What's new at Preferred Pet Care?

Since there is so much new stuff going on at Preferred Pet Care we gave the dogs the day off to play.  Don’t worry though “A Day in the life of a Dog” will be back next week featuring one of our fabulous pups!

Who would you like to see featured as our dog of the week photo opt or tell their story in the “A day in the Life of a Dog” blog?  Suggest your pup today, send us your favorite photos of your pups so that we can add them to our photo albums. 

*Starting in December our “A day in the Life of a Dog” blog will premier on Thursday- so make your suggestions today on who you would like to see featured.  Additionally because of popular demand we will not only be having our weekly photo opt of the dog of the week but we will now be expanding it to our “Daycare Dog of the Week” featured on Fridays and our “Boarding Dog of the Week” which will be featured on Mondays.

Starting January 2^nd, 2013 we will begin our “Birthday Club”.  Register your dog’s birthday & receive a free day of daycare* in their birthday month.  *Dog must have already passed Preferred Pet Care’s Trial Day; birthday club promotion is non-transferable and has no cash value.  All terms and conditions of the client service agreement dated 05/03/2012 apply.  In order to redeem your free day of daycare your dog must have been here within 4 months of their birth date.  Dogs cannot have more than 1 birthday per calendar year.  If you do not know your dog’s actual birthday (ie: if they are a shelter dog) you may make an educated guess or why not celebrate their adoption day!* Remember to sign up today!

Starting in January we would also like to begin featuring a “Pet of the Month” story.  Do you have an amazing adoption story, want to share about your favorite breeder, or just have a great funny or heartwarming story about your pup?  Send it to us!  We love to hear about it & would love to share it with our customers!  Each month we will pick a fabulous story and post it along with a photo of our featured pet.  For entries please send us your pup’s story to PreferredPetCare@gmail.com.  Please include a photo, your pet’s name, age, breed, favorite activities, special skills, etc. 

 

Sneak Peak: This month at Preferred Pet Care our featured product is our new VIP Products- Mighty Dog toys, Rugged Rubber, & Silly Squeakers.   

Some of our NEWEST Tuffy Toys are: Ray Ray Stingray, The General Starfish, Neelmo Eel, Larry Lobster, King Crab, Burtle Turtle, and Captain Kurklops

Some of our Newest Mighty Toys are: Bunny McHop, Drake McQuck, Foxy Fox, Percy Possum, Safari Elephant, Arctic Walrus, Safari Giraffe, and Arctic Seal.

Our BRAND NEW, never been carried before at Preferred Pet Care, proud to announce our NEW Rugged Rubber toys from VIP Products: Bomb, Dynamite, Grenade.

Wondering what to bring to your next dog friendly holiday party, what about a nice bottle of Kennel Relaxin.  Kennel Relaxin is one of VIP’s Silly Squeaker collections, a novelty dog toy. 

How strong are VIP Products?  Check them out for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBekk0TdVb4 (Tiger playing with one of the Tuffy Octopus toys)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW6d5W85h24 (Tiger playing with some of the other Tuffy toys).  Remember though the Tuffy Toys are not chew toys.  If you are looking specifically for a chew toy we would suggest a super durable rubber toy such as Nylabone, Kong brands, or certain VIP Products (such as their Rugged Rubber line).  Always make sure you are using the product as directed.  Additionally all dog chew toys have a certain element of risk involved.  Extra strong chewers can tear apart just about anything, even so called indestructible rubber.  With forethought and supervision, you can make your dog toys as safe as possible. 

Ruby!

We would like to start out our weekly blog with HAPPY THANKSGIVING!


What do you have to be thankful for this holiday season?

Preferred Pet Care is extremely thankful for so much.  As many people have experience trying times during this difficult time with super storm Sandy we would like to thank all of our customers, and we are thankful for all of you each and every day. 

We hope you and your family/friends have a wonderful holiday season!

Now back to the dogs…

Today, one of our daycare pups, Ruby a black lab decided to take a moment to tell us about her day.  Ruby is a black Labrador Retriever, who is a long time customer and has been coming for years. 

