Musings about dog life, canine couture, and dog-friendly events.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Pooches at Planting Fields

From Newsday.com

Everyone loves a puppy, but it takes more than love to be a responsible dog owner. You can see purebred dogs, learn which pooches are the best fit for your family and how to best care for your longtime companion at the Long Island Cluster AKC All-Breed Dog Shows, Friday and through Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. On Saturday and Sunday, the event hosts Suffolk and Nassau dog obedience trials; agility, lure-coursing and dog carting demonstrations; seeing-eye puppies in training and more.

Admission is $7 per carload Friday; Saturday and Sunday it's $6, $4 seniors and kids 11-16 and kids under 10 attend free. Bring chairs, but please leave your pet at home. 631-724-0871.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Dogs, Handlers Learn to Boogie and Disco

EAST TROY, Wis. - Ricky the Dalmatian spun across the floor with his 68-year-old handler, the high-stepping Mary Ann Coutley. The two were one of 23 pairs of handlers and pets participating in a three-day dog dancing class that ended Sunday at the Army Lake Camp and Retreat Center.

The handlers paid $275 each for a room, meals and lessons on everything from costumes to music and training tactics.

They learned twists, passes, cha-cha steps and other movements, slinking across the floor with their furry friends.

While "Dancers with Woofs K9 Freestyle Dance Camp" purported to be the first in the region, enthusiasts have been dancing with dogs since the 1980s. They formed the World Canine Freestyle Organization in 1999.

In freestyle dancing, the handlers and dogs work to be artistic and creative. Many also do Heelwork-to-Music, which combines obedience and dance.

"There's Olympic-style scoring up to 10," said instructor Linda Blanchard, 59, of Pontiac, Mich. "The goal for this sport is to become an Olympic sport."

The dogs are trained to follow verbal or hand commands. In freestyle, pretty much anything goes.

"You have to pick out music that goes with your dog," Blanchard says. "The dogs can do figure eights around your legs. They spin, and we spin. Sometimes they're on their hind legs. They can wave, do marching things, jump over things."

Coutley used to dance with a 12-year-old Dalmatian named Wynona, who died in April. She is grooming Ricky to be her new partner with daily workouts that include six miles on a treadmill.

"He's a chow hound," Coutley said, feeding 1-year-old Ricky some turkey hot dogs. "He'll work for anything."

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Information from: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, http://www.jsonline.com

Monday, September 24, 2007

Dog Walk in East Hampton for Worthy Cause


Register today for the Stroll to the Sea DOG WALK on Saturday, October 6 in East Hampton. Proceeds from the event will pay for food, shelter and veterinary care for the homeless dogs and cats at the ARF Adoption Center.

Click here to register: www.arfdogwalk2007.kintera.org

Fabulous prizes for fundraisers: catered in-home cocktail party, iPhone, Tiffany & Co. dog charm bracelet, Dell laptop computer and Tiffany & Co. picture frames.

Thank you for your past support. Hope to see you and your pooch on October 6.

Woof!

For more information contact:
Kristina Lange

Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, Inc.
kristina@arfhamptons.org
(631) 537-0400 x208

Friday, September 21, 2007

Job opening: Animal Haven Van Driver

Wanted: Weekend Adoption Van Driver needed for Queens-based animal shelter...

Looknig for someone who has experience driving a 30 foot vehicle and can supervise the animals and volunteers at our adoption events Sunday (hours 9am to 5pm), $11/hour). Day begins and ends in Flushing, Queens (near 7 train and long island railroad)

The position requires a clean driving record and a love of animals and people!! Please email for info. This position is rewarding to someone who loves spending time with animals.

Please contact Jenniferb@ah-nyc.org

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

DockDogs Event Recap


Hey gang,

amNY has a great story on the DockDogs event I mentioned in an earlier post. Check out their report and photos.

Jumping dogs stop NYers in their tracks

New Yorkers who watched a dozen competitive canines perform acrobatic leaps into a giant pool in Bryant Park on Tuesday were surprised to learn that they were watching one of the fastest growing sports in America.

