Six Dot Paws

08/23/2024

Wish we had raised enough for one of these adorable dogs! Still available for deliveries if anyone needs bones!! 🐾

07/20/2024

Updated: sold out and headed home. Thank you to all the amazing patrons who stopped to encourage my son!

Spending our morning supporting the pups! We are at the Cascades Giant selling bones for guide dogs. Come visit if you are local! Pictured: boy with cane next to table with dog bones

07/18/2024

The kids learned a great lesson about convection…or the lack thereof…when you try to bake three trays of bones with only two oven racks. If it says anything about the bones, the dogs still begged for the burned ones! Getting ready for our donation table at the Cascades Giant tomorrow to raise money for guide dogs! Please come see us!

07/12/2024

Want to share some puppy love? We would love to make more progress toward our next guide dog sponsorship. Orders have slowed down significantly and we'd like to keep raising money and set a goal to sponsor our next dog before the end of the summer. Place your order today to help us!

07/12/2024

So sorry for the lack of posting! Our account was hacked and it was a monumental effort (more than a month) to get our account re-enabled by Facebook. But we are back and we have a great update! The "D" litter was born and our next pup, Doyle, is growing and thriving. These pups will take their puppy test in August, and we will have more pictures. But enjoy the puppy cuteness until then! So thankful for all the work Guiding Eyes for the Blind does to keep these puppies in the hands of those in need!

05/21/2024

I am excited to announce that we just sponsored our THIRD dog! Not only do our thanks go to all of you who have purchased bones, made donations, or shared information about our mission, but also to Goldschmitt & Associates who matched our donation to sponsor a dog through Guiding Eyes for the Blind. We will share this cute pup when his litter is born in the next month or two. We are anxiously awaiting the "D" litter of dogs since we've already selected his name! If you haven't placed an order recently, please do! We'd love to continue helping blind and visually impaired people by giving them this support. Guiding Eyes for the Blind https://www.guidingeyes.org/?utm_attribute=DMPaidSearchGoogle&utm_term=guiding%20eyes%20for%20the%20blind&msclkid=87c7996a67e81d413332ff26c173d91f

05/01/2024

We love getting updates about our Freedom Guide Dogs during puppy raising! I can only imagine how hectic a high school would be! Glad he's getting out there and learning to be the best guide dog he can be! You can follow Jeb on Instagram

04/12/2024

It's Fun Fact Friday and we have an update to share on Jeb and Ace!

They are both doing very well, are super smart, and fast learners! Ace is being raised in Tennessee and Jeb is being raised in Georgia.

Jeb’s Puppy Raiser is a certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist for those with visual impairments and extremely passionate about raising guide dogs since she sees firsthand the impact they have on her students. Here are some pictures from an outing at Home Depot!

Here's a quick explanation of O&M:
“Orientation” refers to knowing where you are and where you want to go, whether you’re moving from one room to another or walking downtown for a shopping trip. “Mobility” refers to the ability to move safely, efficiently, and effectively from one place to another, such as walking without tripping or falling, crossing streets, and using public transportation. For example, it's hard for Cole to cross a major intersection because he cannot see the light on the far side of the street or the traffic lights to know when he can cross safely. This is something his O&M works with him to learn.

03/15/2024

It's Fun Fact Friday!! Did you know about 10,000 guide dogs are currently working in the United States, but that only about 2% of all people who are blind and visually impaired work with guide dogs?

Those with a guide dog often discover a new sense of freedom, an increased level of confidence, and a feeling of safety, along with the warm companionship of their new canine friend.

Guide dog etiquette! I didn't realize opening a door for a guide dog team (dog and handler) could make a situation harder for them. This video has great information in case you see a guide dog in public or have a friend with one. Put in your order today so we can keep helping to support these amazing pups!

Learn some handy tips for working with a guide dog team.

03/09/2024

We were lucky enough to meet Tiller on Monday at the Celebration of Life for FF Trevor Brown. He was an amazing Facility dog from Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority who came to support many who are grieving. We donated bones for him to enjoy and thank him for all he does every day to help people! Check out his page to learn more about him. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/AWRcoKJGkXERJ3hL/?mibextid=WC7FNe

02/28/2024

Wanted to share this amazing story. Six Dot Paws lives in the community where the blast occurred, we felt it from our home 3 miles away, and our family (my mom and dad) are members of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company where we lost one member and many others were injured. Seeing the support and healing from these animals for a community that is truly hurting is so near and dear to our mission here at Six Dot Paws. We plan to send a donation of bones to these amazing pups! Thank you LCC K-9 Comfort Dogs for all you are doing for our community!

02/28/2024

So glad these pups loved their bones! That tongue says it all! Thank you Jade the Sable GSD Jasper The Sable and Jet!! The guide dogs thank you!!

01/31/2024

Want to send a special Valentine's treat to a pup? We will send a custom Valentine for you! Place your order by next Thursday 2/8 to make sure they arrive on time. Place your order now and I can hold it until next week if you'd like.

01/29/2024

Know a pup having a birthday?! We will create a custom card AND send an extra bag ‘o bones from us when you send birthday bones! We scratched out the names so we don’t ruin the surprise!

01/28/2024

Another happy customer! Ollie was on a search and destroy mission. Fresh bones just out of the oven and ready to ship! Put in your order now and they will be in the mail in the morning!

