Puppies, Puppies, Puppies!!!

This week we have been blown away by the cuddling, tumbling, running, playing and cuteness of all our new puppies. Brook has added their pictures so you can put an adorable face to their cute little stories!



Junior: 5 week old Boxer. He is a lover! At only 5 weeks the majority of his day is spent sleeping in the laps of Brook and myself or in the armpits, chins, hips, or on the backs of our larger hairy dogs. Copper, Dakota, and Chance have all been great to let him curl up with them.



Lola: 7 month old Weimaraner is Junior's big sister. She is a beauty. She was a little timid on Wednesday (her first day) but has the hang of it. She loves running with Kira, our Greyhound, and Dakota and Cutie Pie (our 2 other fastest). She is very protective of her brother-when we are holding him she always checks in!

Kodah: 4 month old Husky. He is roudy and so fun - everything you would expect from a boy dog! He loves us girls and can run and play all day! He has rolled and run and chased and sniffed all week. He is going to be a tired puppy tonight.

Ruben: 4 month old mutt. Many of you may remember us talking about him. He was brought to us as a last resort before going to the pound. His parents said he had too much energy (don't all puppies...). Prayers were answered when a guy came in doing deliveries and mentioned he was going to get his wife a doggie for Christmas. So Ruben has a wonderful home and is doing great with the best new owners! For the first time (while we were fostering, during his training class, and during his weekly trips to day care) he is laying down at my feet. He plays long and hard while he is here! He is the same size as many of our other babies and is LOVING IT.

Harlow: 5 month old Great Dane. Her ears are up-her tummy is back to normal and she is ready to play play play! She is a beauty and loves having the room to run.

Zack & Sophie: You've read about them before. Zack, our 4 month old Great Dane still loves all dogs and is happy in my lap (yes, I know he is too big, but...), laying in the sun, chewing on any and everything, and racing the other pups. Sophie, Shih Tzu, is now 12 weeks and has grown and grown. She plays with all sizes, breeds and ages. The only thing that hasn't changed is she wants in a dogs 'lap' when she is sleeping.

Mollie & Chesney: Are 11 week old (3-4lb) Maltise-Yorkies. They are litter mates but seperate owners-today is thier first day and they fit right in. They are exploring, rolling, smelling, sleeping and loving their new litter at Ultimutt!

This weather has been amazing. The dogs are loving it and all are playing like puppies. Including our oldest dogs! Cody (the Collie) ran and played like a 3 year old for a week straight. He is a large dog (90lbs) but was fascinated by the smaller dogs. He's watch and study them for hours then run run run then back to watching the small dogs. Abbey (my 9 year old lab) has run and played more in the last 2 weeks then she has in the 4 years that I have known her. She really thinks she is a puppy again and is just running and barking all day! Andy (Brook's 7 yr old Schnauzer) has been walking the fence row for 10 days. The rabbits are out because of the warm weather and are tormenting the dogs! Also, the birds are really landing low on the trees right outside the fence and I swear they are mocking them!!!

Our big dogs: Zenna & Zubie (Great Danes), Cutie Pie, Jasper (Bird Dog mix), Chipper (Australian Sheppard), Dakota (English Golden Retriever mix), Copper (dark Golden), Buddy (Collie mix), Kira (Greyhound), Chance and Abbey are loving the weather. Being able to run inside and out all day long is wonderful. This weather has given them all young and old an adrenaline rush. It is wonderful to see them all this happy!

Our small dogs: Chico (Pom mix) has really warmed up to Ultimutt and is doing great on his anxiety. Annie and Jaxsen love day care life and come by each day for their daily love. Annie (puggle mix) comes once a week for her dose of day care and we love having her. Toby (poodle) and Lilly Jack love playing with the dogs their size and barking at the big ones. Maggie (Bulldog) and Charlie are just happy go lucky dogs. They haven't found a day they don't love. And Casey is happy just following Charlie or Cutie around.

I better get back to work. Have a great weekend

Recap

Whew! It has been a wonderful, crazy, hectic, fun few weeks. Lets start with a short recap:

Amy Castleman has joined our Ultimutt group-she has kept my dogs for years and we have the numbers here to bring her on. She has such energy (probably because she is young) and passion for dogs and life. All the Ultimutt's have welcomed her with wagging tails and lots of kisses!

10/23 was a milestone day for Ultimutt, it was Amy's first day and our biggest day yet. We had 37 dogs here!!! What a blessing to see that many dogs playing and running in our facilities.

10/26 Ultimutt Halloween Trick or Treat-Jennifer Keiffer took amazing photos of all of our Ultimutts and the judges picked 3 winners. Buddy-the prisoner, Jesibell, the 'social butterfly' (for those of you that follow along you know how true this is of her-ha), and Daisey Duke, in her grass skirt. Stay tuned to www.ultimuttdogcare.com to see photos.

