Norwegian Elkhound Sweaters?

I was reading this month's issue of Dog World Magazine and it has a feature story on the Norwegian Elkhound breed. It was interesting reading about the ways they are used to hunt large game in Norway. Did you know that in order for a Norwegian Elkhound to be a Champion in Norway, it must win both a conformation show and a hunting trial.

In the States, this hearty breed is less of a working dog and more of a pet dog. What struck me most about what the article says about this dog (and is reiterated on the Wikipedia page) is that people use their prodigious amount of fur to spin into yarn for knitting and crocheting. Has anyone out there done this? Or does anyone own a dog fur sweater? They say that it's really warm. Where does one buy a dog-wool sweater? Can I get a matching one for Hank? I have so many questions about this, does anyone have answers?

Doggie Academy Appearances This Weekend

Want to catch up with Doggie Academy? Well this weekend is the time to do it. I will be participating in a couple of super fun events this weekend that are open to the public.

On Saturday from 1pm-4pm I will be conducting FREE Canine Good Citizen evaluations at the annual MyDog Loves Central Park Country Fair. It is organized by Central Park Paws and was cancelled last year because of a big storm, so this year the Fair will be bigger than ever. Two years ago I worked the event in the agility ring and it was a blast. There was tons of doggie stuff to do and it looked like every participant was having fun. The highlight for me was getting to meet Laurie Williams. The Fair will be at the Naumburg Bandshell (mid-Park at 72nd Street), and will feature microchipping, contests, training tips from the great Parvene Farhoody (as seen on The Real Housewives of New York City), entertainment, giveaways, a Children'sCorner with activities designed for children and dogs, pet trickscasting from The Late Show with David Letterman, and, of course, CGC testing by me. All for you & your pooch to enjoy!

On Sunday, I will be representing the Port Chester Obedience Training Club (where I am a proud member) at the AKC's Meet the Breeds event. Meet the Breeds will feature 160 different dog breeds (and 41 cat breeds) along with tons of organizations and products. This year the guys from Rescue Ink will be there, too. I am most excited, however, to meet my friend Kirby's super cute Mudi puppy, Grif. Never heard of a Mudi? Then you have to check out her blog about Grif and her Bichon Frise, Sophia.

I encourage all you local dog lovers to get out to these events. And if you do, come find me and say hi!