Rolling Into Fall - Event Season

Well, as the air turns crisper it seems fall is upon us. Still feels a little early to be having such cool weather, but it reminds me that it is once again Pet Event Season.

Pet events are a lot of fun. They allow local businesses to "Keep Arkansas Funky", so that our neighbors can shop locally and stimulate our own economy. They also are a great tool to socialize your dog, getting them over fear anxiety, playing and sniffing other dogs, seeing other people, and it gives them someplace to go in the car other than the vet, which can develop car ride anxiety. These events can also be a good source of knowledge, since often experts in their fields will be on hand to answer questions on nutrition, behavior, grooming, boarding, and medications.

Here's a recap of some of the big events that are lined up:

Responsible Dog Owner Day

When: Sat, September 12, 11:30am – 1:30pm

Where: Murphy Dog Park (map)

Description: The annual RDOD sponsored by the NWA Kennel Club. Events include Lure Coursing, NWA K-9 Disc Club demonstration, Biggest Wag Contest, vendor booths and more! Burgers will be available from Backyard Burger for only $3 with proceeds benefiting Murphy Dog Park and The Humane Society. I'm glad the NWAKC is continuing this event with James at the helm. This was our first ever dog event we ever attended in 2006, despite the wind and grit in our teeth, it holds a special place in our hearts. I'll never forget all of the weird looks we got that day. I still think not that many people know what a dog bakery does, but we broke onto the seen in our first RDOD. Last years event was cancelled due to inclement weather, but these have been huge events in the past, and are lookign forward to another great one this year.

National Pet Memorial Day

When: Sun, September 13, 4pm – 6pm

Where: Bark Park, Bentonville, AR (map)

Description: Sponsored by Save Our Strays
This is the first year for this event, and it may be the first event at the Bentonville Bark Park since it's completion. Recognizing the importance of remembering our cherished pets, the International Association of Pet Cemeteries (IAPC) has designated the second Sunday in September as National Pet Memorial Day.

Weiner Dog Races

When: Sat, October 3, 9am – 12pm

Where: Glasgow Road Softball Field, Bella Vista, AR (map)

Description: The 3rd annual Weiner Dog races benefit the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. More details will be available at a later date. We attended this event for the first time last year, and it was a blast. I didn't even know that many weiner dogs lived in NWA. So moch fun to see them all running, lose interest and then run off the field, ears flopping. Another great event in Benton County. Should be a great photo op. This is the third year for this event at the softball field in Bella Vista.

Pugfest 2009

When: Sat, October 3, 11am – 2pm

Where: JB Hunt Softball Park, Springdale, AR (map)

Description: We will have games, a fashion show, and other happenings at the event. Ryan Greig with 98.3 KKEG will keep things moving during the day as Pugs, small canine friends and human friends enjoy the day and compare Pug Experiences. If a dog clothes designer would like to participate in the fashion show - please contact me as soon as possible. We already have one designer set up to show their clothes on the RUNWAY (ok sidewalk). Get your costumes ready now and participate in the costume contest and of course - as we do each year - we will crown Mr & Miss Northwest Arkansas Pug - Includes a crown and trophy! If interested in becoming a vendor, contact Reta Parton at rpsodapop@aol.com or call 479.... We had over 120 pugs in attendance last year. This year we expect more! Come enjoy the day and meet our pugs up for adoption. A Pug is a comedian with a fur coat and generously gives love to everyone - come join our celebration.We've got a great pug rescue in NWA, and these little guys are so cute! Come out and support this great group.

Howl-O-Ween Carnival

When: Sat, October 31, 1pm – 4pm

Where: Murphy Dog Park (map)

Description: Costume Contest with 4 categories: cutest, scariest, most creative and owner/dog costumes. Carnival Games Bigwag Biggest Wag Contest Trick or Treat Vendor prize for best decorated Howl-O-Ween Booth prize will be a free 4x3 sign at Murphy Dog Park Silent Auction Food Goodie Bags T-Shirts. Ever since we started attending dog events in NWA, we've heard of the mythical "Howl-o-ween" event, but it has been on hiatus since 2005. This is purportedly going to be huge - silimiar to the Dogwood Walk in Fayetteville, and a ton of fun. We are looking forward to seeing the reemergence of this spooktacular event in NWA.