10/30 Ultimutt joined the Chamber. We had our official ribbon cutting ceromony. The Chamber, their staff, and the ambassadors came to tour Ultimutt and see all of our dogs. The dogs were all on their best behavior-and our visitors LOVED seeing all our babies and trying to guess their breed.

11/2 Training Graduation! We had a wonderful first class of dogs. It is so rewarding to see the dogs and their owners walking 'at peace' on a leash and the dogs sitting so we humans can talk.

11/5 Ultimutt on the Radio. Brook, Chance, Andy, Lilly Jack and myself went on a field trip. (Not to worry Connie was here with all our other doggies-so their fun never stopped!) We headed down to The Rebel 95.3/ESPN 96.3 and filmed a commercial to start tomorrow during the Hog's post game show. This was an experience. The 5 of us and Jay Johnson spend about 90 minutes in a TINY room working on the commercial, making the dogs bark, and lots of laughing.

We also have been planning our booth for the Holiday Market. We are very excited to get to share our business, stories of our Ultimutts, products, and lots of Ultimutt photos with the public. Stop by our booth and look for pictures of your Ultimutt!

The last 2-3 weeks we have been averaging 25 dogs a day. Which means our pack is growing! Dakota, Irish Golden Retriever, and Charlie, a precious little mix, are new this week. They are every day kids and doing GREAT. Dakota has the kind of energy and hair that most of us would kill for. Charlie loves life-he doesn't care if he is running with the pack, wrestling, laying in the sun, or sniffing the fence-he is happy and always moving.

Cody (the Collie) is a big lover. He is so happy to run and play and chase Lilly Jack. Cody, like so many of the others love his 1 on 1 time with Brook and I. He likes hugs and a good rub behind the ears a few times a day.

Myles, yellow lab, and Ruddles, dark golden, are in the area for a short amount of time but will always be Ultimutt's. Their parents are here starting the new Mars plant-so they are animal lovers through and through. They are great day care and boarding kids! They play til they are so tired and beg to go in their crates.

Maggie and Copper are siblings and as different as night and day. Maggie is almost a year and a bulldog-when you look at her you just want so squeeze her face and tuck her tounge back in. Maggie loves the little dogs and being held by Brook and me. Copper is a beautiful golden retriever. He wants to play and run with the big dogs. Copper likes to stay outside and enjoy the beautiful weather we have been having.

Wally is a young setter-he is enjoying learning the ropes of daycare and is obsessed with the Danes. We look forward to watching him grow up.

I better get back to the doggies. This weather is so amazing they just want to be outside running and playing all day-and since they are the boss they get to.

Events/News at Ultimutt

Monday, October 26th is the Ultimutt Halloween Party! Bring your dog (and human kids) for a night of fun and contest! You can also have their picture taken!

Internet is back! Woo-Hoo

It has been a great week at Ultimutt. We have averaged about 27 a day! Our Ultimutts greet us every morning with wagging tails and sloppy hugs! We have added more new dogs to our pack and love getting to know them! The pack is growing and doing great.

Believe it or not (Brook and I didn't) but having more dogs is easier on the dogs. They can play with whomever and whenever they want. They can play inside with some dogs and then go outside and play with others. It is fun to watch their friendships form. When the dogs get here in the mornings they are so happy to greet their friends and meet new ones.

This warmer weather has been amazing-lots and lots of outdoor dog time. Pretty days allow the dogs to run, sniff, mark, sniff, sun bathe, and bark at EVERYTHING that goes overhead. Since we are next to the airbase and the airport they have lots to bark at. And since the dogs include leaves, butterflies, and birds they get lots of barking, running and sniffing time.

Welcome back sun!

Tuesday the dogs finally gave in and just played in the rain. I think we all had given up on it ever stopping, so what the heck. Plus it was another big dog day and they wanted to run and run. All the doggies returners/rookies, young/old, big/small have had a blast this week-a small butterfly, a bird flying over, or a plane seem to never get old. We have had lots of new doggies and have loved adding them to the pack. We have been averaging about 22-25 a day so lots of fun.

Our babies are growing up quickly: Sophie has come into her own, she is so excited to be here each morning and has learned to hold her own with all the other dogs. (which all out weigh her by at least 5-6 lbs-which isn't hard when you weigh under 2lbs) Harlow is finally healthy and able to come back to daycare-she is tons of fun! Zack had a rough week, ears/toenails/neutered all gone-but he is back and as playful, curious and loving as ever. Buddy is 9 months and just wonderful, he is forgetting about life before Carol/Ultimutt and doing fantastic.

