About Us!

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Welcome! Thanks for checking out Paws Next Door!

As you hopefully can see, we’re a doggy daycare facility located in Calgary.

How’d we get started?

Well the owner, that’d be me (Christine), has always loved dogs, but never had one. After several years of volunteering with various shelters and rescues, I took the plunge and got my first dog in early 2016.

Jasmine (Jas for short), is a lab/coonhound mix, and my life was never the same again. To be perfectly honest, there were times I hated her. Jas was not a good puppy. She was stubborn, wilful, and seemed to take serious pleasure in refusing to eliminate outside, but immediately upon re-entry to the house, relieving herself all over whatever happened to be near the door. Still, with all the sleepless nights, and sleepier days, there was something so heart-warming about watching her snooze in her bed at the office (in the weirdest positions), or pouncing in the grass during our breaks, or chasing me around a field trying to catch me, tumbling around as she ran so fast her little legs couldn’t keep up. She was pretty majestic as a pup when it came to poses though, and loved to sit pretty for pictures. She was and is a beautiful dog, and while she’s still stubborn, we’ve mostly come to an understanding in our relationship. Jas took over my life in a way that none of my hours of research could ever have explained, and I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

Just over three years later, my partner and I fostered a puppy. Originally Claudette, within two days we knew she was staying, and so we re-named our little rescue Belle. Belle is the happiest dog I’ve ever known. She doesn’t just wag her tail, she wags her whole body. And while she’s presenting different challenges as a puppy than Jas did, it just doesn’t seem as difficult. Probably because big sister Jas is a great nanny, as it turns out.

During my three years with just Jas, I often took her to daycares. They presented a great opportunity for socialization, play, and an awesome way for Jas to burn off some extra energy. Nothing tires dogs out more than playing with other dogs. Plus they gave me the chance to have a break, because 24/7 with her Highness got to be a bit much. (Did you notice both my dogs are Disney princesses?)

Almost three years with Jas also happened to match my three plus years at my office job. While there were some great perks (like getting to bring Jas to work with me), I’d been thinking for a while that I really wanted to do something different.

Slowly at first, but then with more enthusiasm, I started building the idea of Paws Next Door. I’ve been able to develop and start my current dream job, make it a viable business, and with little convincing, bring on an awesome team to help make it happen! Let’s be serious though, what dog lover wouldn’t want to spend their day surrounded by pooches. It didn’t take much convincing.

And that’s the story of how Paws Next Door started! Hopefully you’ll be joining us as we grow into something more, we’d love to have you and your furry friend come along for the ride!

To crate or not to crate

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Personally, I don’t think this is a question. I am a firm believer in crate training your dog.

Regardless of their heritage, dogs have been domesticated, and continue to change to adapt to the new environments we bring them into. This means indoor life. If you start early, crate training can be quite easy, and an effective way to keep your dog (and your home) safe and content while you’re away.

There are a few things to consider if you’re debating on crate training your dog. The biggest thing is, if this is a puppy, you really don’t know what they’ll be like as they grow. Maybe they’ll be a destructive dog, or a chewer. Chances are good you aren’t going to be with your dog 24/7, and at some point will need to leave your dog on their own. Are you willing to risk your possessions, your home, or the safety of your dog, on the chance your dog will be okay to be left alone?

The second point is the unknown future. Regardless of your situation now, there’s a chance your lifestyle or situation may change in the future. What if you have to move? What if you get a different job, with a different schedule? What if (heaven forbid) something were to happen where you are unable to keep your dog with you?

A crate can be a familiar place for a dog, something consistent that can help them adjust to new places/situations. If you move, their crate moves with them, and they have a familiar place in an unfamiliar situation. Think of it as their little home inside your home. If you have to switch schedules, their crate is already familiar to them, which will help them adjust. If they have to be re-homed, their crate can go with them and they’ll have a safe place in the midst of the chaos and adjusting period, as well as make it easier on their new family and their schedule/environement/needs.