Was today daycare day?  I was so confused with my days.  We lost power for TWELVE DAYS; it seemed like an eternity, and in dog years that was like 84 days.  WOW!  I was so excited when we got our power back I ran around the house jumping for joy.  The best part about power back on, that meant back to daycare with my taxi service home.  Dad called for me to get leashed up and to hop in the car, and I knew, we must be going to Preferred Pet Care!  Wonderful!

When I arrived at Preferred Pet Care Crystal checked me in and then I got my belly rubbed.  I’m a big mush, and people can’t help but give me love.  After some TLC I went out to join my friends Joe and the pups in the playgroup.  Oscar, Spud & Gritz, Faraday, Eddie, Wilson, Cecil, Ollie, Benji and Sammy, the whole usual Tuesday crew was here.  Kayla was even already waiting for me to play!  Kayla, is one of my fellow doggie taxi friends, she must be boarding at Preferred Pet Care.  I made my usual rounds saying hello to all of my friends.  Oscar was roaming around with Gritz following close behind.  Eddie was playing with Rufus (another boarding and frequent daycare pup) and Faraday, with Scout (one of my new friends, who just started coming to Preferred Pet Care) chiming in to play too.  Cecil and Ollie were playing off to the side, they are great friends.  Wilson was off playing with Watson (They’re apart of the Lab/Golden Doodle club).  Sammy was already practicing for his circus routine by jumping from post to post.  Silly Sammy.  And of course Benji was welcoming all the incoming pups and check in on how they’ve been.  Benji loves to check and see what everyone is up to.  Benji and I chit-chatted about our Thanksgiving Day plans.  Apparently Benji is quite the little Chef.  He has the whole menu planned out.  I have no clue what we are doing for Thanksgiving, I’m just hoping Dad will sneak me a little turkey. 

It was an extremely interesting day at Preferred Pet Care we got to move from yard 5 to yard 3 back to yard 5 it was very exciting.  The fence company was there fixing some minor issues from Hurricane Sandy.  Thankfully Preferred Pet Care was very lucky in the storm and just had some slight fence damage.  They did a great job fixing one of the yards to make sure it was in tip top shape.

It was a very exciting day I met a lot of new and some old friends I haven't seen in awhile.  Everyone was coming to board at Preferred Pet Care because Thanksgiving was coming.  Pepper decided it would be a great idea for everyone to go around and tell everyone what they are thankful for.  Pepper started- I'm thankful for daycare at Preferred Pet Care.  Pepper is very high energy and practically comes to daycare every day.  A tired dog is a happy dog.  Next was Rocky, Winnie & Shayna after arguing about who should go first Shayna decided to speak on behalf of them and said they were thankful for all their wonderful friends at preferred pet care.  Next Lizzy said she and her brother Benny were thankful for their family and their health.  Eddie was up next, "Oh Lizzy you stole mine I'm happy for my family too.  Well I'm also thankful for all my toys and bones" he stated.  Then it was my turn. Hmm what was I thankful for?  I'm thankful for so many things all my friends at preferred pet care (both human and all fours), my family, food, my home, power, which one should I pick?  So I finally decided to go with that I'm thankful for everything.  We went around the group.  Some pups said food, their favorite toy(s), their family, their home, being adopted, power; the list went on and on.  We all realized we had a lot to be thankful for.

I had such a busy day the time just flew by.  Before I knew it Marci was calling us into Yard 2 to get leashed up to get on the taxi.  Boy what a day!  Thanks a lot for letting me tell you all about my day!  Enjoy your holiday!  And remember despite that we may give you the sad puppy eyes don't give in (too much) to table scraps on Thanksgiving.

A day in the life of... Tecumseh!

Tecumseh was delighted to tell us all about his day.  Tecumseh though is very loquacious and decided to even write his story from his point of view.  We hope you enjoy!

Hi!  My name is Tecumseh but my friends all call me Tec.  I'm an itchy yellow lab who loves to come to play at Preferred Pet Care.  I'm so excited that today I get to tell you all about my day.

