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Gobble Gobble, Pet Parents!

pilgrim-puppies
We hope you’re all enjoying the final days of fall tromping through the last of the leaves and soaking up the remainder of evening sunshine. With Turkey Day just around the corner, the human gang at OUG! is getting excited for turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and all the other deliciousness. Unfortunately, in our annual fall celebration of human gluttony our pups and kitties often get left out of the party.

This year we are going to include our furry family in the extravaganza by baking these recipes:
Pumpkin Pie Dog Biscuits
Kitty Turkey Treats

Happy Turkey Day Everyone!

– Your BFFs at Out-U-Go!


Refer your neighbor to Out-U-Go! and he or she will get a $50 OUG! Gift Certificate*


* offer valid to new OUG! pet parents only


Out-U-Go! Pet of the Month

November’s P.O.T.M. is…

Appa
Type: Puppy
Age: 8 weeks

 

fun fact: 
Appa is a wildly adorable Samoyed puppy whose hobbies include hugging your arm, chewing his bone, and trying to catch leaves as they fall off of trees!


       

Double, double toil and trouble, fire burn & bichon bubble…

BOO, Pet Parents!

The air is getting crisp, the leaves are changing, and our pooches couldn’t be happier to get outdoors. Life is good…that is until October 31st. Halloween is arguably the best holiday to have a furry buddy and perhaps the worst day to be a man/woman’s best friend.  After all, we’re not entirely sure that turning them into a hot-dog, yoda, or something else super silly for the day is quite as hysterical to them as it is their human counter-parts. But hey, we all make sacrifices within a family, right?!  

OUG! ’s Halloween and can’t wait to see all those smiling-ish furry faces dressed to impress…or perhaps appease.

- Your BFFs at Out-U-Go!

Refer your neighbor to Out-U-Go! and he or she will get a $50 OUG! Gift Certificate*
* offer valid to new OUG! pet parents only



Out-U-Go! Pet of the Month October's P.O.T.M. is...
Franklin
Type: English Lab
Age: 8 months

 
fun fact: 
Franklin plans to run for mayor of Chicago in 2019. His campaign slogan: "Who's a good boy???"






        

madison pet sitter, Rebecca

Meet Madison WI Pet Sitter Extraordinaire, Rebecca!

Meet Madison WI Pet Sitter Extraordinaire, Rebecca! Rebecca grew up with an assortment of unusual pets and has two interesting hidden talents!

I’m in charge of: Making sure your furry friends get nice and tired by the end of their walk! There’s nothing better than a content pet afterward who wants to just lounge in their bed with a toy or a treat. Whatever specialized treatment your buddy needs, I’ll match it…and give them extra scratches and snuggles!

My furry family: I’ve grown up as one of the pack with dogs, hunted alongside barn cats, groomed and rode horses, critters such as rats, mice, and degus.

At the moment, my responsibility is to tire out and play with my roommate’s dog Charlie when he comes to visit and serve as the official couch/snuggle buddy for Azzie (as pictured here).

Super power: If I could have any supernatural power, it would be telepathy. That way I could see what my furry friends truly want at any moment without having to guess. Do they want a specific toy to play with, or a treat? What if they have an internal injury but don’t know how to convey it? The possibilities are endless! Plus, the idea of sharing a mind with a happy pet sounds pretty awesome.

Best Thing Ever: Having pets as ice breakers at social events! Our four-legged friends love the attention, and almost everyone has a funny pet story to share. It’s simple, but effective. My favorite story is how my family dog, Fletch, stole a loaf of bread from the neighbors and gave it to me, bragging and wagging his tail.

Hidden Talent: I’m a silver-level competitive ballroom dancer. I’m also synesthetic, a phenomenon best explained as experiencing blending of the senses (i.e. visualizing color when listening to music)…I discovered this about myself a few months ago! I just assumed everyone listened to music the same way I do until I read “Musicophelia” by Oliver Sacks.

Life Philosophy: Accept help and opportunities with grace, be polite in the worst circumstances, and find your true form of expression.

Downers Grove Pet Sitter Jen

OUG! Downers Grove Pet Sitters Celebrate Two Years of Jen

Have you met Downers Grove pet sitter, Jen? Get to know her! She has been wagging tails and rubbing bellies with Out-U-Go! for almost two years now, and you can catch her walking pups in the Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills area.

My Furry Family: My goldendoodle, Shiane and my cockateil, Mordecai.

Favorite Treat: Hostess cupcakes.

Favorite Game: Bags.

Best Toy Ever: Skip-it.

The best thing to do on a sunny day is… have a barbeque with my family and friends!

The best thing to do on a rainy day is… watch a movie.

Best Gift Ever: Rollerblades.

Superpower: Super healing power (like Wolverine from X-Men!).

Life Philosophy: If you’re not having fun, then what’s the point?

If I could say one thing to the whole world it would be… adopt your best friend from your local Humane Society!

Paddle & Portage Madison WI pet event

Madison Pet Events Recap: Paddle & Portage

Out-U-Go! Madison had a blast at Paddle and Portage 2014, which took place on Saturday, July 19! This quirky challenge featured a canoe race in Lake Mendota and Lake Monona, plus a portage across the Capitol Square.

The race began at 9:00am and was followed by a fun party in the park! Check out Paddle & Portage for race results and photo galleries following this zany event!

downers grove park district movies in the park

Downers Grove Dog-Friendly Event: Beethoven Movie in the Park

We are wagging our tails super fast in excitement for July’s Movie in the Park feature: Beethoven, a favorite flick of dog lovers everywhere! Bring your pup and stop at the Out-U-Go! table for treats and belly rubs at this fun & free event.

