» Daycare

Pretty Peach and her rescue story

Mandy — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:33:53 +0000

Our Peach is definitely the prettiest Peach … and the sweetest … and the fastest. And she has an amazing rescue story that only makes her more special.

Peach will be 4 years old in October, and those of us at Good Dog see her as graceful, gentle and loving – whether she’s greeting us in our lobby or playing in daycare. You’d never guess she survived a terrifying past full of abuse, abandonment and starvation.

Our friend Chase adopted her in 2009 from the Indianapolis Humane Society. He had been looking for a large breed dog, preferably female, and was browsing the IHS website during a business trip in Denver. As soon as he saw her picture, he called the Humane Society staff and told them he’d visit immediately upon his return. They were honest up front, indicating the dog was special and would need a special owner – she was EXTREMELY timid due to suffering abuse and neglect.

Peach and her brother were found abandoned near the south side of downtown. Both showed signs of physical abuse and were starving to death. Unfortunately her brother didn’t survive, but our brave Peach managed to hang on. The Humane Society staff said she was initially fearful of humans – they would sit gently in her stall and read books as she cowered and shook in the corner. Needless to say they had a difficult time finding her forever home. Despite the warnings, Chase approached her in her stall. Defying all expectation, she walked right up to him and gave him a tiny kiss on the leg. Everyone at the shelter sobbed at the sight.

Her shelter name was Morgan, but Chase decided to rename her – it would symbolize a new beginning. As he pondered names, his friend Jill mentioned her coat was the color of a peach, and Morgan immediately looked at Jill. His friend Joey said “Peach,” and she turned her gaze to him. And that was that. When people ask how Peach got her name, Chase tells them she chose it.

Chase says Peach has transformed from a terrorized, tortured soul to the sweetest, most gentle dog. The old Peach would run and hide when anyone visited her home. The new Peach is social and graceful at Good Dog and everywhere she goes. She is notoriously fast and muscular (anyone who regularly visits the Broad Ripple dog park can vouch for this). And she loves to car surf in dad’s SUV (i.e. standing perfectly positioned between the two front seats, balancing and shifting her weight whenever the car makes a turn). If you’ve seen Peach and Chase in Broad Ripple, you’re not alone … he has worked tirelessly to socialize her and give her a better life, and it most certainly shows.

Like all rescues, Peach changed her dad’s life for the better. She not only filled the void in his heart after his first dog passed, she made him more patient, and showed how simple kindness and love can truly repair the soul. Chase says Peach may not be perfect, but she is perfect for him … just the thought of her can bring a smile to his face on a bad day. We are so proud of Peach for the beautiful girl she is today (and if you’re wondering about her breed, click the link below her photos for her DNA test). Most importantly, we’re very grateful to her dad for rescuing her and making her a part of our life!

Click here to see Peach’s DNA test!

Rags’ Rescue

Mandy — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 14:16:21 +0000

In 2006, our friend Rags was living in a kill shelter, with an uncomfortable and heavily matted coat that gave him his very fitting name. He sported an off-center jaw and some missing teeth, so the shelter staff thought he was living with a cleft palate. But it only added to his charm … Rags’ tongue dangled out of his mouth just a bit, and his crooked jaw gave him a “smile” that probably saved his life. Beth Middleton – who happens to be one of Tiki’s biggest fans – found him on Petfinder and rescued him immediately.

In a stroke of strange luck, Rags developed an ongoing sinus issue shortly after his adoption and required some x-rays, which showed he had survived being shot in the head at close range – likely within about 5 yards. The 22-caliber bullet damaged his palate before lodging safely between two cervical vertebrae. Over time, about a third of his teeth required removal, which created the notorious hanging tongue as it is today – most definitely his “mark of distinction.” Rags still has bone and metal fragments logged in his tissue, but Beth is proud to report he has no problems eating. Despite experiencing something so frightening, Rags has a wonderful personality and has been one of our daycare favorites for years.

Beth says Rags was active right from the start – so much so that she thought he might’ve been possessed. He relished racing with other pups in the dog park and was famous for jumping 4-foot fences in Good Dog’s daycare facility. As he’s aged, he now prefers to find a soft spot to rest and “patrol” the surrounding activity. He also likes to sneak up behind people and give a good ear lickin’.

When Beth does her marketing work from home, Rags serves as her officer manager, stress reliever and comic relief. He gets a good walk twice a day and usually sleeps on the floor of the office, muttering little “yips” in his sleep and thumping his tail. Occasionally he’ll try to join the conversation when she’s on the speaker phone with clients.

