Cherry Blossom Photos, and Why “Sit-Stay” Isn’t as Simple as It Sounds Asking your dog to hold a stay in a sit position should be easy, right? Well… not so fast. There’s a good reason we chose this as our theme for our Cherry Blossom Daycare PLUS photo set. It turns out, asking your dog… Read more »
Handling head and face — WOOFS! Daycare PLUS
Happy St. Patricks Day! We’re always working on stays, but we love adding a little extra fun with a theme-behind-the-theme! Recently, we played the “Head in Things” game, where our dogs practiced putting their heads and faces into all sorts of unusual objects. Why? Because it’s a playful and effective way to help them become… Read more »
A Grand Sniffari!
Last week was a grand Sniffari in Daycare PLUS. The trainers found so many ways to create hiding spots for treats, and on top of that, trainer Jen participates in sheep herding with her Kelpie and she brought a whole bunch of goodies back from the farm. We were able to let the dogs sniff… Read more »
‘Head in Things’ Game
Can your dog put their head into different objects? And why the heck would you care about that? Well, last week in Daycare PLUS we collected up objects of all of sizes and alls sorts of materials, and we worked with dogs to put their faces into or through these objects. While some dogs did… Read more »
Puppy Art as Valentine’s Cards
Happy Valentine’s Day! What are these dogs up to now? Well, this week, each pup got to make their very own valentines to bring home. Here’s how it works: We’d made pre-printed, foldable cards We add paint to the cards. We smear a baggie with peanut butter, and we carefully put the card inside the… Read more »
Tunnel of Love
Happy Valentine’s Day! Last week theme in Daycare PLUS was the Tunnel of Love. The dogs got to play in and around a tunnel, and as you can see here, many of them were even comfortable enough to pose from inside the tunnel too. This activity is just one more way we give the dogs… Read more »
Happy Valentine’s Day 2025!
Happy Pup-entine’s Day! In Daycare PLUS, we are always working on sit and down and stay. The extra challenge with this set was that it was hard to sit or lie down very close to the bags and props. This set made for some really great practice! As always, these challenges give the pups more… Read more »
Can your dog sit on weird surfaces?
Can your dog sit on weird surfaces? One of our January activities in Daycare PLUS was to bring in a whole bunch of crazy surfaces and ask our dogs that very question. Can you sit on nubbly fitness equipment? Can you sit on plastic turf? Pebbled surfaces? Items that wobble or sit at an angle?… Read more »
JUMP into the New Year
Let’s jump into the new year! One of our January themes for Daycare PLUS was to navigate a hoop like you’d see in tricks or agility. But there’s more to this than just play! These activities sharpen your dog’s focus as they learn to listen, sit, wait, and follow our cues—all valuable skills for everyday… Read more »
Happy New Year 2025!
We are celebrating the new year in Daycare PLUS with adorable photos that combine several skills that we’ve been working on! Of course we are practicing our “stays”, but in this set, we also practice walking, standing, sitting and laying down on strange surfaces, with the tinsel on the ground under the dogs. In addition,… Read more »
Celebrate Winter 2024!
Check out our winter-themed handling exercises from Daycare PLUS! This game is called “Will you let me put something across your back?”. Some dogs are very comfortable with this, and others are less certain about it, but it’s valuable for ALL dogs to positively practice having strange things on or near their bodies. This is helpful… Read more »
Get ready for daycare at Ballston, starting October 1st!
Here’s everything you need to know about our move back to our Ballston campus! IMPORTANT DATES OF OPERATION Through September 22nd: Shirlington Campus open as usual for daycare and boarding September 23 – 30: CLOSED for moving. No daycare or boarding available. October 1: Ballston OPEN for daycare! WHAT IS DAYCARE PLUS? Our new daycare program (Daycare PLUS)… Read more »