Bark ATL's Big Student of the Week: Boo!!

I know it's been a little while since we have had a student of the week but the wait is over. Bark ATL's big dog student of the week is (drum roll please................) Boo!! That's her name silly, I didn't mean to scare you. :p

I don't know too much about Boo (her mom and dad were on their honeymoon so they didn't get a chance to tell me) but I do know this sweet girl is super soft and loves to lean on you. I also know she likes to play "dead cockroach"!

She also enjoys a good game of hide and seek, although she isn't that great at it. She thinks as long as she can't see you then you can't see her! Silly Boo.

I do know that she was a racing dog and when her track closed she, along with about 200 other dogs, needed homes. Boo was originally named Becca but that name doesn't suit her at all, plus her mom is named Becca. I like Boo. She's the only one we have, the original gangsta. 

 
I also know that Boo lives an active lifestyle. She enjoys running (and the nap that happens afterward).

Boo loves the beach!! Bikini not needed.

She is also an avid cyclist!

But when it comes to work, Boo is very professional. She is an advocate for stopping animal cruelty. You can find out more about greyhound racing from the ASPCA.

Boo is a lover and is loved by all who meet her.

Everyone at Bark ATL is super happy that you were chosen as student of the week! It is well deserved. :)

Bark ATL's Favorite Picture of the Week!!

Well, it's not a picture but a video instead. Enjoy!!

Bark ATL's New Students!!

We want to welcome the following pups to Bark ATL!! They were all new students this past week and we hope they love coming here as much as we love having them here. Remember that if you refer a new student your pup will receive a FREE day of daycare. :)

V.O.

Lola

McDuncan

Stella

Pippin

Red

Sir Gay

Welcome to the pack!!!!

New Services at Bark ATL!!

We have added a few new services at Bark ATL that I think you are going to love so let's talk about them!!

NOW OPEN for Weekend Day Care

BARK ATL will be open for weekend day care from now on! Your dog can come in for a romp on Saturday or Sunday from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm. Day care charges will be $25.00 each day or you can use your day care package days. If you only need 1/2 day, come in for four hours or less for only $15.00. Now that's some quality weekend play time to BARK about! WOOF, WOOF!

 

SATURDAY & SUNDAY DAY CARE HOURS

9:00 am - 6:00 pm

$25.00 for full day, $15.00 for 1/2 day (4 hours or less) 

A Walk in the Park

Does your dog LOVE walks in the park? Would you like your dog to have an extra 1-hour outing to Piedmont Park during day care or during long boarding stays?
Let us give your dog some extra TLC outdoor time with a walk in the park. BARK ATL staff will take very small groups (1-3 dogs of the same size) to Piedmont Park for an hour of fun in the sun (and grass)! We will not be visiting the dog park, but we will give your dog a nice leisurely walk around the pond and through the walking paths. Cost for the one-hour outing is an additional $25.00 extra (added onto your regular day care / boarding invoice).

For an extra $15.00, we'll snap a photo of your dog with the Atlanta skyline as a backdrop. Fergus was happy to smile for his photo! Talk about a city dog! 

Appointments are limited to 1-3 dogs / day, so we appreciate your flexibility on outing dates. To schedule your dog's park outing, please contact our managers at info@barkatl.com, or give us a call at 404.688.BARK.

Frequent Bathers Program

Are you a frequent bather? I mean, is your dog? If you like your dog to come home smelling better than you, we have just the spa treatment for the job! We want to reward you for being a loyal BARK ATL "bather".
When you purchase your next bath, let us know if you want a frequent bath card. We'll create one for you and keep it on file. For every 10th bath you purchase, you'll receive one FREE bath! Now that's something to smile about (even if you don't like bath time)...

A clean dog makes a happy owner! Rub-a-dub-dub!

Adoption Stories with Bark ATL!!

I usually do the little pup student of the week on Wednesdays but I forgot to let the parents know their pet was chosen at the end of last week. Don't fret, student of the week will return next week! I want to debut a new section of our blog called Adoption Stories. Here we will feature one of our Bark ATL dogs and their family and learn how they found each other. Some will come from a breeder, some from a shelter, and a few right off the street. We want to know how your fur kid came to be a part of your family, so send in a picture and your story to info@barkatl.com. You could be featured next week! This week I will start with the adoption story of my newest fur kid, Gidget!

I have wanted a "pocket puppy" for a very long time but didn't think I had the time for another pet in my life. Most of you know that Bre is very involved with area rescue organizations and one of them is the Barking Hound Village Foundation Rescue. Well, Bre called me one day and said she had a tiny baby for me. She sent me a few pictures and it was love at first sight. Gidget came home with me that night and has been with me ever since. We have only been in each others lives for a few weeks but this companionship is forever. As with most shelter pups I don't know her history but I think she endured some type of abuse. She is nervous around men and shakes in fear if you make a sudden movement, but we are working on that. All she needs is a lot of love and someone to throw the tennis ball. :)

It's Pool Time at Bark ATL!!!!

