Thursday, March 12, 2009

We Have a Famous CGC Dog at Daycare!

"Cloudy" Mentzer passed his CGC test as well, and he's got something else to brag about!

Cloudy is featured in the 2009 Save-A-Dog calendar (he's the November dog). His mommy says, "Cloudy was my 10th foster dog. We met when he was 9 months old...I knew he was the one, the second I saw him. He was running and jumping around, just entertaining himself. This crazy behavior is now known as the Cloudy 500.

Now Cloudy is almost three. He has a beautiful white coat with funny apricot "freckles" all over him. What kind of dog is he? There is no answer to that question. He looks like spare parts and a coat of white paint.

I'm not sure if Cloudy's life philosophy is "Follow the Sun" or "Make Them Laugh!" It depends on if he is sleeping or not. By day, he moves from bed to bed, basking in the sun. When he's not sleeping, his antics would make the whole world laugh."

We are so proud of Cloudy for both of these accomplishments! Do you have a small dog that would like to meet up with Cloudy for some playtime? Send your dog to Gemini's doggie daycare, and he could end up in Cloudy's playgroup!

Casey's a Canine Good Citizen...He Wants You to Know About His Mommy, the Groomer!

Our groomer, Ashley McCoy, recently earned a CGC on her Golden, "Casey" after completing our CGC Prep Course. In fact, everyone who enrolled in that class passed the test!

Casey is pictured here relaxing in a stream.

Speaking of water, Ashley is also excited to announce that we have re-vamped our grooming services and our pricing, to make it more affordable for you, and to cover all of those little extras that you've been asking about.

We are now offering the following services:

  • Full Groom: Your dog will be pampered with a nice bath, be brushed out, and receive a haircut or a shave. This service automatically includes nail trimming and ear cleaning.

  • Bath & Brush: Your dog will receive a bath and be brushed out, and we'll trim up his feet (if needed). This service also includes nail trimming and ear cleaning.

  • Trim Up: You can now opt for just a trim of your dog's face, feet, and tail (without a bath). This service includes nail trimming and ear cleaning.
Ashley will finish each of these services off with a nice spritz of doggie cologne and spiff your dog up with a cute bandana so that he can strut his stuff to his pals!

Ashley also offers A La Carte services:
  • Brush Outs: Got shedding? Let us do the work for you! $10 for every 15 minutes.

  • Nail Trims: Ashley is happy to trim your dog's nails ($5)

  • Teethbrushing ($5)

  • Grinding nails ($5)

  • Expressing anal glands ($10).
You can indicate these additional services when you check your dog in for grooming. There will be a grooming request form available at the check-in counter, so be sure to complete the form by indicating which services you want and by listing any special instructions. All grooming arrivals and departures now occur at our doggie daycare entrance. To make an appointment, email Lisa at reservations@geminidogs.com.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

And I'm a Canine Good Citizen!

"Danka" (pictured on the left) also earned her CGC last week. Congratulations, Danka!


If you would like to try your dog's skills, sign up for our next CGC Prep class on Thursdays at 7:00pm.

Monday, March 09, 2009

I'm a Canine Good Citizen, Too!



This is "Jack" Jones, a Standard Poodle who also earned his CGC last week. Congratulations, Jack!

Happy in Their New Home

I just wanted to send you an update on the two pomeranians that I adopted from Gemini Dogs in December. Sadie (Buttercup) is doing very well. She loves her new bed and is very loving. Sadie is happy go lucky as ever.

Bear went in to be neutered today and to get his teeth cleaned. During the procedure, the vet found that his poor jaw was fractured due to the infected teeth he had. The prognosis is good so far; they are going to put him on antibiotics and let the jaw heal on its own. He will be checked again in a few weeks. He is feeling much better now that he has gotten his teeth taken care of. He is not skittish anymore and is very loving and playful.

