• $999 OR $56/month* 10-Day In-Kennel Board & Train
• $999 10-day In-Kennel Board & Train

For a limited time & while space remains available, we are offering a deluxe dog training package at a dramatic discount of over 50% off the regular price. For only $999 (reg. $2,250) the package includes:

• 10-day in-kennel board and train
• Addresses potty training issues
• 4 private lessons in which the dog and owner train together after the 10-day in kennel board and training.
• Covers all behavior problems

Teaches the following commands:

• Heel
• Sit
• Down
• Stay
• Come
• Wait
• Leave it
• Off
• Quiet
• Go to bed

*On approved OAC Credit

We ALWAYS get tail wags and sweet kisses from our four-legged friends when we meet in the lobby for their drop off– some pups even pull their owners straight to the spa door with their tails waving vigorously in the air!  Whatever your pet may need, from medicated treatments for their coat and skin, to luxurious full spa treatments, we as your Snug spa team never cease to give them our absolute best care and love. We treat each one as if they are our own.

From the moment their furry paws enter our spa, they immediately pick up on the relaxed atmosphere and the aromatherapy scent of oils and lavender. Did you know that lavender is the most commonly used essential oil for helping to calm animals?  It is soothing to the soul as well as to the skin for both humans and our pets! In the Snug Spa Salon we like to give our furry companions a few minutes in their own spa house to adjust and get comfortable before we begin. One of the steps we take to make sure that their stay is as relaxing and comfortable as possible, is to give them small breaks between spa services. Giving them breaks assures that they are never over-stimulated and helps to reduce stress. Our favorite step is giving them lots of love and special treats–as long as those treats are OK with Mom and Dad! Rewarding them and giving them positive reinforcement helps to boost their confidence and their trust in us!

What is most rewarding to us here in the Snug Spa Salon is seeing our guest return time after time and noticing the improvement in their skin and coat from the treatments we have applied, or noticing how much progress a rescue pup has made from their first visit to present day. Knowing that we have helped rehabilitate a soul or rejuvenated a coat warms our hearts.  We are also eager to share a new Easter Special with you that we are offering in the Snug Spa Salon for a limited time only–Top Performance Glo-Coat Conditioning Shampoo!  This particular item is a hypoallergenic conditioning pet shampoo that works hard to remove tough tangles, control static, and make coats soft and manageable. It leaves the coat feeling luxurious, with a wonderful cherry-almond scent.  This conditioning shampoo out-performs other conditioning shampoos with outstanding results!! Come on in and try Glo-Coat, our Easter gift to you and our furry pals!

Not all dogs love daycare. You may find that some dogs love daycare some days, but other days they seem to not want to join in on the fun. This can be for a few reasons– one of them being that the pack changes on a daily basis.  This can affect your dog’s attitude towards the daycare experience. For example, say there is a young boisterous puppy in daycare and it wants to be EVERYONE’S best friend– chances are an older, more mature dog won’t have as much fun being annoyed by such a pup. The same would go if the roles were reversed and there was a bouncing puppy that was surrounded by older more sedate dogs–he probably wouldn’t have a great time that day either. Dogs are a lot like us and often have mood swings just like us. Ask yourself this question….do you love ALL your co-workers EVERY single day? Most likely the answer is no. The same goes for dogs. They tend to get moody sometimes and may not enjoy the dogs in daycare that they would normally love. It’s important to always ask the daycare attendant how your pet did that day and if they are still enjoying their daycare experience.

Daycare can be very beneficial for your pet. It gives them the opportunity to burn mental and physical energy, it can promote weight loss, they gain socialization skills, and it can even help with separation anxiety. If you have an active or young bored puppy, daycare is a great answer. Check with your dog trainer to make sure your pet is a good candidate and is ready for daycare. Remember, like any daycare, THERE ARE RISKS. Dogs communicate with their mouths. Even the most expertly managed daycare facilities can have an accident here or there, just like at any dog park. Make sure you know all the requirements and safety measures that your pet’s daycare has in place before dropping them off.  Daycare can be an awesome solution for busy parents that want their furry kids taken care of. Done the right way daycare can be a blast for dogs…and owners!! Feel free to ask our front desk about our great daycare packages. 