Our training class is almost over, it has been amazing to watch the doggies learn and see their owners happiness each week. We have just one more class before graduation!

Saturday we are walking with our dogs for 'Paint the Park Pink' at UAFS. It is a great cause and a chance to show off our Ultimutts.

Don't forget Monday the 26th we have Halloween pictures and the costume contest at Ultimutt. We hope to see you soon.

Ultimutt Fun

So sorry for the delay in writting! But I think it was worth it. We have lots of pictures up of the facility and 'Our Ultimutts' on line. www.ultimuttdogcare.com/photos.html Go check them out! We even labeled them so you can put faces with the names and stories.

We had a great week last week. What amazing weather-you really can't ask for anything better than taking your dogs to work, playing with the dogs all day, and perfect weather! Monday night we had another great training class. We reviewed Sit/Stay and taught Down which is hard for many dogs but the owners did great and worked with them all week.

Tuesday we got Sophie and Zack for the first time. She is a wonderful baby ShihTzu who is super sweet and by the end of the week was holding her own with the other doggies and playing great with Zack. Zack, a Great Dane baby, boarded with us Tuesday-yesterday. I had a hard time letting his momma take him home!!! As Dane's do, he grew so much in just the short time that we had him. He loved playing with all the doggies and toys and learning how life away from 'mamma and the littermates' is pretty fun! Zenna and Zubie started Ultimutt on Friday and will be regulars. They are beautiful black Great Dane's-Zenna is pretty tight with her brother, Zubie, since he nursed her back to health after being rescued from her first owners. This dogs are gentle giants who loved meeting Farley and playing with someone their own size (about 130 lbs). Cutie Pie, Buddy, and Chance hung with them though and loved the jumping, wrestling, and chasing Lilly Jack. Now don't feel sorry for Lilly Jack 1st she rules Ultimutt, 2nd she can turn on a dime and run through their legs and frustrate those big dogs in under a second. If you want to laugh just sit back and watch Lilly Jack tease the big dogs. Rudy, Schnoodle, and Mitzi, black Westie, also joined us last week for the first time. Both have lots of energy and were thrilled to be able to run and play all day long!

Darby has moved her bed to the landing on the stair well, she really believes she is human. Farley is a big lover and as I mentioned before loved having dogs his own size here and meeting his new cousin, Zack. Bella and Brady are fun dogs-they can play all day, crash at nap time, and be ready to go again. Bella could win high jump competitions-when she gets excited she starts the Boxer Bounce and easily is level with our chest. Cutie Pie is here with us daily and ALWAYS ready to play. She is happy with small dogs, puppies, or the Dane's as long as they are happy and full of energy. Buddy, is getting older (10 months) and growing into his body-so not as clumsy when he runs, but man he has gotten fast! He is like Cutie-he is happy with anydog as long as they are willing to run and play. Hershey and Dixie Bell have been here for a while now and love it. They know the routine, are playing lots with the other dogs and getting plenty of exercise. Last week they brought their big sister Diva, a Chihuahua. She may be small but has a big personality!

Friday was tons of fun and busy! We had almost 30 dogs (28 to be exact) for daycare/boarding and a handful of groomings. The dogs were about split down the middle on size/play levels so both pens were full of roudy play time! It was a great weekend of boarding - the dogs got tons of play time and we got to relax and hang out with them and get to know our new ones.

Things at Ultimutt are going great! Don't forget to go online and check out our photos and stay tuned as we add more daily.

Amazing Day at Ultimutt

It has been a while since I have been able to sit down and write about the dogs' daily activities. We are very thankful that we have been so busy both of us are on the yard the majority of the day.

The dogs are becoming very very good friends. They are thrilled to see each other every morning. Brook and I just love having each Ultimutt run in-so happy to be here and clawing at the door to get out back with their friends.

We have added some dogs to our pack. Bailey, a very energetic black lab, comes every afternoon to run off some of that lab energy. Kira, the Greyhound, has become a regular and loves learning to play and interact with all the other dogs, big and small. Dixie, a Boarder Collie, has the sweetest eyes on the planet and wants to run, run, run and then just be loved! Diva is Hershey and Dixie Bell's little sister-she spent the weekend with us and plans on spending 2 weeks with us starting Wednesday. It took her a few hours to warm up (most dogs warm up in a matter of minutes) but then she was great and like everyone else here, thought she owned the place. Olive and Violet have made me fall in love with Pugels (Pug/Beagles). They have the bark and the energy of a Beagle and the personality of a Pug. They are so fun to have here! Harlow, is our 4 month old Great Dane, she looks so much like Farley in her markings. She is growing up great. She is learning that she is bigger than the rest of the dogs and how to play gentle with the small dogs and she can be rougher with the big young dogs. I know I am leaving many out but will write more later on them.

