On Saturday we attended Portland's largest dog event of the year! Doggie Dash! It's a "race" type of an event where the proceeds go towards helping homeless animals. It's either walk or run and it's not timed. Both of the girls were super excited and definitely ready to participate. If you haven't already, check out our Doggie Dash Throwback post for more pictures of the girls at past Doggie Dash events.
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| Photo Credit: Waz-Mix Pix |
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| Zoe & Phoenix pose for the puparazzi! |
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| Phoenix with her alumni bandana! |
Both girls came from the Oregon Humane Society so they wanted to stop by the OHS tent and pick up their alumni bandanas!
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| Zoe's favorite part was how everyone was handing her cookies! |
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| Zoe poses with Dr. Nell for a photo! |
Zoe got into some mischief at Doggie Dash! She was not shy about getting her treats from all the vendors and at the Lombard tent, she mistakenly thought that Dr. Nell was cuing her to get up on the table. She surprised the heck out of the vet when she hopped up there and my husband told her that she accidentally cued her up there. It was pretty funny and of course they had to get their photos taken! Zoe does a lot of parkour type work so she absolutely thought she was being told to jump up. She's never done this at home before, never counter surfed and never gotten onto the table. My husband thought it was great and was so proud of her. What can I say? We love our "naughty" dog!
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| Photo Credit: Waz-Mix Pix |
Zoe was okay and that's all that matters but it's sad that people would bring dogs that were not okay to be there. We had 3 incidents of dogs being aggressive towards us and they were all little dogs. I also saw little dogs going after other people's dogs as well. I did contact OHS and complained. I asked them if they would stress the importance of only bringing dogs that will do okay with other dogs for the next event and I hope they listen.
While we were waiting for the start, I took some photos of the dogs around us and I will post them below.
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| This Dalmatian was super sweet! |
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| Phoenix waits politely for the Dash to start. |
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| Phoenix is happy to have a water break. |
At about the half way point we stopped for a water break. The girls were pretty happy about that and we saw so many more cute dogs.
These basset hounds and their mix breed friend were riding around the event in style!
After the Dash, we took a break and some time out for cuddles!
...and more treats!
So that was our mostly fun day on Saturday. I will say I was pretty disappointed about all the issues we had with other people and their aggressive dogs. I honestly feel for people who have reactive dogs (since I've dealt with it in the past with Phoenix) but this kind of event is not the right place for them! I would not have brought Phoenix if I didn't think she could handle it and be totally okay and safe to be around other dogs. I felt really bad for those dogs who were forced to be there and so terrified that they felt like they had to lash out at other dogs and I honestly wish their owners had left them at home. You can still go to these events and have fun without bringing a dog who will do poorly there.
We did have a lot of fun, though despite those issues and we got a ton of samples. Phoenix did really good. She had a couple of moments of being nervous but she was really well behaved. Phee even let the OHS worker put her alumni bandana on her. Zoe really enjoyed mugging all the vendors for their treats!
If you want to see some really amazing photos from the event check out Waz-Mix Pix on facebook. He is a very talented photographer.
Happy Monday Mischief, everyone!
Looks like a really great time!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry you had such a damper put on the start of the event! Unfortunately, I think any time you are at an event with that many people with that many dogs, there will be some problems. I think a lot of people don't take their dogs out into the world except for events like that and really are clueless about how their dogs might behave and are oblivious to the fact that not all dogs like to socialize with all other dogs. I'm not sure I would have thought twice about it before living with Barley, either, and would have been totally surprised when something like that happened. Our trainers have also told us many stories about how even the best trained, most easy-going dogs can have moments like that in places with that level of excitement. I would never take Barley to an event like that because I know it would be too much for her--she'd be fine if every dog stayed out of her bubble and I had plenty of treats to reward her for sitting nicely while we waited, but the second someone near us got caught up in conversation and didn't notice their dog inching over to sniff Barley, she'd snap at the dog and the unobservant owner would blame her. It sounds like Zoe handled things well--I'm sorry the other dog's owner didn't handle the situation as well. Hope that they find a way to make the next event safer and still fun for everyone.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I completely agree with you and I'm always on the look out for trouble. I think I was more upset about how the other dog owner didn't say anything.
DeleteI totally understand! The other day a dog ran out of it's yard at us and instead of grabbing the dog and apologizing, the owner squatted down and tried to pet Barley who was very clearly upset--I lost it.
DeleteI'm so glad Zoe was okay. We've never had a problem at any of these types of events but maybe they're getting more popular with people and some folks might mistakenly think it's a good way to socialize a reactive dog. I can't believe the lady didn't apologize or check to make sure Zoe was okay, ugh!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Me too! This was the first time we've ever had a problem at this specific event, too. We've been 3 times. I've seen aggressive dogs at Pet Expo but never Doggie Dash so I was a little surprised. I know that any time you put that many dogs together there is a potential for trouble, though. I was just more upset about how the other owner was.
DeleteLove your bright pink collars and leads :) Looks like a great misadventure!
ReplyDeleteHow incredibly rude of that dog owner not to apologize! Unfortunately OHS could put in big red letters across all their flyers to keep reactive dogs home and people would still bring them. It is especially true with the little ones that can be carried in it seems. The same kind of people bring their dogs to the big Pet Expo events. It's a powder keg waiting to blow!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was so mad. Mostly just because they didn't say anything to us, or apologize. There were so many aggressive little dogs. I was shocked. I just feel like OHS should stress "well behaved dogs" more than they do. They hardly mention it. This was the first time we've ever had a problem and our 3rd time going. I've seen aggressive dogs at Pet Expo, too.
