Finally, the temperatures and the leaves have begun to fall, and if the pollen count would just drop as well, it would be perfect fall weather! Crisp air and less shedding means it’s time for our autumn newsletter, so in this issue, we’ll be covering:
- Our thanks to you
- Our way to remember the pups we have lost
- Important info on reservations
- Ask Kathy!
- Give Us Hope!
- And again, our thanks to you all
Thanks for a fantastic Fall Back Sale!
From Kathy:
I went to the grocery store one day in August and bought four avocados, two cucumbers, and a celery stalk. My bill was $34.00. I know that prices are going up, but I was fairly shocked by that.
We hadn’t raised our prices in two years but we did last year; honestly, we needed to in order to keep up with staff salaries (we love our staff) and the increase in pricing of our supplies/equipment. That said, that trip to the grocery store made me realize that you all are seeing the same thing I saw that day. So I came home and came up with the idea to have the Fall Back sale. We are all dealing with the same things and I wanted to thank you for supporting our small local business and let you know how much I appreciate you sharing your dogs with us.
We’re glad so many of you took advantage of the sale. We know it helped you, and it helped us, too. Especially with rising utility costs going into winter, we are glad we were able to give everyone a little leg up.
A Way for All of Us to Remember
You may have noticed a new embellishment to our facility; have you seen this tree sculpture out front?
There’s a story behind it, and we hope you’ll find it comforting.
From Kathy:
A while ago I saw the story of Lake Lure, North Carolina, and I became entranced. Why? Let’s start with a story you’ll all know.
When you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be separated again. You look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
The tale of the Rainbow Bridge promises pet owners that their departed pet has gone to the Rainbow Bridge, where they run, play and have their health and youth restored. What does this have to do with Lake Lure? Lake Lure has a real rainbow bridge, peacefully tucked away on a mountain side with grassy fields and hills. Pet owners bring their beloved pets’ collars and hang them from the bridge’s rails. A sign at the entrance invites visitors to attach their pets’ collars or tags to peacefully honor and remember their four-legged family member.
While we don’t have a river or a bridge, we wanted to come up with a way to honor the pets we have lost at Rex’s Place. I still have Rex’s collar and now Seaquel’s, and I am nowhere near Lake Lure. So I asked Betsy Fiddler to design a place where people in our area could honor their pets in the same way. Instead of a bridge, we have a tree of life where we can honor our dogs who have frolicked in our facility and enriched all our lives.
I will be placing Rex’s and Seaquel’s collars there and I welcome and invite you to join us. This link will take you to the story of the North Carolina bridge.
Why Reservations Matter
We have brought this topic up many times before, but as the end-of-year holiday season approaches, it is more important than ever to emphasize that you really need to make reservations!
Only so many kennels
When we renovated and expanded our facility, we increased our kennel boarding space by 50% — and we still run out of boarding space well in advance of every holiday period. When we are out of space, there is nothing we can do to help even our most valued clients.
Rule of thumb: there are always more airplane seats than there are boarding kennels. Always reserve your boarding space!
Day Care fills up, too!
Not that long ago (and this was not on a holiday, either) we had 108 reservations for day care, plus another 25 dogs with no reservations. That’s a lot of dogs, even when we are fully staffed. And this is no shade on our team; they are amazing and thoroughly professional. But we do reach the point where we must turn dogs away. And we are reaching that point more and more frequently.
Without reservations, we cannot plan our staffing levels to match the number of dogs in the facility. Holiday periods are even more critical because dogs who board with us get day care as part of their care.
A Special Note for THIS Holiday Season:
We are fully booked for the holidays this year. That means that we already have 65-70 dogs for daycare, just with the dogs who are boarding. As a result, we will only be accepting about 30-35
Use PawPartner!
daycare reservations during the December-January holiday season. So for those of you who want your dogs to come to Day Care or Day Care Plus, please get your reservations in now or we might need to turn you away.
While it is always true that we love reservations, it becomes very difficult between Thanksgiving and New Year’s to manage our capacity without them. Thank you for understanding and helping us plan.
Making reservations is easy! Go to Paw Partner and in just a few clicks, you’re done.
Ask Kathy
Why can’t I cancel or modify my boarding reservation by myself in Paw Partner?
The reason you can’t cancel or modify a reservation yourself is because if you cancel, we have to determine if it’s within our cancellation policy (e.g., do you get your deposit back?) and/or see if we have someone on the waiting Lise that can now take the open space.
When you modify a reservation we need to see if we can accommodate the change you are requesting. For example, if you need two extra days of boarding, do we have that space for you?
The system requires us to make those changes so we can make sure they go through smoothly.
Why do you ask us to make boarding reservations so early for the holidays?
As you may have read above, it’s in your best interest. Holiday spots fill very early, even with as many kennels as we now have. And we know other facilities fill as fast or faster. We hate to turn anyone away, but there is only so much space and when it is full, there is nothing we can do.
Why do I have to take my dog’s collar off? All the information is on it.
