MAY 2010

Shop-Sit-Stay-Play...it's May!

Wow, say that again, three times fast and see how you do! Anyway, that's what I hope you'll think of at Godfrey's this spring. Shop here often to see new things in the world of dogdom, take training classes with your dog (thus, Sit), stay awhile to chat, network and share stories with other dog lovers, and play with your dog in our dog park. Embrace a canine lifestyle!

It's hard for me to believe that our puppy, Lake, is now 1 year old. That seemed to be reason enough to throw a party at Godfrey's. If many of you recall, Lake started coming to work at the shop from the time he was 9 weeks old. Many times you'd catch me a bit sidetracked tending to his needs, or saying "Lake, that's not yours-Drop" as you patiently waited for me to help you at the counter. His "Aunt Cheryl" and canine

co-worker, Eli, showed extreme understanding and love throughout. So we're celebrating! We've survived 1 year of Puppyhood! Come out this Saturday, May 1st, with your dog and celebrate with Lake. There'll be great stuff for dogs that is lip-smacking good! Be sure to read more about it in this newsletter.

May is also the month to celebrate Mother's Day. I love being a dog mom. I know that I've been truly blessed by having my fur children in my life. I am at times awestruck at the bond we've shared and I know that I learn new insights about it as the years go by. We here at Godfrey's like to remember pet moms as well as kid moms on Mother's Day. Letting a mom know she has done a great job in all she has done, either for a child or a pet, is very much appreciated. We want to help you let your special moms know how much you care about them and all they do by having a special sale from May 4th-May 9th. Check details of the sale below. And remember, our gift wrapping is free!

Cheryl and I just came back from a pet industry trade show to see what new and exciting things are out there in dogdom and what the trends are. I can tell you that natural foods, great treats and supplements are continuing to be hot items as more is learned about canine nutrition, health and wellness. And that's exciting for all of us dog lovers who want our dogs to live long happy lives with us. But with that comes a downside. Manufacturers rush to get on the bandwagon and market their products using all the buzzwords that are getting all the hype, while improving their ingredients very little or not at all. If you stick to learning where a manufacturer is located, where they source their ingredients, and you know how to read ingredient labels, you'll likely steer clear of it all. Or if that's all too much to think about, please let us help you!

Hope we see you soon at Godfrey's. There's so much coming up and so much fun going on!

Hugs to your pups,

Barb and the staff at Godfrey's

Upcoming Events

Sat., May 1: "Whine and Dine 1st Birthday Blast" ALL DAY  10am-4pm 

       

Happy 1st Birthday, Lake!

(Photo courtesy of Pooch Smooch Photography)

It's Lake's 1st birthday and he's inviting all you dogs and dog lovers to his party to celebrate! Those of of you who have been shopping and playing here since July 2009 most likely have met Lake, our canine "Official Greeter-In-Training." He's worked hard over this last year to learn the ropes. Jackson Godfrey, our first Official Greeter who passed away Jan. 2010, helped train him in store routines and jobs, and so did Eli, who continues to do so.

As a greeter, Lake's most important task is to greet both humans and dogs with a wagging tail, a twinkle in the eye and a smile or two. And he needs to do all that without jumping up. Hum..that's a pretty tall order for a golden retriever puppy. His non-jumping percentage is about 70%; he seems to know who will put up with a jump or two and overlook it. He has another important role and that's to help you shop but he gets mixed up sometimes and starts shopping for himself. Not good for inventory control! And when he gets a little bored and wants to go out to the play park with some of his friends who play in different groups, he tells us about it. Suddenly we're not so interesting to him! We thank all of you for your patience with him over this last year. He is a very good, sweet boy who is growing up fast and trying very hard to be a good Official Greeter.

While Jackson's favorite spot was on the corner of the rug in the "living room" and Eli's favorite spot is paws up on the sales counter, Lake's favorite spot is on the sofa. You may find us together on the sofa, taking a break and chatting about the day or sharing a story or two. Join us!

We thought that a birthday party would be a perfect occasion to introduce our customers, both furry and human, to some new and exciting ways to freshen up meal time for their dogs, and that's what our Brunch is all about. Lake has some favorites; let's see what your dogs think!

