May 2014
Wags and Tags
Celebrating the canine-human bond!

          This newsletter is brought to you by Arlington Dog Owners Group (A-DOG), a 501(c)(3) community organization promoting the rights and interests of responsible dog owners in Arlington, MA.  

If you're not already a member, we hope you'll want to join A-DOG!


A-DOG logos designed by Lisa Berasi for Arlington Dog Owners Group, all rights reserved
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Meet "A-dog" Felix

Quirky antics, playful exuberance, loves to give hugs

  

When Matt and I started our search for a new companion, we wanted an active, smart breed that would do well with kids (and preferably not shed too much). We went through dog breed books and looked online until we found the Pharaoh Hound. I was intrigued, so my older son and I went to meet a real, live Pharaoh in Cambridge and spent some time running around in the park with him. Seeing the pharaoh's playful exuberance helped us decide for sure. But it wasn't easy finding a Pharaoh hound pup! We spoke with two breeders and met more Pharaohs, while waiting almost 6 months until a litter was born.

 

Fortunately we found a local breeder, Kaije Kennels, so we were able to periodically spend some time with our dog while he was growing up. We named him Felix, after "Felix the cat", because Pharaoh hounds have some catlike personality traits (they enjoy sitting on laps, like to squeeze themselves into small spaces, they are athletic jumpers, and they don't have a "dog" smell at all). Felix finally came home with us last July, and he just celebrated his first birthday. He loves visiting the dog park, snuggling, fetching a toy, and playing with our two young boys. Felix also competes in dog shows and lure coursing events with his breeder. Unfortunately, Felix is a master thief - any unattended food will quickly disappear into his belly, even if it's high up on the countertop or the table. He is very intelligent and learns new tricks in just a few minutes (as long as treats are involved.) Felix is always surprising us with his quirky antics - he even throws his paws around my neck to give me a great big hug after I've been out for a while.

 

 

 

by A-DOG member Sarah Trainor.  Photos show Felix with his canine brothers Alex and Chase, digging in the snow, and showing off his prize-winning costume!

 

 
PAWS to Mark Your Calendar!
Save the date for coming events

  

  

MAY IS  MEMBERSHIP MONTH: "NEW" OR "RENEW" IT IS EASY TO DO

WE NEED YOU TO JOIN THE A-DOG PACK.....Sign up today here.

 

May 4 through 26.  Art Rocks Menotomy, an exhibit of sculpture installation at Menotomy Rocks Park in Arlington.  Enjoy an artful visit to the park.  Sponsored by Arlington Public Art.  Details here.  (Shown above, Super Scottie sculpture by Arlington artist and Menotomy Rocks Park fan Shunsuke Yamaguchi.  Photo by Adria Arch.)

     

Friday, May 9 (6:30 A.M.-9:30A.M.) Arlington Bike Breakfast on the Minuteman Bikeway near Thorndike Field.  Free bagels, drinks and T shirts.  Food provided by Bagelville, Arlington Heights. 

 

Saturday, May 10 (10 am - 1 pm) Bark for Life!! at the Arlington Reservoir.  It's the dog version of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  Only $20 per dog and it goes to a great cause.  Humans are not the only ones affected by this awful disease.  More info here.  

 

Sunday May 18th (10am - 3pm) Somerville Dog Owners Group's 2nd Annual SPRING FLING, Union Square Plaza. Free and open to the public, Music, Kiddie corner and Trainers with educational sessions.  

 

Tuesday, May 27 (7-9 pm)  A-DOG Monthly Meeting, Jefferson Cutter House Community Room, Arlington Center.

 

Thursday June 12 (7-8:30 pm) Membership Celebration at Menotomy Beer and Wine, 80 Broadway, Arlington for a "Wine and Whine Tasting Yappy Hour".  Bring your well socialized dogs and reasonably well behaved selves.  Refreshments will be served along with the wine tasting.  Drawing will be scheduled for 8 pm.  Be an A-DOG member to be eligible to win (Membership forms will be available, or sign up online).  MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION AT MENOTOMY WINE AND BEER for  A  "Wine and Whine Tasting Yappy Hour".  Bring your well socialized dogs and reasonably  well behaved selves from 7-8:30. Refreshments will be served  and  Drawing scheduled for 8. Be an A-DOG member to be eligible to  win.  Membership forms will be available.  Wine and Dine with  A-DOG! 

  

Saturday, June 21 (rain date, June 28)  Photo Day at the Thorndike Off-Leash Recreation Area for dogs and their owners!  Clix portrait studio will be on hand to take photos and for anyone interested in placing orders. Arlington Recreation will get a percentage of all sales and those funds will be deposited in a maintenance fund for the dog park. Save the date but please contact Arlington Recreation or see next month's Wags and Tags for confirmation and final details. 

 

  

Rainbow Bridge
 
A tribute to Raleigh, Menotomy Rocks Park's "gentle giant"

 

 

 

 

 

My handsome Raleigh, a black and tan coonhound, passed over the Rainbow Bridge on April 15 and we miss him terribly.

 

We met almost 12 years ago at the North Shore Animal Shelter. He had just arrived from West Virginia the night before and it was love at first sight. He overcame his shyness and fear to strain against his leash and put his head in my lap. I knew immediately this was the hound for me!

 

He grew to be a 120 pound gentle giant who benevolently ruled the off leash hours at Menotomy Rocks Park. His hound dog nose needed new scents or he'd get bored, so we could often be seen wandering the streets of Arlington, ending up miles from the house then calling home for a ride back.

 

He was a great hiking and car ride companion, loved hanging out on the couch, and took up way more than his fair share of the bed.

