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How Clean is it?? Cowboy Clean!!

January 16, 2012 by Keith | Comments Off

Cowboy the Rottweiler Puppy

Today was a big day when it comes to our construction. The majority of the work in Waggers Way has been completed and they will be starting in the Ruff House tomorrow. So we will have all of the big dogs in Waggers Way starting tomorrow and I spent 5 hours this afternoon putting everything back together in the room. The construction guys cleaned everything when they were done, but I wanted to go through with the shop vac and make sure they picked up everything. We have a Rottweiler puppy named Cowboy, who is known to eat just about everything at home and wanted to make sure he would not find anything on the floor. So the entire time I was cleaning, I kept thinking to my self “we have to Cowboy proof everything”. We are so very excited with how everything has been going. The new webcams are up and running in waggers way, you can see about 90% of the whole room and you should be able to see all the dogs. I am excited to see how the dogs react to the new digs tomorrow.

Have a great night, and I know we always say this, but thanks for putting up with our construction

Keith

Dog Park Truths

January 12, 2012 by Keith | 1 Comment

Many of you go to the dog parks, and there is always “that guy” there that thinks they know all about animal behavior.. Well, guess what? It is now making it’s way into a sitcom! Check out the trailer below! I was laughing the entire time and thinking “how true is this”.

Remodeling – Day 4

January 9, 2012 by Keith | Comments Off

Roxy shows off the remodeling progress of our Doggy Daycare room

Wow, Lots has changed in Waggers Way doggy daycare room in the past few days. Sunday, the final touches were finished on the floor, and this morning we were able to walk on it. At 7:30 this morning, the painting started. Wow, does it look fresh and new! Tomorrow, the work on the ceiling starts. We took Roxy in the room and she really liked the floor. When we first opened, rubber flooring was the industry standard and the best that was out there. After almost 4 years, the standards have changed, and rubber flooring is a great option, but not the best (in my opinion) which is why we have decided to update it. We are putting down a rubberized epoxy which is 5 times easier to clean and the dogs really love it! m This room looks so empty with everything moved out of it. Crazy!! If all goes well this doggy daycare room should be up and running by Friday, then we will start the Ruff House.

Thanks again for being so understanding with us during this time, construction is always hard, but we try to make it as easy on everyone as possible.

Keith

Remodeling – Day 1

January 6, 2012 by Keith | Comments Off

Petey and Benson were one of the first dogs to hang out in the new Dog Lounge

Today was the first day of the remodeling of Waggers Way. The new floor was put down and it will look just like the Ruff House floor. The floor is the Ruff House has proven to be the best and easiest to keep clean, but also provide a safe surface for the dogs to play on. Our room configuration will be a bit strange the next few days. The Ruff House will be un-changed, but the Waggers Way dogs will be in what we are calling the “Dog Lounge” which is our training room. Today, the dogs in the Dog Lounge could run back and forth from the Canine Cove and many of them really enjoyed that. If you are watching the webcams the next few days, make sure you cycle through all of them to find your pooch as they may not be in their regular room. Monday, the walls in Waggers Way will be painted, then the ceiling installation will begin. With any type of construction, we always place the safety of your dog ahead of anything else, and have been limiting the number of dogs we accept for the next to weeks. It also might take us a few extra minutes to get your dog ready to go home because of the configuration. Please be patient with us, we promise it will be worth the hassle!

We are really excited to show off the remodeled areas!

Keith

Winter Workouts

December 23, 2011 by Birgitta | Comments Off

Winter is officially here, and although there isn’t the usual snow on the ground, it’s cold outside. Last week, the Climate Prediction Center released an updated winter outlook for December, January, and February, predicting below average temperatures and a good chance of a wetter than average snow season for Minnesota. So, that means the days are short, the cold is here for a while, and the snow is coming—-perhaps with a vengeance.

The hibernation that comes with winter can make us feel cooped up with cabin fever. For our canine friends, we must make the extra effort to help them expend their energy so they can be well-behaved. Below are a few ideas that may help.

Make the most out of each walk.In order to help Leo burn more energy while
Leo in his weight vest.

on our shorter winter walks, he wears a vest with two side pockets—a weight vest of sorts. In each pocket, I add bean-bag weights in half-pound increments, up to ten percent of his body weight. For Leo, that’s a total of three pounds. This helps him burn extra energy, even though our walks are shorter. (Leo’s vet confirmed that this was safe. The key is to make sure the vest fits properly so there is no rubbing or slipping.)

Let ’em play! A day of play each week at doggy day care, like Pampered Pooch Playground, can leave your dog tired and well-behaved for an extra day. This also helps take some of the pressure off of you to be the only source of physical and mental exercise.

