WOOF! WOOF!
denton’s dog days

The fur-filled festival that Fido and his family can’t miss!

re you ready? We’re going to go! Are we going to see your friends?” Every year Alissa Wells sits down with her Shih Tzu, Cricket, to get “psyched up” for their spring trip to the Dog Days of Denton Celebration. It’s part of the reason they love Denton so much. “To have a whole celebration about your special friend is just one of the coolest things to me. We go and support it every year,” says Alissa. “It’s like a little circus or a fair for the dogs.” As she talks, Cricket lies at her feet, wagging a furry tail and looking up with the kind of admiration that only comes from man’s – or in this case – woman’s best friend.

Dog Days is a tradition at Alissa’s house – and for Denton, too. What started as a small downtown get-together 16 years ago has continued to grow, bringing in nearly 10,000 people last year as well as every breed of dog, from Chihuahua to St. Bernard, tiny Pomeranians to massive Great Pyrenees. The non-profit event focuses on creating awareness for responsible pet ownership and pet care, but coordinator Christine Gossett says it has really become “its own animal” with a dog parade, a competition for longest tongue and shortest ears, an agility course, obedience rally and, for the hopelessly fashionable dog, the GlamFur photo booth. “This was the first event in Texas for dogs,” says Christine. “It has put Denton on the map, as far as uniqueness.”

With so much to do over the two-day event, veterans of Dog Days like Alissa and Cricket know they have to devise a specific game plan ahead of time. The two make sure to wake up early to fix their hair for Saturday’s big events like the parade and Spokesdog competition. “We start with a bath, don’t we?” Alissa asks, as she looks down at Cricket’s un-brushed hair and laughs. She usually pins Cricket’s shaggy hair back with sparkly disco-girl clips. “Her hair usually looks super cute that day. It’s like doggie pigtails.” They pack a baggie (to pick up after Cricket) and some money, and the two are out the door on their way to Quakertown Park to meet the other excited dogs.

So what’s a Dog Days of Denton Celebration like? Barking and talking. Sniffing and hugging. (The owners do the talking and hugging!) Alissa and Cricket always start the morning at the Parade of Dogs. Pooches and their owners dress for the wag and walk through the park in outrageous outfits. “Everybody shows up and gets all dressed up,” Alissa says. She laughs as she remembers one small dog dressed in a giant, green, dinosaur costume. “He was so proud of that outfit,” she says. “I definitely think that’s the heart of the event, right there.”

After the parade, the two head to the adoption and rescue booths set up each year to find loving homes for dogs. A dozen or so rescue groups came last year with many different breeds up for adoption, including Bull Terriers, Labrador Retrievers and Great Danes. For all the fun of Dog Days, Alissa says this serious side of the event may be the most important for her. “I like to go back later [in the day] and see how many dogs have found good homes here in Denton.”

Next, Alissa and Cricket like to browse through the booths. Over 60 vendors, offering everything from arts and crafts to dog advice, set up for the festival. The GlamFur photo booth is always popular with owners eager to dress up their dogs in tuxes and wedding dresses, ballerina outfits and boas, hats and other silly gear.
One year, Alissa put Cricket in Harley-Davidson motorcycle gear, with a helmet and goggles. “Hilarious” was Alissa’s assessment of the picture, though Cricket may not have been so fond of it, she admits. “She’s like, ‘OK, mom. Why are you embarrassing me in front of my friends?’” Vendors also offer every conceivable accessory for dogs, such as the handmade felt bone Cricket picked out a few years ago. Alissa grabs it from a basket of squeaky toys and stuffed animals in the corner of their living room. “It’s still one of her favorite toys,” she says.

Cricket also likes the festival’s homemade, organic doggie treats. The peanut butter flavor is her favorite. Luckily, not all of the Dog Days food goes into a doggie bag. Two-legged types can pick up a burger and curly fries, followed by a funnel cake. Those willing to offend their pooches can even dish on corny dogs.
Midday Saturday brings another Alissa and Cricket must-see event: The Spokesdog Contest. The winner stars in promotions for next year’s event. Contestants can send in a photo and write a short essay, in their dogs’ own words, about why their pooch should become the next Dog Days of Denton Celebration Spokesdog. (See accompanying fact box for details.)

One year, a woman drove nearly 160 miles, from Temple, Texas, just to enter her dog in the contest, according to Christine. While the canine contestants (and their owners) strut their stuff on stage, their essays are read aloud to a panel of judges. Last year’s winner was Christie Reyes and her 7-month-old Maltese named Gracie. Alissa says she has always been tempted to enter Cricket in the Spokesdog Contest, but fears the competition. “We haven’t really made the leap into that yet,” she says. “But I don’t know, maybe we should.”

The Spokesdog Contest is not the only event for canine competitors seeking to show off. There’s always The Singing Contest for dogs who, yes, sing. Or howl. Or a combination of both. Christine says it’s pretty funny, either way. “The owners will do whatever it takes to get the dogs to howl out a tune.” But it’s not only amateurs that take the stage. “One year we had a man that came with his harmonica. He and his dog performed nearly two entire songs together,” Christine says. “Sometimes other dogs would join in with them.”

For mutts of, um, uncertain ancestry, there’s the “Heinz 57” Dog Show. “It’s not for pedigree dogs,” laughs Christine, who explains that the term – a play on the old Heinz slogan for its 57 varieties – means a dog of mixed breeds. Typically, awards go for the oldest dog, the dog with the longest tongue, and the shortest tongue, as well as the longest ears, and shortest ears. Alissa cracks up at the mention of the “Heinz 57” Dog Show. “The dog that won longest tongue …,” she begins to say, her eyes getting bigger and her tone changing as if she can still see the dog’s tongue right in front of her, “… it was freakishly long.” Then she explodes into laughter.

Besides the fun, professionals offer demonstrations throughout Dog Days to help dog owners seeking to discipline or train their animals. The Denton Animal Shelter Foundation, for instance, runs an obedience rally, putting dogs through an obstacle course to see how well they follow commands. Donations from an agility course go to build a new animal shelter. “It’s really cool to see what you can do with a dog, once you get their attention, and know how to communicate with them,” Alissa says.

Kids who get bored can retreat to the bounce house, but more often, says Christine, they’re the ones getting on stage to show off their dogs’ tricks. “It’s fun to see them have the confidence to get up and do a trick with their dog.”

For regulars like Alissa and Cricket, coming together with a variety of dogs, all shapes and sizes, is what makes Dog Days so remarkable. “You’re around a lot of like-minded people. You’re all there because you love your dog,” says Alissa. “It’s great to be in a town that appreciates people who love their animals.”

She looks down at Cricket, still lying at her feet, and wagging her furry tail, as if she is excited by the Dog Days discussion. Says Alissa, “It’s the social event of the year for her.” 

by chelsea sandridge