Take Your Dog To Work Day Chronicles - 2011

Today, many workplaces participated in the 13th annual Take Your Dog To Work Day. Going strong since 1999, this program is gaining in popularity. This was first started in Great Britain in 1996 and later caught on the the United States.

There are over 75 million dogs living in U.S. households. It has been proven that when workers bring their dogs to work with them, there is heightened morale, increased productivity and extra sales. It's only one day but one day can really make a difference with dog owners.

Here are some interesting statistics:

• 1 in 5 workplaces have a dog-friendly work environment
• Over 44 million households own dogs
• There are lower employee absenteeism rates in pet-friendly workplaces

Taking Cookie, Gigi and Homer To Work

Since I had a break between dog walks today, I took Cookie, Gigi and Homer to the park with a couple of friends to go on a longer walk than usual. Even though I walk them multiple times a day, it's much easier walking three dogs with more people.

Deciding to give them some extra exercise, we took them for a long walk in a dog-friendly park. We were even able to run them a little bit in an open, grassy area. Suffice it to say, Cookie got some additional exercise without aggravating her injury. Homer and Gigi also got a good workout and stayed more calm throughout the day. All of the dogs even got to say hello to a friendly puppy exploring the park and are now resting comfortably.

Now, I'll take Gigi and Homer for a night walk so they make the most of the day.

Let's Discuss!

Did you bring your dog into work today? How was the experience for you?

Read More About It

Take Your Dog To Work Website
Dogs At Work: A Practical Guide To Creating Dog-Friendly Workplaces

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An Incredible Dog That Set The World Record

Lisa Strum and Vhoebe, her three-year-old Belgian Malinois

During the weekend of June 10th & 11th, the Incredible Dog Western Regionals were held by Purina at the San Diego County Fair. One of the biggest highlights of the event was the fact that Vhoebe, broke the world record for dock diving. She set a distance of 31 feet 5 inches (9.6 meters).

Major, a five year old Parson Russell Terrier, competes in the 30-weave up-and-back event

The National Incredible Dog Challenge will take place in Gray Summit, Missouri on
the weekend of September 30th. Each year this event features the best of the best in dock diving, freestyle flying disc (frisbee catching), head to head weave poles, dog surfing, agility and other events.

Below are some photos from the competition this past weekend. (All photos are courtesy of Purina).

Prino, a four-year-old Papillon, competes in the small dog agility event.

Nani, a Bernese Mountain Dog, bails off her board in the surfing competition.

Owner Jeremy Duenas of Yorba Linda, looks on as Deagen, a 5-year-old French Bulldog, competes during the surfing competition.

Bring On Summer!

Let's Discuss!

What's your favorite event in the Incredible Dog Challenge?

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Dock Diving
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My Day At The Pet Expo

Hi Guys! Yesterday, I went to Chicagoland Family Pet Expo. Mom was roped in to coming too, since she's a huge dog lover as well. This was my fourth year attending at the Arlington Park Racetrack. It's amazing to see everything that is there. Not only do they have dogs, but also cats, birds and other small animals.

First, we walked around seeing all of the different dogs available through rescue groups. One of the best things about these expositions is all of the different foods and products available. I was able to pick up some samples of new food to try out for the dogs and a couple of treats too.

My main goal was to see the performing dogs. There were two groups performing. The first one we saw was the Indy Dog & Disc Club frisbee demonstration. Though we only caught part of it, it was astounding what these dogs could do with a simple frisbee.

Afterwards, we then caught the Rock and Roll K-9s performance team. The group had the coolest decorations too. This performance was first-class. Not only did the M.C. Jill have a sense of humor, the dogs made agility exhibition look fun. They were so well-trained, it was unbelievable.

There was also a dedication ceremony to unveil the new Animal Rescue Adopt A Shelter Pet Stamps from the Post Office. One of the main goals of this expo was to encourage potential dog owners to get their dog from a shelter and to avoid dogs that have been commercially bred.