01/26/2024

Kooper is one happy pup getting his bones from us! Love getting pictures like this! He is adorable!

01/21/2024

01/21/2024

Making magic!

01/20/2024

So excited to get an update on Jeb and Ace! They are getting bigger and stronger! Thanks for all your donations so these pups have the support they need. We are so close to another dog but need to sell more bones!! Place your order now! Freedom Guide Dogs

01/12/2024

Fun Facts Friday - did you know three breeds are best for guide dogs? 1) Labrador Retrievers 2) German Shepards and 3) Golden Retrievers. One of the most important traits they all have in common is their incredible ability to focus.

You can read more here: https://breedadvisor.com/guide-dogs/?fbclid=IwAR1B-qMkEmiuqsugUqoUyoSwbQ4vhBnv7DqzJujisn-QJtOyHrqfsewvJCU

01/08/2024

This is amazing! 📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/bF6sQUvxCZEoMKQX/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Last night at the Golden Globes, Aria Mia Loberti made history as the first legally blind actress to walk the red carpet with her guide dog. Loberti stars in the Golden Globe nominated limited series All the Light We Cannot See. She discussed the importance of authentic representation in film and TV, saying “This is the first time in history we’ve had authentic representation for a character in a film of this size, it was my honor to represent my community and my culture. It’s never been done before, and that’s a really big responsibility.” Representation matters, and Aria Mia Loberti is paving the way for more inclusion in Hollywood.

Read more here: https://ew.com/golden-globes-2024-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-star-aria-mia-loberti-red-carpet-guide-dog-8423341

Image description: Aria Mia Loberti and her guide dog who is a black Labrador retriever are posing on the red carpet in front of a sign that reads 'Golden Globes.'

01/06/2024

Need bones?! It’s supposed to snow this weekend and we have NOTHING to do. Someone want to give us an excuse to bake and package bones?! This was our last good storm which you can tell was many, many years ago (2016). We are due for a good one! Also pictured is what we will likely get. Sloppy, sloppy rain. ☔️ Wishing a cold front would sweep through so we have a good reason to build a fire in the fireplace and bake all weekend! 🦴

01/05/2024

Fun Facts Friday! Guide dogs have been used for over a century! The first guide dog was issued to a German veteran, Paul Feyen, in 1916. By 1919 the number of working guide dogs grew to well over 500. While the exact number of current guide dogs is unknown, it’s estimated that only 2% of people with blindness or a visual impairment utilize the services of a guide dog. The World Health Organization reports that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide are visually impaired, meaning the total number of guide dogs globally could be in the millions.

https://breedadvisor.com/guide-dogs/

01/02/2024

When there isn’t enough dough to make a nice bone, the tasting crew gets the rolled up leftovers and never complain. Treats mean mom gets her work done while they sleep on their new fancy bed.

01/02/2024

Another happy customer was worn out and fell sleep with his new toy!

01/02/2024

Happy New Year! In addition to supporting guide dogs, one of our goals is for Cole to learn about business and he has learned a lot! We wanted to share what you are helping him learn AND we have a request at the end!

Giving makes a difference – We have received donations from people including checks in the mail. Cole opened one and said, “Who is this?” It was from a follower and he said, “Why would a stranger give us money?” I said, “Because she believes in you and what you’re doing for guide dogs.” His reaction was priceless. Feeling successful when things are hard for you doesn’t come often and we are so thankful for this! He is learning he can make a difference.

Sales don’t equal sponsorship – a great lesson is that even though the order system says we have enough to sponsor a dog, we must save for shipping and purchasing ingredients. We created a spreadsheet to itemize expenses and account for everything including bags, tissue paper, and card stock. Relating this to accounting and Net vs Gross has been so powerful!

Prioritization – Sometimes we have plans to do something that has to wait when customer orders are waiting. Budgeting time to balance work and fun has been a great lesson.

Responsibilities – We all have strengths and it takes a team. This is an ongoing discussion. Relating to business, Reagan focuses on Manufacturing with Cole’s help (aka baking), Mom focuses on Marketing/Operations (aka FB and billing), Dad does IT support (aka website and account management) and Cole does all Sales (aka in-person deliveries, post office drop-offs and events). This has been a great opportunity to introduce the kids to these business terms to learn what they like and where they excel.

Last but MOST important is Customer Service – We have talked about what our customers want and what they like. Sometimes sales tell you this, but we talked about the importance of feedback, so this is our ask. What do you love about our products and our business? What do you wish we could offer? What feedback do you have for us? Be honest! This is how the kids learn!

As always, thank you for your ongoing purchases and support. We can't thank you enough for supporting guide dogs across the country! We are very close to the next guide dog!

12/30/2023

Is it Friday already?! Almost missed Fun Facts Friday!

Contrary to common belief, guide dogs do not know how to read and understand traffic signals. A person who is blind or visually impaired determines when it is safe to cross the street by listening to the sounds of parallel traffic. Therefore, strong orientation, mobility, and cane skills are required before someone qualifies for a guide dog.

Guide dogs are also trained to display “intelligent disobedience” — they will actually refuse to obey an unsafe command from their owners if they see a danger their owner may have missed, such as a car that ran a red light.

12/27/2023

So glad Coco and Viva love their treats!

12/26/2023

Love all the photos and videos coming in from our customers! These four are so adorable!