Aug. 14: High-energy Friday

They're certainly getting their exercise & stimulation today! Lots of chase games, running after the ball, and tug of war matches going on.

The morning walks are done and lunches being fed as I type this.

* Check out this photo of Bechler (Boston Terrier) leaping with the rope toy. RUUUNNNN!

* Leading the high-energy pack today are: Bechler, Heidi (shnoodle), Molly (Min Pin), Spike (Yorkie), LG (Yorkie cross), and Gus (American cocker spaniel). They've just been going, going, going... Running around, playing tug of war, zooming over the red ramps in the back, you name it.

* Saying that, a few of the other dogs have also been jumping into this fast-moving pack of fur for a little wrestle. Rico (pug-cross) has been playing with Heidi and Molly lots this morning, and Emmi (Italian Greyhound) has been chasing and pouncing all over Rico. Ozzy (Min Pin) has been jumping in now and again, too, wrestling with Gus and chasing Bechler.

* Also, Bobo (maltipoo) just arrived and is wiggling/running around with these guys. He's full of beans and soooo happy to be here, chasing his buddies around.

* Pictured left: Gus playing gentle with Ozzy.

* And then we have the Min Pin-chihuahua pack: Dawson (chi), Mika (chi), Ozzy, Henrik (chi) and Molly. Jones (Bischon) is also playing with these pups - especially Henrik. Pepe (Havanese), who I think is like a little teddy bear, likes to play with the littl'uns too, and really likes Jones.

* Pictured left: Rico & Emmi.

* Peanut (Min Pin) really likes Henrik, the chihuahua, and has been following him around and giving him lots of curious sniffs. A new buddy!

* Let's not forget the little, laidback angels. This includes Buttons (cockapoo) and Mico (shih tzu). They both received huge hellos from the other dogs when they arrived, and both enjoyed their walks. Buttons even walked a little longer than usual today - she must like the cooler temperatures. They both sat really well for the group photo today...

* ... But the winner of the group photo pose today was... Sebastian! Yep, the miniature poodle is getting so used to posing for the cameras, when he sees Nigel get the camera out, he hops out and sits down, posing perfectly, for the photo. Good boy. :-)

Did your dog eat?

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Dawson ate all her lunch.

* Ozzy ate nearly half.

* Gus ate all.

* Heidi ate all.

* Sebastian ate a little bit.

* Bobo ate all.

Aug. 13: Let's sing a song

What's LG doing? Looks like he's belting out a Whitney Houston song, trying to hit the high notes! And Spike is looking at him, thinking, "Pulllleasse, new song!"

But wait, there's more... scroll down.

Emma is joining in the chorus. A round of "Dogs just wanna have fun, anyone?"

Oh, it's been a fun morning. A little drizzly on the morning walks, but the skies are brightening up a little bit now. Pat has just finished feeding the lunches, and the dogs have been doing zoomies all morning.

Following up from yesterday's email and blog entry about taking bookings for daycare on Wednesday, please note we can probably fit all your dogs in each Wednesday, as usual, for the time being. However, we are nearing full capacity on this day and we need to know how many dogs are coming so we can arrange staffing. So call, email or tell us in advance if you can, or even phone us on the day to ensure we have space. Weds regulars & monthly pass holders will automatically be added to the list each week (you don't have to tell us each week). Thanks again!

Now, back to today. Here's just a few of the games we've seen so far:

* Scooby (pictured left with a yellow ball-grin) has been playing with Jones (Bischon) and chasing Rico (pug-cross). Rico's also been wrestling with Emmi (Italian greyhound) and we saw him giving Dawson (chi) kisses. Rico is Sebastian (miniature poodle)'s new buddy today - they've been chasing each other around and playing.

* Emmi looooves playing with Rico. Peanut (her Min Pin sister) didn't join in on the wrestle match but has been running around with the pack and trying to snuggle up to us humans.

* Jasper and Casper have been wrestling with Jones. The three white dogs have been having a blast, rolling and prancing and bouncing (literally springing) around. Spike and LG have also been chasing Jasper and Casper around.

* Buttons (cockapoo) was happy to see her 'ol buddy, Snoopy again. Oh, and Lexy was soooo happy to see Snoopy too. The two girls were all tail wags, fawning all over Snoop-dog. He's the Hugh Hefner of dog daycare - 16 years old (112 in human years?) and still has girls hanging all over him!