My day began with Doug picking me on the taxi.  I love car rides.  I was delighted to see Doug saved me a seat on the bus, I enjoy a window seat but unfortunately I can't stick my head out, oh well.  On our way to daycare we stopped along the way to pick up all my buddies.  I couldn't wait to get to daycare I was ready to play!

Once we arrived at daycare I got to run around with my "bus mates" in our own private yard as Tim watched us.  I'm ready to go to the big group I kept saying to him, but silly humans don't speak Bark.  I even tried my hand at my Bow-wow but humans don't seem to speak that either.  Finally he must have understood my woof-woof and I got to join Brian and all my four legged friends in the main play group.  Yes!  Floyd was there!  Fabulous, Floyd and I are somewhat of handful when we get playing we get all the pups crazy!  Don't worry it's all in good fun we just don't listen when we are in the play zone.  

After playing with Floyd for a while I decided it was time to start our daily howl.  I'm not much of a howler.  But since Page—who in my opinion is the best howler—wasn't here today I figured I would try my hand at leading the daily howl. I am a natural born leader.  I'm Tecumseh I’m names after a Native American leader.  Bark bark, woof-woof, bow-wow.  Nope something was missing I could t get my pitch right.  “Don't worry”, Stanley said, I will show you, “HOWwwwwl!”  It's all in dragging out the “w”.  “Hhhhowl”, Frodo said, “No Stanley it's all about dragging out the ‘h’ to get the proper howl.”  “No way!” Stanley said.  “Ah, yes way”, said Frodo.  If you couldn't guess Stanley and Frodo are brothers.  While they debated over if it was dragging out the “w” for the proper howl or the “h” the rest of us figured it was howling time so we continued on with each of our own version of the howl.

"Can I have Tecumseh in the grooming room please?" I could hear coming from Brian's radio.  OoOo grooming room, I wonder what's in there.  Brian sent me out of the group and I was escorted to the grooming room.  Who do I see in the grooming room but Brigitte the groomer!  I guess that's what in the grooming room.  Sniff sniff, hmm, that's smell must not be me.  Brigitte must have wanted company...  Nope, mom must have decided I was getting a little stinky.  Bath time!  At first I wasn't too sure if I was going to be a fan I must admit I was a little nervous.  But once I got in the tub and was getting scrubbed and brushed it was just what I needed.  I hot a deshedding treatment that was simply amazing I got all that thick undercoat out, I felt like I lost ten pounds in hair alone!  And I got a nice soothing oatmeal bath, ahhhh my dry itchy skin instantly started feeling better.  Once I get home I will have to thank mom for my spa day, it was exactly what I needed!

After spending some quality time with Brigitte I was brought to my own private room.  I had a big bowl of water setup for me with a nice comfy blanket.  I was exhausted from my spa day so I decided to rest a little.  Dave came to visit me and give me some loving; he spent some time petting me.  The royal treatment today, oh boy!  What a lucky dog I am!  Then Dave took me outside and I got to play ball.  I really enjoy chasing the tennis ball in the yard.  I was trying to stay clean so I had my own personal me afternoon, all of us need a little one on one time don't you think?

Grumble grumble... Oh I could hear my tummy rumbling.  Must be almost time to go take the bus home and once I get home... Dinner!  Tecumseh, what number are you? Doug asked.  I don't know, math is not my strong point.  No worries though Doug figured out what number I was and got me leashed up.  So long folks it’s time for me to hit the road, see you tomorrow!

Oh Sandy...

Sorry about the delay in our weekly blog, a little storm called Sandy threw us off…

Preferred Pet Care would like to thank each and every one of our staff members for their hard work, especially over this past couple days during Hurricane Sandy.  Many of our staff members lost power themselves however with their hard work and dedication Preferred Pet Care was able to run as smooth as possible.  We would also like to thank all of our loyal customers. 

We are thankfully up and running on a normal schedule.  Again thank you for being understanding and cooperative during our abbreviated hours during our power outage.  We hope you and your families are staying warm and safe during this recovery period. 

If Preferred Pet Care can be of any assistance during this recovery period please let us know. 

