Weekly Local Dog Events

                                                       Jake is in love with Spring!

 

HAPPY SPRING! THERE MAY BE A FEW NEEDED SHOWER AHEAD OF US, BUT PLENTY OF SUNSHINE IS ON THE WAY. WE HOPE YOUR FURRY FRIEND AND YOU GET OUT THERE TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEKS LOCAL EVENTS. FOR MORE DETAILS PLEASE VISIT SAN DIEGO HAPPY DOGS.

Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

ADOPTION EVENTS: HERE'S ARE SOME WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ADDING A FABULOUS FURRY FRIEND TO YOUR FAMILY

• 3/26: Second Chance: 10 am – 3 pm; Petco Store in Poway Poway Plaza Shopping Center 13375 Poway Road, Poway 92064

• Every Saturday: Baja Rescue: 9 am – 2 pm; 3495 Sports Arena Boulevard, SD

• Every Saturday Labs and More Adoption Event: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm; Road Runner Sports San Diego, 5553 Copley Dr, San Diego

Photo by Mia Anderson on Unsplash

MEET UPS  AND SOCIAL: HERE'S ANOTHER GREAT WEEK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR PUP AND YOU TO GET OUT AND MEET SOME NEW FRIENDS!

• 3/25: Doggie Cafe: 6 – 8 pm; Humane Society and SPCA at 5500 Gaines Street, San Diego 92110

• 3/26: Ridgeback Romp: 9 – 10 am; Fiesta Island Dog Park Fiesta Island Rd , SD

• 3/26: Airedale Meet Up: 9:30 – 10:30 am;  Sioux’s Place 10801 Redlander Way, Lakeside

• 3/26: Easter Egg Extravaganza: 12 – 2 pm: Muttropolis, Solana Beach and La Jolla

• Every Wednesday: Yappy Hour: 5 – 8 pm; Savoie Eatery 2015 Birch Rd, Ste 720, Chula Vista

• Every Wednesday: Mission Valley Dog Meet Up: 10 – 11 am; Mission Valley Off Leash Civita Dog Park 2355 Via Alta, SD

Zen Dog Spotlight: Evey

We are very excited to introduce you to another one of our DogZenergy team member's fantastic furry friend, Evey! Jamie and Evey came to us from Georgia in the fall of 2015, and we absolutely adore both of them. They are truly the best of friends. Evey was featured in La Jolla Christmas Parade 2015 as an adorable reindeer. She is one of the most well behaved siberian husky's we have ever met, and of course loves to run and play when she's not listening to her mama. The stage is yours Evey!

State your full name and let us know a bit about yourbackground.  

"Evey Hardegree. I was born in Augusta, GA (I’m a sourthen girl) on Oct. 22nd 2009. My hooman, Jamie, picked me as her Christmas gift and I knew from the start I had her wrapped around my paw." 

What’s your favorite toy and why?  

"My favorite toy is a little blue monster my hooman bought me on halloween last year.  I don’t chew on it, I like to carry it around and make sure nothing happens to Herman. (that’s what I named it) I like Herman because he squeaks and I guess you could say my hooman was nice enough to buy him for me."

 What does your typical day consist of, and what would your ideal day include?

"On a typical day I nap on my hoomans bed for a few hours then I get up and sniff the other hooman’s door to try and talk to the cat we have. Then I get a drink of water and sun bath by the sliding door for a few more hours. Once my hooman gets home she is my ride to the dog park. My ideal day would include me and the cat we own napping on the couch but she’s still a little timid." 

Who is your best friend and how did you meet?

My best friend would be another husky named Emmie, she’s all white and a little younger than me but it’s ok because she knows I’m in charge of playing when we’re hanging out. We first met at the La Jolla Christmas Parade last year she was wearing the same outfit as me (the nerve of her, but once I got to know her it was ok) at least I wasn’t the only reindeer." 

What is the one question you wish your human would stopasking you, and the one question you wish your human would never stop asking you?  

"I wish my hooman would quit asking me “Why can’t you play fetch like the other dogs?” My reply (if only she spoke husky) is because I don’t Ma so stop asking. The question she should never stop asking is ‘are you ready to eat?” Of course I’m always ready for food."

 If you were going to win an award at the "Oscar Pet Awards" would you want to win it for  1.) Cuteness 2.) Heroism/Courage 3.) Sassiness 4) Loyalty 5) Fashionista.  Give us a quick example/story of why we should pick you!  

