Hello Pet Parents!

Summer is officially here! As I sit here and type this I can't believe that on July 1st it's been a year since taking the helm at Luckydog. Simply put, a lot of exciting changes have happened over the last twelve months and we have more great things lined up for the future.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge my amazing staff, giving a special shout out to the Rini sisters. Kristen played an integral role in the development of Luckydog over the past 11 years and Katie joined in on the action 3 years later. Their passion, extensive knowledge base, drive, and stellar problem solving skills have helped to make Luckydog what it is today. They, and the rest of my staff, have helped to make the transition over the last year nearly seamless. They are what make Luckydog great and I can't thank them enough.

In this issue we are highlighting some of the cool investments that have already been implemented for the dogs (staff are pretty psyched about them too) and some upcoming changes that I am confident you will love.

As always, if you ever have concerns or suggestions please feel free to reach out. My ears are always open.Thank you for your continued support. We are nothing without our clients and are glad you are part of our family.

Lots of love,
Dee Dee Fasquel
Owner - Luckydog

Investments

Here at Luckydog, we strive to provide the best possible care for your furry family members. In order to do just that, we’ve invested in some pretty cool tools that will allow your pups to stay happy and healthy while in our care all summer long.

• Portacool Cyclone 160 (aka Big Bertha) – a game changer for the indoor play area. This evaporative cooler with a 36” blade was tailor made to address our 1700 sq ft indoor daycare space with an open garage door. The dogs love the cool breeze and staff aren’t complaining either! Did I mention that it’s HUGE?!
• 4 New Pools – One Dog One Bone – 84 gallon pools made of truck bed lining. Nearly indestructible and easy to clean. We have 3 large bone shaped pools and a small paw print pool for the littles (that the big dogs sometimes like to like to commandeer)
• Shade sails – 3 – 24’ heavy duty shade sails that maximize shade especially in the late afternoon sun
• Misters – a staff favorite. It’s like a resort patio in the back. Jealous? You should be! Your dogs are living it up Luckydog style!
• Overhaul on the HVAC (new compressor) – she is purring like a kitten and keeping the boarding area consistently nice and cool
• K9 Ballistics – chew proof elevated beds and nesting beds (coming soon). We already have the super cool K9 Ballistics elevated beds in our Simple Suites but are adding their nesting beds to our indoor daycare space for afternoon nap time

Pack Management- Utilizing Crates

Crates are a tool used to manage arousal. Although the term “time out” often has negative connotations, it should be looked at more literally. Have you ever had a stressful day at work and taken just five minutes to go outside and decompress? This is the same thing we have in mind when we give dogs a crate break. Issues can arise from this because a handler’s goal is different than the pet parent’s expectation.

Luckydog’s facility gives dogs a safe place to exercise and socialize. While it would be much easier to let the dogs run rampant while we go get some quality Netflix time in, this is clearly not the right way. Most adult dogs have the ability to self regulate, but this tends to change in a daycare setting. Puppies need our help to learn this skill so they can play in a healthy manner.

When we crate a dog, dependent on the reason, we set a timer for a tolerable amount of time for them (this ranges from a few seconds to ten minutes), and release them with lots of praise. It’s easy to forget something when you have forty dogs playing around you! We want the crate to be a safe and comfortable space for everyone. Then, when we release a dog, they return to their friends with a fresh face instead of a wild one.The amount of exercise a dog gets in one single day of daycare is likely more than quadruple their normal routine at home. I don’t know about all of you, but my current level of fitness simply wouldn’t allow me to go straight from casual runner to marathon champ. Dogs are no different! With this in mind, you can see how important it is to give all of our playful pups plenty of opportunities to rest.

In addition, I want to assure you that while our technique may differ from the dog park romp routine, we are dedicated to your dog’s experience. In daycare, with all of the fun things to bark at, jump on, and wrestle with, a few moments to rest and return to a normal emotional state are key to maintaining a happy pack.We love watching the dogs interact! We enjoy our time with the dogs and love to watch them learn and grow. A little break is good for everyone and we will continue to do our best to ensure that every dog gets what they need.

