Walk Fido is very much looking forward to visiting with downtown dog lovers at the 3rd Annual Dog Day Afternoon event. Some excellent dog service companies will be on hand and it promises to be a great time for all.
The event is tomorrow evening (sort of afternoonish!) from 6 - 9pm at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels.
Will you be there? Please join us!
The Walk Fido crew had a great time yesterday at the Learn About Wine charity event for Much Love Animal Rescue. Some fantastic wineries and great restaurants were on hand to serve wine and food to LA dog-lovers of all stripes. All told, the silent auction (with some outstanding items, like the Foxen Pinot magnum from Sea Smoke Vineyard that we missed out on) brought in solid funds for a very worthy cause and many event participants had a chance to see downtown in a new light.
Walk Fido met many concerned fido owners who are interested in behavior training, regular walking, or just learning how to socialize their dog on a regular basis. We met some sweethearts yesterday too - Petunia, the french bulldog/pug mix (a frug?) was a sweetie and Buster, the Cass vineyard pit bull, was so lovely to all dogs and was so chill we told the owner again and again how Buster was easily the most well-behaved pup of the day. Pepsi also crept into our hearts. He's a little pup chow mix who needs both a foster and a permanent home, so head on over to Much Love and check him out. We're pretty sure you'll fall in love too!
We were so busy chatting up fido owners and smooching fidos that we didn't take proper event photos - but we've uploaded our meager shot list at left so check it out. We'll update the blog once other attendees have posted photos. There were many enviable digital Nikons slung around countless necks, so some amazing shots of the event have to be out there somewhere!
We're thrilled beyond measure to have a fanastic charity event taking place only steps away from the Walk Fido office later this afternoon! Ian Blackburn of Learn About Wine has partnered with Much Love Animal Rescue to combine our favorite things: wine, fabulous food from local restaurants (did we mention Wurstkuche?) dogs and dog-loving Angelenos!
Come join us as we celebrate downtown, taste some intruiguing wines, and help raise money for a very worthwhile cause that is close to our hearts! The event will feature a silent auction and a lucky fido-lover can win a free behavior consultation from Walk Fido!
The event is from 2 - 5pm and promises to be a great time for fidos and owners alike. You can drop your dogs off at Lofty Dog to frolic and play while you sip wine and mingle. Stop by the Walk Fido table while you're there to say hello, talk about dog behavior, and enjoy an afternoon in the Arts District for a good cause. See you out there!
Last night from 6pm - 9pm, we attended A Dog Day afternoon, an event held in the beautiful outdoor courtyard at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. It was an excellent event and it was wonderful to see so many Walk Fido clients out socializing with their pups.
Bark Avenue stole the show with their many rescue dogs that wore bright orange "adopt me" safety vests. They were led through the crowd of 500+ attendees and were so lovely we wanted to adopt a few on the spot! If you don't yet have a dog but are considering becoming a fido owner soon, please visit Bark Avenue and spend some time with their delicious dogs. They need good homes just like yours! If you're not ready to be a doggie parent, you can always donate your time or money to help find homes for these guys!
It was a lovely night and we enjoyed spending time with several downtown dog companies and many downtown residents. We look forward to seeing you out on the walk!
Cesar Millan will be at Borders in Pasadena tonight at 7pm to sign his new book, Be the Pack Leader. We are almost finished with the book and have learned some excellent new tools to add to what we learned in Cesar's first book. Just the other day we we had a breakthrough with a dog who barks fearfully everytime they are startled (which is a LOT in downtown!) by using techniques Cesar explains in his new book. It works!
Cesar's readings are always a good time and we love it when he brings "Daddy" the big, beautiful, red pit bull on the front cover of his latest book. Daddy is a big sweetheart and it is wonderful to see a pit pull completely defy the stereotypes. We wonder who he'll bring with him this time...
If you do make it out tonight, we hope to see you there!
Marion Nestle: Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine
Dipping a toe into pet food politics...
Michael Schaffer: One Nation Under Dog: Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food
It has arrived and we are checking it out. We weren't wild about some of the things Schaffer said recently on NPR (as in, it is often OK to let dogs hump other dogs at the dog park), but we're setting aside all judgements until we read it on our own. <
Nathan J. Winograd: Redemption: The Myth of Pet Overpopulation and the No Kill Revolution in America
We've read articles, and excerpts and blog posts. Now it's time to read the book. We're very late to the dance on this, but wanted to add it to the sidebar so you know we're digging in!
Patricia B. McConnell: The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
"All dogs are brilliant at perceiving the slightest movement that we make, and they assume each tiny movement has meaning." We could not agree more and since McConnell's book begins with this line, we're compelled to read on. We'll let you know what we think when we're through & any insights along the way.
Nick Trout: Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon
Touching look at the difficult financial decisions vets & owners must make under duress. Equally heartwarming & heartbreaking.
Cesar Millan: Be the Pack Leader: Use Cesar's Way to Transform Your Dog . . . and Your Life
A great book that helps you extend the lessons learned in the first - this takes you way beyond the basics and gives you very clear steps on how to have the right kind of relationship with your dogs so you are the pack leader. (*****)
Cesar Millan: Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
You've seen the show, now get the book. You must become pack leader. We require all staff members to read this book - to live it and to love it. We highly recommend it to all of our clients too.
All the tools you need to understand your dog, their behavior and what can be done to correct it are all right here in this gift of a book. (*****)