Beth says Rags is “perfect due to his imperfections,” and we couldn’t agree more. Rags taught her that our quirks and imperfections are what make us special and lovable – and that goes for humans as well as dogs. She lovingly refers to him as her “bulletproof boy” and “the cutest dog in the world,” though she sometimes secretly admits Tiki could give Rags a run for his money in any beauty contest. We want to thank Beth for not only rescuing Rags, but for making him a part of our Good Dog family … We are lucky to have you both in our life!

A collage of Rags created by one of Beth’s friends, from a photo when Rags was about 18 months old.

A look at Doodles

Mandy — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:30:06 +0000

This is the second installment in our ongoing series on popular dog breeds. This week we take an in-depth look at doodles … a.k.a. Labradoodles and Goldendoodles.

Doodle isn’t just a funny word to say – it’s a pretty fantastic kind of pooch, if you ask us at Good Dog. There are two types of doodles, and both share a very similar heritage. The Labradoodle (or poodle/lab hybrid) was originally bred as an allergy-friendly seeing-eye dog by the Australian Guide Dog Association in 1989, then grew in popularity in North America in the mid-90s thanks to the breed’s allergy-friendly, family-friendly reputation. Similarly, the Goldendoodle (golden retriever/poodle mix) got its start around the same time, as many families sought an allergy-friendly version of the popular Labrador retriever. Doodles fit their niches perfectly and have been popular ever since.

Poodle crosses usually inherit the fur qualities of the poodle, though not the texture, which means most doodles don’t shed or shed lightly, and don’t produce high levels of the dander that causes allergic reaction in humans. Their coats can be cream, gold, tan, brown, gray, black, or a combination, depending on parentage, of course. But their beautiful shed-free appearance isn’t the only reason doodles are popular. According to AKC statistics for 2011, labs are the most popular dog in America, goldens are fourth, and poodles rank eighth. The hybrid cross between these parent breeds make terrific family dogs – they are incredibly friendly, intelligent, affectionate and easy to train.

We have more than 200 doodles at Good Dog – 120 goldendoodles and 95 labradoodles – and they are all equally amazing in their own ways. Our daycare regular Lucy Neville (below) is a relatively small goldendoodle with a quiet, gentle, friendly personality. She has one of the most beautiful coats we’ve ever seen — silky and slightly wavy, with a reddish tint that obviously comes from her red golden parentage.

Darwin and Wally Houchin (below, exercising in the woods) are larger goldendoodles with a blondish-white coat more resembling a poodle’s. They are outgoing, talkative and energetic, and they make exceptional ‘big brothers’ to the many rescue dogs that their owner often fosters.

Millie Welch, a daycare favorite pictured below, is wonderfully congenial and sweet – so much so that she was voted Prom Queen of Daycare in Good Dog’s 2001 yearbook poll! Her coat is the perfect shade of grayish black (from her black lab side) and perfectly curly (from her poodle genes).

As you can see, doodles can be very similar yet vastly different – and not just when it comes to the color of their coat. Their size can vary significantly according to parentage, for instance. Typically there are three ranges for the breed: standard doodles weigh about 50 pounds or more — and some can reach 100 pounds if mom and dad are large specimens for their breed. Medium doodles range from 30 to 50 pounds, and small or miniature doodles between 15 and 30 pounds. (Miniatures come from a miniature or toy poodle parent).

Overall, doodles are people-oriented, friendly, smart and social — though like all dogs, they come with their own challenges. Labs and goldens are famously energetic and intelligent, as are their offspring, so doodles can require a lot of exercise and may need to be occupied often. As with any dog, if you’re considering a doodle, do plenty of research before you bring one home and chat with our dog trainer Adam Moos, who has trained many doodles and has plenty of knowledge and advice on the breed. Better yet, come visit us and observe our doodle regulars as they’re playing in daycare. We always love visitors, and so do our daycare dogs!

The Great, Bouncing, Bailey Meglin

ktdietzel — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:39:24 +0000

Hi there! My name is Bailey Meglin. I’m a male Goldendoodle, and I’m 4 years old. I’ve been coming to Good Dog daycare since 2006. I love it here. I’m actually quite familiar with Good Dog. Not only do I get to play in the day care, I also stay in the hotel, AND I’m groomed here by Jammie.

I’m told that I’m a VERY bust guy! When I’m not at Good Dog, I’m training to become a Therapy Dog. There’s a special program where prisoners train dogs and their owners so that we can become various service dogs!

