffing and puffing under the covers because she is so darn hot, but won’t actually move to get air. At that point the bed is shaking from her heavy breathing and it feels like the quarter beds at cheap motels!! I have to give her the boot. Pecan is small, so how much trouble can he really be, right? Well, he snores like a champ and starts right as I am drifting off to sleep. He has positioned himself on my pillow like a human being, and will even nuzzle the back of my head trying to get comfy. (This all sounds sort-of pornographic, doesn’t it?!). And to top it all off, he stays comfortable for about ten minutes and then needs to re-position, tapping at my shoulder to go under the covers and then, ten minutes later, he’s back on my pillow snoring away. Arghhhhh!

4. There are those rare moments that I wish I didn’t have dogs. (Actually, that was on Oprah too, where one mom said something about actually having just a moment or two where she wished she could go back to a simpler life without kids and I was nodding along knowing that I have had that same thought once or twice). So, there it is. I’ve said it. Most of you are gasping in horror, falling to the floor, mouth agape, eyes bulging type of reaction. Some of you are actually nodding your heads, just oh so slightly. Admit it. We love them tremendously, but every rare once in awhile you think how easy it would be…

5. I’m so glad we don’t have any cats anymore. For those of you who actually knew Puck, my little black kitty, you will be totally surprised by this comment. She was one of a kind, true, but with all cats come litter boxes, wet cat food that stinks up the whole house, hair balls, etc. My daughter keeps asking when we can get another cat and my voice tells her, “Someday, honey,” but in my head I am saying, “Never!!” But we all know how persistent children can be.

6. Sometimes I like my pets more than my children.  No back talk, no cajoling, no strings attached. Pets are just there to love you back. Period. They don’t need to find their own ways, figure things out, stuff like that.

7. Even after all I’ve said, my last confession is that I really can’t imagine our house without at least one dog. I always wanted a dog as a child, even bringing one home from the mall where someone was giving away free puppies. My mom had other ideas though, so we had more years without dogs than with dogs. Even without the kennel, we are animal people. At one point we had so many animals we called our house “The Zoo.” Two snakes, five dogs, and three cats kept us busy and smiling. Like I said before, we are now down to two dogs. They provide constant joy, they teach my children responsibility and compassion, they provide lots of cuddles, and who can resist a dog who snores right in your ear?

87 pounds in Wiley Park. Need I say more??

For more info on the Wiley Park clean-up go to http://www.easthamdog.org/

My kids and some of their friends had a glorious playdate yesterday at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster. The rain held off and it was actually warm. We started on the playground, laughing as rear ends got wet at the bottom of the slide. From there we started running towards the huge open area with our soccer balls, ready to run like the wind. Instead, we ended up playing “dodge the piles of poop” that were everywhere.

Now I work with some serious poop at the kennel, so I can tell you that I am not exaggerating here: there was no escaping the poop piles. We stepped in it, played baseball and soccer in it, we even found it on our clothes. It was disgusting. We tried moving to a different area - poop, poop, and more poop. Kids, being kids, just kept playing, while I tried not to think about it. But I did keep thinking about it and it really bothered me.

Dog owners on Cape keep complaining about how limited the options are to run their dogs. We know it. Old Cape Cod, where dogs, particularly black labs and goldens, used to roam the neighborhoods and beaches, doesn’t exist anymore. So we congregate at the few areas dogs are allowed off-leash, chatting with fellow owners, lamenting the loss of yet another beach or dog-friendly area.

After yesterday though, I am seriously thinking about switching to the other side. Blasphemy, I know, but what’s a girl to do when she has to choose between letting her dogs run free at a place like Drummer Boy or letting her kids run unimpeded by piles at Drummer Boy? Come on!

Some of you are horrified right now, and probably not for the same reason I am. You are sitting there thinking, “Well, I pick up after my dog, so I can’t be blamed.” Unfortunately though, you will be blamed; you are being blamed. All are lumped together because of some. It happens all the time. It’s why new laws are created, why new stop signs are put in where there used to be none, etc. etc.

