Fireworks & Dogs Don't Mix

With the 4th of July quickly coming up, I'm sure you all have big plans for the weekend. Our boarding kennels are busier than ever, but for those of you who plan on keeping your dog with you, please use a few precautions to keep them safe and sane during the firework extravaganza.

Most importantly, PLEASE don't bring them to the firework show with you. Dogs do not react to fireworks with the same thrill that humans do. The bright flashes and loud bangs can cause dogs to panic; they might break out of their leash, lash out in fear aggression, or any number of unwanted and unexpected behaviors. So please, just leave them at home.

With that said, there are several precautions you can take to minimize stress at home during the show. Read through this article for some tips.

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4th of July Parade

We have had a LOT of interest in our 4th of July float this year. We already have 13 dogs joining in the parade, and have room for many more. For the sake of organization, we ask that anyone wishing to participate signs up with your email address at the business. Early next week we will send out an email with the exact time and location.

For those of you who haven't signed up with us but are interested, here is how the day went last year. Everyone at the parade absolutely loved us and our dogs, and the dogs were in heaven with all the attention. We gave out candy and business cards, and lots of candy ourselves! After the parade was over we all grabbed our free ice cream and relaxed in the park.
Not only was it fun, but it was also a great training experience for the dogs!

We will be designing a float this year as well, to pull behind our Pet U van.

Don't miss out, stop in and sign up today!

Pet U Summer Events

So you already know that Pet U is having it's 2nd birthday coming up in just a few weeks, on June 25th. We couldn't be more excited, and we have lots of festivities planned for the big day. We will be staffed to the nines, and are hoping that all of our favorite pups and their owners will join us for our big day! Just give us a call and let us know you'd like to add Wednesday June 25th to their schedule, and make some room in your own schedule for a slice of cake! :)

We'll be passing out doggie cake to all of the dogs during lunch, and will also be offering a bath special to give your pup the full birthday experience. Stay tuned for more details!

As for the rest of the summer, we have events almost every weekend until mid-July.

Sunday June 8th - Join us at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in South Milwaukee for Barks at St. Mark's Dog Blessing. Mass will be held outside starting at 9am. Any social, friendly and well-mannered dog who likes people and other dogs are welcome! After Mass there will be a free picnic, silent auction, and pet-friendly organizations available with information. We will have several staff members there as well with free goodie bags! Click HERE for more information.

Saturday June 21st - We will be running a booth at "An Affair for Animals", a Pet Expo put on by Lakeland Animal Shelter. It will be held at the Walworth County Fair Grounds at 411 East Court St. in Elkhorn. The expo runs from 10am - 4pm, and includes free parking and admission. There will be games, face painting and bouncy houses set up to entertain the little ones, as well as swimming pools and agility, lure and obstacle courses for the dog. Click HERE for more information.

Wednesday June 25h - Awesome, gigantic birthday bash held at Pet U.

Friday July 4th - We will have a float in the Oak Creek 4th of July parade! Exact time and meeting location are TBA, but it will be around 8:30am the morning of the 4th near the Oak Creek High School. We will have a truck and a trailer all decked out with Pet U decorations, and are looking for some awesome volunteers to walk with us and promote our business. We have a sign up sheet at the front desk, so stop in and sign up today!

Friday July 4th - Saturday July 5th - Pet U is excited and proud to host this year's Service Dogs of America trials. Due to space requirements the event will not be held at Pet U, instead drive on down to 3002 4 Mile Dr, Racine, WI 53404, just 20 minutes south of Milwaukee. There will be people coming from as far away as California, Texas and Florida to come to the trials, so make sure you don't miss out either! Click here to visit the Service Dogs of America website, and watch the video below to see a small part of the day's events. (If you look closely, you can see Dennis as a judge in the background!)

If you are new to the world of protection and police dog training (as most of us are!) this video can look a bit scary. You can tell just by seeing the dog's tail wag how much they enjoy their work! Click HERE to learn how these incredible dogs are trained, and then come out to join us at the SDA Trials!

Feel free to call us at 414-766-1100 if you have any questions about the events listed, and make sure to stay tuned for upcoming events later in the summer.

Oak Creek 4th of July Parade

For those of you who have been with us for a while, you might remember seeing us at last year's Oak Creek 4th of July parade.

