We are finally ready to start training for your dogs!  We have been gaining experience by training our rescue dogs to help them find homes.  Our trainers, Conor and Joshua, have been doing a great job and now we are ready for you!  We are offering a training program that we hope will be successful and very convenient for you.  You can bring your dog in for Boarding or Daycare (10 day minimum) and we will work with your dog while he/she is staying with us.  We only require that you give us some information about what kind of training you want, then spend a little time with us at the end of his/her stay so that you can learn how to implement the commands your dog has learned when you take him/or home.  Since we only have two trainers who will be working together as a team, our availability for training will be slightly limited.  It will be first come first serve, so please schedule in advance.  Please contact our office if you have any questions.  We are really excited to be able to provide this service to you!

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Thousand Hills Pet Resort hosted a blood drive on Saturday, August 13th.  It was a great time with delicious BBQ tri-tip catered by Old San Luis Barbecue.  It was a very enjoyable way to give.  Thank you to all who came out to give blood and enjoy the day!  Please look out for future events in out upcoming newsletters.   

JP Phillips previously worked here for two years and was a weekend manager here at Thousand Hills Pet Resort.  January 1st, 2011, JP left us to go to college in Oklahoma to pursue a degree in nursing.   Although we are excited to see JP pursing his career, we were very sad to see him leave us.  JP has kept in touch though since he left and even came back to visit us while on winter break.  We have been so happy to have JP working here again while he is on his summer break.  JP is such a hard worker who has a talent for working with the dogs and an incredibly a positive energy when interacting with people.  He is true joy to be around.  Some of you may have recognized him when bringing your dogs in.  He has been covering shifts for other staff in boarding and daycare as well as working on improvement projects.  He has also been painting our suites and cottages.  Hopefully you have noticed the fresh bright new colors.  Unfortunately, JP only came for a short time and he will already be leaving again in just a few days.  We will miss him.   

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I am incredibly excited to announce our first adoption of one of our Alpha Dogs, Bernie.  Through our last newsletter,  Bernie got a new, amazing family.  We couldn't have asked for a better experience in placing our first Alpha Dog.  It was truly uncanny.  When the whole family came to meet Bernie for the first time, he greeted them as if they were already his family and they were just 

picking him up after a stay in boarding.  Others had been interested in Bernie, but he had never responded this way.  It was very clear during their first visit that he was immediately comfortable with them.  He acted as if he had always known them and already loved them.  They took him home and he immediately fit into their family and home.  He quickly learned the routines and boundaries.  The family also instantly knew that he was the right dog for them and he proved to be so.  The perfect match!  The trainers who worked with Bernie were very committed to him and his training and we all missed him when he left.  The family was so kind and generous to allow us to go see Bernie in his new environment.  It was wonderful to see Bernie and the family so happy.  It was truly encouraging to our young trainers to see how much joy their work brought to Bernie and his family.  I don't think any of us will forget that experience.  

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Literally, as I was updating this newsletter, we finalized Cash's adoption.  This article was originally written to describe Cash and remind you that he is available for adoption.  

Dawg appears to be a petite 10 month old shepherd mix who is very playful with other dogs.  In fact, she often is able to initiate play with our more timid dogs who are less likely to play with other dogs.  With people, Dawg is very relaxed and calm, no matter the setting, and is very easy to walk on a leash.  She can seem a little aloof at first, but as you get to know her, she becomes increasingly loving and expressive.  She is such a beautiful dog who really lights up when given positive praise.  In training, Dawg seems to be more motivated by attention and positive praise than by treats.  She would make a great pet for any family.  However, she would probably do best with a family that has another dog.  She loves other dogs, especially, Cash.  They seem to be a couple :-)

Who can resist Waffles?  Waffles is as cute and enjoyable as his name indicates.  He is a very sweet, loving one year old boxer who loves nothing more than attention from his people.  Waffles gets along well with other dogs and school aged children.  We haven't been able to observe how he does with toddlers or babies.  Although he gets along well with medium sized dogs and larger, he does, at times look smaller dogs like they're the most fun squeaky toy he has ever seen.  However, he is been doing much better with the manager's dog (Boston Terrier).  I'm guessing he would look at cats the same way, but we have not seen him with cats.  He loves to play with toys, but can be possessive of them around other dogs.  Waffles came to us after his owner moved out of town.  He then went to another family, but the family was very busy and was not able to give Waffles the time he needed.  We have only had Waffles for a week and he has just started his training.  He's done well as he had already received some training prior to coming to Thousand Hills Pet Resort.  He is definitely a people pleaser.  He's playful and is often seen bouncing around like a deer sticking his tongue out happily.  

In case you have missed previous newsletters, Our Alpha Dogs Program takes in dogs who would otherwise go to a shelter and the dogs are trained by our Alpha students to help be great companions for loving homes.  This experience for the students is better described by one of the students, Joshua.  Joshua states, "This for me (Alpha Dog training) was the pivotal point in my life.  Because you see, the dogs showed me something that I don't think I have felt since my mother passed away; that is love and not just any love, but unconditional friendship and loyalty. This brought out a joy inside me that I thought had been lost forever."  

From Nose to Toes... 

Our dog of the month for August is Maverick, a big black, tail wagging Labrador. When Maverick comes in for daycare, he can either be found splashing around in the pool or running around with anyone that will chase him or that likes to be chased. Maverick is a loveable, fun loving, bouncing lab that is always happy and ready for the day's activities. He is an entertainer and any dog that engages in play with Maverick, will go home tired and happy. Congratulations Maverick, you are August's day care dog of the month!

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