A Report on the Dog Days Festival

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

15 Oct 2007 03:01 PM

It was big doings for dogs in Nashville this weekend. It was the annual Dog Days Festival at Centennial Park, which celebrated Adopt a Shelter Dog Month and benefited the Nashville Humane Association.

Of course we took Murphy. And I'm kicking myself because I forgot my camera. (Better to forget that than to forget Murph, though!) There was tons to take pictures of. I'll try my best to paint the scene with words.

Who let the dogs out?

Price of admission was $5 per person (dogs got in free). The "festival grounds" was a frenzy of four-legged furry friends and their two-legged chaperones. There was a lot to do after all. Such as:

• A Mutt Strutt. (One mile walk that kicked off the day.)

• Trees and grass to sniff.

• Hundreds of new buddies to meet (for both pooches and people alike).

• Booths and vendors to visit. (48 to be exact.)

• Music to listen to. (They had a nice stage set up. While we were there we heard some pretty good tunes, which isn't uncommon in these parts. They don't call it the Music City for nothing!)

• Classes to take. (Six agility classes were offered throughout the day, and there was also a Behavior Q and A session.)

• Demonstrations. (Mostly training related, but the Tennessee Task Force 2 Urban Search & Rescue also strutted their stuff.)

• Contests to enter. (Categories included Waggliest Tail, Best Singing Voice, Best Kisser, Highest Jumper, Smallest Dog/Biggest Dog, Unusual Markings, Owner/Dog Look Alike, and Best Trick.)

• Spaying and neutering appointments.

• Dogs to adopt.

Murph didn't win, place, or show.

We really wanted to enter him in the Most Unusual Markings contest. It never fails, wherever we go people always comment on Murph's unusual, yet stunning good looks. (Refer to "What Kind of Dog is That?": Why I Love My Pound Hound.)

Even at the festival people came up to us complimenting him. Some knew he had to be a mix of Australian Cattle Dog and Bluetick heeler, but most asked what the heck he was.

However, that contest was at 2:30 p.m. and it was just before noon when we got there. (We didn't want to hang around for two and half hours.) The next contest was the Best Kisser at 12:30. After some debating, Wayne and I decided to enter him in that. I always joke how I warn people when they ask if he's friendly before approaching, "Careful, he's a kisser."

But when it was our turn to stand before the judges and smooch (yep, people had to get kisses from their own pets), Murph didn't want to do it. Finally, after much coaxing, he gave me a pity lick, but it was pathetic. Not one worthy of a ribbon.

Oh well. The money to enter went to a good cause. And it was fun to watch the other 27 contestants pucker up. Heck, it was fun just going to Dog Days at all. I think Murph wholeheartedly agrees!

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Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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