 

We are excited to announce that we are doing it again! We will have a sign up sheet at the front desk soon, and would love to see any and all of us you come walk with us! The dogs have a blast, and the public absolutely loves seeing us out and about. We will have more information available soon, so stay tuned.

Why Parents Love Pet U

You already know why your beloved pooches loves it here so much. But, did you know there are a million and one reasons why all of the owners keep coming back as well? Here are just a few reasons:

Where else does your dog get treated to such a wonderful bath-time experience?

You know who your dog is playing with each and every day, and start to recognize their friends and point them out in pictures.

We have a little too much fun during the holiday season, resulting in plenty of laughs for all of the owners.

The owners get to watch us interact in the group, and can see how much the dogs love being here with us.


Feel free to leave us some love on facebook and let us know exactly what it is YOU love about coming here!

If Pet U Was a Person

Our creative team at Pet U has been working very hard over the last couple of months to expand Pet U as a brand, and to determine exactly what makes us so great and how we can promote that to our clients. A few weeks ago, we had a staff meeting to go over the changes, and one of the activities we did really hit a chord: If Pet U was a person, how would you describe him?

Well, here is what our marketing team came up with:

• 40 years old (i.e. old enough to be wise but young enough to be energetic)
• Professional, yet down to earth and approachable
• High standards and drive for results, but doesn’t take self too seriously
• Wisconsin native who stays true to Midwestern values - hard working and honest
• A trusted advisor to colleagues, family and friends
• Selective about products. Pays attention to detail and gets the best deal
• Flexible style - can operate comfortably within diverse groups
• Up and coming on the scene. Has earned some comforts but never satisfied with the status quo.

They did a wonderful job, as this describes us to a tee! So the next time someone asks you “just what is so great about that doggy daycare you’re always going on about?!” invite them to stop in and visit us in person and check out our blog to see all the fun their pup could be having too.

                               

Easter Surprises for Your Pooch!

Who says Easter baskets are just for humans? Pet U is the perfect place to put together a little surprise* for your special pup! We are now offering hand-made Easter dog treats from Aunt Jennie's Barkery, giant knucklebones, free samples of Fromm food, and plenty of toys to keep them happy and occupied. Stop in and get yours before they run out!

*Easter baskets are not pre-made. We sell the items, and you get to put it the way you would like!

Doggy Nicknames Revealed!

When you spend as much time as we do with this group of goofballs, it's easy to develop a pretty large repertoire of nicknames. Sometimes I can go all morning without ever using an actual name! This will be a post that we keep coming back and adding to. And parents, feel free to leave a comment with your favorite nickname for your pup! The parent nickname section will be updated continually, all the way at the bottom of the page. Keep checking back!

Auggie - Auggie McEars (I'm sure you can imagine where this name came from!)

Toeby - Toeby Toes (So called because he has 6 toes)

Finn - Puppy McFinnigans, Finn McCool

Sterling -Wigglebutt (Because she has no tail to speak of and she is always through the roof with excitement and happiness, her butt never stops shaking.)

June Bug - Little Bug, Bug in a Rug

Marley - Marles Barkley (This one just flows off the tongue, and every time I say it, I giggle.)

Hank - Hank the Tank (A long standing name from when he was a puppy because he was so short and stout and really packed a punch when he ran into your legs)

Rocky - Rockstar

Kara -  Care Bear

Zakia - Zakkers

Miss Kitty - Kit Kat

Lola - Lolo (Or Lolololo, if the mood strikes, which is usually first thing in the morning when she's so excited to see us that she starts singing)

Poppie - Poppers

Chloe K. - Chlo-Glo, Big Chloe (Her mom heard that we have two Chloe's at daycare and started using this nickname herself. We love it!)

Bella M. (brown Beagle mix) - Bella Bean, Bella Boo

Bruno - Bruno Mars

Cashew - Ketchup

Bella F. - Big Bella, Bells

Cali - Cali Wali

Look! It's a Marles Barkley and Bruno Mars sighting at Pet U!

PARENT NICKNAMES

Chazz - MC Chazzy Chazz Van Wrinkles, Chazzy Doodles (His mom says the MC stands for Mentally Challenged. Aww!)

Sweet Dee - Deandre Dolce, Tiny Face, Deedles (She is Chazz's sister!)