As I finish this post: Darby is laying in the chair next to me-she really thinks she is a human. Chance is faithfully sleeping at my feet. Lilly Jack is 'talking' to Brook. Cutie Pie and Buddy are wrestling. Maggie is sniffing (gotta love that Beagle blood in her), Kira is strutting around the yard, Abbey is sleeping. Mack is playing with Abby and Jesabell, and Andy is sitting with Brook.
Another amazing day at Ultimutt!

Training Class Tonight

Tonight is the 2nd (of 6) training class. I am really looking forward to seeing the progress the dogs made last week and teaching them more this week. Training is such an important part of you and your dogs relationship-I love being able to be a part of it.
Stephen and I have an exciting lesson plan for tonight and look forward to seeing you at 6.

Training Success

Monday night we had a great class! All the dogs (and owners) were on great behavior and came ready to learn. We taught: sit, stay, come and free. Hopefully each owner is doing their 'homework.' Our daycare Ultimutt's that are in the class are doing great-I am able to work with them while they are here. I can't stress how important it is to use the same commands every time with your dog! Repetition is the key!

Training Classes

Remember training classes start tonight at 6 at Ultimutt. We hope to see you and your Ultimutt here!

Last Week Recap

Thursday I spent most of the afternoon at the vet with 2 of my dogs. Abbey just needed her yearly shots and Maggie wasn't feeling well so we loaded up and headed that way for a check up. All of my dogs are on Frontline/Heartworm treatments and all of our yards are treated (the house and Ultimutt), but Maggie was bit by a tick Labor Day weekend at the Lake and has gotten an infection (not contagious). I tell you this because even though it is cooler outside you MUST keep up with your dogs treatment. Since last winter and this summer have been so mild this is one of the worst months for fleas/ticks in recent history!

Friday was a fun, busy day! Baxter came for the first time, he lives in NWA and his mom was down in Fort Smith working for the day. It was his first time at doggie day care and he loved it. His mom promises to bring him back whenever she works down here. Napoleon came for the first time for a bath-he is a HUGE beautiful Great Pyranees! I am sure it was a sight to see Brook and I trying to load him into the tub and bathing him. Friday afternoon we did LOTS of baths and toe nails. Some dogs (mine included) HATE having their paws touched, but it is imperative that those nails stay short. We had help Friday afternoon (Lyndsay and Laura were wonderful), the girls stayed out with the doggies while Brook and I did baths and nails.

We had lots of boarders this weekend while their parents were at the Hog game. All had a great time! We have a few left and were sad to see the others go!

There is a big bunch of dogs outside with Brook this morning. They saved up a lot of energy over the weekend and are happy to be back together.

Rain, Rain Go Away - Don't bother coming back another day!

As I am sure everyone else is - we are tired of the rain. Brook and I watch for the rain to let up just a little and then rush everyone outside to potty. We have had about 2 or 3 five minute breaks today in the rain. And you better believe we made the most of it. Brook and I stood on opposite ends of the big run and threw the ball back and forth. (all the dogs here love to run after the ball but have NO interest in bringing it back) It worked! All the dogs ran full speed and did their 'business.' When the sky opened back up the dogs were ready to go back inside and play there.
Yesterday was another 'lab day' so we had lots that were happy to retrieve the balls for us and plenty of loving. We have had a good crew here this week! We have added a few to our regulars and it is great to have 20 dogs back there every day. The dogs have so much fun and play so hard!
This morning after the dogs had run and played inside for a few hours and were calming down I put on Disney's The Fox and the Hound. If you have never watched a dog watch tv you are missing out-and if you haven't seen a dog watch tv about a dog you are missing one of life's funniest things. When the hound let out a bark like only hounds can all the dogs at Ultimutt talked back to him. Except Kira, our new Greyhound that has joined the Ultimutt family, she was pretty confused as to where the sound was coming from. She checked every dog and when she realized the sound wasn't from them she just walking to me and put her very confused head in my lap.
We have been busy with groomings this week despite the rain. If you need your dog bathed after this nasty weather has passed or they need a hair cut, their nails done, or nails painted just let us know and we will write you down.
We are very excited about our upcoming training classes. We have some great dogs (that soon will be great well behaved dogs) signed up and room for a few more in the class so tell your friends or bring your dog. Nothing is better and more rewarding than having a well behaved dog. Remember they start on Monday, the 21st, at 6pm.
Last thing: 3 DAYS TIL HOG FOOTBALL!!! Don't forget about your doggie-let them come to Ultimutt to play while you go up the Hill.