EVENT DETAILS:
Downers Grove Park District Movies in the Park Present: Beethoven
Thursday July 24
Movie begins at dusk
Fishel Park at 1036 Grove St in Downers Grove [link to map]

Tallahassee pet sitter

Welcome our Awesome New Tallahassee Pet Sitter, Katie!

Meet Katie, our awesome new Tallahassee pet sitter! She LOVES what she does, and it shows. While the newest addition to the OUG! Tally gang spends Monday through Friday dog walking and kitty sitting, she spends her weekends as a professional make-up artist!

I’m in charge of: Canine exercise, pet snuggles, and fun!

My furry family: Lady is an adorable 8-pound, 2-year-old Morkie puppy!

My super power: Pet telepathy!

Best thing ever: Watching a great movie with my husband and Lady.

Hidden Talent: Multitasking!

Life Philosophy: “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” – Willy Wonka

dogs vs sprinklers

Dogs vs. Sprinklers: The Battle

Fourth of July BBQs are the perfect opportunity to fire up the grill, turn up some tunes, and hang with friends & family. Looking to liven up the party? Simply add water. That’s right, we’re talking about the sprinkler.

The complicated relationship that exists between dog and sprinkler can only be defined as frenemy.
dogs-vs-sprinklers

Unable to resist a blast of cool water on a hot day but also unwilling to accept this inferior method of watering the lawn, pups in attendance of your friendly get-together will find hours of taunting entertainment in the sprinkler.

dogs-vs-sprinklers-2

You can thank us later. In the meantime, don’t forget to schedule summertime vacation care for your furry family!

beer and cheese a love story chicago summer event

Chicago Summer Events: Lagunitas Brewing + Great American Cheese Collection Tasting Event to Benefit SitStayRead Literacy Organization

Beer & Cheese: A Love Story is a curated beer & cheese tasting event featuring five Lagunitas ales and five extraordinary cheese selections from Great American Cheese Collection. Great American’s own cheesemaster Giles Schnierle will be on-site explaining how to make taste combinations that will work best for your palette…You won’t want to miss this!

As though eating cheese (Woof! Yes, please!) with perfectly paired brews wasn’t already the coolest-sounding way to spend a summer night, it gets even better. Proceeds for the event go to SitStayRead, a non-profit that pairs dogs with struggling readers in helping to develop important early literacy skills. To find out more about SitStayRead, visit their website or check out WGN TV’s recent firsthand coverage of the organization’s in-classroom initiatives.

OK, so here’s the plan:

  1. Tell your dog you have a rare evening work meeting as to avoid inciting cheese-eating envy
  2. Schedule an OUG! visit to keep his mind and four legs occupied while you’re away
  3. Come home talking about TPS reports and fax machines until you both fall asleep

No, wait, that’s not gonna work because your dog will somehow as though telepathically know you’ve eaten delicious cheese without him.

I notice you have cheese

New plan:

  1. Tell your dog all about the great cause you’re supporting
  2. Schedule an OUG! visit to keep his mind and four legs occupied while you’re away
  3. Eat some awesome cheese & drink tasty brews
  4. Come home and assure him he didn’t miss any fun, that the cheese was neither all that nor a bag of chips (although, come on, who are you kidding? It’s cheese we’re talking about here!)

Event Details:

Monday, June 30
6:30pm – 8:00pm
Lagunitas Chicago TapRoom
1843 S. Washtenaw Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60608 [link to map]

Purchase tickets for Beer & Cheese: A Love Story here & share your enthusiasm for this fun Chicago summer event in the comments! Woof!

Photographing Black Dogs and the Black Dogs Project

Why is it so doggone difficult to take a decent photo of a black dog? Those of us with dark-furred pets—be it kitties, pups, or gerbils—know exactly how impossible it is to snap photos of our best friends.

Our newest office staff member, Chris Causgrove, joined our team this year and brought with him his incredibly beautiful pup, Sophie. The first time Sophie graced the OUG! Central office with her presence, not only were we all TOTALLY IN LOVE, many of us attempted to take photos of her. How tricky could it be to get a picture of this cutie as she stood still as a statue with her head in our laps, asking for chin scratches?

Answer: super tricky, for two reasons. One, it’s hard not to immediately want to pet her sweet head when she approaches our desks, so keeping her waiting while we took a gazillion photos was a challenge. Two, no picture was able to capture her actual appearance! As we swiped through an afternoon’s worth of photos taken on our phones, flash-free captures were too blurry and offered no contrast where it was due, while flash photography sabotaged her gorgeous coat coloring and showed glowing neon green crazy alien orbs where her beautiful brown peepers should have been.

Having photos of our pets is important to humans for a number of reasons: holding onto precious memories, showing total strangers in line at the grocery store how cute your furbaby is, …you get the picture (pun intended). But what about pups and kitties whose futures start out relying on decent photographs, such as those waiting in shelters or foster care, hoping to be found on adoption websites?

We soon coincidentally stumbled upon this fascinating photography series called simply “Black Dogs Project.” Pet photographer Fred Levy started the project after noticing a trend of black dogs experiencing more difficulties getting adopted than their peers. Levy’s images are crisp and captivating, actually able to convey colors and contrast. Set against a black background, the pups featured in this project really let their personalities—and fur—shine! Remarkable!

Black Dog Project

As for Miss Sophie and our camera phone photography skills here at OUG! Central, we’ve got some practicing to do. If you’ve got a professional camera, check out Levy’s tips and setting suggestions in this tutorial video on how to photograph black dogs!

Do you have any great photos of your dark-furred doggie or tips for capturing that perfect picture of your sable kitty? We’d love to hear about your adventures in pet photography!