It’s the dog world’s answer to the Super Bowl, and the second oldest sporting event in the United States. It’s two wonderful days when the world seems to focus on dogs.

Having a Westminster Party at home or with your dog club?

• Print scorecards for your guests.
• Mix up a batch of “Puppy Chow” for your guests. Serve in a (clean) dog bowl.
• Don’t forget the dog biscuits for four-legged friends at the party!
• Put on your own pre-game show by watching last year’s Westminster breed judging clips on your computer. (Click the heading “Videos”)

Watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show on the USA Network (or set your Tivo).

• On Monday, February 12th, the line-up will be the Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting groups.
• On Tuesday, February 13th, the line-up will be the Sporting, Hound, and Herding groups, and Best in Show.

Watch for features on dogs away from the ring, such as Westminster’s Angel on a Leash dog therapy program, and profiles of people in the fancy.

Stay in and stay warm; curl up on the couch with your favorite furry friend and enjoy.

Getting ready for the New Year? Why not put together your own calendar of fun dog events in your area? You’ll find events you and your dog can participate in, and others where you can just sit back and enjoy the show.

To find events:

• Local dog clubs or individuals may maintain websites that focus on your area. These can be goldmines. Search for the keywords “dogs”, “events” and “your city” in your favorite search engine.
• Read your local paper
• Contact local dog clubs
• Ask trainers and students at training facilities
• Inquire at animal shelters
• Check for flyers in local dog-related businesses. Talk to the staff.
• Is there a local venue that often hosts dog events? Ask for their event listing.
• Check with the AKC for conformation, obedience, rally, tracking, and agility.
• Are you interested in a particular dog sport? Check the parent organization’s event calendar. Find the organization by querying your favorite search engine with the name of the sport (i.e. “agility”, “schutzhund”, or “flyball”) and “organizations”.
• If you have a breed you’re interested in, check with their parent club for local activities. Often these wonderful events are not widely-publicized. Some examples are:
• Australian Shepherd Club of America herding trials
• Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America carting competitions
• Newfoundland Dog Club of America water rescue tests

Some non-dog events in your town are great to take dogs to. In St. Louis, many locals and their dogs happily make a day of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race. If you’d like to take your dog to such an event, be sure to add it to your calendar. Here’s our calendar, in it’s early stages.

Finally, keep your calendar where you’ll be most likely to update and refer to it. Use the type of calendar that is easiest for you; paper, online, or your PDA.

May you enjoy 2007 with your dog. Happy New Year!

Animal Blessing ceremonies are very popular with the American public and increasingly accepted by many churches. People bring a variety of companion animals, everything from the expected dogs and cats, to rabbits and lizards, camels and horses, and even favorite stuffed animals and photographs of deceased pets.

Catholic, Lutheran and Episcopal churches seem to be most often the ones hosting the ceremonies. Sometimes college or university interfaith chapels hold animal blessing ceremonies. Most ceremonies are held outside, regardless of weather, while some are held inside the church.

The traditional time is the weekend nearest the 4th of October to commemorate the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, but ceremonies are often held from September through mid-October.

How do you find a ceremony?

• Watch the paper from the end of September through the month of October
• Inquire at your local Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal church, or university chapel
• Ask your vet’s office, your local Humane Society or shelter
• Do an internet search with these keywords: your town name, blessing, animals
• Check for ceremonies in your area in this partial list of Animal Blessings in the US

See a ceremony online:

• Duke University Blessing of the Animals (Photo Gallery)
• Animal Rescue League of Iowa Blessing Ceremony (Excellent, close-up video)
• Animal Blessing, Long Beach, CA, September 2006 (Composite video of a large ceremony, set to music)
• Animal Blessing at the Eldon College Chapel (slideshow of a small college ceremony, set to music)

Further information:

• Blessing of the Animals in the US (an article by a Franciscan Catholic)
• Prayers for Animals and other resources (Episcopalian Church)
• Browse online Newspaper coverage of animal blessings around the world.