* Sheraz (miniature shnauzer) is getting so confident here and making lots of friends. She seems to really like hanging out with us and all the dogs, and looooves her walks!

* Dawson was playing catch with Mika this morning two little chihuahuas chasing after the ball. Umber (chi) has also been in there, wrestling with her buddy Dawson and Bently (Yorkie). Sasha (Papillon) just arrived. Here's a photo to the left of Umber and Sasha together.

* News flash! Right this minute, Sasha is playing with Bently. Yay - she has a new buddy! They're chasing each other around and pouncing. Oh - Rico and Scooby have joined in the game...

* Pictured left: Rico and Bently (Yorkie) cuddling up.

* Emma was in the small room for most of the morning with Mika and Lexy but we thought she might like some more company, so we've moved her into the bigger room and just making sure she doesn't jump around or play too much (she has a bad back). She's loving it so far.

Did your dog eat?

* Jones ate a rope toy (kidding).

* Sheraz ate her breakfast. We'll feed again at dinnertime.

* Scooby ate all his lunch.

* Jasper and Casper ate all their lunch.

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Dawson ate all.

* Snoopy ate all his weiners. He loved them!

* Sebastian wasn't hungry.

And here's the class photo of Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009:

Aug. 12: Biggest group photo EVER

This group photo must be one of the best ones Nigel and Pat have orchestrated so far... 31 dogs, all sitting pretty. :-)

Please note: We are now nearing capacity for daycare on Wednesdays and will start taking bookings. Please email us at info@smallpaws.ca or phone 778-370-0456 to confirm your dog's spot on Wednesdays so we can ensure we have appropriate staffing.

If your dog is new to daycare or a little timid, consider bringing your dog on a quieter day.

So the morning walks are done and we'll be starting up round two pretty soon. Pat's busy feeding lunches.

Here are some adorable photos taken this morning:

* Pictured left: Peanut looking stunning with her glossy coat.

* Pictured left: Tuka - an angel or devil? We vote angel!

* Chloe - the new dog! She's doing great; very friendly, and making lots of new furry friends.

* Bailey sticks out his tongue for the camera. He and his four-legged brother, Charlie, have a new baby (human) sister called Morgan!

* Left: Dawson striking her presidential pose (as her mommy says) with her favourite toy.

* Pictured left: Lexy, Mika, Molly & Daisy chilling on the dog bed.

It's been a busy morning with lots of fun and games - dogs chasing each other around the room, all over the ramps in the back, chasing after the ball...

A tug of war game is going on right now between Gus (American cocker spaniel), LG (Yorkie) and Molly (Min Pin cross). Sofie (Yorkie) has jumped in and is playing with Gus.

Did your dog eat?

* Jasper and Casper ate all their lunch.

* Gus (American cocker spaniel) ate all his lunch.

* Buttons ate all.

* Dawson ate all her lunch.

* Ozzy ate more than half of his kibble.

* Daisy wasn't hungry.

* Bella ate.

* Gus (Yorkie cross) ate all his lunch.)

* Heidi ate all.

* Molly ate all.

* Muggles & Zipper ate all their lunch.

* Mika (Maltese) is in the Spaw right now. We'll feed her when she comes out.

* Sebastian wasn't hungry.

* Bobo ate all his kibble.

Aug. 11: Here comes the tooth fairy

Little Dawson the chihuahua lost a tooth this morning, and Nigel found it! We've packaged it up so she can put it under her pillow tonight.

Here's a photo of Molly (Min Pin) and Dawson wrestling on one of the dog beds, teeth exposed. I think Molly's winning the fight in this one... Dawson's the underdog - one tooth down, and still battling it out with her baby teeth.

It's nearly 12 o'clock and we're about to start the lunches. Morning walks are done it's been playtime central all morning!

* Right now, there's a battle brewing between Pepe (Havanese), Scruffles (shih tzu-bichon) and Sebastian (mini poodle). Sebastian's also been playing with Molly.

* Callie has been playing with Jones and Jasper, Casper has been chasing Scruffles around, and Jasper and Casper have been running all over the back ramps.

* Scruffles (pictured left) has been chasing Sheraz (mini schnauzer). It's cute seeing them playing together!