All of the pups who were boarding and ended up boarding due to the Hurricane were safe and sound. 

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If you do not already have a natural disaster plan in place for your pet, remember to form one now, before the next storm hits. 

The following tips will help prepare for natural disasters:

1.  Obtain a rescue alert sticker, which will let rescuers know that pets are inside your home. Make sure it is visible and that it includes: 1) the types and number of pets in your household; 2) the name of your veterinarian; and 3) your veterinarian's phone number.

2.  Always bring pets indoors at the first sign or warning of a storm or disaster. Pets can become disoriented and wander away from home during a crisis.

3.  Make sure all pets wear collars and tags with up-to-date identification. The ASPCA recommends micro-chipping your pet as a more permanent form of identification.

4.  Arrange a safe haven for your pets in the event of evacuation. Do not leave your pets behind.  *If you cannot reach Preferred Pet Care by phone please stop by the facility or make sure you “Like Us” on Facebook.  Preferred Pet Care’s Facebook account has the most up to date information and will use it to post if our phone lines are not operational.

5.  Keep a pet emergency kit and supplies handy with items such as medical records, water, pet food and medications, and pet first aid supplies.  *Please note—VERY IMPORTANT—if there is an emergency and you must board your pup with Preferred Pet Care we still require (regardless of natural disasters, emergencies, etc) to have all updated immunizations.  Remember to always have up to date copies with you just in case your veterinarian is not open.  Preferred Pet Care requires proof of Parvo/Distemper, Bordatella, Rabies, and both the 1^st & 2^nd dose of the Canine Influenza. 

For more information on disaster preparedness and safety tips from the ASPCA, please visit www.aspca.org/pet-care/disaster-preparedness/. 

Eddie

A day in the life of a dog… Eddie

Eddie is a black Schnoodle (schnauzer and a poodle and Ta-Da Eddie!).  He has been coming to Preferred Pet Care since he was just a little puppy, when he was a mere 10 weeks old.  Eddie loved it so much that he has been coming ever since.  Today Eddie was kind enough to take a moment before he left on his taxi home to tell us about his day.  Let’s see what Eddie has to say. 

Well I’m so glad that I’ve been selected to tell you all about my day at Preferred Pet Care.  Where do I start?  Hmm… I guess I will start at the beginning of my day starting with my ride on the taxi.

I’ve been staying for the past couple days with my friend who has been watching me while Mom & Dad have been away.  Today though is my usual day to go to Preferred Pet Care, so I was a little concerned that since Dad’s not around that I wouldn’t be going to daycare.  But boy was I wrong.  The bus came bright and early to pick me up Marci came and greeted me at the door.  Bus ride to Preferred Pet Care for daycare, awesome!  On the bus I was greeted by one of my friends, Lizzy.  Lizzy is a husky mix and has been coming to Preferred Pet Care longer than me.  Apparently she also has been coming since she was puppy.

After our short bus ride to Preferred Pet Care it was refreshing to be able to get out and stretch my legs a little.  To my delight one of my best friends was already there waiting for me to pounce on him.  Oscar is one of my best friends; we are like to peas in a pod.  Oscar is just one big loveable pup, who basically is everyone’s favorite.  Oscar was in the middle of his morning nap.  I decided to play with Boyd and Blanche.  Boyd and Blanche are Clumber Spaniels.  They come to daycare on the bus too, but today they were already at Preferred Pet Care.  Boyd and Blanche must have had a slumber party and boarded. 

Boyd and Blanche just got to spend some quality time with Preferred Pet Care’s groomer, Brigitte.  Blanche was telling me all about her spa day with Brigitte.  It sounded like a lot of fun.  Boyd was showing off his new look. 

I prefer to be on the rather fluffy side, especially since I’ve been trying to lose some weight.  My fluffiness hides my figure.  I’m merely bulking up for the winter; at least that’s what I tell myself.  Dad watches out for me and makes sure I’m not cheating with my diet.  He just wants to make sure that I’m in tip-top shape.  I tell him I just need to come to Preferred Pet Care more so I can run around with all my friends.