 

The last few months of his life were plagued with health problems, and he patiently took his 14 daily pills as long as they were smothered in cream cheese. I had tried making a deal with him that since he made it through the long harsh winter, he should reward himself - and us - and make it through the lovely weather of the spring/summer/fall, but alas his body could not comply. We made the terribly difficult decision to let him go.

 

Raleigh leaves his human parents me and John, sister and fellow coonhound Sarah, and feline siblings Rosie and George. The house is not the same without him.

 

 
by Judy Weinberg, A-DOG member and Board member.  Photos show Raleigh, one with Sarah.
Staying Safe in the Great Outdoors 
 Putting together a first aid kit for outdoor adventure with your dog


 


by Janice Zazinski of Beloved Companion, reprinted with permission from her March 17, 2014 blog entry.

 

 

Well, spring teased us for a few days so far but today it's a chilly 22 degrees out. Nevertheless, there are plenty of people ready to enjoy the great outdoors with their canine companions. One of the things we did during class and which fell into the category of "Well, I never would've thought of that!" was put together a first aid kit for our companions:

 

  • *   Heat Patch
  • *   Empty plastic bags
  • *   Cold Patch
  • *   Baggie containing sanitary napkins for pressure bandage, sitting on top of towel
  • *   Disposable gloves
  • *   Cotton balls and q-tips
  • *   Leash and pick up bags
  • *   Baggie with eyedroppers and medicine syringe
  • *   Wound wash, antibiotic, and hydrogen peroxide
  • *   Safety pins
  • *   Baggie with thermometer, safety scissors, tweezers, styptic pencil, and nail cutters
  • *   Petroleum jelly and alcohol
  • *   A variety of sterile pads
  • *   Wound wrap
  • *   Bandage tape
  • *   Hand sanitizer

A reusable cloth grocery bag should fit everything nicely.

If you take trips or enjoy the great outdoors together, you may want to keep a subset of these items in your car's first-aid kit (towel, wound wash, wraps, and large sterile pads, along with the location of the nearest emergency veterinary hospital).

And on a similar note, the MSPCA has recommendations for a disaster preparedness kit for your companions. Remember, the Quabbin Reservoir could rupture again or another hurricane could strike, and you'd be mighty glad to have this.

Spring, we're waiting ...

  

 

Friends of A-DOG
Thank-you to our supporting businesses, including....

 

 

Designed by owner and personal trainer Mike Harb, Fit Doggie and Me� is a unique workout program is where people work out with their dogs - together! It runs once a week in a 4 or 6 week cycle and is designed to achieve improvements in overall health not only for people, but for their canine companions as well. There is a certified personal trainer and certified dog trainer on hand for all sessions, as well as drop-in canine professionals for the education portion of the program, including veterinarians, nutritionists, groomers, etc. Each session includes a series of cardio and callisthenic exercises, starting with easy to moderate intensity, and progressively increasing to High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). Some strength and resistance exercises are also included in the circuit training sessions, alongside agility and plyometric drills. Clients can expect to see the following benefits, for both person and dog: Increased cardiovascular fitness; increased strength and conditioning; weight loss or decrease in body fat percentage; muscle tone; increased energy levels; increased general health; and excitement about coming to the next class!

 

Fit Doggie and Me is a Friend of A-DOG, offering A-DOG members a 10% discount on a 4- or 6-week session when they show proof of full membership.

 

 

Help Wanted: Your Dog's Face Here?
Wags and Tags Welcomes Your Contributions

A-DOG Members and supporters, Wags and Tags is YOUR monthly newsletter!  If you have suggestions for an article, including one you'd like to write, for a future issue, please contact us (arlingtondogowners@gmail.com) with "Newsletter" in the subject line.   
 
Maybe you'd like your dog to be one of our "
Arlington dogs, or A-dogs", like Shinoo (November), Blarney (December), Sasuke (January), Donato (February), Annabel (March), or Mack, Ozzy and Coco (last month).  You don't have to live in Arlington, but can be a neighbor who enjoys Arlington's dog recreation benefits, or otherwise supports our mission.  You can also suggest a special Rainbow Bridge memorial tribute to a beloved canine family member you've lost, like the beautiful tribute to Isabel in March and Raleigh this month.  
 
Or, maybe you're a Friend of A-DOG Business and want to describe how you help A-DOG and what you offer to our community of dog owners and dog-friendly people.  Your business, too, can be featured like Bette Yip's Picture Perfect Pets (November), Menotomy Beer, Wine and Spirits (December), BlueSkyDogs (January), GoPlay! (February), or Arlington's Unleashed (last month).  
 
Suggested article length for the newsletter is 500 words or fewer.  We will also need one photo, preferably a jpg or gif format, compressed to a size of less than 1 MB.  Depending on the topic, you might want to write a longer version for our website, with a link in the Wags and Tags article.

 
The Irish Setter on the computer photo is reprinted from a website called "iget2work".

 

 

Our next  A-DOG meeting
  
A-DOG's monthly meetings are scheduled for each 4th Tuesday evening. Come join us on May 27, at 7:00 - 9:00 pm at the Community Room of the Jefferson Cutter House, 611 Mass Ave (at Mystic, in Arlington Center).  The Community Room is accessible via the rear entrance at the municipal parking lot.
 
 

 

A-DOG 2014 Membership Drive Is Still On!
 
A-DOG's membership year runs from April 1 through March 31, so some full memberships will be up for renewal.  If your membership is expiring, you will receive a reminder letter and there is 2014 Membership Drive information on our website.  Stay tuned for more details from our membership team!
  

 


A-DOG members, Business Friends of A-DOG and other subscribers receive Wags and Tags each month.  If this issue was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe to Wags and Tags without joining A-DOG, click here or click the green sign-up button on the front page of our website.  

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Arlington, MA 02474