"Shut up, you're kidding," said one young woman who stopped to watch what she said she couldn't believe was even a sport.

But the DockDogs National Championship Series is no joke, said Grant Reeves, CEO of DockDogs, the sanctioning body for regional, national and international dog dock jumping.

"In 2002, there were 240 dogs competing," Reeves said. "Now there are 8,400."

The sport even has coverage on a cable network. The Outdoor Channel plans to broadcast both the Big Air event, which measures distance, and the Extreme Vertical event, which measures height, as a seven-part original series beginning Oct. 4.

Though many New Yorkers came and went throughout the day, there were always at least 200 people oohing and aahing as the dogs ran down a 40-foot dock and splashed into four feet of water.

Read the full article.

View the photo gallery.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

FreshPet: Roxie's favorite new dog food

Roxie and I were recenlty introduced to Freshpet, a new dog food brand on the market that touts it's freshness and natural goodness.

In the wake of the pet food recalls, Roxie and I decided to give Freshpet a try. I fed Roxie this food over the course of several weeks, observing her behavior and speed of eating. Our results are below.


It was love at first sight for Roxie. She seemed to be able to smell the Chicken and Veggies before I could even open the package. I was pleased to see that it was meaty chunks in asealed pouch versus a can full of gloppy, gelatinous goop. I was also happy to see it looked like real food, I think I even saw fresh herbs! Talk about mouth-watering!

Roxie and I both couldn't wait to see what this food was all about and it was feeding time, so I spooned out the correct portion of Freshpet for her size into a bowl on the floor. Roxie is trained to wait for my hand signal before she can eat and this time she just couldn't help herself, she dove right into her bowl of chicken and vegetable and ate it with gusto!

I was so surpised by Roxie's reaction that I called my husband over to see her in action. Within minutes, the food was gone and she was begging me for more. Roxie gave it 2 paws up!

I was impressed, but decided to feed her Freshpet for 2 more weeks to be sure she didn't have loose stool or develop any allergies. So far, so good! Roxie is still enjoying Freshpet and doesn't even look twice at her former kibble of choice.

Where can you get Freshpet? Gristedes in Manhattan and Brooklyn for starters. Click here to find a store in your area.

I'd definitely try this brand again if they were in a grocery store closer to my home. Gristedes isn't a great grocery store and their chain has been shrinking over the past year. I do hope that I will be able to find Freshpet at my local Pathmark, Petco, PetSmart or even via FreshDirect.

DOWNLOAD COUPONS FOR FRESHPET

Got a dog-related product or service you'd like us to try and review? Let us know! Click here to reach me via e-mail.

Warm woofs,
Roxie and her mum

Monday, September 17, 2007

Hey dog, wanna jump?


DockDogs to Make First Big Apple Splash

Nationwide Canine Dock Jumping Phenomenon Comes to Bryant Park Sept. 18

DockDogs, one of America's fastest growing sports and the subject of a new Outdoor Channel original series, will jump into New York City for the first time on Tuesday, September 18. Outdoor Channel, America's Leader in Outdoor TV, will bring 12 of the nation's top canine competitors to Bryant Park for five hours of thrill-packed action open to the public. Pet owners attending the event can also consult with experts from the Animal Cancer Foundation, who will be on hand to answer pet health questions.

"Outdoor Channel is not only bringing DockDogs to New York City for the first time, but is also the only network delivering DockDogs nationally to our viewers when the series debuts October 4," said Roger L. Werner, CEO of Outdoor Channel. "This is a very exciting sport. What better way to experience the leaps and bounds of these exciting pets than firsthand in Manhattan or on our network?"

Starting at 10 a.m., the DockDogs will show off their ability to jump into a 4-foot-deep, 40-foot-long pool of water after sprinting down a 40-foot dock -- both for length in the 'Big Air' category and for height in the 'Extreme Vertical' competition. Each dog's trainer throws a toy into the water, while his or her dog has 90 seconds to run down the dock and launch himself after it.