"Oh this is easy it would be for sassiness... obviously."

Any other insight you would like us to know?

"My hooman and I were both born in October and we both have blue eyes, but of course mine are prettier. If you’ll excuse me I have to go back to sun bathing.  wooo woooo woooo!"

Thank you to Evey and her hooman, DogZenergy team member Jamie for participating in this week's Zen Dog Spotlight!  

Thoughts of a Zen Dog: Letka

Who are my Local San Diego Mobile Groomers? We get to Know Elyse of Awesome Doggies Mobile Pet Grooming

Operations Manager and Leader Groomer, Elyse Agone, has been grooming professionally for 11 years.  When she was a kid she used to go to work with a babysitter that was a groomer,  It was her favorite summer job. She's been around all sorts of animals my whole life though – dogs, cats, horses, ferrets…  and even had a pet skunk once! Elyse has two Australian Shepherds and two rescue cats now, plus all the dogs & cats she takes care of at Awesome Doggies. To quote Elyse,  "I can’t picture life without animals in it."

                     Elyse with her adorable dogs!

When deciding on a groomer what specific traits should they have and what are the top 3 questions to ask?  

"I think the top traits are being gentle with the pets, being reliable, and having good communication skills. I would ask what’s included with every groom, so you know exactly what you’re getting & what –if anything - will cost extra… what kind of products they use, so you know they’re using quality products designed specifically for pets & preferably all natural… and if they’re experienced with handling anything specific to your pet’s needs (an older pet, a rescue, anxiety, a new puppy, etc) – they should be familiar with special circumstances and how to accommodate them."

                                                        Elyse and Henry!

 How often do you recommend to get your dog groomed and why?

" Most people go about every 4-6 weeks, and that’s about right for most pets. It all depends on how active they are, how stinky they get, and if they need a lot of brushing or regular haircuts. We see a few dogs every week or so because they either go to the beach all the time or have a lot of fur to maintain… and we see others every few months or so that are low maintenance and keep pretty clean. Pets that sleep in bed with their owners or the kids tend to get groomed more often, too."

                                   Eylse and Drake!

 What’s your favorite part about your job?  

"Building a relationship with the pets I take care of and their families. I love being out and about in San Diego, too (catching a quick view coming down Soledad Mountain is a great reminder of what a beautiful place we live in), but getting to know the pets & their people is the best thing. I’ve got some I’ve known since they were puppies, and some that used to hate being groomed that have gotten much better over the years."

 How do you soothe a dog’s grooming anxiety?

"Most pets just need a lot of love. We talk them through it, offer treats & take it slow if they need it… it’s like taking a kid to the doctor – they might be scared & might not like it, but it’s good for them & you just have to get them through it as smoothly as possible. We can limit the scope of work if a pet is really stressed, but a lot of times it’s just a matter of paying attention to what bothers them, and customizing our approach so that we can get the job done without asking them to get too far out of their comfort zone. Lots of positive reinforcement helps too: praise, patting, treats, and even games. Over time, most dogs start to realize it’s not so bad. When they start waiting for us at the door, and come running to the mobile salon, we know we’ve made a convert… but even for the ones that aren’t thrilled to see us, if by the end they come out of the salon prancing & happy, we know we’ve done our job & made them feel great."

How can I control my dog’s fur/shedding?

"Brush and de-shed regularly, or get somebody to do it for you!  We’ve got a great de-shedding process. We use the FURMinator before and after a bath to brush out the undercoat (that’s the part that sheds all over your house), plus a few other tools for various coats… and we also work out a lot of fur during the drying process. We can reduce shedding up to 60-80% if we’re coming every 4-6 weeks. If you prefer to do it yourself, the FURminator tool can be purchased online and at most pet stores. Just be careful not to overdo it (a good rule of thumb for do-it-yourselfers is to limit the FURminator to ten minute sessions to avoid possible skin irritation) and repeat regularly. Consult with your groomer about what other tools work best with your pet’s coat. Not every brush & comb works on every coat type."

 Can I teach my dog to let me trim their nails?