The number one cause of death in daycare nationwide is collars left on dogs’ necks. When dogs are playing, they will grab the collar and tug it like a chew toy, and dogs have gotten sick or killed because of that. When we first started, we had peg boards up and we kept all the collars in house. But back then, we only had 30 to 40 dogs every day and it was easy. We now have at least 70 or 80 at daycare every day and it is much more difficult. Thus, we remove the collars for their safety and we ask you to take your collar with you so it won’t get lost or misplaced. You will have it where you need it.
Who should we be asking for information about how our dog does at daycare?
Such a great question. We often have people asking the staff member who is bringing their dog out to their car how their dog did in daycare that day. We have a number of staff in different rooms and the person bringing the dog out may not have been with your dog during the day, so they might not be able to give you a lot of information. You often might get a generic answer saying they had a great day or they had fun, but sometimes you may want more information than that.
It can be difficult to answer that question at pickup when we have other owners lined up to get their dog. So what’s the best way to get information? Shoot us a message on Paw Partner, and one of the people who cares for your dog during the day will be happy to answer and give you information.
Sometimes when my dog comes home, they smell of urine or something else — why?
We’ve answered this question before but it’s a good one and the answer is worth repeating. Often, it just depends on your dog. Are they a long-haired dog? Do they roll around on the floor when they’re wrestling? Are other dogs putting their mouth all over them, leaving saliva drools on them? If you’ve seen pictures that we post on Facebook, you’ll see the way they play during the day, and while they’re having fun, it may lead to a little bit of smell when they come home. Long-haired dogs tend to retain the smell a little bit longer. We do wipe off the dogs before they come home, but many people tell us they don’t like that smell either, and they prefer that we not wipe their dog down. Sometimes, it takes a little bit longer to pick your dog up, because we are wiping down the dogs and pulling them out of the room. We are often praised by the Illinois Department of Agriculture (who licenses us and performs surprise inspections) for being one of the cleanest places they inspect, but it is a dog place. Again, long-haired dogs tend to retain the smell a little bit more and it does depend on the way your dog plays.
Give Us Hope!
This issue, we are introducing a new feature to our newsletter — we “hope” you will enjoy it! Our Trainer, Hope Saidel, is here to offer you help throughout 
the seasons for life with your dog.
Fall Into Fun
The last couple months of the year get busier and more frenetic as people’s schedules fill to the brim and beyond. It can be hard to find time for those long, relaxing walks you and your dog enjoy at more leisurely times.
Without that one-on-one time with you, your dog may become bored, anxious, or both. There’s a saying among dog people, “A tired dog is a good dog.” And it’s true.
But when time is crunched, how can you make sure your dog gets the stimulation they need? Play training games!
Thinking is tiring
There’s are two reasons we hold S.T.A.R. Puppy Class at 8 a.m. on Saturdays: 1) You have a puppy so you’re awake anyway. 2) When your puppy thinks and plays games for an hour in class, they’ll sleep contentedly for at least the rest of the morning. Maybe even the rest of the day.
The effect is pretty much the same for adult dogs. It’s just not as noticeable because keeping watch on them isn’t a full-time job as it is with puppies.
Come learn the games
There’s a class for you and your dog, no matter what your situation may be. In addition to S.T.A.R. Puppy class, there’s also the Obedience/Manners class for dogs who could use some polishing. There’s “Impulse Control” Class for energetic dogs who need some curbs on their enthusiasm. The “Old Dogs, New Tricks” class is for all dogs and people who just want to have fun.
Get ready for the holidays
Just in time for all the visits from kith and kin over the next few weeks, we have a 90-minute Holiday Manners class on Saturday, December 13 from 9 to 10:30 AM. You can get nearly immediate relief from your dog jumping on guests, stealing food, counter surfing and all the other exciting fun that the holidays bring!
For dogs with some basic skills and nowhere to use them, the Rally Class on Wednesday evenings in the Arena is the crown jewel. Rally dogs hone their skills, add more, gain confidence, and have fun with their favorite human, all while getting exercise with no wind, snow or mud! If you’re not sure if Rally is for you or your dog, come find out! We will be hosting a free Rally day at Rex’s K9 Sports Arena in January; stay tuned for details!
Stocking Your Game Shelf
You’ll learn in any class at Rex’s Place that training games are fast, fun, and they nurture a close relationship with your dog. While no training game is longer than five minutes at a time, that small time investment produces large, lasting results.
Even when the coldest, iciest days of winter are upon us, you’ll still be able to have fun with your dog. You don’t need much space, or a lot of time. You only need you, your dog, and the training games you learned.
Come Play With Your Dog
You won’t even have to remember what you learned in class. While you’re there, your only obligation is to have fun with your dog. You’ll get a follow-up email with class notes, specifically tailored for your class.
Your dog already loves Rex’s Place. Sharing a class with your dog lets you come and play, too!
One Final Note
This quote tells you what makes our job so great. Thank you for sharing your pup with us.