* Marley (Havanese) has been chasing Mika (chi), Jones (Bischon) and Molly around. Umber (chi) is right in there, too, wrestling with Dawson and Molly.

* Marley's also been wrestling with her two buddies, Spike and LG. They've been going at it - chasing each other around and dive-bombing the dog beds!

* Buttons (cockapoo) has been chilling with her buddies Lexy and Sebastian. She enjoyed her walk today with Pat and Molly.

Did you see this study? A group of dog obedience judges ranked 110 dog breeds on the basis of their intelligence. It's published in a book called The Intelligence of Dogs. According to them, the top dozen dogs in terms of intelligence are:

The top 12 smartest:

1. Border Collies

2. Poodle

3. German Shepherd

4. Golden Retriever

5. Doberman Pincher

6. Shetland Sheepdog

7. Labrador Retriever8. Papillon

9. Rottwieler

10. Australian Cattle Dog

11. Pembrook Welsh Corg

12. Miniature Schnauzer

And at the bottom of the list:

106. Borzoi

107. Chow Chow

108. Bull dog

109. Basenji

110. Afghan Hound

Did your dog eat?

* Jasper and Casper ate all their lunch.

* Sheraz ate her breakfast.

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Dawson ate all.

* Scruffles ate half of her lunch.

* Sebastian ate half.

Aug. 10: Indoor playtime

It's pretty wet and gloomy out there today, but after such awesome weather lately, who's complaining?

Check out the photo above of Bechler (Boston terrier) and Heidi (shnoodle) smiling away on the round dog bed. All the dogs are having fun, playing inside in the dry. We have done the morning walks so far and will take the pups out again in the afternoon.

This is what's been going on, as of 12 noon (lots more fun and games to follow):

* Aji (mini dachshund), who hung out with us on the weekend, has had a blast chasing our dogs around on the carpet. He's been playing with Heidi this morning, too.

* Jasper and Casper have been blasting around with Heidi and chasing after the ball. We have kind of a small pack here today, so that means more intermingling between all the dogs. Everyone's playing together! Spike, LG and Bechler have been running around with this lot as well, and they've all been playing tug of war with the rope toys.

* Sheraz (mini shnauzer) and Buttons (cockapoo) have been relaxing, hanging out on the blanket with Mika (chi) and Lexy (chi-silky terrier).

* Sebastian (mini poodle) has been wrestling with Heidi.

* Frank (Yorkie - pictured above left) is getting a lot braver around the other dogs. He's been mingling and sniffing and exploring, but no playing with the pack (yet). He was pulling a bit on the walk at the start but ws a lot better by the end. Good boy. :-)

* Pictured left: Jasper & Casper cuddling up for some quiet time.

Did your dog eat?

* Jasper and Casper ate all their kibble for lunch.

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Sheraz ate her breakfast.

* Sebastian ate about half of his lunch.

* Frank ate all of his lunch.

* Heidi ate all.

* Aji ate his breakfast.

And here they are...

Dog Blog, Baby Blog...

Okay, we admit this is cheesy, but if you're bored and in need of a giggle, check out the Irwin family's Baby Blog! http://irwinbub.blogspot.com/

Aug. 7: Happy Birthday Heidi & Maximus!

We have a double-whammy birthday paw-ty going on today...

Happy first birthday, Heidi! And happy 2nd birthday to Max!

Oh boy, what a day. We've just cut the cakes and shared it around with all the dogs. They've been playing games all morning and are running around like crazy right now.

Is your dog's birthday coming up? We'll throw a party here at the daycare for just $10 including a photo CD. Make sure you book ahead, though, to ensure our ace photographer and party planner/organizer (Nigel) will be here!

Pat's feeding lunches as I type this, and the morning walks are done. We'll be doing more walks in the afternoon. Also, scroll down to the end of this blog to see if your dog ate.

Here's a few more photos from the morning. Scroll down for the group shot!

So what's going on right now?

* Jasper and Casper (Coton de Tulear brothers) are chasing Heidi (shnoodle) around. Frankie (Boston Terrier), Spike and LG are all bombing around after them.

* Tofu loves playing with Heidi. The two of them get up on their back paws and go at each other with their front paws... they're the same height and similar size, so they're a good match on the wrestle floor.

