Congratulations Jake and Diva!

Both Diva and Jake were very successful at the Canadian National Specialty last week! Jake took 2nd place in Open Dog, and Diva placed 4th in her puppy class. Diva's dad won Best of Breed, and her brother won Best Puppy! It was a great week!

New "Little Ones" Small Dog Daycare

Does your dog spend days home alone? Does she/he need more exercise and socialization with other dogs? Here at Willow Farm Boarding Kennel, we have enjoyed such a wonderful doggie daycare experience that we have expanded our doggie day care program. Now, the little guys and girls have a place of their own!

Our "Little Ones" Small Dog Daycare is located at our Grooming and Retail location at 334 River Street, Springfield, Vermont. Daycare hours are from 7:30am-5:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. We do not offer Little Ones Day care on Wed or the weekends at our Springfield location, however, daycare on these days is still available at our Chester location. For rates and other details relating to our doggie day care programs, please visit our Boarding web page section.

Congratulations Jake!

Jake, Debbie's Bearded Collie, became a NEW AKC CHAMPION last weekend, going Best of Winners both days at the West Springfield, MA shows! Jake finished with three majors and 16 points! Hooray, Jake!! Check back for photos! Diva, the puppy, also attended (it was her first show!). We're all looking forward to the Bearded Collie Specialty in Canada next month! We'll let you know how they do!

Welcome Diva!

Willow Farm would like to introduce “Dreamchaser Diva at Willow Farm”, affectionately known as “Diva”, to our family! Debbie and Mike have added Diva to their household and she promises to keep things hopping at home and in the show ring!

Jake, Debbie’s two-year old beardie, took Winner’s Dog at the show in White Plains , NY !

Carly has Arrived!

Kim's baby is here! She was born on Saturday, January 26th at 9:30 am. Carly weighed a whopping 6.11 lbs. Mama and baby are doing fine!

Puppies Needing Homes

Willow Farm has three wonderful puppies that need homes. See their photos and details below. If interested, please call us at either 802-875-6006 or 802-885-6006.

New Addition to Willow Farm Arriving Soon

A new member of Willow Farm will be arrving soon. As many of you might know, Kim, Debbie's daughter, and head groomer at the shop is expecting. Kim has three more weeks to go before the arrival of her first child. We will be posting more details on the site when Kim's daughter, Carly, arrives!

Schools in Session for February

Puppy Kindergarten: For puppies 12 weeks to 6 months.
All important puppy socialization and basic puppy training. This five week class starts Monday, February 4th at 7:00pm.

Obedience Level 1: Basic Manners Class.
This five week class starts Tuesday, February 5 at 7:00pm

Please call the shop for additional information on training classes and to register. 802-885-6006

Dog Adoption Day at Willow Farm

CARA (Community Animal Adoption and Rescue Inc) from Jackson, Mississippi held a dog adoption day at Willow Farm on Saturday, November 10th. Jerri Bennett and her staff traveled with 60 dogs to Vermont and by the end of the day over 30 had new homes. Rick Rheaume, our visiting pet photographer, was on hand and documented the wonderful day. Dog Adoption Day at Willow Farm by Rick Rheaume

November at Willow Farm

We have a lot going on at Willow Farm in November.

November 10, Saturday. Boston Pet Photographer Rick Rheaume of Natural Light Studios returns. It's time to get some holiday shopping done and a photograph is a great gift. Please call the shop to make an appointment.

November 13, Tuesday. Obedience Level 1: Basic Manners Class. We will be offering two classes: 6:30 and 7:30. Please call the shop for additional information on training classes and to register.

November 19, Monday. Puppy Kindergarten: For puppies 12 weeks to 6 months. All important puppy socialization and basic puppy training. Please call the shop for start time.

New Product and Service at Willow Farm

Did you know that brushing your dog or cat's teeth can extended his or her life as much as three years by preventing oral disease? Did you know that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats can will develop periodontal disease by age 3?

Willow Farm is now offering Keep it Clean Pet Dental Kit at our shop. We will show you how to use the kit and we can brush your pet's teeth when you bring him or her in for grooming. You take the kit home with you and can brush your pet's teeth in between visits to Willow Farm. Stop in to pick up a kit or give us a call to find out more.

Why dental care is important to your pet and a short video on how to brush your pet's teeth from Keep It Clean.

School Is Now In Session

Willow Farm is now offering dog training classes at our new training facility directly accross from the grooming shop. We have already started the five week classes below but will be offering additional classes for November including Obedience Level 2. Look here for future dates or call us for pricing and registration details.

