Meet The Canine To Five Staff!

Liz Blondy, Owner

Liz Blondy is long-time Detroiter who, after a decade in sales, decided to combine her love of animals and her hometown passion into a career. She opened up Canine to Five Detroit Dog Daycare in Midtown in 2005 and hasn't looked back. Blondy has emerged as a staunch and prominent advocate for Detroit's resurgence. Firmly convinced that small businesses are the key to a true revival, she co-founded Open City Detroit, a networking group designed to encourage entrepreneurship. Blondy resides in a renovated Eastern Market storefront with her fiancée, Pat Deegan, as well as two dogs, Bunny and Argon.

Michelle Brynaert, Groomer

Michelle Brynaert traded in a career in the unstable auto industry in July 2006 for what she feels is the most rewarding job she has ever had. Michelle is a graduate from the American School of Dog Grooming and has three dogs of her own: a yorkie named Rico and two lab mixes, Roxy and Luna.

Kendall Cassidy - Dog Handler
Kendall Cassidy has five pets: four dogs and a cat named Sibilo Tigre. She finds it nearly impossible to be in a bad mood around dogs and dreams of one day opening a center for troubled teens in which they rehabilitate dogs. the 21-year-old Grosse Pointe Woods resident has trained police dogs and worked at a boarding facility.

Alyssa Corrado, Dog Handler
Alyssa Coorrado has some unusual pets: a rat and a lion-head dwarf rabbit. She lives in the Woodbridge neighborhood of Detroit and particularly enjoys spending one on one time with the dogs she works with so she can get to know their quirks. Her interests include cultural anthropology, natural survival techniques, working with children, and all aspects of creation and art.

Shannon Eatmon, Groomer
Shannon Eatmon started grooming in 2003 and wouldn’t trade it for the world -- she absolutely loves working with dogs! The 23-year-old Detroit resident has two of her own and and enjoys ride a four-wheeler on her days off.

Keeley Fuller, Facility Manager

Keeley attended the University of Findlay and majored in pre-veterinary medicine. She has worked in veterinary specialty and 24-hour emergency care hospitals and has spent a lot of time fostering dogs and finding them homes. She lives in Yale with her three dogs and enjoys photography, painting, writing, listening to music, camping and hiking.



Nick Horbes – Dog Handler
Nick Horbes is a graduate of Triple Crown Academy for dog trainers and has two German Shepherd and a cat named Lucy of his own. He loves watching dogs interact with each other in a social environment like Canine to Five. When Nick is not at work, he enjoys time with his wife and family traveling, fishing, and going to sporting events. He has worked with animals for about a decade, and at Canine To Five since May 2010. Nick commutes every day from Port Huron!

Holly Lenhart, Groomer

Holly Lenhart is a graduate of the Academy of Animal arts. The Detroit resident joined the Canine To Five grooming staff in May 2006, and she excels at both dog and cat grooming! She has a passion for animals in need, and often fosters strays. She has two dogs, four cats and four tanks full of fish at home. Holly's gentle way with the dogs makes her a great addition to the team.

Jessica Reichwage, Dog Handler
Jessica is a Warren resident who joined the Canine To Five team in February of 2008. She enjoys working at Canine to Five because the dogs are always happy to see her! A dog lover since she was a kid, Jessica has a Golden Retriever and a German Shepherd and has worked at various animal shelters, veterinarian hospitals and dog daycares. She also loves sports, especially softball, which she has been playing since she was four years old. Next time you visit Canine to Five, bring a softball, so Jessica can play catch with your dog.


Carol Skinner, Facility Manager
An animal lover through and through, Carol Skinner doesn't have any non-animal interests. When not at Canine to Five, Carol rides and trains horses -- at college in Kentucky, she worked as a foal attendant at the ICU of a local equine hospital. Carol has also worked as a kennel manager for the local Humane Society and several veterinary clinics in Colorado prior to moving to Michigan. Next time you drop of your pooch, say hello to Carol and her canine kids, Buffy and Jack, who usually come to work with her!

Matt Somiski, Dog Handler
Matt Somoski is 23, a lifetime Hamtramck resident and proud pop to an American bulldog mix named Delilah. Blame his family for his start working with animals at a young age: his mom managed the Royal Oak Animal Hospital and also works with a cat rescue group. Matt relaxes by playing basketball and video games, watching hockey -- especially the Red Wings -- making art and hanging out with his friends.


Nicole Somoski, Dog Handler
Nicole Somoski is 25 years old, lives in Warren and works at Canine to Five for a very simple reason: she loves dogs and all their different personalities. When she was just 10 years old, she began volunteering for a variety of animal-focused organizations, from Companion Pet Rescue to H-CAT (Hamtramck Cat Assistance Team). Her mom used to manage the Royal Oak Animal Shelter, where she gained tons of experience. Nicole loves to go on road trips, get tattoos, play Halo 3 on Xbox, work on her reptile collection and shop -- when she is not playing with your dog!

Sunday Playdates at Canine To Five

We'll be starting our monthly indoor/outdoor Sunday playdates at Canine To Five Sunday, Nov. 21. Playdates are held the third Sunday of the month Nov-April from 12-3 p.m.