When I’m finished with my training, I’ll be able to go to the hospital with my mom to visit patients and brighten up their stay! I can’t wait!

When I’m at daycare, I’m a very sweet and affectionate guy! I’m most famous for my kangaroo bouncing trick! I’ve been bouncing since I was a puppy and can get completely airborne! I really resemble a kangaroo when I jump, and I do this jumping trick whenever I’m excited! Everyone loves it.

In daycare, you’ll typically see me play with the big dogs since I’m a bigger dog. My best friends are Samantha, Juice and Clyde. They like my jumping tricks too. Thanks for reading my post. Come in and see my jumping tricks. If you’re ever in the hospital, I’ll come cheer you up too!

Bring on the funny

ktdietzel — Tue, 04 May 2010 20:35:33 +0000

Do you have a funny dog? We’re talking one (or more) that that has some serious stomach crunching antics, crack-you-up kind of funny, that would put cats on YouTube to shame kind of dog? Well, we’ve seen some of the funny business that happens around Good Dog Hotel’s attendees, so we’ve decided that it’s time for a competition!

Everyone LOVES funny animals, and so do we! We’ve been collecting some great videos of our pups having fun and enjoying themselves in Day Care, and now we want to give you the chance to get in on the fun!

So pull out that Flip Cam or video cam and start rolling! If you catch your dog doing something fun, funny, ornery, or cute, take a video of it and join our contest! Upload it onto YouTube or Vimeo account and send us a link to info@gooddoghotel.com. In the subject line, type ‘contest’. We’ll be featuring the videos on our site, and everyone will have a chance to vote. This contest is open to ALL Indianapolis dogs.

We must have all the videos in by May 21st. The voting will begin the last week of May and we’ll give you instructions on how to vote coming up. Follow our stream on Twitter and Facebook to keep updated and we’ll be using these streams to make your dog a star.

Our Video Challenge will run through the month of May, and we will announce the winner at the beginning of June! And just like our Halloween Costume Contest, we will have some amazing prizes!

Bring on the funny! Questions?

Saying Goodbye

ktdietzel — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:22:41 +0000

Hello Indy dogs and friends. We’re Rupac and Owsley. We’re both 2 years old boys and are Rottweiler mixes. Today is kind of a sad day. This is technically our last Friday at Good Dog Daycare. We’ve been coming here for over a year. Half of our life has been spent with the amazing people here. They’ve seen us grow from pup to dog.

WHY is it our last Friday? …Glad you asked. You see, we’re moving to another state next week. It’s scary and exciting all at the same time. Our parents decided to move, so we’re along for the ride. We can only hope our parents will find as awesome a doggie daycare as Good Dog. We’ll also miss Indianapolis.

We are both really big and super playful. You could say we are definitely a presence when we enter daycare. However, we are NOT aggressive. We’re energetic. We made a deal that we wouldn’t act like some brothers or brother/sister pairs. We’ve seen some that are kinda mean and act like “bullies,” ganging up on other dogs. Nope. We don’t like that. We’d rather be friends and playmates with the dogs we’re around everyday. That’s how we’ve been able to become best friends with Clyde, Favory, and Max Ford. (We’ll miss you so, so much!)

We’re the type of dogs that can really control a room. The energy level increases as soon as we come to daycare, but in a good way…probably because we don’t really lay down that much. We’d rather go, go, go and play, play, play. And now we’re on the move…quite literally.

Well, Good Dog ~ we’ll miss you. We promise to send photos of the new places we end up, and we promise to send photos of us as we grow up. The new doggy daycare will have big shoes to fill. Thank you for loving us and caring for us all this time!

My name is Bailey MacDonald

ktdietzel — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:37:49 +0000

Hello World!

I’m pretty excited to be featured in Good Dog Hotel’s blog today because it is the perfect ending to a perfect week. It has been so beautiful outside. Although I love the snow, springtime is much more fun because I love to be outdoors and it’s not so messy.

Well, my name is Bailey MacDonald. I’m a Terrier/Aussie Mix. I’m almost 3 years old, and I’ve been coming to doggie daycare in Indianapolis for over half my life. My first time was back in February 2008! I think it’s the best decision my parents could have made!

So, I’m a little prissy, but at the same time, I’m very sweet. The staff at Good Dog Hotel calls me “little Bailey,” which I love. There is something endearing about it. I love to play fetch, and the staff plays fetch with me all the time, but I’m very particular about which ball I’m fetching. I have a favorite that’s blue. I could go all day long playing fetch with that ball.