We should be offering (almost) live coverage via Facebook and Twitter. Be sure you don't miss out!

Update on the Bentonville Bark Park

Hey Everyone!

This article about the Bentonville Bark Park ran on Tuesday in the Benton County Record section of the Democrat Gazette. I thought dog owners might be interested to know where the progress of the Bark Park stands, so I'm re-posting it here. If you'd like to see the story from it's original source, you can visit http://www.nwanews.com/bcdr/News/69697/

We are looking forward to being able to use the Bark Park and attend events there. As we get more information we'll post it here!

Daily Record photograph by Charles Fowler
Adam Kile and his dog Scamp were not able to enter the Bentonville Bark Park off North Walton Boulevard on Monday afternoon. The gates are locked as city officials wait for the grass to grow in the fenced area.

No dogs allowed : Bark Park remains unfinished; under lock and key until spring

By Eleanor Evans Staff Writer - eleanore@nwanews.com

BENTONVILLE - The Bentonville Bark Park is being kept locked up for the time being, but that hasn't stopped dogs - and their owners - from jumping the fence.

But Bentonville Parks and Recreation Director David Wright said it's not time to open the park yet - at least not until the grass in the new park space can grow.

Dog owners have been "excited, but perhaps a little too anxious," Wright said, and the city has locked the gates to the fenced-in park pending its completion.

Wright said the fence and the entrance to the dog park have been completed, but the city must still construct a sidewalk up to the entry of the park.

"There's also an agility course that needs to be installed," Wright said.

But most importantly, the grass needs to grow in to avoid erosion in the next couple of months.

"We've got to have really good turf coverage. If we don't, eventually it will become a maintenance nightmare," Wright said.

But he promises that if owners are patient, there will be a grand opening in the spring at which the park will be unlocked and opened to the public.

"We know you're excited, and so are we, but please respect the facility for a couple more months," Wright said.

Plans for the park include the following:

· 1.3 acres of fenced lawns, trees and benches;

· One large-dog park and one small-dog park;

· An agility course; and

· Relief, water and waste stations.

For more information, visit www.bentonvillear.com and click on the "Bark Park in Progress" link from the right-side menu, or call 254-0833.

Bentonville Strong-Arms Homeless Animals

After doing a little digging, some more information has surfaced about the Bentonville pet ordinances, and the code enforcement officers. Allegedly, several rescue groups who have attempted to have adoption events in Bentonville have been thwarted by code enforcement officers, even though they are supposed to be exempt:

"according to the ordinance Sec. 601.5(c)F Exemptions that states "Temporary sales to benefit non-profit organizations and conducted on private property. Such sales shall be conducted no longer than five consecutive days." The gentleman in charge of the code enforcement officers (Marvin Saunders) was directed to let the code enforcement officers be aware of this exemption. The regulation states "Any person claiming to be legally exempt from the regulations set forth herein, or from the payment of a permit fee, shall cite to the community Development Director the statute or other legal authority under which exemption is claimed and shall present proof of qualification of such exemption."

Despite city officials going on record with this, they seem to continue to target rescue and shelter adoption events. This doesn't make much sense to me. I will also concede that that I have only heard one side of the story, but even if I slide it towards the city some to account for their side, it doesn't paint a very pretty picture for the city of Bentonville Code Enforcement.

Why would the city need or want to attempt to prevent adoption events? It's not like these folks are making any money off of this - most volunteer at the rescue or shelter for free.

It's not like the shelters are making any money off of these either - every one that I know operates in the red as it is, and without donations of food, supplies, money, and time, they wouldn't even be here. Without these adoption events, building community awareness is difficult, and whats the alternative?

