August 8, 2014 at 3:01 p.m.
Pawzitive Outdoor Games to challenge canines
Pawzitive Outdoor Games to challenge canines
By Kayla Thomason-
Events include agility, dock diving and the "Fastest Dog in the Northwoods" race.
Carol Lofquist of TLC Dog Training is helping with the agility competition.
The course will be set up for beginning, intermediate and advanced levels. Lofquist will be bringing in a judge with over 20 years experience to choose the winner.
The agility competition will cost $10 per attempt, including a warm up.
The winner will receive a year's worth of by-Nature dry dog food and other prizes including one, hour-long private training session per month for a year, gift certificates and gift baskets from local businesses.
Pier Pups canine dock jumping organization will supervise the dock diving competition.
"People are excited about the Pier Pups dogs coming and I've been getting all the equipment ready for the agility competition to make sure everything is safe, everything is marked right," Lofquist said.
Dock diving involves dogs jumping into a pool to see who can fly the farthest.
To register for dock diving, visit www.pierpups.com. Preregistration is $13 for two jumps into the 14,000 gallon tank or $15 the day of the event.
The winner of the dock diving competition will win a year's worth of Zignature dry dog food.
Pawz n' Clawz owner Dan Gallagher designed the Pawzitive Games to have a charitable aspect.
Bark for Life, a cancer fundraiser, takes place the following weekend so Gallagher decided to have his event tie-in to Bark for Life.
"We thought, 'well let's have it be a lead-in to Bark for Life and then we can help them out with some of the proceeds from the registration, maybe selling the shirts,'" he said.
All proceeds from the agility registration will go to Bark for Life.
The Rhinelander Police Department K-9 Unit will be bringing the speed board for the "Fastest Dog in the Northwoods" race.
Dogs will race individually against the speed sign. The pup who registers the top speed of the day wins.
Rhinelander's own canine police officer, Drago, will make an appearance from 1 to 3 p.m. He will not be a competitor.
"We did some trial runs with Drago and the speed board was able to register his speed," Sergeant Angela Mertz of the Rhinelander Police Department said.
Part of the racing entry fee, which is $10, will be donated to the Rhinelander K-9 Unit. The rest will go to Bark for Life.
The funds will be used for Drago's training and equipment for the K-9 Unit.
The winner of "The Fastest Dog in the Northwoods" will win a year supply of Canidae dry dog food.
Registration for agility and racing can be completed at Pawz n' Clawz.
"The combination of the agility and the pier dogs and the running I think is going to be really kind of fun to see," Lofquist said.
Each event will have separate fencing and there will be pools and water to help keep the dogs cool.
"It's going to be a fun, active day so we start at the morning because the dogs do get warm. So the more we can start in the day at 9 [a.m.] versus like 10 or 11 [will be better]," Lofquist said.
It Matters to One, an animal rescue organization, will have a table set up with pictures of dogs available for adoption. They will also be selling decals, can cozies and keychains. There may also be puppies available for adoption.
People who purchase decals from It Matters to One will get a raffle ticket to win a 40-inch flat-screen TV, provided by Earthborn. Decals are $5.
Every person who purchases an event shirt will get a raffle ticket for a year supply of Blue Buffalo dog food.
Bark for Life will receive part of the proceeds from shirt sales.
4-H will be selling healthy foods such as breakfast items that do not include eggs or bacon. They will also be selling sandwiches, vegetables, fruit, homemade bakery items, water and soda.
"The 4-H kids are so all over this too, they're going to help me out in agility and stuff like that and all work in the community - it's kind of cool," Lofquist said.
Gallagher is "extremely happy with the participation of the sponsors," which include the Northwoods River News, Newswatch 12 and Hodag Country 97.3 WHDG.
Shirts Signs and Designs is creating the shirts, RIPCO Credit Union is the sponsor for the overall event, airport manager Joe Brauer is allowing the event to occur at the airport and is filling up the dock diving pool, and AP Photography will be taking photos of the event.
"The airport is a nice facility, I mean it has air conditioning in there, it has nice bathrooms," Lofquist said.
Organizers hope to hold Pawzitive Outdoor Games again next year.
"It will bring more people to the area and that's what we want to do and people realize that their dogs can have so much fun in one day," Lofquist said.
For more information, visit www.rivernewsonline.com and click Pawzitive Outdoor Games' tile on the side of the page or call (715) 362-5163.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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