In this way, you'll be able to see, touch, and smell these healthy, human-grade canine foods to feel comfortable with new ways of feeding your dog. Feeding them better whole human-grade foods doesn't have to be scary. Ease into it. Add good stuff as a 'topper' to their normal food. We bet you'll find out how satisfying it is to feed your dog excellent foods that energize the body and nourish the soul.

Here's what we'll be serving for our complimentary Whine & Dine Birthday Bash

Food and Treats: od and Treats:

The Honest Kitchen dehydrated foods-You've got to smell this stuff to believe it and your dog will love it!

Aunt Jennies dried apples and chicken strips, both sourced and made in the USA

Aunt Jennies frozen raw foods-Our first introduction of frozen raw food to our customers

Nummy Tum Tum for Dogs: Organic sweet potato and organic pumpkin. A topping of pumpkin aids in stomach digestion, adds fiber to the diet, and can help a dog with both diarrhea or constipation. Amazing stuff. We used to use this in our golden retriever rescue kennel to help dogs with either of these issues and it works! Sweet Potato is a nutritious food supplement for dogs. These organic sweet potatoes are grown in the USA and are an excellent way to help sooth an upset stomach.

Fromm 4-Star human-grade canned foods

Weruva human-grade foods

Take home free samples of the Honest Kitchen mixes. Check out their fantastic cookbook, filled with both recipes that use their pre-mixes and recipes that are just plain wonderful from fresh, whole ingredients!

Share a piece of Lake's canine birthday cake, baked with love by Loretta from Scooter's Canine Creations here in Berks County!

Beverage: od

The Honest Kitchen Lithe Tea for canines.

"Blue Lake Specials"

Lake was named so because he was born in the Muskoga Lakes region in Canada. He reminds us of the water, whether water in a pool, in a lake or the beautiful blue ocean. So we decided that we will have special sale items in the shop-things that are the color blue. Keep your eyes open for the "Blue Lake Special" signs throughout the shop for great deals!

Remember our fellow dogs and cats looking for their "Forever homes"

Our Birthday Bash is free and open to the public. But if you can find it in your heart, bring along something to donate to our local animal organizations. Godfrey's is a collection drop-off point for donations for both the Humane Society of Berks County and the Animal Rescue League of Berks County. Both of these organizations work tirelessly to help homeless pets and to promote animal welfare causes. Perhaps you'll have a minute or two to check out their web sites to see what they might be in need of and bring in out on Saturday. One roll of paper towels can help. Nothing is too small.

May 4-9, 2010: "Dog Moms are Mothers, Too" Sale

We've got great jewelry and Polish Pottery on sale 15% off next week.

(Sale applies to in-store items only; not applicable on Silver Impressions Paw Print jewelry).

      

Not sure what she'd like? Let us wrap up a Godfrey's Gift Certificate for her!

 

"Foundation Agility" Class Scheduled at Godfrey's! Life is good when there are more and more fun, safe things available to do with our dogs. Canine agility is one of those things. Our next 6 week session starts Wed., May 19, 2010 at 6:30pm. The first Foundations class, held in May 2009, consisted of 7 humans and their dogs and they all looked like they were having a terrific time learning new ways to have fun and communicate. It's amazing how quickly the dogs learn these new skills. We've gotten great feedback from those who took Vincent's class and a few have gone on to hone their skills on full-sized equipment.

Experience on the wobble board, travel board, perch, and tunnel will set important foundation skills for your dog to transition to full sized equipment.

