Friday, 11:30 am. I'm wandering the halls of the Orlando Convention Center as it's gearing up for this weekend's Celebrate Dogs event. I've already been there since Wednesday, working on a couple of projects before the main event, but now I'm just wrapping up interviews with Beatrice and Lambchop, otherwise known as: Stella on Modern Family; and Yakult on Suburgatory: I was really happy to get the chance to meet these celebrity dogs up close and personal. This is the first year the ... Read more »
Eukanuba
Disaster Response, Sandy, and Good People
It's been a rough week, right? I think everyone can pretty much agree with that. There has been an awful lot of awful going on. That being said, it's also been an earth-shattering shake-by-the-shoulders to everyone mired in the mud leading up to Tuesday's election that maybe it isn't the only thing in the world that matters. Oh yeah, there's an election tomorrow! I almost forgot. Amazing how quickly things become less important when people's lives are getting washed away on a large ... Read more »
Let’s play “What Breed are you?”
When I was in school, there was a resident who could best be described as a holy terror. She ate senior students for breakfast, washing it down with the salty tears of our despair when she would mercilessly rip us to shreds in rounds. And hoo boy, did she love me. And by love, I mean, love to rip me up one side and down the other. I was an easy target; I didn't know much at the time. Her very favorite snack. "The patient in room two is a...." I studied the chart..."Belgian ... Read more »
PSA: Designate a Segway-er
So I'm super excited to watch the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship on the 4th! Four days of dogapalooza collapsed into two hours- it's a tall order. I have some fun posts/giveaways planned for next week to lead up to the air date, but in the meantime I wanted to give you a little glimpse into the behind the scenes cogs of a show this size. What can I say? I live for behind-the-scenes stuff. Dogs galore, camera crews, obedience trials, police dogs, Super Dogs, conformation, agility, and ... Read more »
Bostons, Breeders and the surreptitious obtaining of important phone numbers
I think it's interesting that the newest competition at the AKC/Eukanuba show in December was called the "Breeder's Stakes". I know they meant it one way, but really, there is a lot at stake, and I'm not talking about the cash prizes. It's defining 'good breeder'. There is a circular conversation going on in the world of animal lovers about what constitutes a "responsible breeder." Most people who breed their dogs call themselves a responsible breeder, even if they're not. Even if they are ... Read more »
What happens when you leave me to my own devices with a mascot and a camera
When Susi from DogKnobIt and I asked if we could dogsit the Eukanuba VP of Canine Communications, Pawl Griffin, for a bit at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, I'm not sure what they were thinking when they agreed. I'm glad they did, though. Because we had a ton of fun. He's a petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, but we decided to see what would happen when we asked breeders of other types of dogs for grooming advice. (For the record, that brilliant idea was Susi's. I thought we should take him ... Read more »
Bad Santa: Or, how I blew a dog’s chance at the National Obedience Title
I recorded my homecoming on Monday. I really did. I wanted to document the joyous reunion between me and my loving dogs. It went a little something like this: Opening: My hand on the doorknob. Whining behind the door. Me: HI GUYS! cacophony dogs running amuk kisses Me: I missed you SOO much! *looks up* screams And scene. ... Read more »
Blogger’s Stakes: Or, how I blew my first competition
I'm back from the whirlwind week at the world's biggest dog show, and I am POOPED. There could have been five of me running around and I still don't think I would have scratched the surface. But today, I want to share my favorite experience from the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, the Inaugural Blogger's Stakes. During the afternoon light check before the Saturday evening events, the bloggers were invited into the main arena for a mock show. Each of us was provided a stellar show dog, ... Read more »
World Challenge TODAY!
