Middleton Times-Tribune
Dogtoberfest
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click here for Dog Photos
Dogs, beer, and bebop will be on tap this Saturday, September 27, when pooches of all shapes and sizes dress up, dust off their bag of tricks, and wag their tails for Dogtoberfest at the Capital Brewery bier garten.
Dogtoberfest (catchier than Dogtember) is a big fundraiser for the Dane County Humane Society, especially with a spring filled with flood victims and other unexpected expenses.
“We had kind of a unique year,” says Gayle Viney of the DCHS. “We had a neglect case of 12 horses—horses are not a cheap animal to care for.”
And many dogs love to go a-wandering in the warmer weather, which brings up the most popular event, the costume contest. Last year a lederhosen clad dog and its owner won the contest and brought down the haus.
“They both had the suspenders, the knee socks, they each had their own big pitcher,” laughs Viney.
Another fan favorite was a tiny Pomeranian Chihuahua type dog sporting a leather hat and a biker babe ensemble.
Monika Greenheck, Capital Brewery Event Cooridnator, remembers that little number along with the time an owner with tight curly hair won the look-alike contest with his poodle.
“It was just too perfect,” she says.
This year’s contests start with Tail Wagging at Noon, followed by Best Costume at 1:30, Doggie Survivor at 3:00, and Musical Squares at 4:00.
Not only will there be musical squares (think musical chairs with dogs) there will be music provided by The Gadjo Players, a group of admitted cat lovers who play dawg music (swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz, and gypsy). This year Ben Johnson, Gadjo bassist, plans to take some bebop out for a walk.
“Lately we’ve been getting more into bebop jazz,” says Johnson, adding that only their living situations keep band members from dog ownership.
Certain audience members will be glad to hear that, and happy to know that The Gadjo Players, filling in for their gypsy-swing pals, Harmonious Wail, are both two and four legged crowd pleasers. Gadjo doesn’t mind being the background music, the inspiration for impromptu dog dancing, or the featured act.
“If they want to sit and listen to music, we’ll put on a show for them,” says Johnson.
The Gadjo Players aren’t the only ones who play to the house, last year Dogtoberfest had a kiddie pool to cool down hot dogs, and a TV set for Badger fans. This year is supposed to be gorgeous, the seasonal Oktoberfest will be flowing, and Capital Brewery plans to move a television set outside for the Michigan game.
The event goes from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. and asks for a $5.00 donation at the gate, 100 percent of which goes to the Dane County Humane Society.
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Jeanna
Olson
Neighbors
WAGS
click
here for Dog Photos
You’ll
find them padding through libraries and clinics, they
handle fence seats near the dugout at a Mallards game with
aplomb, and have the work ethic of Cal Ripken Jr.—they’re
Wisconsin Academy for Graduate Service Dogs.
WAGS have been training and matching dogs and people with
mobility issues such as multiple sclerosis or cerebral
palsy, for 20 years. They’ve placed 100 dogs in that time,
which include yearlong follow-ups. The briefest encounter
with a graduate or pup in training reveals them to be the
Gallant to the average dog’s Goofus.
“We want them raised around cats, rabbits, rats, other
dogs,” says Kelly O'Ferrell, program director.
Do you remember what happened the last time your dog was
around a rabbit?
“The deal is, you get them when they’re young,” says
trainer Monica Messina as she looks down at the furry
little angel at her feet. “You try to get them at two
months.”
“This is his temperament, when they chose him, they
evaluated the puppies,” she says about the cream colored
golden retriever named Echo. “He could walk right up to a
garbage truck and he doesn’t even flinch.”
Service and home helpmate dogs are what they place most
often, but clinical therapy and family service dogs are
trained at the eastside facility as well. All four types,
service dogs, family service dogs, home helpmate, and
clinical therapy dogs have similar skills.
“Our dogs do a lot of retrieving, so they retrieve dropped
or out of reach items,” says Sarah Sirios, executive
director. “They can operate light switches, they can open
and close doors.”
“They can help tug someone up from a chair, they can help
tug off articles of clothing, so the types of skills they
do are the same, but for a dog to go in public and have
public access, it has to be a very specific type of dog,”
says Sirios.
The trainers only work with Labrador and golden retrievers.
For dogs that have public access, the service and family
service dogs, remaining self-controlled and unflappable is
essential.
A blazing golden retriever named Bella shows off her skills
in the training room by picking up her new owner’s cell
phone. Her demeanor is completely different from Echo’s,
but she’s a highly skilled professional like all the other
WAGS, and ready to start college with owner Tyler this
fall.
“Not all dogs make it,” says O'Ferrell of the hopeful
canines in training. “So one of our categories is to be
released as a pet dog.”
If you want more information on WAGS, visit their website
at
www.wags.net, call
them at 608-250-WAGS
(9247), or email them at info@wags.net