The cost is $5 for 1 dog, and $7 for two. This playdate is for FRIENDLY vaccinated dogs and their owners.

Photo Day with mod4 Tuesday, Nov. 16 at Canine To Five

We're teaming up again with mod4 photographic to offer pooch photos in November. A photo session is $20 and this gets you a 5 x 7 print or a credit to use towards larger or more prints! We can only do 70 dogs total so email us soon to sign up, this event WILL fill up for sure!

Howl-o-ween Party Photos

We had a great time at this year's Howl-o-ween party! Check out all the photos here!

Canine Good Citizen

Have you ever wanted to do therapy work with your dog? Perhaps take him to a children's hospital or a senior center? Now is your chance!

Canine To Five will be offering a Canine Good Citizen Class with certification beginning Tuesday, September 21 at 7:30 p.m. This is a 6 week class and the cost is $125. Space is limited to 10 participants.

To learn more about the CGC program click here.

Canine To Five Welcomes Quicken Loans

We are so happy to have Quicken Loans downtown! So happy, in fact, that we are offering all Quicken Employees FREE dog daycare to try us out!

Check out these great stories from the papers today about Quicken with a shout out to Canine To Five!

The Detroit Free Press

AND

The Detroit News

Super Cute Photos of Dogs in Daycare!

Check out ALL of our super cute dog photos! http://www.flickr.com/photos/9334511@N06/

Canine To Five News


Save the Date for Doggone Good Times!
As we approach the last month of summer, we get a little event happy! Drinking With Dogs, Pet First Aid, Howl-o-ween parties, Pooch Photos and Canine Good Citizen Classes are all coming up this fall! Keep your eye on our event calendar for dates and details!

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Referral Madness at Canine To Five
Did you know if you refer a friend to Canine To Five, you get a FREE DAY of dog daycare? In August, we are stepping up our referral program. If you refer a friend in August, you get TWO free days PLUS you will be entered into our drawing to win a FREE 10-day package!
So tell your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors and your cousins how great a time your dog has at Canine To Five.

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Canine To Five and MHS Vaccinate over 400 pets!

On Saturday, July 24 Canine To Five donated the use of the building to the Michigan Humane Society for their low cost vaccination clinic. Over 400 dogs and cats were vaccinated for DHLPP and Rabies, plus Microchips were offered. The MHS volunteers were amazing. We look forward to working with the MHS again soon!

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Obedience Training at Canine To Five
We've got 3 classes coming up this fall. Our GOOD DOG 101 class will be offered on Wednesdays starting September 8, and Thursdays starting September 23.

Due to popular request, we will be offering a Canine Good Citizen Class and Test this fall as well. Dogs must have participated in a Basic Obedience Class to sign up for this class. It will be offered on Tuesday nights, with a September/October start date yet to be determined. Space will be limited to 6 dogs in this class so if you are interested, please shoot us an email ASAP.
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Boarding and Grooming Special
Make your August Boarding Reservation by August 10, and get a FREE BATH on your departure day! This applies to both our FREE PLAY and TRADITIONAL Boarding.

Pet First Aid at Canine To Five September 26

Canine To Five and the American Red Cross will be offering a Pet First Aid class Sunday, September 26. Stay tuned for details!

Sunday Playdate!

We are holding a playdate for dogs of all shapes and sizes THIS Sunday, June 27, at Canine To Five, from 12-3 p.m. The cost is $5 per dog. All dogs must be friendly and vaccinated. We do have a separate indoor area for small dogs.

Hope you can join us!

Great Potty Training Blog Post!

Check out our trainer Paul's blog for a very helpful and informative post on potty training!

Paul teaches classes at Canine To Five on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and his next open class is Wednesday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. This is a 6-week class and the cost is $125.

Space is limited to 8 participants per class so please sign up today!

Photos are back!

After a much too long break, we are back to doing daily photos of the dogs! We will be posting them online rather than emailing them out each day. Photos should be up each day by 12 p.m. of the days dogs, but check back often, as there might be some from previous days as well.

This is a new system we are trying, so if you have ideas on how to make this more streamlined or user friendly for our dog owners, please feel free to email Liz!

Check out photos here!

Dog Party this weekend at Canine To Five!

Canine To Five would like to invite you and your Dog to our monthly Sunday Play date on April 18, from 12-3 p.m.!

Come check out our newly graveled side yard, while your dog enjoys 4500 square feet of indoor play space and over 5000 square feet of fenced in outdoor play space! If it is over 60 degrees we'll even bust ...out the pools for the first time this year!

This event is for friendly, vaccinated dogs of all sizes. We do have a separate indoor area for small or shy dogs!

The cost for this event is $5 per dog. There is on-street parking, and also parking in the Burton Theatre Lot across the street.

PUPPY TRAINING!

I had a great meeting with our trainer, Paul, last night and we worked on planning out the next few months of classes at Canine To Five! We'll be offering a POTTY AND CRATING SEMINAR, as well as a new 4-week PUPPY CLASS, for dogs 10-20 weeks. Also, we'll still be offering our BASIC OBEDIENCE classes, and the next one starts Wednesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m., so sign up today!