OK, so maybe the headline was a little exaggerated, but it's not too far of a leap to think that preventing sucessful adoption events is only hurting the homeless pets that need to be found - and whats the sense in that? Pets that don't get adopted - get euthanized. By preventing pet adoptions, they are indirectly contributing to the homeless pet epidemic. Bentonville outsources its animal shelter to Rogers, and it would seem they don't really want adoption events happening within their city limits - do they think that if they just ignore it, the problem will go away?

As far as what rescues can do to help with this at future events, take with you your 501c3 paperwork to the event, so that you can prove you are a non-profit, and you are supposed to also alert the code enforcement office, so that they can alert the on-duty officer that your event is taking place. Questions may be sent to srushing@bentonvillear.com. I'm only interested in the truth, so if you have some, comment or email me. I would love to hear from the other side.

Bentonville Pet Ordinances

It would appear there is some confusion about what is permissible in the city of Bentonville with regards to pet shelters, rescues, and adoption organizations, and whether or not they can have adoption events within the city.

I know a bunch of cities in Northwest Arkansas recently passed ordinances banning the sale or give aways of pets on random street corners, and some cities require permits to do this. I also know that Rogers passed exceptions to this for businesses that are in the pet industry (petco) and shelters, rescues, and adoption organizations.

The Bentonville Code Enforcement officers were recently called on a lady doing an adoption event, of which I do not know all of the details, and was ordered to cease. I do know that I have been trying to work with the city to put on an adoption event on or just off the Bentonville Square (They are still doing construction I think) during the Farmer's Market on some Saturday, and all of my efforts have been thwarted by the city attorney, citing that it is illegal to sell pets on public grounds. Who is selling pets?

Does anyone know how the ordinances read for the city of Bentonville, or who the city attorney is? I would love to pick this back up again, but they are making it difficult. If anyone knows anything about this topic, please email me.

Getting to Know the Pet Community - June Edition

Name: Mike Compton

Profession: Owner/Operator of Dog Days Doggie Daycare in Bentonville

Pets: 7 dogs, all rescues - Baer, Gigi, Max, Ella, Rowdy, Beauty, Buddy

1. What is your favorite word? Splendimous

2. What is your least favorite word? Can't

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Opportunity

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Negative People

5. What sound do you love? Barking

6. What sound do you hate? Sound of good-bye

7. What profession other than your would you like to attempt? Can't imagine doing anything else until the next thing comes along

8. What profession would you not like to attempt? Anything involving computers or bookkeeping

9. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Well done, good and faithful servant

10. Cat person or dog person? Dog

11. Favorite BigWag treat? BigWag cakes

12. Least Favorite BigWag treat? Such a thing hasn't been made

13. What's your pet peeve? Lying/dishonesty

14. What's your guilty pleasure? Peanut M&M's

15. What do you drive? Gray Toyota Previa Van (it holds all the dogs)

16. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Chocolate

17. Where is you favorite spot to hang out? In my arm chair at home with my books and dogs

18. What was the last book you read? Read three at once, The Great Bridge by David McCullough; Rising Tide by Joh M. Barry; House of Morgan by Ron Chernow

Februrary is National Pet Dental Health Month

Most people don’t realize it, but February is National Pet Dental Health Month. Yep, animals have a month to increase their awareness too. Actually, it’s really to help owners realize how important dental health can be for your cat or dog. Here are a few facts most owners don’t know:

*Good oral health alone can increase your pet’s lifespan by 2-5 years

*80% of dogs and 70% of cats have dental disease by the time they are 3 years old

*Dry food alone may not be enough to prevent tartar build-up

*Rawhides and other “hard” chew toys are the #1 reason for broken teeth in dogs.

*Dental disease isn’t just a mouth problem—it can affect the heart, liver, and kidneys.

*Severe dental disease leads to bad breath, painful mouths, inability to eat, and tooth loss.

Sounds bad, right? There are actually a lot of ways to combat dental disease, if you only know about them. The first and most important thing you can do for your pet is brush their teeth. Starting when they are puppies and kittens is best (you have those “practice teeth”), but even adults can learn to tolerate or even enjoy a good brushing. There several flavors of toothpaste specifically for animals. My personal preference is vanilla mint, since they have that lovely minty fresh breath after brushing, but you can also find poultry, beef, liver, and malt flavors. They even have tuna for the picky feline. As long as you are brushing at least 3 times a week, you are doing a great job at reducing bacteria and early plaque that forms the tartar.