I have lots of friends in doggie daycare but I’ll admit, I really like to be hanging out with the little dogs. There’s just something about being the biggest dog in the area and playing with them! Many of the dogs follow me around…perhaps because I’m such a beauty? Speaking of, I’m pretty sure Bartholomew has a little crush on me because he hangs around quite often. I like him, but not like that. Maybe it’s because I get so much attention from the humans. I just love to be held by them and love to lick their faces. Good Dog, doggie daycare gives me plenty of faces to lick!

Meet Rebecca

ktdietzel — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:00:04 +0000

Good Dog Hotel would not be where it is today without our trained staff. We have such a great team of amazing people who truly love what they do on a daily basis. Rebecca is one of our valued staff.

Rebecca has been with Good Dog Hotel and Spa for nearly two years. She has expressed that she wouldn’t leave for anything. We’re happy about that and lucky to have her.

She loves dogs and has four of her own: Casey, a 13 year-old mix rescue dog, Chloe, a 5 year-old rescue dog mix, Callie, a 9 year-old boxer, and Kylah, a 2 year-old boxer.

Rebecca has loved dogs and animals all of her life. Because she was an only child, she always had a dog growing up. Her dogs bring her joy on a daily basis and always make her laugh. “It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re surrounded by such happy and playful friends!”

Rebecca doesn’t have a favorite pooch at Good Dog. She loves each and every one of them however, since she does have four big dogs at home, she enjoys spending time with the little pups.

If you’re out and about, stop in and say hi to Rebecca! Her friendly and warm demeanor is bound to make you smile.

They love me because I'm Jasmine

ktdietzel — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 13:03:30 +0000

Good Dog Hotel and Spa has been a home away from home for me for many years. I just love all the staff there! They’ve been so good to me.

Hi! My name is Jasmine Allman. I’m 3 ½ years old, and I’m a Jack Russell Terrier. I not only get to go to daycare and play with all my pooch pals, I also get to stay in the hotel every once in a while when my parents go out of town. It’s so awesome because they treat me like a queen! Some people say I’m very friendly. I just really love people, especially friendly ones.

A special thing about me (and most Jack Russells) is that I can jump VERY high. I don’t ever jump over the fence, but I’ve sized it up and bet I could if I wanted to!

Even though I’m a smaller dog, I typically play in the medium dog area because all my friends are bigger than me. I play most often with Millie, Sophie, and Tess. They’re like three and four times my size, but that doesn’t stop us all from having a good ‘ole time!

I like to nap during the middle of the day because I get a little worn out from all the running around and jumping with my friends. So, when I do get sleepy, I have my own special shelf I like to hop on where no one will bother me. It’s my favorite place to take my afternoon nap.

I’m really happy my parents let me go to Good Dog Hotel. It’s way better than being at home all day!

Meet Chad

ktdietzel — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:14:58 +0000

Good Dog Hotel and Spa is excited to see such growth and support from our great city of Indianapolis. We are so happy to be in the heart of Broadripple off the Monon Trail. Springtime gives us the opportunity to meet pups and parents from all over as the sun begins to warm up, and we begin to get out. Our growth has been amazing. Not only has this been occurring because of YOU, our loyal clients, but also because of our committed staff. So, we’ve decided to take the next few weeks to highlight our staff.

Meet Chad. Chad has been our daycare manager for nearly a year and a half now. Chad’s sense of humor keeps everyone laughing here at Good Dog. He always has something funny to say! He is always smiling and his consistent sunny demeanor makes him refreshing to be around.

Chad’s dog, Domino, is 2 years old. He’s a black lab/pit bull mix. He loves that Domino is a mutt, and has a great balance in his disposition because of the mixes of breads. Domino will take ALL of his toys out of his toy basket at home and put them in Chad’s lap, one by one, letting Chad know that it is time to play! This is one of Chad’s favorite things about Domino.

Chad also thinks that Domino is a really good listener, but sometimes he talks back. Chad’s favorite thing about working in the daycare is that everyday is different. The mix of dogs and their moods change on a daily basis. His favorite daycare dog is Hawkeye, who he calls his ‘little buddy.’

His other favorites are Scout, Butch and Annie, and Calvin. Chad loves working at Good Dog because it is very gratifying. “You feel like you’re making a difference with the dogs and get to see how they grow and improve with their socialization and behavior,” says Chad.

A funny fact about Chad is that he can whistle and hum at the same time. Stop by and meet Chad. He’s great!