Happy Holidays!

It’s the holiday season and we are booked for boarding, and booking fast for grooming and training. Make your grooming and training reservations now! Please note: Only monthly & yearly unlimited package holders will be permitted for daycare with a reservation between December 23rd and 27th for safety purposes.

Elise and her pooches Lily and Gunner.

• Keep your pooch on the same food, or buy a large enough bag to mix with his current food.
• Please do not bring beds, balls or rawhides, we have it all! We prefer a worn tee shirt with your scent on it to keep your pooch cozy & in familiar surroundings.
• Remember, reservations must be cancelled at least 48 hours prior to check in. No shows are subject to one night charge plus 10% for stays reserved more than 3 nights.
• We recommend baths before pick up. Pooches play like wild and you will enjoy a clean pup at pickup!
• We have attempted to reach all boarding clients by phone regarding vaccinations. If we requested that you bring an updated copy of vaccination records, we will need that at the time of check-in or your dog will be put in a separate, private area, which can result in an additional $10 fee.
• Please let us know about any behavioral or medical issues, or changes in feeding or medications at check-in. We aim to please and your pooch is on holiday, just as you are. Let us know how we can serve you best!
• If you'd like to save some time on check-in, download and print our "Client Self Check-In" forms and fill them out before you come in:
  Client Self Check-In Form (PDF Format)
  Client Self Check-In Form (Office 2007 Format)
  Client Self Check-In Form (Office 97-03 Format)

Pet behaviorist and author Steve Duno has trained thousands of dogs, and a good number of cats. Known for his “Be the Dog” philosophy, Duno believes that seeing things from a pet’s perspective is the only way to truly understand and manage the household dog or cat. He has tackled a wide variety of subject matter, including breed profiling, obedience training, pet health care, aggression solutions and other problem behaviors, and even trick training for both dogs and cats. Steve has published seventeen books over the last fifteen years. His latest dog book, titled Be the Dog: Secrets of the Natural Dog Owner (Sterling, 2/08), is available at all bookstores and online retailers.

A former teacher in both New York and Los Angeles, Steve currently lives in Seattle with his family, his fluffy shepherd/chow mix Flavio, and Rico, a shepherd mix rescued off of the Yakima Indian reservation, a crazed soul with coffee in this veins and rocks in his head.

Steve has joined the DDL training team, and along with Cora, will provide all of our training services including one-on-one private lessons and group training classes.

To make an appointment with Steve or Cora, please send us an email.

It’s time for DDL's annual snow shoe trip! January 10th we will be trekking to Gold Creek Basin, pending avalanche warnings. For information on Gold Creek Basin, click here. You can sign up in store or email us. $25 covers your snow shoe rental and a snack for you and your pooch!

Dog booties on sale for $10 off (any size) through December 25th!

By Steve Duno

It’s true: most canine behavioral problems are due to owner naiveté or neglect. Few dogs are truly unmanageable; the problems begin when well-meaning owners, unaware of basic canine needs and instincts, treat their pets like surrogate children instead of the dogs they are. The following suggestions will improve your relationship with your dog. Try them and you’ll soon notice a happier, more appreciative pet!

1. Know your dog's breed-specific behavior and personal history
You can better understand your dog if you explore its breed’s unique characteristics. Knowing that basenjis can climb chain link fences, for instance, will help you choose that wooden fence instead. Even if your dog is a mixed breed, you can guess at what breeds the parents were and estimate your dog’s breed profile. Knowing your dog’s personal history will also help prepare you for what’s to come. If your pet came from an abusive home, for instance, you’ll know to use patience and positive reinforcement when training.


2. Understand and practice leadership, the canine code
Dogs don’t understand democracy. Instead, like wolves, they form pack hierarchies. Once dogs establish a pecking order, harmony reigns. Unfortunately most owners treat their dogs like spoiled kids. Dogs interpret this as submission, which forces them to become “leaders” of their own packs. This always leads to undesirable behaviors. To insure harmony, become a benevolent leader. Don’t be bossy; just take charge, protect your “pack,” and establish consistent rules.

3. Embrace a canine attitude and awareness
Being a successful dog owner means seeing the world from a canine perspective. Too many owners try to turn their dogs into proxy humans; instead, turn yourself into a proxy dog! Sense what they sense; if your trash can contains chicken bones, for instance, know that your dog will smell them out! Understanding why a dog digs or barks for instance, requires you to interpret the underlying reasons for these behaviors. For example, when deprived of socialization, many dogs will become destructive or vocal. By taking a dog’s-eye view, you’ll catch problems before they happen.

4. Turbo-charge your dog's IQ
Without intellectual stimulation, dogs get bored and mischievous. To remedy this, regularly teach new behaviors to your pet. Basic obedience, tricks, vocabulary, hide-and-seek- whatever you decide upon, expanding your dog’s IQ will make everyone happier.

5. Enrich your dog's environment
Domestic dogs often stay inside a home or yard all day, with nothing to do but eat or sleep. To insure your dog stays happy, make your home a more interesting place. Hide treats, provide safe chew toys, take walks, play music, bring over a neighbor’s dog for a play session- do whatever enriches your dog’s environment to create a more fulfilling lifestyle.

6. Keep your dog healthy and safe
It’s your job to keep your dog fit. To do so, feed quality foods in the right amounts, exercise your pet, visit the veterinarian each year, and “dog-proof” your home. Remove toxic plants and chemicals from your dog’s reach, hide wires, clean up toxic spills, and keep trash behind dog-proof cupboards. Secure windows and doors, and keep dangerous animals away from your own.

7. Endow your dog with purpose
Dogs are engines of purpose; without it, they go bananas. To feed your dog’s need for purpose, examine what its breed profile is, then act. For instance, if you have a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd, stimulate its running/herding instinct by signing up for an agility or herding class. Retriever? Play fetch or hide-and-seek. Beagle? Teach it to find cookies hidden in the yard. Greyhound? Find a place to let it run free! Whatever you choose, give your dog a venue to express its breed-specific drives.

Before	Extreme Pooch-Makover!