For the Love of Dogs

We had a wonderful weekend of boarders "Bunking Party" dogs. It was a full house each night! Shadow, 6 month old German Sheppard mix, had a ball. She and Buddy, Golden Retriever, were best friends from the minute they got here. They ran and played like litter mates. Gravy, the pug, is still here and doing wonderfully! He is on the older side so would run and run with the big dogs (remember he lived with Chance for a while so he loves big dogs)and then crash in my lap. Brady is here for another week or so-we aren't going to know what to do without him. He honestly loves life and Ultimutt!

Many of you may remember when the puppy mills were broken up last year and the news covered this tragedy. Penny, the unfortunate feature dog of those news shows, found a wonderful home and is doing great. It has taken the hard work of her 'human mother' and her doggie big sister, Lady, to nurse her back to health but she is a miracle dog. We had the honor of keeping both of these precious girls this weekend. Both are sweet girls and enjoyed their time here at Ultimutt.

Kira, the retired/rescue Greyhound, stayed with us this weekend and is still here. She is a puppy in a 2 year olds body. So curious, happy, playful and full of the desire to be loved. We LOVE watching her thrive in this new life. (for those of you who haven't met her-she is from the tracks in West Memphis and broke her leg, retired young, and was adopted last weekend) This weekend we introduced her to stairs and squeaky toys. It brought tears to my eyes to see how happy she was with a simple squeeky toy and when she figured out the stairs. And I about laughed til I cried when she broke the squeaker and she couldn't make noise any more. (not to worry, I got her a new one)

Today we had a new Ultimutt join the pack. Harlow, the 3 month old Great Dane, is so fun. She is already about the size of a small Lab. Nothing is as fun as playing with big, clumsy, goofy puppies. She had a great time meeting all the dogs big and small dogs. She is a great addition to the Ultimutt Pack.

I have to get ready for the Ultimutt ShowOffs that are tonight. We can't wait to see all the fun tricks and who wins the games.

Swimming Party!

Wednesday afternoon Brook and I decided to spoil the doggies, shocker I know, and go buy them mini swimming pools. They are in LOVE with them! I haven't written since then because I am too busy filling up the pools and laughing!!! Lilly (our Jack Russell that has been swimming in the water bowl) now has an Olympic Pool to swim in and her large friends can join her. Thursday morning when her dad brought her said "What did you do to her? She slept all night! Will you do it again today?" we laughed and showed him the pools. Our big dogs are so happy to be able to roll in the pool, lay down when they are hot or splash and splash. All the dogs seem to turn back into puppies around the pools.

Buddy's favorite game is to run, run, run with the other dogs and then slide into the pool as if it is the 'safe base.' With his slide the water splashes everyone else so all start running again!!! (there is a pool on each side of the yard so they are burning LOTS of energy) Lucy, a beautiful-I mean beautiful-Cockerspaniel, has decided that chasing and running with the big dogs is only fun when it begins or ends in the water. She stays in there most the day.

Today is another Retriever day. We have Maggie and Buddy who are Golden Retrievers and Abbey and Derby who are black and chocolate labs these 4 of course love the water; however, they really would prefer there be sand in the bottom-they try so hard to dig out the bottom. The digging usually results in Buddy, Cutie Pie, Chance, Andy, Mack, Brady, and Bella, barking and ready to play again.

Besides the new ones already mentioned today we have: Gravy Paul, the Pug! Gravy holds a special place in my heart-his mom and I were roommates when we first moved to Fort Smith-he is a FUNNY dog. Also, Lady and Penny are with us today for the first time-both are doing great! I think they are enjoying being around all the other dogs and outside all day in the wonderful fresh air! While talking about new dogs - Kira, a black greyhound, is going to become one of our 'regulars' here at Ultimutt. Her mom drove to West Memphis and picked her up from the race tracks on Saturday-she had broken her leg and was retiring from her racing career. She was here yesterday and is coming back tomorrow. She is a very sweet quiet dog who loves the attention and love of humans and is learning to play with the other dogs-it is obvious she has never had the 'freedoms' that so many of our dogs are used to (running, fetching, playing, barking, etc).

Mitzi is back today, she is a sweet little girl, with a great story. She is doing very very well with all the larger dogs and even the few that are smaller than her. Mitzi and I did some training at lunch today, she is a smart girl and so eager to please training her shouldn't be hard as long as it is followed up at home. Speaking of training our first training class start on MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 AT 6:15 pm.

Labor Day Weekend Bunkin Party

Friday was a great day around here-lots of excited, tired, old, young, big, and little dogs here for the weekend Bunking Party! For many of our weekend boarders it was their first time to be away from home and all did WONDERFULLY! We were up here late on Friday getting everyone calm and ready to be 'bedded down.' Before we got out of the building you could not hear a sound but the sterio (we leave on to calm them)! All the Ultimutts were out cold! We came back late night for about 45-55 minutes to let them play, potty, and to refill water. Most dogs went back into their crates (we call them 'rooms') before we were ready to go-they were tired!!!