DeleteLooked like a great day - so many dogs! Glad to hear your girls had fun, sorry about the aggressive moments. Some people have different definitions about aggressive dogs - so sad.
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ReplyDeleteSometimes I think people should have to get a dog license like a driver's license so they will know how to be a responsible dog owner and sensitive to their dog's feelings.
Yeah, I would agree with that!
DeleteWow, that looks like fun, minus the reactive dogs! I can't believe that woman didn't even apologize. Some people are so clueless!
ReplyDeleteThe table-jumping story is too cute!
I think there's a lot more awareness about reactive dogs than there used to be, even 5-6 years ago. Unfortunately, little dog owners seem to be the last to get the memo. I'm sure they don't realize the damage they're doing to their own dogs as well as others in those situations. Many truly don't think there's anything wrong with a little dog that barks and lunges at other dogs because they're perceived as so harmless/cute/funny. Very frustrating for those of us working so hard to keep our dogs under threshold.
ReplyDeleteI'm proud of your girls for doing so well under the circumstances!
Yeah, that's the thing that frustrates me the most. Little dogs get a free pass. If that dog had been a bully breed they would of been thrown out of the event. When we first got there, two chihuahuas went after my dogs and then they almost took the nose off of the border collie that was behind us, too and their owners thought it was funny. I don't get small dog people. Those dogs need training just as much as big dogs, if not more since they are so little and find everything intimidating.
DeleteWow! That was a huge event! It looks like you guys had a great time participating. I can see how it would be difficult for the dogs to wait in that huge crowd. I bet they really enjoyed themselves there. :)
ReplyDelete-Purrs from your friends at www.PlayfulKitty.net
Sounds like a great day! What fun. You didn't say how long the walk/run was. There usually either 1k or 5k. I used to run 5k races every weekend. My German Shepherd, Star, ran a few of them with me. I loved that. We had planned to do a doggie dash, but then she got sick, and her running days were over. Anyway, there' always bound to be some misadventures where lots of dogs together are concerned. Glad it was nothing major. Take care!
ReplyDeleteOh whoops!! Sorry! It was 3 miles! :D
DeleteIt's such a shame about the dogs behaving badly there; it really puts a damper on any desire to want to go again which is completely understandable. I would have been beyond mad if I were you and had those incidents with the aggressive dogs. It's hard enough to keep dogs behaving well in a big crowd to begin with - why people decide to bring along ones they're not able to control is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteYep! It really is a shame. :(
DeleteWay to go! Sounds like a good time and the girls did great!
ReplyDeleteSorry about the little dog issues....that definitely can ruin a day. I might not have been so nice to the lady whose dog bit Zoe.
I'm so sorry Zoe got bit! I wouldn't have been as nice as you, haha. Zoe jumping onto the table is hilarious! I can't stand most small dog owners. :(
ReplyDeleteYou know what's funny about that? Vince told me I was reacting poorly. I didn't even say anything to her!
DeleteSounds like an exciting time! Love the photos :)
ReplyDeleteThose are normally the dogs going after Bain. I wish people would stop thinking that just because they have a tiny dog, that any kind of behavior is okay. And in such close quarters? That is not okay, and never is.
I had an acquaintance tell me that a dog scared her dog at the event and he slipped his collar and ran away while she was in the bathroom. Luckily, she was able to call him back.
ReplyDeleteThat sucks and very scary! I wonder if that person would be open to the suggestion of using a harness? The bathrooms they had there were TINY, too. I'm not sure what I would of done if my husband hadn't been there to hold the dogs for me while I went. I would never tie them up outside of it.
Deletejust adorable!
ReplyDeleteI am glad Zoe is OK. I really do not understand why they need to cram all of those dogs together at a starting line. I am not surprised there were issues. I bet some people had no idea the race would be set up like that. They really need more of a staggered start.
ReplyDeletePeople have to know its not the place for a dog with any questionable issues. This is why as much as I would love to take Poncho with me when I do the Donate Life walks, I let him sit them out. He is leash reactive. We are working on it but I will not chance anything or anyone! Other than that, it looks like an awesome event!
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a fun time! Sorry you met some little dogs that weren't so friendly - hopefully their owners learn to think twice before bringing them next time!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of alumni bandanas. I think I'm going to suggest that at the next friends of Jacksonville animals meeting. FOJA does a lot for the local shelters, I'm sure they'd to see the animals they helped.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a wonderful event. We haven't done any events in a while and I miss it. This one looks like a huge one!
ReplyDeleteAw jeez! Why do people insist on going to these events when clearly their dogs should not be there! I have experienced this myself, and it is really upsetting. We are set to go to a K9 Sports Fest in a couple months and I am still trying to decide whether I should bring all 3 huskies, or just one. It's much easier to deal with a bunch of other dogs (some of which are not friendly) when you only have one or two dogs with you hahaha!
ReplyDeleteღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
How fun! The pictures are adorable!
ReplyDeleteI love local pet events and this one sounds like it was a blast! I'm glad you were able to enjoy yourselves despite a few bumps in the road.
ReplyDelete-Jessica from Beagles & Bargains