It's over 80 degrees so that means it pool time at Bark ATL!! Does your pup love to play in the water?? Is his/her best move the dog paddle?? Then bring em on in to show off their skills. We pull out the pool daily and fill it with fresh water so your pup can splash the day away.

Adoptable Pet of the Week!!

Our last pet of the week, Lambchop, was adopted (YAY!!) by the time the post made it's way to the inter webs so I decided to do another adoptable pet of the week today! This time we have Webster, an adorable Beagle mix who is with Atlanta Animal Rescue Friends. Let's help this baby find a forever home!!

Hi everyone! I'm Webster! I was a tiny puppy when I was rescued from Paulding County Animal Control. My mom was an Australian Shepherd mix, and maybe my dad was a Beagle mix of some kind (somemtimes I have that adorable hooowl!). My white fur is beautiful and softer than you could believe! Luckily, I got be to an AARF dog, which means I get lots of love and snuggles in my foster home. I LOVE the other dogs in my foster home, and I even get along great with my kitty foster siblings. In fact, I really need to go to a forever home that already has a dog (or dogs!). I am three years old and have grown up in the AARF program. While I love and enjoy my life, I'm a pretty nervous guy. I guess you could compare my condition to autism. I'm very sweet and loving but new situations make me so nervous! I love spending time in my crate - it is the safest place in the world. When I'm out of it, I need to be around my doggie foster siblings. They're very good at teaching me how to be a regular dog. My ideal situation would be to a forever home with someone who has a lot of patience. Someone who understands I need the safety of my crate sometimes an to take life slow with me until I hit my stride. I just need somebody to take a chance on me! Don't miss out - I'm so sweet and have a lot of love to give!

Bark ATL's Favorite Picture of the Week!!

Here is Bark ATL's favorite picture of the week! Summer days are super fun pool days at Bark ATL. 

Dewey sure thinks this is fun!

Adoptable Pet of the Week!!

OMG!!! If I didn't already have a house full of fur kids I would go get Lambchop. Just look at those ears!! I'm in love. I hope one of our Bark ATL clients adopts this sweet girl. Click here to see what the shelter has to say about her. She's at Fulton County Animal Services. Please help us find her a forever home!!

Sandy's BIG Day Out!!

We recently expanded our services to include daily walks in Piedmont Park. Sandy had her big adventure last week, twice!! If you ask her, she'll say the best part was rolling around in the grass.

Sandy does look like she is having fun! I wish I could have gone to the park, too....

Another fun thing to have done while your pet is at the park is to have his or her picture taken with the Midtown skyline in the back. Only $15!!

This was a great "final" adventure for Sandy in Atlanta. She is moving to Arizona with her mom soon but Sandy's looking forward to it! She says she can't wait to play with a burro. We will miss you both and wish you well on your new adventure in life.

Bark ATL's Little Student of the Week: Buddy!!

This weeks little pup student of the week is Buddy!! Buddy is a super sweet Cocker Spaniel mix that is full of energy and loves to play. Buddy's mom started bringing him to Bark ATL full time when she started a new job. She thought it was funny that when he first starting going to daycare he was just as tired as she was. He didn't want to get out of bed on Thursday and Friday because he had had so much fun playing earlier in the week. Now that he is used to daycare, all she has to say in the morning is "Let's go have a great day at daycare," and he comes running to the door ready to play!

Buddy loves Bark ATL. He has lived in four states--Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Georgia--since he was adopted in 2008. He went to day care in all four states and his favorite, hands-down, is Bark ATL!

One cool thing about Buddy is that he is a certified emotional support animal. His mom gets really stressed out on planes so Buddy is allowed to fly with her, without a cage, where ever she goes. He's flown to NYC, Montreal, and from Wisconsin (when they lived there) to Atlanta. He is an awesome little flyer. He goes right to sleep as soon as he is on a plane. Parents of human children are often jealous because Buddy behaves so much better than their kids!

Something else Buddy loves to do is swim! 

 When we throw the red ball into the pool Buddy is one of the first to jump in after it!

Congrats on being the little pup student of the week Buddy! We are so happy you love it here as much as we love having you here. :)

Why do you love Bark ATL??