Since I believe the best time to start crate training is when your dog is a puppy, here are a few steps you can take to help get your pup adjusted to their crate.

1.       Make sure the crate is the right size for your dog. If your puppy is expected to get quite a lot bigger, try to find a crate with a divider so you can keep it the right size throughout their growing process while keeping the crate the same. You want the crate to be big enough for the puppy to stand, turn, and lie down in, but not so big that they have a ton of extra room where they could feel comfortable to eliminate and not have to lie in.

2.       Start feeding your puppy in their crate. This way they’ll associate the crate with good feelings.

3.       Reward your puppy with affection (and/or treats) when they voluntarily go into their crate on their own throughout the day.

4.       Start the crate in an area where you spend a lot of time. Your puppy is probably going to be following you around and will want to keep an eye on you, so this will help if they can be in the same room as you most of the time.

5.       NIGHT TIME – this is usually where people will give up. Your puppy has been taken from the only home they’ve ever known, along with their litter-mates. They are going to be lonely, especially at night when they’re used to curling up with their mom, brothers, and sisters. Chances are good they will cry. My only recommendation is to stay strong. Getting up to get your puppy every time they cry is teaching them they can get your attention with it, and that’s a bad habit to start. (Keep in mind you will need to let your puppy out at night to eliminate, I recommend setting a timer and getting up before your puppy starts crying if you can. This will also help teach your puppy to eliminate on command, which is super helpful going forward.)

6.       Some will recommend you keep the crate in your room overnight, which may help comfort your puppy as they won’t be alone, and make it easier for you to get up to let them out. This will depend on your puppy and your own tolerance of what will likely be a loud adjusting period. I can tell you from personal experience this did NOT work on one of my dogs, she did much better in her own space where she couldn’t hear me. Covering the crate with a blanket (as long as the room isn’t hot) can also help tremendously. You’ll want to leave some openings for air flow.

7.       Start putting your puppy in their crate for short periods during the day. After playtime when they’re tired is an excellent time to try this, as they’ll be less likely to get agitated. Again, covering the crate can help settle them down.

8.       Hopefully your dog isn’t going to be left for long periods of time on a regular basis, but I believe it’s best to try and train them for it just in case this happens unexpectedly. Continue to increase the amount of time your puppy is in their crate during the day to help them adjust.

There are a few don’ts you’ll also want to keep in mind when crate-training your puppy.

1.       DON’T use the crate as punishment. This needs to be a safe space for your dog, and as such they should not have any negative associations with it. If you need to put your puppy in time-out, use a different space (the bathroom, with garbage, toilet paper, and other chewables removed, for example).

2.       DON’T leave your puppy alone with toys (ESPECIALLY STUFFIES), bones, or chewing treats in their crate. This rule applies as they grow older as well. Dogs should never be left unsupervised with chewable things, as they can easily end up consuming things they shouldn’t, which can lead to many complications (choking, blocked stomachs/intestines, etc.). And no matter how sturdy you think a toy is, it’s pretty much a guarantee that your dog would be able to find a way to destroy it.

3.       DON’T leave a puppy in a crate for longer than they can hold their bladder (about half an hour to an hour for every month of age is a good rule of thumb, except after they’ve eaten or played). You do not want your puppy to use the crate as an elimination spot. Most puppies and dogs will be disinclined to do this anyway as they’ll start associating the crate with a ‘den’, but it’s good to keep them out of this habit early.

I believe crate training your puppy is for their own good, and can help save you a lot of grief in the future.

Have any more tips or suggestions for crate training? Leave them in the comments!

Doggy park do’s and don’ts

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The dog park is a place of wonderful doggy freedom and fun. What’s better than watching your fluff ball run and play with abandon along with their fluffy friends? There is a lot to be said for the positive influences and play dogs can have at an off-leash park. It’s a great opportunity for socialization, our pals get to run their crazy out after maybe being inside for the day (can anyone say zoomies?), and we get our own exercise in walking through the park with them.