Featured Employee- Katie Rini

Katie is an Oregon coast native who spent her time as a child building forts and exploring the natural splendour of the Oregon woods. As a teenager, she and her family split their time between Oregon and Baja California, where she learned to surf and play rock and roll. Upon graduating high school at 17, she moved to Eugene to enroll at UO and simultaneously found the awesome opportunity to work at Luckydog. She received her Bachelors in History with a Spanish minor with honors and has been with Luckydog for 8 years now – impressive, I know! She is our current boarding manager and will be transitioning into the operations manager in the near future. Katie’s stellar work ethic, attention to detail, and passion for dog care has made her an invaluable asset to the team. We are lucky to have her!

Coming Soon!

Expanding Weekend Hours – I am pleased to announce, once staffing is in place later this summer, that we will be expanding our weekend hours! This means weekend drop off and pick up times windows will be larger and more flexible for you! I will be notifying everyone once the expansion takes place via email. Keep your eyes peeled!

Adventure club expansion – Due to an overwhelming demand, we will soon be expanding Adventure Club to 5 days a week. If you’re unsure of what Adventure Club is, it is a 75 min hike, with a small group of dogs, in the beautiful Oregon landscape. We recently obtained access to 400 acres of private land in the SE hills as well as other not-so-secret locales around the emerald valley. There are some requirements to be eligible to join the club, please visit https://luckydogcare.com/dog-walking/ for the details. If you think your pup would be a good fit, please reach out directly to Stacey Lambert at stacey@luckydogcare.com

Retail – We will soon be carrying retail items Luckydog. In an attempt not to turn the lobby into a shopping mall we are limiting the items to a few quality products that we use at Luckydog. Specifically, West Paw toys made in the US and recyclable. You may recognize the “bones” we use in the daycare space. These items are high quality and nearly indestructible, trust me, we’ve tested them. We will also carry the NutriSource SalmonTreats that we have at the front desk as well as high quality dog food. I am currently working with a few veterinarians to research brands and will keep you posted when I decide on one – if you have a special request please let me know. In addition to our Luckydog swag we will be carrying quick release collars as they are a requirement at Luckydog (and no, the trendy brew pub seat belt style collars (that are super cute) are not quick release). I am still researching brands, if you have one you love (preferably with a metal clasp) please let me know. Finally, if you have special requests for retail that you would like me to carry please email me and I will consider it dee@luckydogcare.com

Vin and Vango Paint Party!

Do you like dogs? Do you like wine? If you answered yes to both I’m thinking this may be for you! I am organizing a private party at Vin and Vango for members of the Luckydog family. You will need to provide a few photos of your pup and they will provide a canvas with a general outline of your dog – oh yeah – and wine! We will be painting our dogs whilst sipping libations – a good time for all! Once I get it scheduled I will send up the sign up link. Vin and Vango fees apply and space is limited. Please keep your eyes peeled for the email invite!

Friendly Reminders

Lucky Limo

5 days a week Mon-Fri. Don’t have time to drop off or pick up? Luckydog Limo to the rescue! Scheduled appointments are recommended and there are discount packages available for standing appointments.

Holiday reservations and peak season rates

We are already accepting bookings as far out as spring break 2020. Please make sure to book as far in advance as possible as we are busier than ever and it is a horrible feeling for us to have to turn people away. Beginning on Thanksgiving of 2019 we are implementing a 10% increase during peak holiday periods. This is to help cover the cost of increased staffing so that we can continue our high level of animal care during our busiest times. This includes all days surrounding major holidays as well as spring break. Again, please make sure to book your boarding stay as soon as you can!

Voicemail

Have you ever called Luckydog and had it go to voicemail? There are reasons for that and I would like to explain why. As a former longtime client, I understand the importance of being available to have full attention and quick response times to our clientele that are in the lobby. Most people are on their way to work, in a hurry to get home, or in need of booking reservations and/or renewing packages. Delivering a high level of care to your dogs is labor intensive and staff are always on the go.  Finally, our phone calls rarely involve short conversations and I want to make sure that our day to day client interactions, and attention to your canines, are executed with minimal interruption. What we do, however, is frequently check voicemail so that any pressing needs can be addressed. If you call and we are unable to pick up please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as possible. With that said, the best way to get ahold of us is via email (bark@luckydogcare.com).

Summer is here and we are cooler than ever!

We are so excited about all the awesome and positive changes happening here at Luckydog, and we hope you are too. As we’ve closed in on our first year under new ownership, we cannot thank you all enough for being amazing clients (and having awesome pups) and for all of your continued support!

Wag On!