Once Oscar woke from his nap we went to our secret hiding spot.  I’ll let you in on where our secret hiding spot is it’s behind the tree in the corner.  I’m almost positive no one can see us there, but then again I could be wrong.  We sat there and discussed our favorite treats.  Oscar enjoys crunchy small ones, where as I consider myself to be a connoisseur of treats.  I do enjoy greenies, because I feel that dental hygiene is important, but I don’t have a favorite.  We discussed whether bones are better than treats and where we like to hide our bones.  After discussing the pros and cons of raw-hides Oscar decided to take another nap.  I decided to go work out by running around with Rufus.

Rufus is a Cairn Terrier.  He’s still a puppy and a new addition to the Preferred Pet Care group.  He is spunky and full of energy.  Rufus and I ran around chasing each other.  Rufus did a couple of somersaults.  Oh Boy is Rufus athletic! 

After playing with Rufus I decided to take a little nap since it was getting late in the day.  Before I knew it Doug was calling my name to get me all set to go home on the taxi.  Thankfully there was just enough time for me to sit down and get a belly rub while I had the opportunity to tell you all about my day today.  Well, I hope you enjoyed hearing all about my day.  I’ll probably be here next week, so the countdown till I come back to play at Preferred Pet Care begins!  Have a great day!  I have to run I have to make sure I get a good seat on the bus.

Hodgepodge

This Blogging Wednesday Preferred Pet Care has composed a hodgepodge of news and fun articles for you. 

MASCOT!

Preferred Pet Care would also like to announce we now have a mascot.  Our official mascot is a stuffed dog, who is a mix breed (model after the pup on our business card).  His name is Barney.  Barney was named after the first dog that Preferred Pet Care ever looked after… before we were even officially Preferred Pet Care!  Keep an eye on Facebook and Twitter to see what shenanigans Barney may get into and where you can spot him.  

Need a Halloween Costume for your pup?

This past weekend I visited Philadelphia to visit Eastern State Penitentiary.  While there I learned about Pep, a black Labrador Retriever who was an "inmate".  "Pep, the cat murdering dog" was admitted to Eastern State Penitentiary on August 12, 1924.  The folklore claims that the Governor of Pennsylvania, Gifford Pinchot, sentenced Pep to “life without parole” for killing his wife's cherished cat.  The prison records surprisingly enough support that story. Pep's inmate number was "C-2559".  However, the governor told a different story, the governor claims Pep had been sent to the prison to act as a mascot.  Pep was a much loved pup and lived among the inmates at Eastern State Penitentiary for about a decade.  While the truth regarding why Pep came to Eastern State Penitentiary remains a mystery, judging by his mug shoot, I'd say guilt. 

A picture of Pep from Eastern State Penitentiary is attached.

http://www.easternstate.org/contact/press-room/photos/pep-dog-mug-shot

SAFETY TIPS:

With Halloween right around the corner remember to keep your pets safety in mind.  To remind you about some Halloween safety we have composted a list of the top 3 Safety Tips to ensure your pup is safe this Halloween. 

1. Candy: As delicious as a bowl of candy is, remember it can be very dangerous to your pets.  Chocolate in all forms—esopeically dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats.  Candies containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can cause medical problems as well.  If you suspect your pet has been snacking on some treats that may be toxic to them call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888)426-4435.

*Think it can’t happen to you?  Unfortunately one of our daycare pups, Wilson, decided to have a nibble on some gum.  Thankfully his owner noticed and called the vet immediately.  After a couple nights at the vet, as well as numerous follow-up visits we are happy to announce Wilson is back to normal.  And Wilson’s house hold is Xylitol free. = )

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol, it’s an artificical sweetener that is found in many human “sugar-free” products such as gum, candies, and other sweets.  In dogs xylitol ingestion is linked with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).  Signs of toxicity can be seen as quickly as 30 minutes after xylitol ingestion in dogs.  It causes a rapid release of the hormone insulin, causing a sudden decrease in blood glucose.  This can turn into the following symptoms: vomiting, weakness, ataxia (uncoordinated movements), depression, hypokalemia (decreased potassium), seizures, coma, liver dysfunction and/or failure, for a full list or more details please speak with your veterinarian. 