Saturday morning they were happy to see us! They played and played for about an hour each time we came up here (about 4-5imes a day-so they get at least 4 hours of play time on weekends also!!!) and then were happy to return to their rooms for a few hours of nap time. Sunday and Monday continued the same way! Lots of play time and loving when we are here and good nap time between play times!

Monday afternoon we said good bye to about 1/2 of our boarders-we were sad to see them leave. (When dogs are at Ultimutt they are our dogs and we really do love each one of them!)
Yesterday was a fun busy busy day. We had about 23 dogs playing on the yard all day! Some boarders from the weekend and other daycare Ultimutts!

Things went great other than one Ultimutt's owners complaint: "My dogs aren't happy to see me-I've never boarded them before and now they don't want to leave." We just laughed and said the dogs never do when they have been at Ultimutt!

Fantastic Friday

We hope to have the slide show up-loaded before the long weekend so you can enjoy, share and LAUGH with your family at friends. I think I have laughed more in the last few weeks than I have in months! Yesterday and today have been awesome.
We have had 20 dogs each day and have loved watching them learn the ropes, make new friends, play, and run like there is no tomorrow.
We are very excited about our weekend boarders-we have a full house of sweet wonderful Ultimutts! They are all outside playing now so they are ready to go to bed tonight!
Have a wonderful safe Labor Day weekend and GO HOGS!

Tongue Twister Thursday

See if you can say this three times fast:
Derby, Darby, Derby, Brady, Buddy, Brady, Bella, Lilly, Andy, Maggie, Abbey, Missie, Daisey, Cutie Pie, Jesabell, Alex, Mack, Chance and our favorite Corona! And if you thought that was confusing we have 5 Schnauzers, 2 labs, 2 Shih Tzus, 5 Ulti'MUTT's, 1 Corgie, 1 Boxer, 1 Bichon, 1 English Pointer, and last but certainly with the most energy Lilly the Jack Russell.
So needless to say-things are a little crazy up here! And we love it! We have had lots of 'first timers' today and everyone is doing so wonderful. Our 'regulars' are showing them the ropes: where to sniff, which pole is the most fun to bark at, Lilly is giving 'bathing' lessons in the water bowl, Darby shows them how to steal our lawn chairs (We haven't sat in them all day-which is thrilling Darby), Buddy, Maggie, Chance, Mack and Cutie Pie bark and show how running full speed in circles and figure 8's through the back yard is as good, if not better, than bacon. :)
Lunch and nap time are almost over so I better wrap this up! The dogs are quiet back there which means they are going to be rested and ready to go!!!
We have a few spots left for this weekend-so if you are headed to the lake or to the Hog game give us a call!

Spa Day!

Whether your dog be big or small, short hair or long haired, indoor or outdoor they probably need a bath and thier nails cut! ALL dogs should have thier nails cut every 4-6 weeks. Besides the damage they do to your hard wood floor and your nerves from hearing 'tap-tap-tap-tap-tap' long nails cause damage to your dogs joints. When the nails are long enough to touch the ground, your dog begins to walk differently which over times causes a strain on thier knees and hips. Ok, now I'll step off my soapbox and tell you a little about bath time and spa days.

We allow each dog time to play with the other dogs before thier honey and oatmeal bath. (both of which are good for thier skin and help keep thier coats shiny) Your dog will either sit in our laps and be towel/air dried or allow to run around indoors-depending on what they prefer. And yes, even those huge dogs that are 'not lap dogs' sit in our laps on the table while we dry them. Then they are expertly cut/shaved/trimmed and gently brushed. Depending on thier hair length and gender we will add a cute bow or a fun bandana.

Back to thier nails: We will file thier nails to ensure that they are smooth when they go home and just the right length. And if you would like just that extra little touch-we can paint the nails. (Dog safe polish of course) I painted Maggie's a few weeks ago for practice and it stayed on about 2+ weeks-and remember she plays hard every day!

We have a great crew of doggies here again today but are starting to book up on groomings and baths so wanted to remind you to book thier appointments early.