Mental workouts are just as important as physical workouts. Training classes, such as agility training at The Canine Coach, are a great way to socialize, exercise, and challenge your dog.

Socialize with your dog at Dog Days at the Dome. The Metrodome is open for doggy fun and socializing from 5 p.m.–9 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, Tuesday, January 31, Thursday, February 9, and Tuesday, February 28. It’s just $5 per dog (with up to two people), and free parking is available.

Go to a dog park—indoors! Have you heard about Ruff House, the Canine Social Club in Edina? There are five membership options to fit your schedule. The most flexible options include access 24/7.

What do you do to help manage your dog’s energy during winter? We’d love to hear from you.

*** Blog post by Birgitta who is a Pampered Pooch Playground customer. Read more about her by clicking here. ***

Another fun day at the PPP

November 3, 2011 by Keith | Comments Off

The dogs of Waggers Way are excited to go outside and play in the large outdoor play area!

I always love going to the PPP, and look forward to going in every morning. I enjoy greeting the dogs in the mornings and really getting to know all of our customers and dogs. Today, many of you might have noticed that I was there this afternoon running the dogs up as the dogs were going home. I think part of being a good dog daycare owner is knowing how to do all the jobs that we have. Ellen our manager was working a shift in one of the play areas so I was covering for her. It was lots of fun watching all the dogs go home happy and tired!

I think the highlight of the day for our staff was we booked our annual holiday party (we are not the typical “lets go out for dinner” crew).. We try to find something fun and active, but also work on team building (but not in a cheesy way). Last year we went indoor rock climbing.. What will we be doing this year? I will give you details after the party!

Have a good night!

Keith

Kodi

September 18, 2011 by Keith | Comments Off

I still remember the first time that Kodi came to doggy daycare…. He was about 17 weeks old and just the smallest little thing. Then he started growing and quickly became the tallest dog in the Canine Cove… Now he walks in the lobby and the first thing he does is stretches because he knows he has a big day of playing ahead of him in the Ruff House. Kodi is such a joy to have at doggy daycare!

Have a good day!

Keith

Captain

September 11, 2011 by Keith | Comments Off

Captain is a sweet black lab that has been coming to doggy daycare at the PPP since the beginning. He hasn’t met a ball, dog, or person that he doesn’t like. When at PPP, Captain can be found in waggers way, ruff house, or in canine cove, depending on where the ball is OR where Brent (dog handler) is. Captain has found the perfect balance of fun and relaxation at daycare, when he isn’t romping with his pals you can find him lounging on our red couch dreaming of tennis balls. Some of his favorite dog pals include Wrigley, Finnegan, and Skippy.

Tags: black lab | captain | dog daycare | ruff house | waggers way

Louis

July 24, 2011 by Keith | Comments Off

Lewis the doodle hanging outside at doggy daycare!

Louis is a Goldendoodle that has been coming to doggy daycare for over a year now. He is soooo excited to walk in the door he can hardly contain himself! Louis loves all dogs and can be seen playing in the Ruff House or Waggers Way, depending on his energy level He loves water and when he can’t play with the hose outside he likes to dump water on the floor and lay in it. Louis can also be seen in our spa getting groomed by Tami. We love having Louis visit us at Pampered Pooch Playground!

The NEW Ruff House

July 18, 2011 by Keith | 1 Comment

I want to send a big thank you to all of our employees who worked extra hard the past few days (and today) at doggy daycare as the floor guys installed our state of the art floor in the Ruff House. Doing construction with dogs is never easy, and it is even harder when you can’t use a 3000 sqft play area and the temperature is 112 with the heat index outside. We made use of our training room and the Canine Cove. To keep the dogs cool, our AC was blasting. Late last week I called the guy that invented the flooring, and asked if the weather would be too hot or humid. He said no, the humidity actually helps to keep the smell down and help it dry faster (who would have thought). So full speed it was. So thanks again to our wonderful staff who helped to keep things running smooth on one of the hottest days OUTSIDE in the states history!

Now.. About the floor…. This is a new concept in flooring and we are the first in the Twin Cities to use it! It is not epoxy, it is not rubber, but a mix of the 2. Rolled rubber flooring (even when properly installed) can hold smells, and epoxy floors are hard on dog’s feet and create injuries.. But when you mix the 2.. You get doggy daycare gold! The next room on the list to get a makeover is Waggers Way.

Just wait until tomorrow, we know the dogs will love it! The big question.. Who will be the first to break it in???

Have a good night!

Keith

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Pampered Pooch Playground - Doggy Daycare, Boarding, and Grooming in Minneapolis, MN

How Clean is it?? Cowboy Clean!!

Dog Park Truths

Remodeling – Day 4

Remodeling – Day 1

Winter Workouts

Another fun day at the PPP

Kodi

Captain

Louis

The NEW Ruff House

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