" You can, but it’s not for everybody. There are two parts to the process: one is to get your dog used to having his feet handled, and to participate calmly in the process. The other part is that you have to the right equipment, and handle the clippers properly. There are a couple of tricks to using nail clippers that take some practice – knowing how short to go, and being able to round the nails off a bit so they’re not too sharp. It is definitely possible to hurt a pet while trimming nails, so be very careful and only trim a little bit off at a time. We have several blog posts on this topic, which you can access here."

 Please share a funny/memorable grooming story.

" Oh man, every groomer has so many of these. We always remember the pets that maybe aren’t in great shape when we first come out & we’re able to really make them feel better, or the ones that we succeed in winning over in time, and the puppies that we get to watch grow up or the older pets we get to love on in their last years. But animals are always making us laugh, too. I’ve got one house I go to where the family cat is pretty bold & he always comes in the trailer while I’m grooming their Golden Retriever. You can imagine most cats we groom don’t walk right in begging for a bath, but this guy hangs out over the tub where there’s a sunny spot he can lay in, or walks around under the dog while I’m brushing her. One time he crawled into my truck while I was working & decided to take a nap in the back. I didn’t know he was in there until I got in the driver’s seat & he hopped up and came to sit beside me. Of course I took him back to the house, but now I always check the truck for stowaways before leaving. We groom cats as well as dogs, so you never know, someday he may get his wish!"

Thank you to Elyse for participating in this week's Zen Groomer feature, and to Cam Schultz, owner of Awesome Doggies Mobile Pet Grooming! For more information please visit their website.

Weekly Local San Diego Dog Events

Photo by Katie Bernotsky on Unsplash

HAPPY ST PATTY'S DAY! ITS GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL WEEK IN SAN DIEGO!  WE HOPE YOUR FURRY FRIEND AND YOU GET OUT THERE TO CHECK OUT THIS WEEKS LOCAL EVENTS. FOR MORE DETAILS PLEASE VISIT SAN DIEGO HAPPY DOGS.

Photo by Wade Austin Ellis on Unsplash

ADOPTION EVENTS: HERE'S ARE SOME WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT ADDING A FABULOUS FURRY FRIEND TO YOUR FAMILY

• 3/19: Second Chance: 1 – 5 pm; Unleashed by Petco 8843 Villa La Jolla Drive La Jolla 92037

• 3/20: Shades Multi Rescue: 10 am – 2 pm; Shades Oceanfront Bistro: 5083 Santa Monica Ave #1F SD 92017

• 3/20: Greyhounds: 12 – 2 pm; Petco Unleashed, 2663 Gateway Road, Carlsbad 9200

• Every Saturday: Baja Rescue: 9 am – 2 pm; 3495 Sports Arena Boulevard, SD

• Every Saturday Labs and More Adoption Event: 10:30 am - 12:30 pm; Road Runner Sports San Diego, 5553 Copley Dr, San Diego

Photo by Alvan Nee on Unsplash

MEET UPS  AND SOCIAL: HERE'S ANOTHER GREAT WEEK OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR PUP AND YOU TO GET OUT AND MEET SOME NEW FRIENDS!

• 3/19: Spaniel Meet Up: 11 am – 12 pm; Oceanside Dog Park, 2905 San Luis Rey Rd., Oceanside 92054

• 3/19: Downtown Canines and Cocktails Meet Up: 1 – 2 pm; Quartyard, Market St East Village, SD

• 3/19: Pom Pom Play Time: 4 – 5 pm; Otay Ranch Town Center Dog Park Eastlake Pkwy at Olympic Pkwy, Chula Vista

• 3/19: Trail Walking with Fluffy Butts: 5 – 6 pm; Hosp view park Canyon Dr, Carlsba

• 3/19: Barks and Brews: 9 am – 3 pm; The Brew Project, 3683 Fifth Ave, SD

• 3/19: Bark in the Park: 9 am – 2 pm; Live Oak Park 2746 Reche Road Fallbrook 92028

• 3/19: Fit for Fido: 9 am – 2 pm; F3 Athletics Home of Imperial Beach CrossFit 645 Silver Strand Blvd Imperial Beach 91932

• 3/20: Encinitas Mile (Dog Mile): 9 am – 1 pm; Encinitas

• Every Wednesday: Yappy Hour: 5 – 8 pm; Savoie Eatery 2015 Birch Rd, Ste 720, Chula Vista

• Every Wednesday: Mission Valley Dog Meet Up: 10 – 11 am; Mission Valley Off Leash Civita Dog Park 2355 Via Alta, SD