So—not a chance of brushing teeth, huh? Well, you can try one of the many products developed for those problems animals that are either too painful or fearful to have their teeth brushed. There are the obvious dental treats, from Booda’s Talk to Me Bones to NutraDent chews, Nylabones, Greenies, etc… CET chews, available through your veterinarian, come in several varieties designed to be given daily. These are coated in an enzymatic formula to help kill bacteria that form plaque. The most important thing to remember with ANY of these products, whether digestible or not, is to supervise your pet! Just like a toddler, any of these chewable treats can be swallowed in a large piece and cause problems.

Another popular way to control bad breath and mouth bacteria is to add products to your animal’s water bowl. Think about it…every time they get a drink they are also rinsing their mouth with an antiseptic wash. It doesn’t have a flavor, and even cats will drink water with these additives. The most popular at the moment is CET Aquadent Solution, which contains chlorhexidine.

So—your pet’s teeth are already bad, now what? All hope is not lost! Make an appointment with your veterinarian and have your pet’s teeth evaluated. If there is significant infection your vet will probably prescribe some antibiotics to take for several days before the cleaning procedure. This helps to reduce the risk of a secondary infection. They will also evaluate your pet for any other health concerns that need to be addressed when anesthesia is used. Unfortunately, most pets feel about the dentist like we do---SCARED! This just means that light anesthesia is used to make sure that everything goes smoothly. The use of an endotracheal tube, which goes in their trachea, also minimizes the risk of putting any of that nasty tartar or bacteria in the lungs. Most pets go home the same day their teeth are cleaned with much better breath and more comfortable mouths.

An important consideration when cleaning the teeth is whether or not to add sealant, such as Oravet, to the teeth. Most of the time the enamel is already damaged, so you may notice the teeth looking dirty again within 6 to 8 months of cleaning. A sealant allows all of the small imperfections of the enamel to be protected, and you can go much longer between cleanings. This is especially important in older pets and in pets with another health condition, such as heart disease. Talk to your veterinarian about this new product.

And for root canals, braces, crowns---see your local veterinary dentist. That’s right—there are veterinarians who specialize in dentistry. Dr Bill Scott is a veterinary dentist located in Clarksville, AR, who can do cosmetic and surgical dentistry.

For more information about veterinary dentistry and how to help your pets keep their teeth in top shape, visit www.petdental.com. You can learn about diets, products and see demonstrations on how to brush teeth.

-- Courtesy of Dr. Vava Hooper from Rose Animal Clinic, Bentonville, AR. Rose Animal Clinic is offering $20 off all cleaning during the month of February.

The Lone Ranger Gets a Partner

For those who haven't checked out www.zootoo.com yet, this is a website that is trying to build a pet owner community and knowledge base centered around user experiences for different pet services, retailers, animal shelters and rescues, products, you name it, it's probably there. Their goal, I think, is to become the number one destination if you want a review of a pet product or service, and they are doing a good job building it up with a million dollar makeover contest for your local animal shelter.

Anyway, my point is, as I was perusing some of the reviews for some of the dog treats on this website, I started out mildly disappointed. After all, I own a dog bakery, and my whole mantra is healthy, natural, no sugar, no salt, no preservatives. Some days I feel like I am on a crusade to improve the diets of all of those disbelievers out there. With the humanization trend of pets, we can compare our dogs to our children in many cases. We wouldn't dare feed our kids nothing but sugar, salt, and artificial coloring all day, would we? They need to eat their vegetables, the food pyramid, good stuff in the tank, right? But so many of the treats you buy in the store is contrary to that stance. Sugar and salt help all the other nastiness go down easier - make the dog want to eat it.