* Coco (shih tzu-cross) has been wrestling with Dawson (chi) and Ozzy (Min Pin) all morning.

* Molly (Min Pin-cross) is dive-bombing Chico (chi) on the dog bed, and tackling Dawson. Molly has also been playing with Bobo (maltipoo).

* Aji (miniature is having fun catching up with all his friends. We haven't seen him for a while so he's happy to see everyone (especially us humans!). Aji is hanging out in the small room right now with Emma (mini dachshund), Mika, Lexy and Frank (Yorkie), who just arrived.

* Mico (shih tzu) is having a fun time at the paw-ty and loved her little piece of cake.

* Sebastian (mini poodle) has been playing today - hurray! He's back at it, playing with Maximus, the birthday boy.

Did your dog eat?

* Jasper and Casper ate lunch.

* Coco wasn't hungry for lunch. We'll feed dinner at 5 p.m.

* Ozzy didn't eat much lunch... just a few bites.

* Chico ate his lunch.

* Frankie ate all.

* Bobo ate all.

* Heidi ate all plus bday cake of course!

* Tofu wasn't hungry.

* Sebastian ate a little bit.

* Maximus had bday cake.

Aug. 6: Walking and rolling... around

Smaller crowd than yesterday, but they've still got bundles of energy! We've got a really good pack in here today, actually. They're all buddies and there's a lot of inter-mingling.

* At this moment, Jasper and Casper (Coton de Tulear) are chasing Henrik (chi) around the room. Marley (Havanese) is wrestling with Mika (chihuahua) and Lexy (chi-cross).

* Pictured right: Marley & LG. Attack!

* Theodore (Yorkie) arrived at lunch time and has been chasing after the ball ever since. He's got a game of chase going with some of the other dogs.

* Marley's also been playing ruff-and-tumble with Spike (Yorkie) and LG (Yorkie-cross). And... we saw Spike giving Lexy kisses today. Awww...

* Pictured left: Spike & LG.

* EVERYONE's been playing with the new, squeaky toys given to us by Buttons (cockapoo) and her family. Mika (Maltese) looooves the new toys!

* Dawson (chi) and Henrik are little buddies, frolicking around and rolling on the beds, wrestling. Ozzy (min pin) has also been playing with these guys, and also tackling Maggie (Cairns Terrier) - going for the jugular (his usual move!). Maggie likes playing with Ozzy.

* Pictured left: Lexy & Mika.

* Max (Yorkie) has been playing with Henrik and got lots of kisses from Dawson and Buttons. Wow, Lady's Man!

* Buttons has been sharing her favourite sleeping spot with Dawson - the two of them curled up on the red blanket in the corner. She's also buddies with Sebastian (miniature poodle), who hasn't been doing any wrestling this morning but has been running around with the pack, having fun.

Did your dog eat?

* Mika (Maltese) ate! First time she's eaten lunch here, I think. She must be feeling more comfortable. She ate about half of her kibble. * Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Jasper and Casper are out of food.

* Dawson ate all of her lunch.

* Ozzy ate a little.

* Sebastian ate a little. Good boy!

Aug. 5: A few new faces in the pack

We'd like to introduce a few new faces to the pack... there's Jackson (mini schnauzer, pictured left), and Tequila (shnauzer/Westie/poodle), pictured below right. Both dogs are super friendly and well socialized - they're getting along great with all the humans and dogs.

* Also, say hello to Scruffles (shih tzu

-bichon), a fluffy, super-friendly, 10-month old puppy who's been having a blast with pretty much everyone.

* A few minutes ago, there was Scruffles (pictured below left), Pepe (Havanese), Sofie (Yorkie), Jasper and Casper (Coton de Tulear) all chasing each other around in a rolly-polly game of leaping frog. They were all hopping over one another, wrestling and playing chase. Jasper's also been wrestling Heidi (shnoodle).

* The other active play-pack we have going right now includes Heidi, Spike (Yorkie), LG (Yorkie-cross), Winston (beagle-cross) and Molly (Min Pin-cross). They've been bombing around the place together, playing "tag!"

* Heidi is wrestling Ozzy (Min Pin) right now. Ozzy also really likes Scruffles (she's little miss popular today), Winston, and his girlfriend Dawson.

