Deborah Burns
203.257.3163
deborah@burnscommunications.net
NOTE TO EDITOR: High-res photos and captions follow. Founder, Chris Onthank, is available for interview.
DOG GONE SMART CANINE CENTER CELEBRATES TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY; FOUNDER CHRIS ONTHANK A PIONEER IN DOGGIE DAYCARE CONCEPT IN THE U.S.
Extensive Services Designed with Your Pet’s Health, Well Being and Safety In Mind; Come Celebrate at Our Open House on Saturday,
June 22nd from 10-2
Find out what's happening in Norwalkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
NORWALK, Conn., June 2013 – Dog Gone Smart Canine Center http://www.doggonesmart.com, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dog-Gone-Smart-Canine-Center/168093299873989, and http://caninemaster.com, one of the largest and oldest full-service canine facilities in Connecticut, offering training, day care, boarding, grooming, and swimming, today announced the commemoration of its 20th anniversary, a major milestone in one of the fastest growing segments of the $55 billion dollar U.S. pet industry. To celebrate, Dog Gone Smart will be hosting an Open House event on Saturday, June 22nd from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Details follow. As an incentive, all existing and new clients will receive 25% off of any one new service for the
month of July.
WHO: Canine Behavior Expert, Chris Onthank, and his professional staff
Find out what's happening in Norwalkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
WHAT: OPEN HOUSE at Dog Gone Smart Canine Center; Staff on hand to answer all of your training and behavior questions. Stop by to see Dog Gone Smart’s newly renovated Day Care Center and have your pet enjoy a complimentary nail trim. Join us for some canine fun, watch dogs swim, play, observe a training class or just take a look!
WHEN: Saturday, June 22nd, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Dog Gone Smart Canine Center, 15 Cross Street, Norwalk, Connecticut
“I launched the concept of ‘Doggie Day Care’ in Fairfield County, Connecticut in the late 1980s,” said Center founder, dog trainer and canine behavioral expert, Chris Onthank.
“Demand for canine training and boarding services has increased significantly over the past 20 years so in order to keep pace with increased dog ownership, we continued to expand our offering to meet that demand.” According to the 2011-2012 APPA National Pet Owners Survey, 46% of U.S. households today own a dog.
A veteran animal trainer and canine behavior expert who grew up in a family of American Kennel Club all breed judges and dachshund and bloodhound breeders, Onthank boasts a very long list of clients including some of the most well-known TV, film, and sports celebrity owners.
Onthank specializes in behavioral problems, the most common being dog to dog and dog to human aggression and has a unique understanding of how to fix these issues based on a dog’s natural instinct. His deep behavioral training expertise is rooted in getting to the source of an issue thereby eradicating it rather than just treating issues with a band-aid approach that doesn’t fix the underlying problem. Chris has shown dogs in both obedience and in the conformation ring. He has competed in the sport of Schutzhund, that among other things includes search and rescue training. He currently teaches tracking classes that teach dogs to track for human scent. One of his dogs worked at Ground Zero during 911.
The Center’s expansion naturally expanded based on ever-evolving pet industry trends and client feedback. Today, the Center offers boarding, day care, training, professional grooming, a do-it-yourself dog wash area, and a heated indoor 11x24 swimming pool. Dogs play together in large play areas with climbing equipment and comfy places to rest. This open play environment is one of the definite benefits at Dog Gone Smart, where dogs play together under the supervision of trained staff members. After all, dogs are social animals and enjoy being with their packs. All dogs are evaluated prior to arrival at the Center to determine which playgroup best suits them based on their temperament and size. Proof of up-to-date vaccines is required. This ensures that all guests will have the most fun in a safe environment. The Center recently added a small dog area (up to 25 lbs.) exclusively for the smaller breeds that now make up 33% of the dog population.
Due to client demand, the Center has recently increased its hours of operation (from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.) to accommodate commuters who need to drop off their dogs early or who cannot get home in time to up their dogs after work. The Center is staffed 24/7 to ensure that your dog is never left alone, another unique benefit plus a retail store to fulfill all of your dog’s needs.
In addition to exceptional boarding and day care services, the Center is renowned for its training services. Basic to advanced training is available to help teach your dog everyday manners as well as many fun classes such as agility and dancing with your dog! If your dog doesn’t know how to swim, Dog Gone Smart will teach him the doggie paddle! Trainers teach their clients how to train their dogs in a way that makes sense to both owners and their canine companions. Using positive motivation and an instinctual approach, Dog Gone Smart helps clients achieve great results: a well-behaved and happy family pet. Both group and private lessons are available as well as an in-house training program where dogs are trained by the professional staff while a dog is boarding.
Dog Gone Smart strongly believes that early socialization for puppies, or the lack of it, is a vital determinant to a dog’s lifelong behaviors. Many puppy activities are offered, promoting lots of early socialization so that your puppy will grow up to be a happy and confident adult.
Another unique attribute of Dog Gone Smart is their indoor heated pool. Swimming is great exercise and dogs just love it! It has been determined that 5 minutes of swimming is equal to 20 minutes of walking. It’s a great workout for your dog and is especially beneficial for post-surgery or arthritic dogs because it is non-weight bearing. Day care and boarding dogs get to swim during their stay as part of the fun!
The Center offers expert grooming services provided by Vilma Vicente, a 16-year veteran. “Grooming should be stress free,” is her philosophy. Vilma works one-on-one with the dogs to make them relax and enjoy the attention they are getting. “This is not just a groom, this is a day of beauty and it should feel like one.”
Another Center offering is out-of-sight underground fencing to keep your dog safe. Traditionally, this type of fencing fails because of poor training as opposed to equipment failure. Not only does Dog Gone offer state-of-the-art equipment, but also superior training that sets Dog Gone Smart apart from the competition.
Dog Gone Smart boasts a loyal clientele who find the Center to be a trusted, fun, friendly, and safe respite for their dogs while they are away during the day or overnight. The dogs, being mentally stimulated and well exercised, come home tired, happy, and ready to relax with their families.