Some things I missed was the Dancing With Dogs exhibition, the CFA All Breed Cat Show, and the American White Shepherd Judging Competition. (White Shepherds are a type of German Shepherd that are not accepted by the AKC because they believe the breed does not adhere to the German Shepherd Standard. Opponents argue that the white color is caused by a recessive gene and not a genetic defect. These judgings are done to increase awareness of the breed and give it credit where credit is due).

I've attached some of the pictures I took during the expo. I hope you enjoy them and have a great start of your week.

Frisbee Show

The Incredible Flying Border Collie

Vertical Grab

Rock and Roll K-9s

 Gimme five!

Jill The MC

Up You Go!

Out Of The Tunnel

This guy jumped four feet over!

Graceful Jump

The Whole Troop

Three Month Puppy for Adoption

An Afternoon At The Pet Boutique

Pet boutiques have become all the rage these days. Not only do they sell unique items for your dog or cats, they have special pet events. Pet boutiques differ from pet superstores like Petco or Petsmart because they will have one of a kind items. Yesterday, I took my mom and headed to Zane and Zara's in Chicago.

Our Arrival

When we arrived in the late morning, we were happily greeted by Zane (a gorgeous boxer) and Zara (a darling pit bull mix). They were very sweet and delightful to be around. They were well-behaved too. They have a little spot behind the counter where they relax during customer visits. We had initially come to see the different Pugs that they were featuring but had arrived a little to early. So we decided to look around instead.

A Treasure Chest Of Goodies

Nothing can be more fun that just looking. There's so many products created for pets these days that you always discover something new. I found a floatable frisbee made of fabric, organic dog food, and cool dog bowls. I would have picked up the floatable frisbee except that neither Cookie and Gigi have ever been interested in chasing flying discs.

Still, I did find some fantastic goodies like a Chicago Cubs leash and collar combo for both dogs as well as some of their favorite dog treats. I also picked up some all-natural cat treats for my cat. Since we had time till the Pug rescue event started, we grabbed some lunch at the local cafe.

Pug Time

After our delightful lunch, we headed back and got to meet a couple of the dogs from the Northern Illinois Pug Rescue. George was a stray who was being fostered at the time. He was a spunky little guy who was just so excited to be there.

Tracy, was an older dog and a little more reserved. It turned out that she was blind and because of that would require special needs. She was a sweet girl who just needed a little extra assurance as some dogs take more time to get acclimated to their surroundings. She still was as adorable as ever. Pugs always make me smile and laugh. One day, I may get one but for now, I'll enjoy them as much as I can.

After seeing the pugs, it was time for us to head back home. This picture of Zane and Zara, sums it all up. They don't say it's a dog's life for nothing. It was a fun trip and opened my eyes to what you can discover in a smaller, niche pet store.

Let's Discuss

Have you ever been to a pet boutique like Zane and Zara's? Do you shop at these stores in person or online?

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Hogs For Dogs

The weather for the 3rd Annual Hogs for Dogs couldn't have been more perfect outside for the Heartland Animal Shelter. Over 100 motorcycle riders participated in this 15 mile ride to Northern Illinois. Being there, I sensed the strong ties that these bikers had for the animals at Heartland. One biker duo brought their Shih Tzu "Spike". Other bikers had huge stuffed dogs decorating the backs of their motorcycles in support for the cause.

Heartland Animal Shelter has been open since 2002 and is run solely by volunteers. It is a no-kill shelter that founded by Dr. Herbert Preiser, a veterinarian determined to find all animals a home. The doctor generously donated his house to the shelter and the shelter has found great success since the beginning. It offers both cats and dogs as pets. Some cats are given room to roam or look out a window while the volunteers are on duty.

This year, they've saved over 1,000 animals, and have found creative ways to have community events such as Cinco De Meow, Bow Wow Bowling and Hogs for Dogs, of course. If you would like to learn more about Heartland Animal Shelter please visit their website.

Due to the fact there was contruction on the same street that the parade was taking place, I had to snap them at the starting line. I would love to hear what you think of the pictures. Enjoy!