Personally, I can’t figure it out. We are provided this fantastic area for our dogs to run. Bonus that kids can be entertained too! And yet we don’t keep it clean? A friend suggested that it can’t be the Sunday regular group since they are always cleaning up after their dogs. It sure wasn’t the group of dogs there yesterday, because I actually saw people picking up the piles. Wait, I was certainly distracted at times. I might have missed a poop or two, right? And, now that I think about it, sometimes the owners were busy chatting or actually in the process of cleaning up when another one appeared (surprise!). And, there were even times when the dogs were out of the owners’ sights; while not for very long, it does make you wonder. So, where do these mysterious, unclaimed piles come from?

Rather than play the blame game, I’d like to encourage everyone with dogs to bring plenty-o-poop bags when you go out to run your dog. While you are there, be super courteous and pick up a few extra piles that may, or may not, belong to your dog. Think of it as making up for those you unintentionally miss, okay? Or think of the mantra that I try to instill in my children: leave a place better than you found it.  Or, follow Eastham’s lead.

In Eastham, a group of citizens have banded together to form the Eastham Dog Owners’ Association. One of their functions is to facilitate and participate in poop pick-up parties. Rather than see their options dwindle even more, they decided to make it a group effort, even providing prizes for the heaviest bags! Yuck! (By the way, the first poop party is tomorrow 4/4 at 3 pm at Wiley Park. Another will be held on April 4/18 at 3 p.m., at Bee’s River, First Encounter Beach. For more information, go to the EDOA website http://www.easthamdog.org/). While poop parties aren’t the only focus of the group, you can bet your poop pile that it is one of the most appreciated by everyone who enjoys Wiley Park and Bee’s River.

My parents are here visiting and helping out with the kids so Kirsten and I can work (still trying to get into the new building while operating out of the old building). We love having them around and are so happy to have the help. They are not, however, animal people.

Scout is continually underfoot, waiting for my mom to drop her a tidbit now and then. I am shocked that mom hasn’t tripped over her and suffered a bad fall.

Pecan is still suffering from whatever is wrong with his stomach and esophagus and regurgitates for hours at a time. It really is a pain (both for him and us) and gets old quickly. In an effort to stop the regurgitation, we are experimenting with feeding him three meals a day. And did I mention that he is still skittish and barks at people in the house even though he just saw them two minutes prior?!

Needless to say, my parents will not miss our dogs when they head home next week. If anything, I am sure they will be scratching their heads wondering why we even have animals.

You have all known people who are just not that into dogs or cats, or even the less popular animals like ferrets and birds. There is probably even a hierarchy amongst animal lovers as to what level of commitment they are willing to make. Some people are just into dogs, some are into rabbits, while others have the whole menagerie.

Back to my folks though. They cannot fathom the amount of money we have forked over for our pets (sometimes I can’t either though!!). Nor can they understand the nature of our business and why anyone would go on vacation with their pets. My dad guffawed last night over a conversation abut CPR for animals. Over the laughter I think I heard him say, “Don’t expect me to ever perform CPR on your animals.” If Pecan comes over seeking affection from my mother she sort of looks around to see if we are close by and then quietly tries to shoo him away. This is too good - I can actually hear her right now telling him to go away as I am sitting here typing!

Non-animal people just don’t get it. I suppose we could create a window sticker for our cars proclaiming our feelings like Jeep owners with their “It’s a Jeep thing,” but ours would say, “It’s a dog thing,” or “It’s an animal thing.”

For the moment we are all coexisting in the house with animals, using a lot more of the industrial size lint roller sheets than usual and vacuuming a ton. And thank goodness for the kennel - Scout and Pecan have been spending a lot more time than usual with us at work! Mom and Dad pretend they like the animals to a point (kudos to them for even trying) and do make it a point to remember to feed them and let them out as needed. To animal lovers this probably sounds cruel on their part, that they “make it a point to remember to feed them.” But when it comes to non-animal people, we should remember our new motto. It really is an animal thing. Isn’t it?