Happy Birthday Tau and Cora!

Tau and Cora’s very first birthday was well spent in the doggy park, chasing around other dogs big and small, swimming in the lake, Tau trying to dominate other dogs while his embarrassed parents tried to stop him… and other such doggy entertainment.

Hmmhh? Did my brother shrink?

After that they were rewarded with an extra healthy and extra yummy meal consistent of raw chicken breasts and treats for dessert. Tau and Cora couldn’t believe the size of the meat and just ripped it, cracked it and crushed it in seconds and gulped it down like a Dyson vacuum cleaner. Balam on the contrary thought it was more of a delicacy and kept his piece for about an hour slowly licking it, nibbling on it and savouring every last taste, torturing Tau and Cora in the process.

A fun day all together. Happy birthday Tau and Cora!

Happy Birthday Balam!

Last Sunday was our doberman Balam’s first ever birthday!

Even though he looks miserable on the picture, we assure you he had a great time (ok, maybe he didn’t like the hat so much). His siblings were obviously there but also his cousin Mindy, a little energetic Australian shepherd mix who looooves chasing after Balam.

They had awesome birthday cookies in the shape of bones and Balam got an extra one for being the special birthday boy.

 

There was even a cake, though that one the human adults took away from him for our own enjoyment… Muahaha! But Cora, our little Ridgeback girl would have non of that and gave an inconspicuous jump to grab at least one bite before we took it away.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BALAM!!!!!

Dogtoberfest Austin 2013

To conclude our awesome travels in Austin we decided to take the “El Dogerino” dogs to the “Dogtoberfest”.

The “Dogtoberfest” is (as the name says) a dog-oriented fair with lots of cool stands for dog training, boarding and day cares, pet supplies and accessories and other really nice offers that any dog fair should entail. Other stands where somewhat more esoteric like dog psychics or pet massage. One of them stood out from the rest, showing an amazing display of dog training with positive reinforcement. “Nitrous Canine Training” together with their dog “Mickey Mouse” showed everyone how limitless a dog’s abilities can be when properly motivated.

But the fair was one of the attractions that  the “Dogtoberfest” had to offer. There was also the dog trot: a 1K trot with lots of other canine participants, a demonstration by the Austin’s police department K9 unit with incredible real-life dog heroes that would inspire anyone with their intelligence, discipline, and above all; audacity. One moment they would be sitting patiently next to the police officer, the next they would be flying through an open car window to scare out the bad guys. And last but also real fun; the costume contest. All sorts of dogs showing off their impersonations of comic book characters, Halloween monsters, pop celebrities and even other animals and fruits. We met some caterpillar Ridgebacks with super fun self made costumes, the scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz only this one wasn’t lacking a brain, some Rastafarian dogs and also the lonely ranger, but he didn’t want to be lonely, he wanted to play with all the other dogs, unfortunately everyone had to keep their dogs on a leash.

We always enjoy these sort of events, they are fun and very informational. They also help to check out what new cool dog stuff there is on the market now a days and gives you ideas for what to do with your dog, or even to create your own products whether for selling or just for personal use at home. However, there are a few things we don’t like as much, for instance, that these “dog events” are pretty much for humans. Dogs definitely don’t have as great of a time as we do. They have to walk around between hundreds of tall human legs stomping clumsily above them, there are plenty of cool looking, friendly play mates they would love to have a good sprint with but mommy and daddy won’t stop calling them to this and that stand and there are boring “on-leash” signs everywhere that won’t let them play with the other doggies. So if we could suggest anything for such a nice event, it would be to have an off-leash “relaxing area” for the doggies right next to the event site, where they could run and play (and potty) for a bit, and come back refreshed to visit more stands and watch other dressed-up buddies. More on-site activities for dogs would be pretty cool too. Sniffing games, a small agility set or even a tiny inflatable pool would give the whole event a unique touch.

Additionally, the price for the “DogtoberfestTrot” is a bit high, but it is definitely worth it considering that it goes to donation, plus it also includes entry to the costume contest, raffle tickets, t-shirts, and lots of fun. But if you don’t want to spend the extra money, it is still a lot of fun to just visit the fair and watch the event shows.

So do we recommend it? Yes. We had a great time and would love to go back next year. That is of course if our crazy dogs don’t take us somewhere else!