Hope all is well at the Daycare. Thank you again for my little furbabies! -Nadire Ramadan

Friday, March 06, 2009

Hooray! I'm a Canine Good Citizen (CGC)


Our most recent Canine Good Citizen Prep Class participants shared a 100% success rate during a CGC test held at Gemini Dogs last night! Congratulations to:

  • "Ranger" Grinstead, Coon Hound
  • "Jack" Jones, Standard Poodle
  • "Casey" McCoy, Golden Retreiver
  • "Cloudy" Mentzer, Basset Mix
In addition to the prep class participants, four other dogs including "Bridget" (pictured here) passed the test with flying colors, including:

"Fremont" Frattallone, Cocker Spaniel
"Bridget" Lessley, Whippet
"Lucy" Specht, Lab Mix
"Danka" Tousignant, German Shepherd

We hope to see your dog in our next CGC Prep Class, or for the test that follows in week six! If you would like to sign up for the class or the test, please email us! The cost of the CGC Test is $15, or it's free for class participants.

And thanks to Jean, Jan, Cindy and Penny for their help with the test!

:->
Mich

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

A Note from Shiba's Daddy...It's a Boy!


We have acquired another dog: a Maltese puppy, that we've named "Snow." It seems that Shiba and Snow have quickly become best buddies, playing together with total abandon. The two dogs hit it off so well, and are getting plenty of exercise together...My retirement has provided me with the time (and energy) to provide our dogs with the attention that they need and deserve.

We want to thank you and your wonderful staff for taking such GREAT care of Shiba over the past three years. He loved the many human and canine connections that Gemini provided during Doggie Day Care sessions, and we truly appreciated all of the little things that your people did for Shiba. He's a wonderful member of our family and Gemini certainly helped to mold his incredible disposition.

Personally, I/we will miss Marie and Derek. They were so good to/with Shiba! The two of them are so good with all of the dogs and are excellent representatives for Gemini.

We wish you the very best and will continue to recommend Gemini to all of our dog-loving friends!

Take care,
Dave & Catherine Dubinsky

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

New England Agility Dogs Take 17 of the Top 30 Spots Nationally!

This past weekend, instructor Denielle Stasa was in Derry, NH and all but 2 of the New England dogs that landed in the Top 10 Agility Dogs in Canine Performance Events (CPE) for 2008 nationally were there. They managed to take a picture with all of the people, dogs, and plaques. To check out the photo, click here.

Out of 30 spots nationally (ten spots, 3 divisions), New England dogs took 17 of them! We're very proud....Thanks to Denielle for sending us that link! And wow, check out all the letters after her dogs' names below...that's impressive!

C-ATCH3 Ivy Top 10 Enthusiast 2008, TExSN, TExJU, TExFH, ChSN, ChJU, ChFH, ChWC, ChST, ChCL, ChJP, NAJ, NJP, PK2, PG1, PJ1, SSA, SS, NJC, NGC, HSCs, PT

Jury ChSN, ChJU, ChFH, CL4-H, CL4-S, CL4-F, CL3-R, PG1, PJ1, PT

Nico OA, OAJ - my best friend, waiting at the bridge

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Flexible Training Options for Our Saturday Classes

We are pleased to announce that we will soon be offering Flexible Training Options for many of our Saturday classes. Each class will be offered as a rolling enrollment class; you can sign up whenever you are ready, pay for the class, and choose your own start date...No more waiting for a class to start!

Flexible Training Options will be available for our Beginner Obedience, Level Two Obedience, and our new Games, Tricks, and Agilty Prep class. We hope to offer this option for Agility classes as well. If you are interested in finding out more about how these classes will work, please contact Michelle at michelle@geminidogs.com. We look forward to seeing you in class!

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Agility Run-Thrus on Wednesday Nights


We're starting up again! Starting January 14th...Indoor agility run-thrus are being offered starting at 6:00pm. Courses will be nested for novice and advanced levels. Cost is $10 per dog for as many runs as you'd like. We sign up dogs in order of attendance and by jump height order and let everyone go through the course once, then restart the list and have you all go again, then just keep going till you're done for the night!
We do prefer that you pre-register for run-thrus, so if you are interested in attending at some point, just go to http://www.geminidogs.com/seminar_register.htm to complete a short registration form.

