Posted by: twodogtales | September 19, 2011

Walk a hound, lose a pound on Sept. 25

On Sunday, Sept. 25, celebrate the fall weather with a stroll through dog-friendly Old Town Alexandria during the Olde Town Dogge Walke.

Presented by Capitol Heel, the Alexandria Animal Welfare League and Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria, the walk begins and ends at historic Market Square and winds a mile and a half past sights including Gadsby’s Tavern and the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

Online registration is available for $25 until noon on Sept. 23, and includes a t-shirt and bandanna. Late registration is available until 8:45 a.m. on the 25th for $40, but you aren’t guaranteed a shirt or bandanna.

Walkers are encouraged to form teams and get pledges to sponsor their walk, and prizes will be awarded for the team and individual who collected the most donations. As of Sept. 17, more than $17,000 has been raised towards the goal of $50,000. There will also be raffle drawings and giveaways after the walk.

Old Town Alexandria is very dog-friendly, with many businesses welcoming well-behaved dogs and even putting out water bowls and biscuits to show their support of our pooch pals year-round. In fact, Pat Troy’s Irish Pub at 11 North Pitt Street has dog-friendly patio seating and even offers a special doggie menu of tasty treats for dogs!

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 18, 2011

Wags and Whiskers: in pictures

Pet lovers converged on Shirlington Village on Saturday, Sept. 17, to enjoy live entertainment, contests, raffles and the chance to meet some ardorable, adoptable puppies and dogs at Wags & Whiskers and the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Animal House.

This pile of 10-week-old Pointer mix puppies are adoptable from A Forever Home Rescue Foundation.

This cutie-pie is part of a litter of white German Shepherd-Labrador mix puppies that are available for adoption from Virginia German Shepherd Rescue:

This Australian Shepherd-German Shepherd mix puppy is available for adoption from Homeward Trails Rescue.

A pup watches the activities while his owners enjoy lunch at Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub.

This poodle dressed up in her best military uniform for the event.

Bulldog puppy Daisy enjoyed the festivities, and a lot of attention from other Wags and Whiskers attendees.

Buckwheat is a sweet, laid-back puppy who happily chewed on a stick in front of the Woofs! Dog Training Center table. He is being fostered at Woofs and waiting for someone to adopt him.

A Lucky Dog Animal Rescue volunteer talks to a potential adopter.

This gaggle of Greyhounds accompanied their owners to lunch at Samuel Beckett’s.

The recently-opened Hardwood Artisans store displayed wooden dog puzzle artwork and dog bowl sets that can be custom-made in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Chatham competed in the bobbing-for-treats contest at the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s Animal House. She managed to scarf up seven treats in 30 seconds, but it wasn’t enough to beat Sundae’s total of 10 treats.

Sundae makes friends with a staffer from Caring Hands Animal Hospital at their booth at AWLA’s Animal House.

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 17, 2011

Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable Pet Week, Sept. 17-25

Sadly, animal shelters are full of big black dogs (BBDs), FIV+ cats, senior pets, special-needs animals and other could-be pets with factors that make them seem “less adoptable.”

So Petfinder.com has designated Sept. 17-25 as Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable Pet Week to bring attention, and hopefully, forever homes, to some of these animals.

Nearly three years ago, I was a self-proclaimed “shelter stalker” trolling the Petfinder website looking for a companion for me and Chatham. While Sundae wasn’t a BBD at the time (she was a tiny, 8-lb. mixed-breed puppy), she certainly grew into one, with a big personality to match. I will forever be thankful to Petfinder for bringing us together, my big spazzy-but-sweet love-muffin!

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 14, 2011

Shirlington goes to the dogs on Sept. 17

This Saturday, Sept. 17, Shirlington is THE place to be for D.C.-area pet lovers. Start the day with the Village at Shirlington’s Wags and Whiskers, which was rescheduled from the orginal Aug. 27 date due to Hurricane Irene.

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Campbell Avenue in Shirlington will be closed to vehicles and the street will be filled with more than 30 exhibitors, live music, rescue organizations showcasing adoptable pets, free pet photos, giveaways, a treat or trick contest and more.

If you happen to get hungry while you’re there, there are more than a dozen restaurants in the village with outdoor, pet-friendly seating. It’s great people- and pooch-watching!

Also, just a five-minute walk right across South Arlington Mill Drive is a great place for your pup to get his/her ya-yas out or go for a swim in Four Mile Run, the Shirlington Community Canine Area, better known as the Shirlington dog park.

Then, stroll about a hundred yards down South Arlington Mill Drive to the Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s first annual Animal House.

From 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. the community is invited to enjoy games, food provided by the Bada Bing Cheesesteaks and SweetFleet, LLC, face painting, and the opportunity to meet the shelter’s adoptable animals.

AWLA staff will be on hand to explain the adoption process and answer questions about the shelter.

The AWLA is at 2650 S. Arlington Mill Dr., Arlington, VA 22206.

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 12, 2011

Canine Cruising on the Potomac Sept. 15

Does your dog have sea legs? This Thursday is your chance to find out with the Potomac Riverboat Company’s canine cruise with Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

You and your dog will enjoy a scenic 40-minute narrated tour of the Old Town Alexandria waterfront, while meeting other dogs and some of the adoptable pooches from Lucky Dog and their foster parents.

There are two departure times to choose from, 7:00 or 8:00 p.m., but you should plan to be at the dock 30 minutes before your departure.