Friday was a super busy day-sorry I wasn't able to blog with all our great stories. We had a crew in for daycare and were checking in our weekend boarders!
The Water Bowl Stories:
Lilly was back-and still using the dog bowl as a bath tub-the large dogs are so jealous!!! Buddy has tried to mock her-he will lay his front legs in the bowl and then his back half. Abbey 'digs' in the bowl to splash water on her belly and we aren't real sure what Cutie Pie does! She runs her snout under water the length of the bowl and then drinks while moving her head back towards her! We get such a kick out of them-and this is just in the large 'little' bowl. In the bucket Farley does look like a horse - he sticks his entire head into the bowl and when he 'slobbers too much' Darby lets us know. Darby will scratch at the bowl and look at me with her beautiful eyes saying "Would you drink after him?- Well I won't" so needless to say I spend a lot of time dumping and re-filling the bucket. Thankfully the three little white ones (Andy, Mack, and Brady) and Maggie are normal drinkers!
We have the same crew back today so the water bowl tales continue! In addition to Darby, Lilly, Cutie Pie, Buddy, Maggie, Mack, Andy, Abbey, Chance, Jesabell, and Farley we had boarders this weekend that were able to play with us all weekend and either Friday afternoon or today. Mitzi joined us Friday and had a BLAST running with the dogs. She is a sweet girl and had a blast and was happy to show off all her new Ultimutt pals to her mom on Sunday. Saturday Harry Potter joined us for what we call 'Doggie Bunking Parties' (doesn't that sound better than boarding?). Harry just left at lunch-we loved having both of them. New doggies are always so fun to watch interact with everyone.
New Items:
We have some Razorback blankets and Ultimutt shirts on sale now in our retail area. Also, we have new punch cards! Buy 10 days at day care and your dog gets a free bath (and you don't have to worry about paying when you are here-you can just play!)

Terrific Thursday

Lilly and Darby kept us in stitches all day! Since today was a little warmer I guess she got hot...but you can tell this isn't her first Arkansas summer, she is a smart one. Lilly is small enough to lie in the water bowl - she would lie on each side and then on her back and blow bubbles (her was underwater so she could totally cool off). Another dog would walk up and she would shoot up out of the water and run and run til she had run dry. :)
Darby wasn't real interested in the water bowl but in the balls. She does, what we have named, Darby's 'Prancing Dance.' She throws the ball and her paws in the air and just grins in delight. We make everyone watch her-and I laugh every single time!
Precious joined us today, her owner swore that she was not social and if she didn't have fun or was too much trouble to call her. Well she proved her owner wrong-Precious had the time of her life. She ran and rolled and played with every dog here, big and small! After 4 hours of play she was perfectly content to be groomed, her toe nails done, and bathed.
Cutie Pie has never met a dog she doesn't love. Earlier in the week Rebel, the huge Yellow Lab, was her best play mate and today it was Lilly the small Jack Russell. Cutie Pie loves everyone! I worked with her some today on basic commands and she is a beautiful brilliant dog. We have decided if she was a human she would model.
Maggie was a super tired puppy today! She slept through nap time and then a little more-but was ready to go after her nap. The dragon flies kept her entertained all day!
Chance and Abbey had a rough morning! I left without them this morning and they were heart broken! When I went back to get them they were so excited! They love coming to Ultimutt everyday. To them work is no longer a 4 letter word.
Mack and Andy are such happy boys. Mack is like Cutie Pie-he will play with everyone - nevermind the fact that he is 10lbs. Andy is a little older and thinks he is on 'recess duty' and patrols the area!
Again, Brook and I feel so blessed to be able to spend each day with ours' and other people's 4 legged babies. We have an amazing time-lots of running, playing, laughing, treats and toys-what else could anyone or any dog ask for!

Wonderful Wednesday

We had lots of new Ultimutts here today to join the growing Ultimutt pack.
Darby prancing in first thing is just a great way to start the day. She is so happy to be here and see her friends you can't help but laugh. Buddy did great today! He has over come his fear of riding in the car and of other dogs-we are so proud of him. Today was Lilly's first day-she is a Jack Russell with more energy than... well I don't know what has more energy than she does. Lilly is a sweet heart and played and ran until the dogs-big and small-could no longer keep up! That dog will sleep hard tonight (as will all the Ultimutts that tried to keep up with her). Brady, a studly Bichon, came ready to play and make new friends and he did just that! Oliver came for 1/2 a day of play and a grooming. He is a standard size Pomeranian with beautiful long white hair. With 2 white Schnauzers, a white Bichon, a white Pomeranian, and a white Jack Russell we saw speeding white darts all day!!!
The other dogs didn't let them steal the show! Chance loves to roll onto his back and wiggle and throw up toys-he is happy doing this until Maggie tackles him and off they go! Abbey and Darby can't sit by and let these 2 run alone so the 4 of them ran in large circles all over the large play area.
We are looking forward to tomorrow - we have a few new Ultimutts coming in for daycare and grooming as well as many of our regulars coming back.
*** We are almost full for Labor Day weekend, so if you are headed to the lake, to Little Rock to see the Hogs, or just going to see friends or family don't forget to call and reserve your spot.

Tuesday Lab day!

