Everyone knows that you can easily teach a dog to bring you his leash when it’s time to go out. And, of course, almost any dog can be taught to sit, lay down, and roll over on cue. These “tricks” are so commonplace that we take them for granted. Yeah, dogs are pretty smart. Now what’s for lunch?
This month’s Bay Woof – our third annual “Dogs at Work and Play” issue – is designed to remind you that canines are INCREDIBLE. They have highly tuned instincts and special abilities that no person could ever develop. Far beyond your run-of-the-mill household stunts, they can be trained to do a host of truly amazing and marvelous things – sometimes just for the thrill of the game, sometimes in service to humankind.
On the play side of the coin, there is the joy of doggy dancing. Read Lisa-Anne Manolius’ piece on page 6 about learning Canine Freestyle with her Kelpie mix, Vinnie, and watch the video she recommends. I guarantee you’ll want to share it with all your dog-loving friends.
Steve Teer chimes in with tales of his award-winning disc dogs, Guinness, Sandy, and Irish. Their aerodynamic efforts in pursuit of the prize are a wonder to behold.
Ian Dunbar’s column describes a canine sports extravaganza he invented awhile back called The K9 Games®. At the moment, you’d have to go to France or Japan to watch them live, but he promises to bring them back stateside soon. We can’t wait, Ian!
For you nature-loving readers, Liz Cherene offers tips for happy hiking with your dog, and even reveals some of her favorite trails. It may not be a great spectator sport, but hiking with your canine companion can restore both body and soul.
Yes, dogs love to play, but they also love to work. Bonnie Brown-Cali, author of this month’s Good Dog! column, has had the pleasure and privilege of training a variety of search and service dogs. Find out what she has learned from them.
The National Disaster Search Dog Foundation is actively seeking shelter dogs who have the right stuff. You can help by becoming part of the Bay Area Bark Force. Learn more about the program and meet some successful candidates. Dogs are even active in the medical field. Elizabeth Reardon discusses medical alert dogs capable of diagnosing disease and saving lives.
Also not to be missed in this special issue: Rachael Feigenbaum’s “day-in-the-life” piece about her work as an on-call holistic veterinarian on page 9 and Humane Education Manager Joelle Aguirre’s description of the East Bay SPCA’s Summer Animal Camp on page 20.
There is plenty of dog play and dog work not mentioned in this issue. We would need hundreds of pages to include it all! Time now to dig in and marvel at the powerful potential of dogs.
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