Puppy Kindergarten: For puppies 12 weeks to 6 months. All important puppy socialization and basic puppy training. Class Starts October 1st at 7:30pm

Obedience Level 1: Basic Manners Class. Class starts Oct. 8th at 6:30pm

Domiance in Canines: Problem solving seminar for the companion canine. This one hour class will be held on Monday, Oct 1st from 6-7pm.

Pet Photographer Returns to Willow Farm

If you've been to Willow Farm Grooming & Retail Shop, you've seen the photos of some of our favorite "clients" lining the walls! Boston Pet Photographer Rick Rheaume of Natural Light Studios caught incredible expressions on our friends! Rick photographs his clients by appointment, spending up to an hour with each family. You'll have an opportunity to view all of the photos taken on a laptop before you leave the shop! You'll pick your favorites and before you know it, within a few weeks, your photos arrive at Willow Farm! I chose a beautiful shot of my dog, Jake, on a large matted and framed print. I was thrilled with the professional results!

If you missed Rick's photo sessions on September 1st, he will be returning again before the holidays and we will post the details in the shop and on the website as soon as we have a date.

Now Offering Dog Training Classes by a Professional Trainer

• In-house training while at daycare – two or three half-hour sessions with your dog while he is at dog daycare at Willow Farm, plus a session at week’s end for you and your dog, to train you!
• Puppy Kindergarten Class – For puppies 12 weeks to 6 months – Five weeks
• Basic Manners Class – Level I Obedience – Five weeks
• Canine Good Citizen – Classes and Evaluations Held Regularly

All Classes (except daycare sessions) will be held at St. Mark’s Church on Fairground Road in Springfield. For additional information, please feel free to contact us via email or phone.

Willow

Most of you know that Willow Farm was named after my bearded collie girl that I lost just before I left Costa Rica. Willow was one-of-a-kind (at least to me!) She traveled to Costa Rica with us in 1998, when we bought the resort on the beach. I had hoped to keep her in coat, but in two weeks, as soon as she got brave enough to jump into the ocean, I realized that was not to be. I remember having to take shears to her show coat before I could even attempt to shave her down! As it turned out, she loved her "bikini cut", and was happiest on the beach.

Willow's favorite toy became the closest coconut, and she constantly amused our guests, walking around with one in her mouth!! She quickly learned that everyone's favorite cocktail hour activity was sitting on the beach to watch the incredible sunsets! Any night we had a sunset, you could find Willow sitting on the beach, with or without her human friends! Willow enjoyed her life at the beach, being the official greeter at our beautiful resort. She learned how to body surf the waves and loved chasing monkeys, iguanas and geckos!

Willow was diagnosed with cancer at age nine, one year before we left Costa Rica, but you never would have known there was anything amiss with her. She acted like the playful pup she had always been. Two weeks before we were to come back to Vermont, she let me know it was time. She passed quietly and peacefully and was buried at our farm with her favorite coconut. I think about her every day and am thankful she had such a wonderful, full life. Willow would be proud of Willow Farm! Willow Farm Newsletter: August 2006, Issue #3

Over-Vaccinating

It's true....we are over-vaccinating our pets. I recently attended a very informative seminar by Dr. Ronald Schultz, one of the world's leading authorities on veterinary vaccines. Dr. Schultz has revolutionized vaccination programs for dogs and cats used by veterinarians worldwide. His data formed the scientific base for the AAHA's 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines. That's right, these guidelines have been in place since 2003! Some of the side effects and adverse events that can be seen in over-vaccinated pets are: Allergies, Arthritis, Cancer, Epilepsy, Liver & Kidney damage...the list goes on. This controversy and these issues are not unique to dog owners. It applies to all vaccinated animals and our children, too.

The important message here is to take a role in the decision whether or not to vaccinate your dog annually. Here at the kennel, we will happily accept a titer, in lieu of annual vaccination. A titer is a simple blood test that your vet can do that will measure the immunity already in your dog's body. Most adult dogs that have been on a regular vaccination schedule probably never need to be vaccinated again! A titer will tell you whether or not another vaccination booster is necessary. The titer costs more than the annual vaccination, but it may mean not subjecting your dog to unnecessary vaccines and the possible side effects involved, which could wind up being VERY costly, and most importantly irreversible. In very old dogs, an unnecessary vaccination could be fatal. It's true that not all vaccine manufacturers are labeling their vaccines for three year use, but research has shown that duration of immunity is at least three years. What we're talking about here are the core vaccines; distemper, parvo, adenovirus, lepto. So, please, before you vaccinate your pet again, talk to your vet, ask questions, do research....don't risk the health of your dog with unnecessary vaccines. Willow Farm Newsletter: January 2007, Issue #6