Again, an amazing August day! A cool breeze, shade, and lots of birds flying by - what more can you ask for on an Arkansas summer day?
We have a great crew of Ultimutts here today! Darby was very happy to be back this morning - she pranced into the building, spoke to Chance and then straight out to the large dog area. Saying Cutie Pie was happy to be back is an understatement. She tried busting through the door since Brook wasn't removing her collar quickly enough. Rebel is very happy to be back and is rowdy and loveable in only the way a big yellow lab can be-the dogs just love him. Little Libbe came bouncing through the door this morning ready to play!!! And Jesabell is back-she is coming around to all the other dogs but really loves 'laying out' in the sun.
Around 10 we got 2 new additions to the group. Hershey and Dixie Bell, 2 big, sweet, playful labs. We are very happy to have them join the group. SO... with 4 labs here we are going through buckets and buckets of water (2 of the labs like to splash themselves in the bucket) giving lots of love and convincing them that the geese aren't going to land in the large play area no matter how much they bark. But lets don't leave out the other guys: Chance, Darby, Maggie and Cutie Pie are right there with them-running, barking, chasing butterflies and playing.
We have 4 smaller dogs here that are now WORN OUT. Andy, Mack, and Libbe have played all morning. (Jesabell is 'tanning' and occasionally will run with them) They have run, loved chasing the butterflies (thankfully no one has caught one) barking with the big dogs at the geese, and the jets that are continually flying over. But their favorite game is barking at the man that works next door. He humors them and waves and goes back inside.
Football season is just around the corner, 11 days til the Hogs kick off at War Memorial (in case you weren't counting down), we are already filling up for game weekends. Please give us a call and book your Ultimutt -drop them off Friday night and pick them up Sunday when you get back for just $40.
It has been a great day here at Ultimutt.

Manic Monday!

What an amazingly beautiful August day! The dogs nor the humans could have asked for better weather. We have been outside playing ALL morning. The dogs had the weekend to recover and rest up for another fun day at Ultimutt. They just run and run and then a quail will land on the ground just outside the fence-what a tease to these dogs.
We have 5 new dogs that have joined the Ultimutt pack: Rebel - a HUGE yellow lab, Cutie Pie - a beautiful tall Husky/Boarder Collie mix, Buddy - a rescue boxer mix, Jesabell - a precious little Shih Tzu, and Charly - a chocolate Schnauzer puppy! Farley, the great Great Dane, is back to join the 'regulars' and all are happy to be here to play.
Killer, our 8 week old puppy, goes home today-her parents are back from their vacation. We are going to miss her tons. In just a weeks time she has grown tons, learned to play and share and best off all we have almost potty trained her!!!
We just feed the dogs lunch and are giving them about 30 minutes of down time before we go back out to enjoy a few more hours of this great August day. I can promise all the owners thier dogs are going to sleep HARD tonight.
While the dogs and I have been outside playing Brook has been giving lots of baths and groomings. Please make an appointment to have your Ultimutt bathed or to give them a spa day.
That is it for this busy Monday-the dogs are ready for their afternoon play!

Well.... It's a rainy old day today. Not much good for dogs or humans. Who wants to be out in this? The owners will have to think of new inside games to play with the dogs. But we sure had a good time yesterday! There were 12 dogs here, and it was FUN! We played outside, and then rested in the shade. (See picture below). And, then played some more. Today, everyone is still a little tired, and bummed by the rain. Except the puppy, Killer. She is playing and playing with new best friend, Mack. Yesterday four others got shampoos and haircuts after their busy day of play. Everyone went home pretty and happy. Darby and Killer spent the night--and had a good one! Darby is still a bit tired from all the bird chasing she did yesterday running with all her new friends. However, I think the dogs agree that a rainy day makes for a good nap day. They love the indoor play area, but it doesn't compare to having free run of both, and they are missing that today! But, it's going to be a fun day, anyway.

Well.... it was a really fun day inspite of intermittent storms. Darby's mom came, so she has gone home. :-( We miss her already. And Killer has played so hard, she is SO tired. But, we have had lots of guests, and they are having a good time. Paris joined us mid-day and is running off all that lab energy.

Ultimutt Dog Care

Hi everyone from Ultimutt Dog Care,LLC. We have just started our new business, and are having SO much fun! Our dogs get to come to work with us and play with the other dogs. They love getting to be with us all day, and make new friends, too! They are so tired at the end of the day, they are ready to go to bed early and sleep all night. Today, our boarders have all gone home (we miss Farley and Baxter :-( ), but we have 8 in Doggie Day Care. They are all outside playing right now with the owners, but are getting pretty tired. It's the perfect day to be outside---not too hot, but sunny, with a cool breeze blowing.





There are still spots open if you want your dog to socialize with other dogs (you know, dogs get bored, too); play outside, and inside, and get a midday treat (or lunch). Plus, there are no worries about getting home to let them outside in time!