2. Decorations:  Though pumpkins and decorative maize are considered to be relatively nontoxic they may cause your pets tummy to be upset if they have a nibble on them.  Additionally if you have lights, wires, or electrical cords make sure they are out of reach from your pet(s) to avoid any burns or other medical problems.  Lastly jack-o-lanterns if you have a candle in them please exercise caution to avoid a fire.
3. Costumes:  Dress-up can be fun… but costumes can cause your pet stress.  If they prefer to dress up in a costumer—besides their birthday suit—make sure it does not restrict their movement, hearing or imp[ede their ability to breathe or bark.  Additionally make sure the outfit does not have any small or dangling items that can easily become a choking hazard.  Lastly, make sure to add the finishing touches to their costume by ensuring that they have their tags and identification still. 

Best Dressed?

What’s the “best” Halloween costume that you have ever seen for a pup?  We’ve posted some of our favorites that we found on the web. 

Hulk

Harry Potter: Cerberus

Cow

A day in the life of Luca...

Today was Luca’s long awaited trial day.  Luca is a Newfoundland puppy.  Even though Luca is only a puppy he’s a big boy, he’s already as tall as his sister Abbie (who is a Golden Retriever).  Luca is only about 6 months old.  Luca was kind enough tot take a break from his first day at Preferred Pet Care to tell us about how he likes it so far. 

We met up with Luca over by one of the water dishes to sit down with him to hear all about his day at Preferred Pet Care. 

All about Luca’s day…

I’m so excited to be here!  Today is my first day at Preferred Pet Care & let me tell you I absolutely love it here.  When Mommy told me we were going to daycare today I had no clue why Abbie was so excited.  Now, I know why.  When I first arrived at Preferred Pet Care there were all these new smells and tastes.  The front office was filled with toys and bones.  I wonder if those toys and bones are for me.  I hope so, I had my eye on one of those swirly curly bones, and it looked delicious!  Yum!

Today was my trial day.  Joe took Abbie and me out to a yard.  It was different from our yard at home.  The grass didn’t have the same taste.  Abbie said it’s because they never have to cut the grass at Preferred Pet Care, something about it being artificial turf?  I’ll have to ask Mommy what that means.  I like turf.  However I was not a fan that when I tried to dig I didn’t go anywhere.  This turf must have magical abilities.  I will definitely have to ask Mommy.

Anyway, once Abbie and I were in a yard, dogs slowly one at a time came into my yard.  I got to meet a big chocolate doodle named Bailey, and a white doodle named Crosby.  It’s doodle central at Preferred Pet Care.  I met this crazy black and white dog named Patch.  Patch is a little too high energy for me. 

So far I’ve liked all the dogs I’ve met I’ve made so many new friends.  My new friend a black and white Poochon, named Chippy.  He’s about 10 times smaller than me but he’s pretty cool.  He is a ball full of energy.  We ran around for a little while.  Chippy and I played “storming the castle”, which I never heard about.  Chippy explained it’s when he runs into the castle also known as the playhouse and I have to get him.   He ran inside the playhouse and then sat on top of the slide.  I couldn’t fit in the playhouse, so I don’t like storming the castle. 

I showed Chippy one of my favorite activities, which is cloud watching.  It’s when you lay down, or you could stand but that’s a little more challenging, and you stare at the clouds and figure out what they are.  I saw a dinosaur.  Chippy saw an elephant.  Then Gritz asked us what we were doing and she joined in on cloud watching.  She needs practice because she couldn’t see the dinosaur or the elephant.  Gritz and I will have to spend more time together cloud watching so I can teach her all about it. 

After all that cloud watching I was exhausted!  I found a shady spot and took a nap, until you woke me up.  Thanks for waking me up, because I do not want to miss out on all this playtime!  Thanks for listening to me tell you about my day, it’s been a lot of fun and I can’t wait to tell Mommy and Daddy all about it! 

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We can’t wait to see more of Luca and we’re so glad he had fun at his first day of daycare!