The Central BarkerIt's a Dog's World!

Here’s a little video to remind us to snap out of our turkey induced coma, get up and moving, and get our dogs some exercise.  Thankfully most of us don’t have the doggie equivalent of an olympic hurdler on a caffeine high like the dog in this video, but remember that Fido still needs some action.  Of course, Central Bark is here for the best of both worlds, exercise for Rover while you remain comfortably on the couch.  Enjoy!

With our last training class being such a huge success, we are kicking off round two, and this time we are adding a new class into the mix!

Buddy Basics & Canine Good Citizen – This class includes all of the basic obedience cues (sit, down, off, stay, come, polite leash walking and polite dog-dog greetings) as well as prepares you to certify your dog through the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen program.  Certification is included in the cost.

Buddy Basic’s is 6 consecutive Tuesdays @ 7:30pm from 10/18 – 11/6     Cost is $130

Foundation Fido – Learn the techiques that pro sport dog trainers use to build that intense focus and stop-on-a-dime obedience that creates champion agility, flyball, weight pull, and obedience dogs.  Your dog will form a foundation of focus, self-control, and confidence that will prepare him or her for dog sports of off-leash control.  Class includes exercises like relaxed down-stays, long distance flying recalls (come!), immediate attention on cue and much more.  For specialized attention, maximum enrollment is 4 dog/handler teams.

Foundation Fido is 6 consecutive Wednesdays @ 7:30pm from 11/15 – 12/20     Cost is $120

For more questions or to enroll contact info@central-bark.com or 206.325.3525

And to see the graduates from last class click here.

Join us Saturday October 29th at 2pm for our first ever Halloween party at Central Bark!  There will be fun, games, prizes, costumes, and treats for our human and canine guests.

When: Saturday October 29th

Time: 2pm (to 4pm)

Where: Central Bark – 838 Poplar Place South, Seattle, 98144

Who: People and friendly leashed canines

What: Games, costume contests, bobbing for hot dogs, pie eating contests (for dogs), musical sit, dog and human goodies, photos, and much more!

Fall is here and that means back to school and back to icky nasty dark dreariness that makes getting out and walking the dog seem less than appealing (sometimes, even for Fido).  Do not fear!  We have some tried and true tips for wearing out the dog without ever leaving the comfort of your own home.

The key with tiring a dog out in the house is mental stimulation.  For those of you who have the dog equivalent of the energizer bunny (you know who you are and thank you very much for your business) regular exercise is still required, but rest assured that you can make a dent in those canine Olympians.

1)  Make your dog work for food.  Eating out of a stainless steel bowl is not only easy and fails to tap into those deep once-upon-a-time wolf genes, it is pretty boring for your dog.  Try stuffing treat dispensing toys with your dog’s dinner and hiding them around the house.  My favorites are classic Kong toys and the Everlasting Fun Ball made by Starmark.  They are tough, quiet on hardwood, and dishwasher safe.

2)  Train your dog.  You will find that brief 3-5 minute training sessions are surprisingly exhausting for most dogs as the brain burns the most calories when learning.  Plus, you will have a better behaved dog!

3)  Seek and DESTROY!  This is another game that burns calories while tapping into your dog’s inner wolf.  Step one: collect shreddable items, boxes, toilet paper and paper towel rolls, etc.  Step two: take a handful of kibble, treats, or a chew toy, and box it inside a box inside a box (think one of those Russian dolls).  Step three: give it to your dog and encourage them to destroy the box to get to the food.  For maximum effect, hide it and have Fido find it first.*

*For any exercise that provides an outlet for your dog’s “naughty” behaviors, it is best to use a cue to start the game (like “Find-it”) so that you control when the game starts, not your dog.