MANY more details to follow!

Helpful Winter Care Tips for Dogs from the AKC

Winter's cold air brings many concerns for responsible dog owners. Keep the following precautions in mind:

* Don't leave your dog outside in the cold for long periods of time. Wind chill makes days colder than actual temperature readings. Be attentive to your dog's body temperature, and limit its time outdoors.


* Adequate shelter is a necessity. Keep your dog warm, dry and away from drafts. Tiles and uncarpeted areas may become extremely cold, so make sure to place blankets and pads on floors in these areas.


* Be extra careful when walking or playing with your dog near frozen lakes, rivers or ponds. Your dog could slip or jump in and get seriously injured.


* Groom your dog regularly. Your dog needs a well-groomed coat to keep properly insulated. Short- or coarse-haired dogs may get extra cold, so consider a sweater or coat. Long-haired dogs should have excess hair around the toes and foot pads trimmed to ease snow removal and cleaning. If you do the trimming, take care not to cut the pads or other delicate area of the foot.


* Feed your dog additional calories if it spends a lot of time outdoors or is a working animal. It takes more energy in the winter to keep body temperature regulated, so additional calories are necessary.


* Towel or blow-dry your dog if it gets wet from rain or snow. It is important to dry and clean its paws, too. This helps avoid tiny cuts and cracked pads. A little petroleum jelly may soften the pads and prevent further cracking.


* Don't leave your dog alone in a car. If the car engine is left on, the carbon monoxide will endanger your dog's life. If the engine is off, the temperature in the car will get too cold.

Health Tips

Dogs cannot talk to us when they are sick. As a responsible dog owner, it is important to pay special attention to your dog's well-being during the winter season. Remember the following health concerns:

* Antifreeze, which often collects on driveways and roadways, is highly poisonous. Although it smells and tastes good to your dog, it can be lethal.


* Rock salt, used to melt ice on sidewalks, may irritate footpads. Be sure to rinse and dry your dog's feet after a walk.


* Provide plenty of fresh water. Your dog is just as likely to get dehydrated in the winter as in the summer. Snow is not a satisfactory substitute for water.


* Frostbite is your dog's winter hazard. To prevent frostbite on its ears, tail and feet, don't leave your dog outdoors for too long.


* Be very careful of supplemental heat sources. Fireplaces and portable heaters can severely burn your dog. Make sure all fireplaces have screens, and keep portable heaters out of reach.


* Like people, dogs seem to be more susceptible to illness in the winter. Take your dog to a veterinarian if you see any suspicious symptoms.


* Don't use over-the-counter medications on your dog without consulting a veterinarian.

January 2010 Dog of the Month!

We are so excited that Charlie C. is the Canine To Five January Dog of the Month! Check out the February Dog of the Month contestants here

2009 - A year in review from Canine To Five

2010 is in full swing already here at Canine to Five, but we wanted to make sure to take time to note of all the great things that happened in 2009. So, without further ado, ladies, gents and pups, we bring you "Canine To Five: A Year in Review!"

January: We remodeled! The grooming room was doubled in size, and got a new HVAC system so it is always nice and toasty. We also doubled the size of the small dog area -- hey, just because they're small, the little guys and gals like to have big fun, too.

February: We held a doggy Valentine's party, and we loved it so much we are doing it again for small dogs on Feb. 14, 2010.

May: We kicked off Drinking With Dogs, a monthly meet-up at some of Detroit's coolest outdoor patios, including Tappers at the Omni Hotel, Traffic Jam and Snug, Old Miami, Whiskey in the Jar, Majestic and Foran's Grand Trunk Pub.

June: We started the Riverfront Canine Club, with weekly walks along the beautiful Detroit River. We also hosted the Third Annual Poochapalooza, part of Detroit River Days. See photos on our website for proof of how much fun we had!

August: Canine to Five was featured on CNNMoney.com as a growing business in Detroit. Click here to view. We also got a Summer in the City mural painted on the south wall of the daycare.

October: More than 90 dogs in costume showed up to our First Annual Howl-O-Ween party. Can't wait to do it again this year!

November: Just in time for holiday travel, we expanded services to add traditional boarding for all dogs.

December: Canine to Five got a new cool roof, with three whole extra inches of insulation, and we finished the year with a bang at the New Years Barkin' Eve party!

The year in numbers: We graduated 24 dogs from our training program, more than 30 from our Everyday Puppy Program -- all with good manners and excellent potty skills -- and gave 4,500+ haircuts!

We look forward to a busy 2010, with Sunday playdates, Riverfront Canine Club's Winter Walks, Poochapalooza, and meeting new puppies for the puppy program! Thanks for being a Canine to Five customer.

Photos from the January Canine Club Winter Walk

Our first Riverfront Canine Club Winter Walk was Sunday, Jan. 10. 12 dog owners and 15 dogs showed up to enjoy the Dequindre Cut and the beautiful sunshine! These aren't the best photos ever, as it seems a dog might have drooled on my lens! But still, they're pretty cute.

Our next Winter Walk will be held Sunday, Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. For more info on the Canine Club Winter Walks click here.