The excitement here is really something. Today is the first official day of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, though the prep has been going on all week. Earlier, I watched the Bostons take the Breeders' Stakes preliminaries; the finals will be this afternoon. Aren't these dogs amazing? They just sit calmly and wait amidst all the cacophony. Tonight is the World Challenge, where people and dogs from 42 countries will be here to compete in a special World Challenge event. It's ... Read more »
I need to be a triplet
As you're reading this, I'm probably either getting patted down by a TSA agent or winging my way over the country on my way to Orlando. (By the way, no one tell my kids that Orlando is the home of DisneyWorld. I'm already in enough trouble as it is with them.) But I'm not going to see Mickey or the Harry Potter park (though trust me, it's tempting) because I already have enough to keep me busy with the AKC/Eukanuba show to fill an average 36 hour day. I printed out all the events that are ... Read more »
The Road to AKC/Eukanuba: Dress for Success
Here's the thing about dog shows: They are a to-do. I'm not the pro source about dog shows, as you know. I'm learning as I go, and the more I learn, the less I know. It's fascinating, the work that goes into becoming a champion, the hours spent grooming and training and driving from place to place and competing in the hunt for titles. But at the end of the day, for me, it boils down to this: people who are really into showing dogs are absolutely, 100% nuts for canines. And that I get. I ... Read more »
Stilettos and Vuvuzelas: The Road to AKC/Eukanuba
Last year I had the pleasure of attending the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. I felt a little bit like Alice in Wonderland while I was there. I had no idea what to expect, my world being that of cages and operating tables. Down the chute I went, past bedazzled leads and ornamental throws covered in Corgis. And there, on the other side of the door, I entered the surreal world of the dog show: Here is the White Queen, windswept and amiable; (This by the way bears a striking resemblance to ... Read more »
Health is Wealth! (Well that, and vanity.)
Look what arrived at our front door this week! Even though we ended up having to be out of town for the Surf Dog competition, Eukanuba was fantastic enough to send Brody and I our very own surfboard. And what a board it is! It's not just any old surfboard, but one custom made for dog surfing competitions. By far the flyest piece of sporting equipment I own. Thank you, Eukanuba. It is spectacular. You know what this means, though, right? Now we have to use it. Ricochet, I know we'll be ... Read more »
Bits and Pieces
I think I'm ready to leave the continent tomorrow, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. My method of packing usually involves making a meticulous list, ignoring it, and then dumping things into my bag until it's too heavy to lift or I've emptied the closet, whichever comes first. What usually ends up happening is I pack the DEET but forget the toothbrush, and guess which one I end up needing more. That sort of thing. I realized I have no binoculars. I hear they come in handy on safari. My husband ... Read more »
Giveaway Tuesday: Eukanuba Splash Bag Survival Kit!
Congrats to the winner, Nubia R-B! As you all know, Brody and I are not going to be in the Surf Dog-A-Thon due to some scheduling conflicts. That is a sad thing. However, how can I be unhappy, really? We had so much fun getting ready for it. We practiced a healthy lifestyle. We bonded in the pool. And, well, we still got to surf and play at the beach. We had a fantastic week of mom-dog play and bonding, and at the end of the day that is what it is all about. I hope to make ... Read more »
Off the Grid: Surf Dog Kills It
Yesterday, Brody and I had our rescheduled surf lesson with Evan the Surf Instructor. It went great. Brody is a natural. His handler, on the other hand, needs a lot of practice. I had no idea how much work it was to push a dog into a wave. I would have had a fuller recap for you by today, but as you may have heard, some doofus in Yuma managed to power down the entire county of San Diego for the day. As we were leaving the beach, I remarked that there sure was a lot of traffic, even for 4 ... Read more »
Hang 20 Part 2: Pool Lessons
With our surf lesson postponed until today, I didn't want to waste this week doing no preparation at all with Brody. So we practiced getting acclimated to the board at home and in the pool. I'm not a surfer myself, so I got on the board to get a feel for the balance involved. It's quite a lot of work. With practice, I'm sure we'll both improve, but in the meantime, I got him to sit on it for a few minutes and that alone is pretty cool. Hope you like Part 2 of Hang 20! ... Read more »
Catch Me if You Can
So what do you do when the surf is too dangerous to practice your surf technique? Raise mayhem, of course. ... Read more »