All dogs over time will regress in training and need some maintanence to keep their training sharp. Below are some reminders on how to keep your training up-to-date, and how you can incorporate it into your daily routine:

1. Add three separate segments of training to all your daily walks. Mix in a few commands while out strolling and watch as your dog starts to improve again on walks.
2. Try making dinner time an opportunity to add some obedience training into your routine!  Prior to putting the food bowl down, have your dog perform a “down” or “sit/stay”. Start out with having your dog “stay” a few seconds, and then slowly increase the “stay” for up to 3 minutes. This can be a challenge at first, but with repetition this will get your dog sharp again on all “stay” commands.
3. TV and doggie pushups! Next time you have a few minutes while watching TV, grab a few snacks and have your dog perform a “down” command. Give your dog a treat for success, and then have them perform a “sit” command from the “down” position. Give a treat for success and in no time at all, watch how fast your dog will start performing the doggie pushups!
4. Incorporate playtime AND training time! While throwing the ball or playing with other toys, add obedience to the game. This gives your dog great exercise and allows for immediate reward using the toy for all commands.
5. Saturday Class! Swing by Snug Pet Resort on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. Add one Saturday class to your calendar per month and come have fun for both you and your dog while keeping your dog’s training sharp. Class is free to all 3 week boot camp clients.

Remember, Snug Pet Resort is here every day to answer questions or give advice on any training issues!

Mike Stone
CEO

FLEA AND HEARTWORM PREVENTATIVES

Fleas are a very common external parasite that can affect dogs and cats year-round in San Diego.  Flea Allergic Dermatitis (FAD) is the most common veterinary dermatologic condition in the world!  Signs include scratching, chewing, licking, and biting.  Hair loss, reddened skin, and sores are common.  Many dogs and cats that are allergic to the bite of a flea have very few fleas on them because their excessive grooming activity removes the flea.

Ingestion of fleas by your pet can lead to intestinal tapeworm (Dipylidium caninum) infestation.

Heartworm is now considered endemic to San Diego County.  Heartworms are transmitted to dogs and cats through mosquito bites.  The worms develop in the bloodstream and eventually lodge in the heart where they cause extensive damage.  The good news is such a devastating disease is 100% preventable.

We recommend year-round flea control and heartworm prevention products for all pets in your household.  For dogs, a chewable once-a-month flea, heartworm, and intestinal worm preventative (Trifexis) is now available. For cats, we recommend a topical product (Revolution) that prevents heartworm disease, intestinal worms, and also controls fleas.

In addition to receiving monthly a monthly preventative product, all dogs should be tested annually for heartworm disease.  Dogs can have a blood test for heartworm disease at our on-site laboratory at Snug.  We are offering FREE HEARTWORM TESTING with the purchase of a 12-month supply of any heartworm preventative product!

Please contact a veterinary staff member if you have any questions about fleas, heartworm disease, intestinal parasites, or any of our preventative products.

By Groomer: Nina Zarceno

We bring the luxury Hollywood A-list Spa services directly from L.A to your beloved pets’ second home: SNUG PET RESORT! Aromatherapy, deep massaging medicated baths, blueberry facials, soothing hypo-allergenic treatments and paw balm moisturizing ointments, there really is nothing we won’t spoil our clients with. Our professional team is highly trained to not only maintain and help restore your furry pal’s coat but to search for any dermatitis or skin issues. We have made it our goal to help catch any developing skin irritations and go straight to the source to solve the issue. Whether it is caused by seasonal allergies, food allergies, fleas or an uncommon irritation, our spa team is ready and willing to help.

No Fleas? Yes, Please!

Speaking of seasons changing, were you aware of the critters coming into town? That’s right, flea season is fast approaching, and we have a few tips to help you keep these critters off of our furry friends. A good medication to have your pets on is Comfortis. This is a chewable tablet given once a month. It helps kill fleas within 30 minutes of digestion and is indicated for the prevention of flea infestations. If you are also treating your pal for other parasites, ask your vet or schedule a consultation with Dr. Ashbaugh for a new medication in town that treats for three. Trifexis treats for fleas, hookworms, whipworms and roundworms, along with heart disease. We, as your spa team, offer a flea and tick preventative shampoo known as Wildthing.

