On Tuesdays, Patrick and I, along with our three dogs, Cassidy, Tiberius, and Zuma, have been hosting playtime for five to six energetic dog guests. Doggie playtime gives our canine guests time away from their normal routines and gives their humans time to focus on human-oriented activities and responsibilities.

Our favorite thing about doggie playtime is watching friendships develop between frequent playtime guests.

Doggie playtime at Rover's Ranch is all about relationships.  Along with all the play bows, running, sniffing, ball-chasing, and quiet time sharing a toy with another dog, watching our neighbor's sheep, or snuggling with us, there's a whole lot of socialization going on. 

Here are just a few fun photographs of a typical doggie playtime.  Enjoy.  We sure do and the dogs definitely do!

Well, what do you know, today is National Puppy Day!  Perhaps we are biased, but we sort of think every day should be National Puppy Day.  Puppies are adorable.  They are like little sponges, so ready to soak up the world around them.  They represent such promise and such innocence, and they are just so darned cute.  Socialization, positive behavioral training, follow through, consistency, appreciation of a puppy's fear periods, loads of love and loads of patience are all key elements of puppy parenting.  At some point in bringing up a puppy, it is really helpful to have some support for providing all of the above.  With that in mind, we thought we'd share a list put together by a locally based company that specializes in dog literature and more:  Dogwise.  In addition to reading and watching DVDs, we always recommend hooking up with a trainer and joining a puppy class.  We are happy to give you recommendations for training possibilities both here in the Methow Valley and in Wenatchee.  Meanwhile, here's the link to Dogwise - http://www.dogwise.com/SearchResults.cfm?Search=puppies&SubSearch=Books

Some of our favorite books (or books by some of our favorite trainer/authors) are listed below.  

First, though, you'll note that this post has no photos.  Instead, we have a request for each of you - we would love to see your puppy photos!  Could you please share a few with us?

PUPPY CULTURE: THE POWERFUL FIRST 12 WEEKS THAT CAN SHAPE YOUR PUPPY'S FUTURE DVD
Jane Killion 

ATTENTION IS THE MOTHER OF ALL BEHAVIORS EPISODES ONE AND TWO DVD
Jane Killion

PUPPY PRIMER, 2ND EDITION
by Brenda Scidmore & Patricia McConnell

WAY TO GO! - HOW TO HOUSETRAIN A DOG OF ANY AGE
Patricia McConnell and Karen London

CRATE GAMES - FOR SELF CONTROL AND MOTIVATION DVD
Susan Garrett

 

On occasion, we'll get a dog or two who doesn't like snow, but that is rare!  Really rare!  Today,  all of the dogs are part of the Methow Valley chorus of happy voices crying with delight:  "Yay!  It's snowing!!!!"  This means many more days of romping in the white stuff.  Take a look at some of our happy campers doing just that.  It's hard to say which of the photos best depicts fun - whether its two happy sheep guard dogs from the same household, a great play-couple utilizing their mastiff and shepherd play styles to great advantage, or a corgi mix and a Jack Russell terrier playing tug!  What a great day for play!

Dogs and snow!  That, in itself, is a really fun combination.  Now add people on skis, and costumes for both the dogs and the people, and there you have it - the fabulous Annual Presidents' Day Weekend Methow Valley Doggie Dash!!!!  

What could be sillier and more fun than kids and adults and their dogs, big and small, competing in a combination costume contest and ski race?  

We will of course be there to cheer on all the participants and to help hand out prizes!  And, of course, we hope to see all of our favorite customers and their human counterparts there too!!  Come join in the fun at the Winthrop Town Trailhead on February 14, 2016.

For all the details, please hop on to the Methow Trails website.  Here is a link to their information about the event:  
​http://www.methowtrails.org/events/calendar-events/doggy-dash/

We enter this week of Thanksgiving with one thought:  we are grateful.  

When we opened Rover’s Ranch on Thanksgiving, November of 2007, we were so very grateful to our neighbors on our private residential road for accepting the extra traffic and a whole lot of dogs in the neighborhood.  Without our neighbors’ generosity, we could not have have opened Rover’s Ranch.  We continue to be very, very grateful to all our neighbors.  We are only here because of them!

The first Thanksgiving that we were open, we also were so grateful for those initial customers who came to check out our facilities and who have been coming to us ever since.  Now, here it is, Thanksgiving, eight years later.  Over the years, we have cared for and loved so many, many dogs and we have many stories to tell.  Every story comes back to the theme of gratitude, and since it is Thanksgiving, we wanted to recount some of the ways in which we are grateful.

First, we are grateful to be able to live in such a stunningly beautiful place as the Methow Valley.

We are grateful for the amazing community that exists here.  The people in this valley are compassionate, resilient, and ready to jump in with both feet to help others.

We are grateful for our neighbors, all of whom look out for each other and care for each other.

We are grateful for the valley’s talented and dedicated veterinarians, both as dog (and cat) owners ourselves and as dog caregivers.  Drs. Betsy Devin-Smith, Gina Pastore, and Terri Deweert have provided skilled care for our personal pets, and we are grateful.

We are grateful to Three Rivers Dog Training where young (and not so young) dogs can learn some social skills, some manners and how to have a good time (can you say “dog agility?”).

We are grateful to Twisp Feed and Glover Street Market for offering such healthy, good dog (and cat) food, and a caring attitude to go with it.

We are grateful to the many wonderful hotels that readily refer dog guests to our kennel, especially Sun Mountain Lodge, Central Reservations, Chewuch Inn & Cabins, Hotel Rio Vista, Methow River Lodge & Cabins, River’s Edge Resort, Winthrop Inn, Cottonwood Cottage, Mt. Gardner Inn, Methow Valley Inn, Methow Suites, Timberline Meadows, and Mazama Country Inn.

We are so very grateful to all of the valley’s first responders who have, time and time again, ensured our safety and well-being, and who serve the rest of us in the valley so selflessly.  

We are very grateful to the fire fighters of Okanogan County Fire District 6 and of the Methow Valley Ranger District, who again this year, fought so valiantly to protect us from wildfire, and to all the Okanogan Sheriffs’ Department, Aero Methow Rescue Service, the Twisp and Winthrop Police Departments for their huge efforts to keep us from harm’s way.  In that same vein, we are grateful to all our dear friends who signed up to help us evacuate the kennel if fire came our way.  (It did and they did!)

Thank you to our dear friends who put up with our dog-centric schedule and to one dear friend in particular, Marti Darling, for enabling us to take a few days off!  We appreciate you immensely!

We are especially are grateful for all our customers.  Thank you for letting us be a part of your dogs’ lives!  We feel like Uncle Patrick and Aunt Kathryn to a number of our boarders - what a gift that is!  We really enjoy getting to know each of you and your dogs, and we truly love caring for your dogs.  To watch a shy dog gain confidence in a social setting, to lead a game of fetch, or to simply gaze into the eyes of a trusting senior kennel guest is humbling and rewarding.  How fortunate we are to get to spend time with so many wonderful dogs!

We are grateful that this valley loves its dogs - and boy, does it ever!  We are grateful for the opportunity to serve the valley and its visitors by caring for these beloved companions.  Thank you for helping make this possible.

Here’s wishing all of you and your canine companions a wonderful Thanksgiving.  -

Patrick & Kathryn Heim