You heard me! We want to hear how much you love Bark ATL and why!! Is it our small play groups?? Our super friendly staff?? The web cams?? We recently sent out a questionnaire asking this and we got some great feedback. Here are some of the things our Bark family had to say about us:

1) During a recent extended trip abroad, the staff actually scheduled the big dog outdoor time around my internet availability so that I could check on my dog over BarkCams. They also specifically focused on keeping him in sight during that hour. I was SO thankful for the extra effort put in by this wonderful staff!

2) Our dog Abbey loves staying at BARK ATL. Before we knew about BARK ATL, we went to our vet to see the pens that they kept the dogs in. Abbey kept her tail firmly between her legs and shook with terror. She really likes the staff at BARK ATL.

3) I am very happy I found you guys because I always feel safe leaving Biscuit there when I'm out of town and for daycare. He is a very active dog and when he comes home exhausted, I know he's had the time of his life!

4) Thank you for allowing the so-called "aggressive" breeds. My pitbull is very timid and scared of just about everything, but when she gets in the pack, she has so much fun playing that she forgets all her worries & acts like a normal dog. So thank you thank you thank you!!! 

5) I am extremely happy with Bark Atlanta. Every member of staff I've met has been friendly, kind and clearly interested in my dog. I love being able to contact via email, and my emails have always been answered promptly and thoroughly. I love the cage-free play and sleep rooms,which seems to most mimic a dog's natural pack tendencies. Thanks!

6) I love all of the great pictures on Facebook, Twitter and now the blog! Sometimes I am not able to watch the web cams but I know I can check Facebook and see my dog having fun.

So what's your favorite thing about Bark ATL?? We want to hear from you. Please feel free to tell us if there is anything we can improve on or new things you would like to see us do. If you get a chance click here to watch our Yelp video and make sure to leave us a review, too!

Bark ATL's Big Student of the Week: Bella!!

Today's blog post is about our big dog student of the week, Bella! Her mom sent in great pics and a super funny story so I thought I would let her tell you about her fur kid, Bella:

We moved to Georgia about 2.5 yrs ago. I found this great place to take Bella during the day called Bark ATL. They would keep my crazy dog occupied during the day so that I could come home and rest at night. This arrangement has worked out so well for us for the last 2 yrs.

We got Bella about 3 years ago from the Birmingham Humane Society. Bella fell asleep in my lap on the drive home from the Humane Society, she knew she'd found her forever home. :)

 

Bella has two kitties, Mimur and Fudd. She really loves Mimur and just kinda tolerates Fudd. You can often find Mimur cleaning Bella's face or sleeping in Bella's bed. Bella will selflessly give up her bed if Mimur wants it. One year Bella dressed up as a lion for Halloween (I guess she wanted to be a cat like Mimur too).   

 

Here is Fudd and Mimur checking out Bella dressed as a lion for Halloween. 

 

Which is funny because Bark ATL dressed her like a lion, too!

 Bella can be a little camera shy and sometimes with her black color it's hard to get a really great picture of her....

But sometimes you can find her checking herself out in the mirror before her photo shoots...

Bella loves the outdoors, she loves the sun 

and the snow...

 

But Bella loves Bark ATL the most. I know because when she gets home she looks like this:

 

One of my funniest memories of Bella was one very rainy weekday morning. It was still dark and the rain was pouring down. Bella doesn't really like to get wet (hmmm are you sure you're a lab?)  However I need Bella to "do her business" so that I can get ready for work. Bella at the time did not have a raincoat, so I made an attempt to fashion one out of a Hefty Cinch Sack bag and a pair of scissors. (You may already see where this is going...)  I proceed to cut a hole for her head, then a hole for her two front legs to fit through. Lastly I "cinched" the drawstring around her waist to customize the fit. I'm thinking, "what an ingenious idea!" It's dark and she's a black lab, so this white "raincoat/trash bag" will make it easy for me to see her. I'm so proud of myself, I'm going to stay dry and my dog is too. Feeling smug, we proceed outside....Bella looks back at me like as if to say, "Do I have to?" I shoo her off into the yard. I'm standing on the porch in my jammies, I'm dry and I can see Bella's white trash bag walking across the yard back and forth. She'd gotten maybe about 40 feet away...when the wind came. A huge gust of wind blows the bag right over the dog's head. Bella freaks out and begins to sling head from side to side. I'm calling her and she won't come, she's in panic mode.  I run across the yard in my jammies to rescue my poor, panic-stricken dog who now has at least gotten her eyes out of the hole but nose and mouth are still covered. She's looking at me like, "What the...?". I get the bag off her and we make it back to the porch. I'm soaked, she's soaked, no "business" done. Sorry Bella, you'll have to hold it til you get to Bark ATL. Bella's one lucky dog but she also gives so much love and affection in return. And Bella now has her own actual raincoat. :)

 We are so happy to have you in our pack Bella! We all <3 you!!