Fluffy Coats, Warm Hearts

The only thing more rewarding than grooming a client’s dirty little beast into a beautiful fluffy pet is grooming  a rescue pup. Grooming has actually, in many cases, helped rescue pups overcome trust issues and is also part of saving dogs’ lives. One might ask how grooming saves a dog’s life? For those of you who like statistics, most rescue facilities along with ASPCA report that when rescue dogs get groomed, it raises the adoption rate to 30 percent! In other words, it changes an animal’s odds of finding a loving home from 60 to 90 percent. Snug is a house with a huge heart and desire to help out as much as possible, especially to those in need who cannot speak for themselves. In the Spa Center, we carry HOPE shampoo and conditioner, a hypo-allergenic wash that donates half of its proceeds to the animals in need here in San Diego. So, pet owners if you are ever interested, please feel free to make a special request for HOPE. But wait! Our spa team won’t stop there; we would also like to offer a special to all prospective adopters. Bring your newly adopted family member in to us for its first groom, and the entire spa treatment will be on us!

I believe what makes our spa unique is the passion and love that flows from the core of our hearts to your furry friend’s. We stand at our doors ready and waiting for any tangled pup that walks in. We are here to help, serve and spoil our Most Valuable Pets!

By: Mike Stone

Some SWEET holidays have come and gone and more are approaching in the next few months. This means the opportunity for your pet to get into sweet things is at an all-time high! Chocolate is not good for your dog and can, in fact, be deadly. This hazard has encouraged me to revisit the training issue of your pet’s House Manners. Remember that your dog needs boundaries in the home to establish the proper hierarchy.

Here are some quick tips to get your house manners back in the right direction and to ensure your dog stays safe during these tasty holidays:

• Establish a couple areas or beds that are specific places for your dog to relax in the home. Generally the living room and bedroom work best.
• Offer bully sticks or other safe chewing toys to keep your dog entertained while resting in the home on its bed.
• Never allow free romping in the house, as this can lead to your dog finding trouble and scavenging around the house for tasty treats. The house is supposed to be a calm and relaxed place.
• Remember that how your dog behaves in the home is your meter for how they will behave in public.
• We spend at least 80% of our time in our homes. Practicing house manners with your pet in the house is a key factor in having overall control.
• Always end a training session on a positive note with lots of praise and reward. Remember, training should be fun!

I have always loved training house manners with my client’s dogs and even my own dogs. It is really rewarding to have company come over and have your dog lying on his bed not even getting up to bother the guests. If you have practiced this yourself, you know what it’s like when your guests are shocked that Fluffy doesn’t get up and jump on them like normal. The verbal praise you get as the owner for having such great control is totally rewarding. Dogs love a leader. They love direction. They love attention and love. They’re not much different than us in a lot of ways. It makes me laugh when I hear people say that dogs don’t need leaders and they don’t like obedience. Anyone who has done training or practiced training can see how much dogs love the interaction, stimulation and love. Training isn’t something you can do now and then with your beloved pet. You need to practice each and every day and enjoy every minute of it. I promise the payoff will not only keep your pet safe and healthy but that you to will feel more relaxed and stress free. Alright that’s it for me…gotta go help some more pups and their owners!

Don’t forget to come see us at Snug Pet Resort on Saturdays at 9 a.m. for ongoing refresher training classes. The classes are lots of fun for you and your dog!

By Toni Stone

We all have a tough time when it comes to leaving our favorite furry four-legged friends. Trying to find the right boarding facility that makes you feel comfortable is always a struggle. There are some things you can do to help both you AND your pet have a successful, fun and stress-free stay. Here are some easy tips to follow when boarding your pet:

First, you want to make sure you have taken a tour of the facility. Always be wary of staff that requires you to make an appointment to see the facility. This means that they are going to most likely “prepare” for your visit and have everything…as it should be. Most confident facilities will tell you the best times to come tour, and when you get to the actual facility, should be able to show you around within a few minutes.

Your next step should be to ask what they need you as the owner to do before your pet is allowed to stay. The law requires that kennel facilities insist on the basic vaccines done in the right timeframe. These vaccines are include, but are not limited to, DHLPP-C, Bordetella, and Rabies. A reputable facility will not take your word on the vaccines but instead will require you to show proof via a vet receipt or verbal confirmation over the phone from your regular veterinarian. It is also becoming very common in the San Diego area to require a negative fecal within the last six months. This is due to the overwhelming signs of Giardia and other internal parasites in the area. If the facility you chose is asking you to provide this, it is further proof they want a clean and safe environment. Once you have gotten through the “red tape” of vaccines and health information, it would be standard for most facilities to want an emergency contact for you while you are away as well information on any special needs your pet might have while you are away. This again is just showing you that your baby will be well taken care of.