Recommended Reading:

• Blessing the Animals: Prayers and Ceremonies to Celebrate God’s Creatures, Wild and Tame by Lynn L. Caruso
• Animal Blessings: Prayers and Poems Celebrating Our Pets, by June Cotner

The Fourth Annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day is September 16, 2006. Fun and educational events will be held across the country during the month of September. Do you have a mixed breed dog? This event welcomes all dogs, not just AKC-registrable dogs.

Visit the AKC’s website for events near your home. If there aren’t any events in your area this year, why not help plan one for next year?

(Added 092206) Take a peek at the festivities at AKC’s headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina and those in New York. Scroll down for loads of photos and video clips (NC only). It looks like it was a lot of fun!

In the spirit of this event, the AKC encourages everyone to sign the Pet Promise (below).

Many people would add one more item to the Pet Promise. If you are a pet owner, please save lives by spaying or neutering your dogs and cats. So many animals are euthanized each year because there aren’t enough homes. Please be part of the solution, and not the problem.

RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNER PET PROMISE

As a dog owner, I do solemnly swear:

• I will never overlook my responsibilities for this living being and recognize that my dog’s welfare is totally dependent on me.
• I will always provide fresh water and quality food for my dog.
• I will socialize my dog via exposure to new people, places and other dogs.
• I will take pride in my dog’s appearance with regular grooming.
• I will recognize the necessity of basic training by teaching my dog to reliably sit, stay and come when called.
• I will take my dog to the vet regularly and keep all vaccinations current.
• I will pick-up and properly dispose of my dog’s waste.
• I will make sure my dog is regarded as an AKC Canine Good Citizen® by being aware of my responsibilities to my neighbors and to the community.
• I will ensure that the proper amount of exercise and mental stimulation appropriate for my dog’s age, breed and energy level is provided.
• I will ensure that my dog has some form of identification (which may include collar tags, tattoo or microchip ID.)
• I will adhere to local leash laws.

Click here for a version of the above suited to printing and signing.

Dogs do so much for us, it is an honor to make this promise for them.

In pools across the country, end-of-season dog swims are being held to benefit shelters, humane societies, dog parks, and pro-animal legislation.

In St. Louis, dogs and their owners attended pool parties that began in early August and continued through Labor Day. St. Louis’ U City pool party celebrated it’s fourth year and welcomed more then 300 dogs and their owners into the water. (See the “Snouts in Your Town” video in Windows Media Format or Quick Time.)

In Pittsburgh, 300 dogs swam in Sandcastle Water Park’s wave pool, kiddie pool, and beach area. These lucky dogs were served snowcones with a choice of beef or chicken broth.

A pool party in Salt Lake City included an adoption fair, a vaccination event, and even a long jump contest.

A sense of humor abounded in the names…Bloomington Indiana’s Bryant Park pool christened the event “Drool in the Pool”. Many pools had contests and games for the dogs.

Most pools provided fresh water and some provided shade for the dogs. Veterinarians and humane society officials were on hand in some locations. Lifeguards were present when the owners were allowed to swim with their dogs.

The average cost of a day at the pool was a bargain at $5-$10.

In general, the rules were:

• No aggressive dogs
• No dogs that are in heat
• Dogs must wear ID and rabies tags
• Dogs must be leashed while not swimming.
• Owners must clean up after their dogs.

Check your local paper and mark your calendar for next summer’s swims!

I was browsing the news online, when I read about the Poo Festival in Crested Butte, Colorado.

Huh?

Crested Butte, a self-proclaimed town of dog lovers, stages a “Spring Poo Festival”. When the snow melts, a winter’s worth of dog poop is left behind. Someone had the bright idea of holding an organized dog waste cleanup, and calling it a festival. Amazingly, 100 or so people showed up for this bizarre easter egg-like hunt.

The participants were given bags, and they set out, eyes on the ground, looking for dog poop. When they’d collected all they could find, the bags were weighed, and those with the heaviest bags won prizes.

Brilliant. Now if only we could figure out a way to inspire people to pick it up in the first place!