Dogs ride for free, human tickets are $15 for adults, $9 for children ages 2 to 11. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket booth on the dock, or online in advance.

This is a fun experience for dogs, and definitely mentally stimulating so you’ll take home a tired pup.

When I took Chatham on a cruise she was fascinated with the view. Once I was confident she wasn’t going to leap into the water from the top deck of the boat, I relaxed, too! Some of the dogs on the cruise settled in on the boat floor, but some jumped up on the benches for a better vantage point.

The boats depart from the Alexandria City Marina behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center at 3 Cameron St., Alexandria, VA 22314.

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 11, 2011

Lucky Dog Happy Hour at Cantina Marina Sept. 12

Don’t want to let go of the weekend just yet? Here’s a good excuse to keep that relaxed siesta feeling going for just one more day. Cantina Marina on the D.C. waterfront is holding a doggy happy hour for Lucky Dog Animal Rescue on Monday, Sept. 12 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Ten percent of all sales will go to Lucky Dog, and they will have some of their adoptable dogs there.

Lucky Dog currently has more than 150 adoptable dogs featured on their website, all shapes, sizes and ages from Chihuahua puppies to an Irish Wolfhound mix. If you know anyone thinking about adding a four-legged family member, let them know about Lucky Dog and help one of these dogs find their forever home.

If you can’t make it tomorrow night, the good news is that Cantina Marina is ALWAYS dog-friendly, so you can enjoy the waterfront views while sipping a tropical drink and have your best pal right there with you any day of the week!

Cantina Marina is at 600 Water St., SW, Washington, D.C. 20024.

Check out these adorable puppies Lucky Dog had at the BlogPaws conference a few weeks ago in Tysons Corner:

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 7, 2011

No. Va. parks host dog swims Sat. Sept. 10

In addition to the rain-delayed Old Town Pool dog swim in Alexandria (see my Sept. 4 & 6 posts), the Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority is hosting dog swims at all five of its area water parks this Saturday. For just $5, you can bring your dog to paddle from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. at parks including Arlington’s Upton Hill Regional Park, Alexandria’s Great Waves at Cameron Run and Pirate’s Cove at Pohick Bay in Lorton.

get more information and directions at http://www.nvrpa.org

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 6, 2011

Alexandria Dog Swim Rescheduled

The City of Alexandria’s Eighth Annual Doggie Day Swim at the Old Town Pool at 1609 Cameron St. has been rescheduled to Saturday, Sept. 10, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Other changes to the event are:

  1. Thanks to a donation by Your Dog’s Best Friend, admission is free.
  2. The website now has an online registration feature for the swim at www.alexandriava.gov/recreation (activity number 140950).
  3. The site also now says that the number of dogs in the pool area will be limited to 100.

For additional information, call the Chinquapin Park Recreation Center at 703-746-5435.

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Posted by: twodogtales | September 4, 2011

Dog swim in Alexandria Sept. 6

Labor Day means the end of summer, sadly, but it also means dog swim season! Many local pools have a day where owners can bring their dogs to swim. Since they have to drain and clean the pools for the winter anyway, why not let the pooches paddle around and have some fun, too?

Dog swim season is here!

The first local dog swim comes the day after Labor Day, on Tues., Sept. 6, at the Old Town Pool in Old Town Alexandria. Their annual Doggie Day Swim is held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 1609 Cameron St. There is a $5 per dog admission fee, and proceeds benefit the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Dogs, and the people standing nearby, all get wet at the dog swim.

The rules for participation are:

  • Dog handlers must be 16 or older.
  • All dogs should wear current vaccination tags or proof of vaccinations must be shown.
  • Bring your own doggie dish for water.

Chatham, Sundae and I went to this dog swim last year and it was a lot of fun. There’s a wide set of stairs for the dogs to get in and out of the pool, and also about a 6-inch lip right at water level so particularly athletic dogs can pull themselves up and out of the pool at any point.

Sundae uses the pool shelf to pull herself out.

There’s also a toddler wading pool that’s perfect for smaller dogs or ones who are scared of the deep water.

The wading pool is great for small or timid dogs.

A lot of people come to this, so it can get chaotic. It’s probably not the best event for dogs who get scared or aggressive when a lot of other dogs are running around.

Rain date is the following Wednesday. For additional information call 703-746-5553.

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Posted by: twodogtales | August 30, 2011

Dog Days of September Friday in Old Town Warrenton

If you’re not heading out of town for the holiday weekend, Warrenton, Va., is holding its September First Friday celebration on Sept. 2, 2011, and this month’s theme is “Dog Days of September.”

Co-hosted by the Warrenton Kennel Club (WKC) and the Partnership for Warrenton Foundation, the event will be from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. along a stretch of Old Town Warrenton’s quaint, historic Main Street that will be closed to traffic.

More than 50 pet-related vendors and local animal rescue groups and shelters will have booths, and the restaurants will offer free samples from their menus. Dog-friendly wineries including Philip Carter Winery and Barrel Oak Winery will also be there.

Read my posts about my visits to dog-friendly Philip Carter and Barrel Oak.

The WKC will hold their “AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day” activities, and there will be several demonstrations thoughout the evening, including one from the Fauquier County Police K-9 unit.

No promises, but you might even have a dog celebrity sighting! The 2011 Westminister Kennel Club Best in Show winner, the Scottish Deerhound GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind is owned by WKC member Dr. Robert S. Dove.

First Friday is free to the public, and is held rain or shine.

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