Hogs With Dogs

Ready to Go

Spike And His Owners

And They're Off

Shelter Dogs

Shelter Cats

Looking for a Home

A Newer Arrival

You also want to check out:

Woofstock 2009
Loew's Surf Dog Competition

Home Sweet Homewood

Last Saturday, my friend Pat invited me to an event called Home Sweet Homewood. It was an event all about dogs. They had several vendors, a pet parade where all the dogs were dressed up and a Frisbee exhibition. Here are some pictures that captured the moments best. Enjoy!

Sunshine

Cubs Fan

Flower Dog

Keystone K-9

Minnie Mouse

Statue of Liberty

Tricycle Dog

Ready!

Go Get It!!!

As Always, I love to hear from you. Thanks for stopping in...

Woofstock at Lamb's Farm

World's Largest Dog Biscuit

Yesterday, I went with my mom and dogs to Woofstock, an event at Lamb's Farm. It was a beautiful day but since we had a whole bunch of rain the day before, it was kind of muddy. They had k-9 dog demonstrations, dog obedience demos and a whole slew of vendors. There were about 50 dogs there. I've included some pictures so you all could see. It also had the worlds largest dog biscuit. The biscuit was on a table over 10 feet (3 M)long and 3 feet wide (1 M).

Big Dogs

Two Pugs

K-9 Demonstration

Dog Obedience

Also, here are some links of other Woofstock events going on this year:

Eureka, CA
Witchita, KA
Central PA
Chandler, AZ

Also, you may want to check out these related posts:

K-9 Cops

Last Day of Dog Obedience

Thanks for stopping by. If you happened to be at this event, I'd love to hear from you. Have a great day all!

Loews 4th Annual Surf Dog Competition

If you love to travel with your dog and want something different this summer, you may want to visit San Diego. It will be hosting the world’s largest surfing competition which will be taking place on Saturday, June 20 at the Coronado Dog Beach. It’s amazing that dogs could surf, let alone have a competition all their own, as I spoke with Anne Stephany of the Coronado Bay Resort Hotel about this incredible event.

“Four years ago, Loews being a pet-friendly organization, wanted to come up with a fun way for owners and dogs to spend time together.” It had a Learning Vacations for Pets program in other hotels and decided to start the Su’ruff Camp for dogs in San Diego, as a partnership with Teevan McManus, owner of the Coronado Surfing Academy. They had created special hotel packages for this purpose and the packages sold out during the first year.

Shortly afterward, the first surf dog competition began as a charity event so Loews could give back to the community. The event is organized by the Colorado Bay Resort’s Good Neighbor Council. It is a volunteer organization completely run by employees of the hotel. Every bit of planning is done in the employees’ spare time. The proceeds of the event will benefit Loews non-profit charity, the Modest Needs Organization. Since its inception, the Surf Dog Competition has raised over $25,000.

The competition is currently in its 4th year. It has garnered international attention from Japan, England, Spain and Germany. It has three categories. Category One is for dogs 40 pounds and under. Category Two is for dogs over 40 pounds and Category Three is for humans and dogs surfing in tandem. Entry fees are $50.00 for Category One and Two; and $55.00 for Category Three. Last year’s winners included: TJ, a Spanish Spaniel, Stoli, a Black Labrador and Zoey, a Jack Russell Terrier who won the tandem category with his owners Scott and Tyler Chandler.

The first year, there were twenty-eight canine participants and 500 people in attendance. This year, the organizers are expecting over 60 dogs and thousands of people as spectators. Dogs come from all over to catch a wave. One year, there was a dog from Alaska, and this year, there will be dogs from Hawaii and Arizona. The whole event is more of a festival including a special Chef’s barbeque by the chefs of the Coronado Bay Resort.

One of the best things about this competition Stephany says “is that you don’t have to be an expert to participate”. “One year, we had a dog walk in with his owner of the street and partake in the pre-competition practice session and come out with a first place medal.” She adds that “All dogs that enter are given a keepsake medal by Loews.”

If you would like to learn more about this, please check out their website at www.LoewsSurfDog.com.