Once your pet’s stay is planned, focus on making their stay as comfortable as possible. It is normal for a dog or cat to be nervous in a new facility. Our canine and feline friends are creatures of habit and don’t like their routines altered – much like ourselves!! So to make life a little easier on them, it is best if you supply their own normal food so there is no stressful diet change, as well as something from home such as a blanket or toy to make them more comfortable. Once your pet has been to the facility a couple of times, the blanket and toy shouldn’t be needed as they will be comfortable with their “second” family and will enjoy the toys and beds the facility offers. To ease your mind, sometimes you will be able to check in with a webcam and visit with your pet. This is new in the boarding industry and seems to put owners at ease when they are away. Check to see if this is an option at the boarding facility you use. You should also call in when you can to check on your pet. Any available manager or staff should be able to give you a detailed update on your pet and how their stay has been going. This too can add a little peace of mind.

Try to avoid this situation: The biggest mistake I have seen in the years I have been in this industry is the client who has an emergency trip they can’t get out of or a pet sitter that fell through, forcing them to board their pet unexpectedly. There is nothing a boarding facility fears more than the eight-year-old pet that has never been away from home. As a dog trainer, we advise that all clients board their dogs away from home at least once when the pet is young. This establishes with your furry friend that being away from home is not life-changing and can in fact be a lot of fun. When you wait until it’s an emergency and your pet is older, you are setting yourself up for a lot of worry and a lot of undue stress for your pet. This is what can cause a pet to lose its appetite and to not have a fun-filled stay. Remember back to sixth grade camp? It was scary, and you were nervous. However, once you got there you had a great time and learned at a young age that going away on a trip without mom and dad could in fact be fun.

Boarding your pet should be fun. You should have a great relationship with the “second” family your pet will be a part of. Facilities don’t have to be a place you refuse to send your pet. It should be…well….like home…only better.

If you have a question about boarding your pet please submit it via email to Toni@snugpetresort.com.

By: Dr. John Ashbaugh DVM

Preventative Medicine at Snug Pet Resort and Animal Hospital

In Part One of an ongoing series, we present some important topics in preventative medicine and patient care:

At Snug Pet Resort, we strive to provide your pet with the safest, cleanest, most interactive boarding and daycare experience available. Your pet’s health and well-being is of the utmost importance to us, whether they are here for a few hours of daycare or a more extended boarding or training visit.

Intestinal Parasitism

In accordance with the guidelines for parasite control set forth by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we strongly recommend monthly intestinal parasite control and heartworm prevention for all our furry hospital patients, daycare, boarding and training guests.

For puppies and kittens, routine deworming should begin at two weeks of age and continue every two weeks until the animal is placed on a monthly control product. We also recommend at least two fecal examinations to ensure efficacy of the deworming product.

To help protect the health of your pet, all dogs that participate in daycare and boarding at Snug must be screened for potentially harmful and contagious intestinal parasites by having a fecal analysis performed every six months. Testing can be done through your regular veterinary hospital or at Snug Animal Hospital.

Public Health Considerations

Intestinal worms commonly found in dogs and cats, such as roundworm (Toxocara spp.), can cause disease in humans. It is common to find worm eggs in soil samples collected from playgrounds or parks, and the eggs survive and remain infective for years. When the eggs are ingested, the larvae they contain can migrate internally and cause disease. Children are particularly susceptible.

Prevention of disease requires preventing the ingestion of eggs from the environment. Young children should be closely monitored to discourage ingestion of potentially contaminated soil and other items, particularly in public areas known to be frequented by dogs and cats, or other animals such as raccoons that are known to harbor intestinal parasites. Early and regular deworming of pets is essential in preventing contamination of the environment.

At Snug Pet Resort, it’s our goal to keep your family, including and especially your furry loved ones, as happy and healthy as possible. Our first concern is providing a safe home away from home for your pet. We do this through maintaining health regulations for all of our feline and canine guests and providing information and advice via a knowledgeable staff. That is all a part of our commitment to our four-legged friends!