For more details on this cool dog sport, visit: www.dockdogs.com

Monday, September 10, 2007

Chic canines shop at GW Little



Check out the dynamic duo behind GW Little. They have a great shop offering the latest designs in dog fashion for small dogs and all the accessories you need for your precious pup.

I think Roxie would look fab in their bamboo floral dress. I adore the green trim and bamboo accent.

I adore the pink closet or dog armoire all clad in pink! It reminds me of 'Legally Blonde.' So cute!

Dog moms on the go should take a gander at their all terrain 3 wheel stroller.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

Blydenburg Dog Park Opens!

BLYDENBURGH DOG PARK GRAND OPENING!
FRIDAY, SEPT. 7TH AT 1 P.M.
BLYDENBURGH COUNTY PARK
(Vets Hwy. Entrance)

HUNTINGTON, N.Y., September 6, 2007 – The Long Island Dog Owners Group (LI-DOG) and Suffolk County Legislator John Kennedy will kick off the Grand Opening of the new Blydenburgh Dog Park with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 7th at 1 p.m.

The event will feature:

- Brief speeches by Leg. Kennedy and LI-DOG organizers
- The Ribbon Cutting
- A ceremonial First Frisbee Toss by Leg. Kennedy
- Great Photo Ops
- Coffee and donuts
- Plenty of happy dogs and dog owners!

The dog park is located within 627-acre Blydenburgh County Park in the southern section of the park. Entrance to the Park is on Veterans Memorial Hwy., opposite the H. Lee Dennison Building. The dog park itself is on the Activity field, north of the campgrounds.

The new dog park is the result of the efforts of Leg. Kennedy and the Long Island Dog Owners Group. In August 2005, Leg. Kennedy introduced a resolution to create a dog park within Blydenburgh County Park. The resolution was passed 17-0 by the Suffolk County Legislature and signed into law by County Executive Steve Levy in October 2005.

Throughout 2006 and early 2007, LI-DOG worked with Leg. Kennedy and the Suffolk County Parks Dept. to locate a suitable site within the park for an off-leash area and made recommendations on its layout and features. Construction began on the dog park in the summer 2007 and was completed in September.

The dog park, which is fenced and covers 1.8 acres, features an area for small dogs and an area for large dogs; doubled-gated entries; a water fountain for each area; plenty of benches; and waste bag dispensers.

The Long Island Dog Owners Group is a community organization dedicated to increasing recreational, social and competitive activities for Long Island dog owners and their dogs. For more information, e-mail us at lidog_news@yahoo.com or visit our website at www.lidog.org.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

New LI Dog Park!!

The Grand Opening of the Blydenburgh Dog Park is set for THIS
FRIDAY, Sept. 7th from 1 to 2 p.m. The dog park is located on the
Activity Field north of the campground in the southern section of the
park. The entrance to the park is on Veterans Memorial Hwy., opposite
the H. Lee Dennison Building on the north side of the highway.
The 1.8-dog park features an area for small dogs and an area
for large dogs; water fountains for each; plenty of benches; and bag
dispensers. Please remember to bring your dog's leash as dogs must be
leashed outside the run.
The event will feature a ceremonial first Frisbee toss by
Suffolk County Leg. John Kennedy--sponsor of the law that created the
dog park; a ribbon cutting ceremony with Leg. Kennedy and LI-DOG
organizers; great photo ops; food and drink; and lots of dog owners and
their dogs!
Please come celebrate this great new off-leash space! If you
need more information, email us at lidog_news@yahoo. com.
Hope to see you there! Ginny for LI-DOG

SchnauzerTube: Dog Days of Summer

Our Schnauzers are simply amazing! Look at little Jade swimming. There are lots of Schnauzers that need a good home, please consider adopting one today!

Adoption Resources:

NJ Schnauzer Rescue

Animal Haven Soho

Petfinder.org

Me and Ro

Me and Ro
Roxie and I attend the 2007 Canine Cocktail Pawty hosted by Jenna Gates

Adopt a Pet

Animal Breed Zip Code