Run-thrus are limited to experienced agility class handlers with prior knowledge of equipment please; this means that your dog has been enrolled in multiple sessions of agility class and can perform all of the basic obstacles in a series. If your dog attends classes with us, you should be in Intermediate Agility. Just ask your instructor if your dog is ready!

Friday, December 12, 2008

We're Open During the Ice Storm: Come On Down!


Yes, we are still open for boarding and daycare dogs in this nasty ice storm! Our power is back on, and we have staff here 24/7. We have received word from a lot of you that your homes do not have power and some people are heading to friends' homes or to hotels.

We are accepting unexpected guests (call first if you can), assuming that your dog is up-to-date with his medical records on file here; so come on down! Your pooch is the next contestant on the Spot is right!

You can reach us at 978-486-9922. And just in case the land line phones go out, you can reach Gemini's owner, Michelle, at 978-387-3663. Be safe out there!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Gemini Dogs Fosters Two Pomeranians in Need of Home

A few weeks ago, a man came into our office with two Pomeranians, and surrendered them to us, saying that he was no longer able to care for them. Now, we are NOT a shelter, and we do not make it a habit to take in stray dogs. However, when faced with the possibilities of what someone might do with their dogs if we don't help them, I would rather take the dogs and know that they get to the right place rather than finding out later that they were almost killed crossing the street after they were "set free" to make their own way. I've actually seen that happen with a shepherd mix out on 495, and it's actually why I am now here at Gemini and not still working in a software company! But that's another story. Anyway...
They came with the names Den and Stinky, but we have since re-named them Oreo and Buttercup. We originally planned to take them to an animal shelter that same day, but in conversation, we found some people that wanted to come down and have a look at them, so we kept the dogs here and while we waited for those and other people to get back to us, and as one day led to the next...well, they're still here!
Oreo is a black male with white around his chin, and he is missing some upper teeth, which makes his tongue stick out a little - we find this quite adorable! He's a bit of a couch potato, is a little hesitant when he is approached by someone new, but ultimately enjoys being held and cuddled. We were told that Oreo was the same age as his sister, but the vet believes him to be more like 6-8 years old.
Buttercup is a sable-colored female, who has a bit more spunk than her brother, she's playful and happy, but she can also be a cuddly bear like Oreo. She is about 4 years old.
Both dogs arrived with some crazy shaved-all-different-lengths-fur, which our groomer, Ashley, tried to smooth out a bit for them. So although they don't look so much like Poms at the moment, they will get fluffier as the hair grows back!
We took the dogs to our vet of choice, Littleton Animal Hospital, who examined them and administered their vaccines, as they did not come to us with any medical records. Both dogs are unaltered, so they would need to be fixed once they are adopted. Oreo has some dental issues, which may require that some teeth be extracted, but otherwise both dogs are in good health, with no major (or minor) issues.

They have been introduced to other dogs in our daycare, and are slowly making friends. We haven't seen any behavior that would concern us regarding their temperment; no aggression, no resource guarding, no excessive barking, etc.
We did find someone who is very interested in the female, Buttercup. But we really want to find them a forever home where they can be together. Or at the very least, we want to adopt them out at the same time to different homes, and put those two owners in touch. It would break my heart to send Buttercup to a new home, and leave Oreo here alone waiting for someone to take him home...so if you know of someone who might want to adopt both of them or even just Oreo, please send them our way!
To come down and see them, just give us a call at 978-486-9922. They are boarding with us and participating in daycare so they are here 24/7 with a staff member. We are open to visitors 6:00am-7:00pm, and until 10:00pm by appointment.
We are also putting together a little fund for Oreo's teeth. We know that he's going to need some dental work, and we figured if we can raise the money to get some of his dental work done before he is adopted, it might help him to find a home. (Or at least we can pay for part of his dental bill if he gets adopted before we raise all the money.) Donations will be deposited into the Gemini Dogs Disaster Animal Response Team account, so that we can keep the funds aside. We will be taking donations by cash or by check made out to "Gemini Dogs DART" at 53-B Ayer Road, Littleton, MA 01460. You may drop off a donation at our daycare/boarding/grooming entrance; just label the donation envelope with Oreo's name. And say hello to Oreo and Buttercup while you're here!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Teardrops for Sophie