Date/Time: Starts Wednesday evening, May 19 at 6:30-7:30pm

Cost: $ 120 for 6 weeks

Class size: Maximum 8 Dogs

Location: Godfrey's "Little Rascals" Play Park area-Outdoors

Instructor: Vincent Madeiros

What your dog should know for class: Basic commands such as Sit, Stay, Down and Come. Anything else? Your dog should be 4 months old or older and feel comfortable around other people and dogs. Also have a desire to have fun and learn new things! How to register/More information about the class: Call Vincent at 610-488-5279 for more information or to register. Godfrey's has registration forms in the shop or download them now. Not sure if it's for you and your dog? Give Vincent a call and chat! More about your Instructor: The instructor for the class, Vincent Madeiros, comes to us from the beautiful country of Bermuda. He and his wife moved to the U.S. in 2008. Here's more on his background: Vince started training and showing dogs over 25 years ago and has successfully earned championship, obedience and agility titles in Bermuda , the United States and Canada . He is a Certified Pet Dog Trainer through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers and is professional member of the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers).  He continues to develop his skills in dog training by attending seminars, most recently returning from a Clean Run Instructors Conference. Vincent competes in agility with Zipper, his 5 year old Border Collie. They have been very successful attaining USDAA Masters and BKC Excellent titles.  In December 2005, they were members of the first place qualifying team which represented Bermuda at the 2006 Cynosport World Games in Arizona.

 

Sun., June 13, 2010: Pooch Smooch "Patriotic Days" Photography   11am-4pm

Be sure to capture your adorable canine in a professional photograph with the Americana theme! Angela Stehl of Pooch Smooch Photography will be here and she'll have the staging set up and props for a colorful red, white and blue theme. Feel free to bring along your own items if there are some special ones you'd like to use in the photo. Her sitting fee is $10. You will review all photos she takes that day and select just what's right for you. Photography events are held in the Godfrey's retail building, downstairs.

       

       

Payment is required the day of the photo shoot. You will be called when the photos are ready for your pick up at Godfrey's and they will be back to us within 2 weeks. Appointments are scheduled every 15 minutes. Include family members, too!

 

To book an appointment, call us at 610-777-5755.

 

photo courtesy of Pooch Smooch Photography

 

Canine Massage by Lorraine Storms, Therapetz

When? Appointments scheduled from 11am-1pm for the second Saturday of every month.

Next appointment date: Sat., June 12, 2010

Location: Downstairs at Godfrey's

Canine Therapist: Lorraine Storms

Private appointment rates:   $20 for 15 minutes     $30 for 30 minutes

To book your appointment: Call Lorraine at 610-370-5007 or email her at raine.storms@comcast.net. Questions are welcome, too!

Therapeutic massage is a relatively new service to be offered for dogs. It is one of many modalities now being offered to improve animal health and facilitate rehabilitation. Lorraine Storms of Therapetz maintains certifications in Feline, Canine, and Equine Massage from Integrated Touch Therapy, Inc.® located in Circleville, Ohio. She trained exclusively with Patricia Whalen-Shaw, a licensed massage therapist in Ohio, both nationally certified by the NCBTMB and sports-massage certified.

Outdoor Gear

If you and your dog like to hang out outdoors, an outdoor cot may be for you. A cot raises your dog off damp ground and pesky bugs. The mesh allows rain to drain through and provides for air circulation. The sturdy frame easily opens and closes in seconds. And the bone design is very attractive! These cots should arrive in our shop the second week in May.

  Three sizes are available:
  Small:    30"L x 20"W x 6.5"H    weight capacity up to 50lbs.
  Medium: 40"L x 29"W x 7.5"H    weight capacity up to 75 lbs.
  Large:    50"L x 35"W x 7.5"H.   weight capacity up to 100 lbs.

 

 

Whole Dog Journal-Single Issue-$5.95 sold at our Sales Counter

This monthly journal is well known throughout the dog loving community for it's wealth of information about natural dog care and training. Their articles provide in-depth information primarily about effective holistic healthcare methods and successful non-violent training methods. And the best part is that the journal does not accept commercial advertising. They do their own independent research.

Featured in the May 2010 issue: Preventing bladder and kidney stones in dogs; "My Dog Wakes Up too Early;" Problems with artificial preservatives in some dog foods.

Awesome Dawgs Training at Godfrey's-Next Session Starts May 2010

Classes are now being scheduled starting the week of May 10, 2010. See www.awesomedawgs.com for the class schedule at Godfrey's. Give them a call at 610-944-7630 to discuss your training needs.