* Pictured left: The vicious chihuahua pack! From left to right: Mika, Henrik, Chico and Dawson. Also playing with these teeny pups are Muggles and Zipper, the adorable Maltese puppies. Molly and Ozzy have been right in there, too.

* Bella (Maltese) likes Dawson and Sasha (Papillon) - they're all really gentle, friendly dogs. Bella entertained us by chasing her tail this morning, as well. ;-) Sasha's been following Bella and Henrik around in a game of chase this afternoon.

* Muggles (pictured right with Dawson) has been dragging his sister Zipper around by her outfit. Unfortunately both of their cute bunny outfits are missing pom-poms after some heavy-duty playing sessions.

* We have two Gus's at daycare today. Gus (American cocker spaniel) loves little Dawson (chi) - quite the funny pair, because he's probably the biggest dog here today, and she's certainly one of the smallest! The other Gus (Yorkie) has been playing with Rico (pug-cross).

* Rico's also been having a blast with Chico, Scruffles and Winston. Pictured left: Rico with his buddy, Henrik.

* Then there's the more laidback crew. Linus (miniature dachshund) has been hanging with the pack and played a little chase with Rico and Gus earlier. He's chilling out right now.

* Tuka (American Eskimo - pictured right) likes to sit on his perch and watch the show. He really likes Molly, the Min Pin. Buttons (cockapoo) really likes Scruffles, the new dog, and Sebastian (miniature poodle), who's just returned from summer holidays and has have had fun catching up with all his friends.

* WINK! Ozzy poses for the cameras.

Did your dog eat?

* Jasper and Casper ate all their lunch. They need more kibble for next time.

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Gus (cocker) ate most of his kibble. * Bella didn't want her kibble but loooooved her chicken treat (gave her half of it).

* Dawson ate most of her lunch.

* Muggles and Zipper ate all their lunch.

* Ozzy ate about half of his kibble.

* Scruffles ate her lunch.

* Chico wasn't hungry.

* Gus (Yorkie) wasn't hungry.

* Sofie wasn't hungry.

* Heidi ate all of her lunch.

* Sebastian wasn't hungry.

... And check out this classic photo of LG sitting pretty!

Aug. 4: Welcoming back Sebastian and Marley

Hurray... Sebastian (miniature poodle) and Marley (Havanese) are back from summer holidays - we missed you pups!

That's Marley at the left and Sebastian with the ball in his mouth. They're both happy to be back, too... catching up with all their furry friends.

Hope you all had a lovely long weekend. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's kinda nice having a cooler day today. It's sure been HOT.

So the morning walks are done and lunches fed. We have a smaller group here this morning but they're still full of beans.

* Marley has been making up for lost time by chasing her buddies Spike (Yorkie) and LG (Yorkie-shih tzu) around the room super fast, and wrestling LG. Spike has also been playing with Lexy (chi-silky terrier). And LG has a girrrrl-friend. He's been following little Zipper (Maltese) around all morning.

* I LOVE little Zipper's outfit again today. She and her brother Muggles just have the cutest clothes, and I don't think I've seen the same thing twice yet. I'd better start digging out Mika's clothes. One of my favourite outfits of hers is this cute dress/denim skirt combo that Marley's parents gave us.

* Pictured left: Rico cuddling up to Zipper. Rico (pug-cross) has been wrestling with Bobo (maltipoo) and playing tug of war with Ozzy (Min Pin) and Muggles (Maltese). Ozzy's also been playing with Zipper, and Bobo has been having a wrestle-fest with Marley and bombing around the place with Rico.

* Sebastian seems really happy to be back. He's had lots of energy and has been playing with his new buddy, Muggles.

* Buttons (cockapoo) and Maximus (terrier) have been chilling out together, and with the pack. They're both laidback and so well behaved. Maximus loved his walk with Pat and Buttons (his tail was wagging like crazy). Buttons liked the walk too, especially since it's not as hot as last week.

As you all know, Nigel and I are expecting a baby girl in October. We've just set up a new blog to keep our friends & family overseas updated on the latest news.

Check out the Baby Blog at: http://irwinbub.blogspot.com/

Did your dog eat?

* Buttons ate all her lunch.

* Muggles and Zipper both ate their lunches.

* Ozzy ate a little.

* Bobo ate most of his kibble.

* Sebastian wasn't hungry.