Canine Space Camp, Week 3: No Train, No Gain

In week 3 of Canine Space Camp (July 2026), Metro Animals daycare dogs in Fort Worth and Plano worked layered food puzzles, explored rocks and textured surfaces, practiced recall, followed scent paths and wove through an obstacle course.

Mission Control’s update was glowing: the first weeks of Canine Space Camp were in the books, and the cadets were off to a fantastic start. This week’s poster set the tone, No Train, No Gain, with the Rocket Fuel Rations Test. Up in space, food is strictly rationed, so cadets carefully extract their fuel from compact dispensers, practice patience and controlled feeding, and learn not to munch it all at once, because space missions require smart rationing.

On this week’s menu

• Mission Control Puzzle Feed — layered food puzzles to uncover each meal.
• Asteroid Field Exploration Zone — objects, textures and obstacles that encourage curiosity and confidence.
• Power Grid Activation Game — simple tasks at a series of stations for memory and focus.
• Emergency Rescue Link-Up — a rescue-themed challenge built around repeated check-ins with caregivers, even with mild distractions nearby.
• Asteroid Escape Run — weaving through an obstacle course for agility and quick thinking.

Mission log

A meteor shower left space junk everywhere, so the Space Debris team, Butters included, got to work exploring and cleaning up. Cadets in Fort Worth and Plano dove paws-first into a world of sensation; for Jasper, the sensory enrichment was like being able to touch the Milky Way. They practiced recall and radio signals so they always know where base is, and learned that training isn’t just button pushing: it also takes agility to navigate. Navigation practice had them identifying scents and following the path to rewards, and by the weekend they were exploring the craters and rocks of the moon’s surface.

Harley reported for practice pilot duty, Nalo made leaps and bounds in his cadet training, and in Plano, Lana and Hank were all smiles during their Space Camp activities.

Watch the week

This month’s adventure

• The story begins (week 1)
• Week 2: Mach No Mistake
• Week 3: No Train, No Gain (this post)
• Week 4: Mission Accomplished

How to join the next adventure

Enrichment is an add-on to any daycare day at Metro Animals — ask for it at drop-off, by the day, the week or the whole month. It’s part of the program that earned us the highest score in the country at the 2024 Dog Gurus Daycare Games. Read more about how our enrichment works, and if your pup is new to the pack, find your nearest location — every new dog’s first day is free.

It’s a great day to play!

See the latest on our pages: Instagram @metroanimalsfortworth and @metroanimalsplano, and Facebook.