Sophie Noroian

Way back when we first opened in Littleton, many moons ago, Sophie started attending daycare at Gemini Dogs. She has been a Gemini Dog for longer than any other dog in daycare!
You may remember seeing Sophie in the daycare office when dropping off your dog for daycare; she had a stroke a while back and was considered a "special needs" dog by our staff, who rewarded her with her very own place to hang out in the daycare office while she was here for daycare.
Sophie was a sweet and loving dog with a wonderful owner who loved her very, very much. Even when Sophie wasn't feeling well, she always tried to get up so she could nuzzle and lick you when you went to pet her.
Sophie's name has been added to our "All Dogs Go to Heaven" wall, where she received her own cloud and we will think of her fondly each time we pass by that wall. Sophie earned a special place in all of our hearts and we will miss her dearly.
We were so blessed to have the opportunity to care for Sophie in her last days, and to have the chance to make a difference in her life. We miss you, Sophie! And we love you!

Monday, November 10, 2008

Free Day of Doggie Daycare for Veterans


We are offering a free day of doggie daycare on Tuesday for any member of the U.S. Military!

If you or a member of your immediate family is on Active Duty, Retired, or in the National Guard, just sign in at the counter when you drop off your dog...and thank you for your service to our country!

Please note that attendance in doggie daycare requires pre-registration.

Friday, October 31, 2008

A Pretty Pumpkin


Here is D'Artagnan Montanari from Littleton.
Aw, isn't Dart just the cutest little pumpkin ever? Have you got a pumpkin, too? Send yours in and we'll post your pup's photo too!

Bella as the infamous outlaw, Belle Starr

Bella as the infamous outlaw, Belle Starr.

Bella enjoys daycare, obedience training, and agility classes at Gemini Dogs.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Search & Rescue/Detection Dogs Visit Gemini Dogs

Over the past three days, Gemini Dogs has been host to a seminar for active Search & Rescue Dogs and Detection Dogs. Members of area police forces and Search and Rescue (SAR) teams came together to work on furthering their dogs skills in scent detection during the three-day workshop.
Some of the attendees were from an organization named MARK9, whose Search Dog Teams provide services to Law Enforcement Agencies and Fire/Rescue Agencies free of charge and statewide upon request, to assist in locating lost persons due to a multitude of situations. MARK9 searches for victims of crimes or evidence of a crime, and can also search for victims of fires.

Other attendees brought dogs from some of the New Hampshire Police Departments who search for drugs or narcotics, bombs, or participate in criminal pursuits.
For further information about making a donation to assist MARK9 in its volunteer efforts, please call: 617.775.7968 or email CzechGSD@macrt.org.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Treats for Faith!

Good news for another Gemini Dogs pooch!

I have to brag a little - Faith just got her first Level 3 Rally-O leg and did it in her first Level 3 Class!!

It wasn't anywhere near perfect (189), but she got the job done and had moments that were terrific (and some moments that were less terrific - but adequate).

- Laurel and Faith the Mala-munchkin
Congrats!

Friday, September 19, 2008

CGC Test on Oct. 2 at 7 PM

Does your dog have what it takes to be called a Canine Good Citizen? Take the test and find out! Go here for info on the CGC test and to register.

  • CGC Test at Gemini Dogs
  • Oct. 2, 7PM

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Summer run-thrus are over. Will restart soon indoors.

Outdoor run-thrus are on hold as we prepare to move indoors. They will re-start indoors in the next few weeks. Watch for more info or send us an email so that we can notify you when they start up again!

Hope you had fun running around outside this summer!