Sorry for the digression - back to my point. I started off mildly disappointed, as I read one mom after another quip how these treats must be yummy, their dog "wolfed them down". Ick. Then, the tide turned. Someone actually mentioned that they should look at the ingredients of these treats. Too many chemicals - 1 out of 5 stars. Then another low review - look at all of the sugar. Look at all of the artificial coloring. These colors can't be natural.

Now, I know that I am not personally responsible for these readers opinions, but I don't feel like I am the lone ranger trying to help your dogs live longer and healthier. These women get it. If you are reading this, then I think you are getting it too. And that makes me proud. Most people don't know that the pet food industry was born to dispose of the people food waste. Fancy marketing was used to lull us into a sense of complacency of what we feed our pals, our best friends, our park play buddies, and our sappy movie snugglers. Even if you don't buy your treats from me, just read the ingredients. Just because it's cute and looks like a mini spare rib doesn't mean it's good for your dog. Thats all I ask. Oh, and vote for your local shelter at zootoo.com. I guess thats really two things.

How To Crate Train Your Dog In 30 Minutes

I hear complaints of people who can't potty train their dogs, or they destroy furniture at night, or the sleep in their bed with them and become aggressive if the owner wants them down. The simplest solution to all of these problems is to crate train your dog, but how do you do that? they ask.

First step is to buy a dog crate. I got mine from Wal-mart. I like the metal ones with the slide out plastic liner to make accidents easy to clean up. The only trick here is to make sure you get the right size. You don't want too small, but too big, and they will feel like they can use the bathroom at the other end of their "house". It needs to be just small enough to where they won't want to go to the bathroom - dogs have a natural sense to not potty where they sleep. If they do use the bathroom and then sleep in it, I will address that at the end.

The second step is easy. Now, your job is just to make the crate a fun place. I usually place it in the living room, or someplace they are familiar with, and let them be around it for a little while. Let them smell it, walk in it if they are brave enough, explore it, and become comfortable with it. Then, once they have had a chance to become familiar with it, I try to entice them into it with a treat. I try not to push them in - I want it to feel like their choice. Once they go in, I give them a treat, call them out, and hug and praise them a whole bunch. I repeat this, using the phrase "Do you wanna go to bed". This does two things. First, it associates the crate with someplace fun, where there are treats involved, and lots of praise. Second, it gives them a verbal cue "Bed" that they know with the crate, and the associated treats and praise. This usually takes about 30 minutes, maybe a little more with reluctant or scaredy cats.

Dogs are natural den dwellers. Sometimes draping a towel over the crate will make it more appealing. I like to put a towel with my scent on it (I rub it all over my body) and place it with a favorite toy at night so they feel close to me. Overall, the crate makes them feel safe. They will run to it when they are scared or frightened. All I have to do is mention the word "bed" and they are racing down the hall to see who can be first in their crate.

If they are young, especially puppies, they may not want to remain in their crate throughout the night. You have to determine if this is just because they want out, or because they really have to use the bathroom badly. If they just want out, then I would ignore them. They should eventually quiet down. I have used a glass of water thrown on them so that a really stubborn dog knows this is unacceptable behavior.

What you want to avoid is having them use the bathroom and then lying or sleeping in it. If this happens, you can undo any good crate training cold do. It's like it psychologically damages the dog, so that they will urinate on themselves and not care anymore. It can undo pottie training they may have mastered. I use the rule of thumb that for every month the puppy is old, they can go an hour before needing a bathroom break. Hopefully, by a year old they should be able to go all night without a problem. I have a dog that can get so distracted on their end-of-the-night outside trip that he forgets to go to the bathroom. Each dog is a little different, and you will have to find that balance and learn with them.

Getting this technique down is a great way to potty train a dog too. When you let them out in the morning, have a treat ready, and go out with them. They will more than likely have to use the bathroom if they went all night without going outside. As soon as they start, start praising them (but don't touch them - let them finish their business) and then when they are finished, give them a treat and praise and hug them. This will reinforce going outside is good. It's about the only time of day you know with 100% certainty that they will go to the bathroom, and it's really a slam dunk. The more you praise them for going outside, the faster they should catch on.