That being said, to make sure it’s fun for everyone, us humans should try to keep a few things in mind when releasing our furry friend to the masses at an off-leash park.

1.       Basics

It is highly recommended your dog be vaccinated and healthy if you’re going to take them to a park. There are a lot of aspects in an off-leash park you will have no control over, so protecting your dog as much as you are able is a good start. If you have a puppy, you want to wait until they’ve had all of their puppy shots before exposing them to other dogs. It’s also highly recommended your dog be spayed or neutered before the go to the park, especially if they are over about six months of age. This will reduce the risk of aggression/fighting with other dogs, and avoid any risk of unwanted/unexpected pregnancies.

If you’re bringing a puppy to the park, you need to keep an extra close eye on them. Puppies learn a lot in their early months, and are much more prone to traumatization from negative experiences at an early age. You want to make sure all your puppy’s interactions are positive to reduce the risk of reactive/defensive behaviour in the future.

2.       Start slow

For new dog owners, an off-leash park might be overwhelming. There are a lot of dogs everywhere, there’s probably a lot of open space, and depending on your dog, their first instinct may just be to bolt to the farthest corner they can find. This can encourage negative behaviour and lessen the strength of your recall command if you have to yell repeatedly at your pooch to try and get them to return. It is highly recommended you have a strong recall bond with your dog before you go to an off-leash park. Some parks also have smaller enclosed areas where you can work on that recall with your dog while in a distracting environment. You can also use these pens for small group play-dates with other dogs.

3.       Don’t keep your dog on-leash at an off-leash park

There are cases where you may want to use your leash for a period of time (to lead your dog away from something/another dog, to lead them out of the park, or for short ‘time-out’ breaks), but for the most part you need to be able to let your dog roam. Leashed dogs may become reactive/aggressive to off-leash dogs approaching them, and vice versa.

4.       Watch your dog at all times

It only takes a second for play to get out of hand, and it happens. Just as you don’t get along with everyone you meet, neither will your dog. Keep an eye on your pooch and their playmates, and make sure you can safely intervene before play gets out of hand. Remember, NEVER reach into the midst of dogs who have gotten out of hand – you might lose yours. Watch for stress cues from your dog, like a tucked tail, excessive yawning, unusual snapping/baring of teeth, growling, raised hackles, etc. Call your dog to you, and lead them away from the situation.

If you’re new to dogs, signs of healthy play include a perky tail, frequent ‘bowing’ (when a dog lowers their front legs/chest to the ground), mild growling, and role reversal playing (chaser becomes the chased, and vice versa).

There are fine lines which can be hard to spot, but if you feel uncomfortable with the situation, call your dog and move on. Try to keep in mind a dogs idea of play is going to be different than yours, and make sure you know the difference if an off-leash park is somewhere you plan to take your dog to.

5.       Leave your toys at home

Even if your dog has no problems sharing their favourite ball, other dogs may be reactive or possessive of toys. This doesn’t mean they are a bad dog, it’s probably something their owner is working on, but it will make their park visit much less enjoyable. If you really want to play fetch with fido, be considerate of others. Don’t throw toys for someone else’s dog, or when other dogs are in your area. Avoid peak times so you have more space to play. And prepare to lose whatever toy you bring, because it’s bound to happen at some point.

6.       NEVER feed someone else’s dog without asking

Food aggression is also a common trait in dogs, and you never know what sort of allergies or intolerances another dog may have. Beef and chicken allergies are more common than you think. But more importantly, most people don’t want their dog begging for treats, especially from other people. It only encourages behaviour the dogs owner probably doesn’t appreciate.  It might be cute for you, but for the owner it’s probably not. Give affection instead, something you can all appreciate.

7.       Pick up after your pup

There is nothing worse than going to the park for some play-time and ending up with a dog covered in poop. Nobody wants that. On top of that, animal poop will attract other animals. Picking up after your dog is part and parcel of the deal. Nobody likes doing it, but it’s what you signed up for when you got a dog.

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