The Lounge is full

With the Christmas holiday in full swing we had standing room only here at Dogtopia of Alexandria in our new Lounge. I got the chance to hang out with a few of our lounge dogs while Lady and the Tramp was playing on the TV. I spent some time with two Great Pyrenees brothers, nice dogs but along with their other brother a Newfoundland, they sure took up quite a bit of space (if they sleep in their parents' bed's I wonder where the parents sleep).

I got the chance to bark with a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, he was an old guy but he had good stories about swimming in his parent's pool. We also had a couple of Black Labrador Retriever's in the lounge, well, more like Black and Grey Lab's.

The lounge was a nice break for me from the high energy and ruckus of the gym. But it’s time to get back, its half time of the Kong Bowl and I'm the leading receiver for the Golden Retriever team.

Human-Friendly Dog Cookies

One of our pack leaders here at Dogtopia of Alexandria wanted to share a recipe she picked up from Chef George Duran from the Food Network. They are delicious doggie (and human) treats! The recipe is as follows:

2 cups whole wheat flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup wheat germ
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
¼ cup carob chips
¼ cup honey
2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed

Heat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Put the cinnamon, cornmeal, flour and wheat germ into a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the carob chips, eggs, honey and 1 tablespoon of water. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together to form a smooth dough. Add water if it feels to dry. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Dust your counter with some flour and roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into shapes using a dog bone cookie cutter. Place on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cookies are well browned. Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Once they’re cool, be sure to eat lots of these scrumptious treats, but be sure to share with your two-legged friends.

*Recipe can also be found on the food network site.

Christmas Time

It’s getting colder outside, and the snow is starting to fall. Do you know what that means? That’s right! It’s almost Christmas! And, we pooches deserve some presents under the Christmas tree too.
Many of my friends at Dogtopia of Alexandria are getting gift certificates for daycare. What a great gift to get! It’s a gift of socialization, exercise and play for any dog in your life. Not to mention that daycare is a chance for us dogs to make a lot of friends.

Another gift idea that I love is toys. Who doesn’t love those? Kongs make great toys because you can hide treats in them, but at Dogtopia, we feature a variety of plush and rawhide toys from Barkley Square.

To get your doggie ready for all the holiday parties, treat him or her to a long, luxurious bath featuring Shea Pet’s eco-friendly grooming products. Just one use of these products and you won’t be getting all the compliments on your beautiful winter coat.

Joey and Jesse

Over the last month, I had a pair of new friends to play with here at Dogtopia of Alexandria. Joey and Jesse, white Miniature Schnauzers, came to Virginia with their mom, who was on business. So, for a whole month, Joey and Jesse played with me every day.

These two were characters. They were twins, so no one could tell them apart. Each had his own collar, so that we knew who was who. But, even those didn’t stop us from getting confused every once in awhile. You would call for Jesse, but Joey would run over!

And, these guys didn’t bark like the rest of us. Nope. We knew they were coming, because they always let out high-pitched shrieks. Even when their mom was around, they talked very loudly.

Sadly, Joey and Jesse’s last day was Saturday, Dec. 1. They returned home to South Carolina. Maybe one day, they will come back to visit us at Dogtopia.

My Good Friend Bella

Sometimes a dog comes through Dogtopia of Alexandria's doors that is so silly that you just have to laugh. My friend, Bella, is one such dog.

From the moment I met this Miniature Bulldog, I knew she was going to be a lot of fun to have in the gym. With enough personality to fill the room, all the dogs, especially the boys, love her. However, she has a wild streak that keeps the pack leaders on their toes.

Last Tuesday, Bella came to play for Dog Daycare. She kept us entertained by using the pack leader’s pants as a chew toy. Anytime she would take a step, Bella was there to slow her down. The clever girl also untied her shoes! And, Bella got into a bit of tug-o-war of the mop, but in the end, the pack leader prevailed.

Bella can sometimes be found barking at the futon for no reason. She’s so crazy that she hides under the futon sheet. Her favorite thing to do is scratch her back on the walls and crates, even though the pack leaders are eager to oblige all of us dogs in a good back scratching.

She is definitely a doggie friend that I love to play with and love to be around because she is such a comedian and all-around good time.