By Meredeth Barzen

Sidewalk Dog has a confession to make: We didn’t give doggie dental hygiene much thought until Luc, the original Sidewalk Dog and the most lovable little lemon you’ll ever meet, paid a visit to Dr. Kate Knutson at Pet Crossing Animal Hospital and Dental Clinic in Bloomington last week. We’ll have the full details in a couple of weeks (and believe us, there are a lot of details!), but for now, let’s just say the visit involved a doggie dose of Valium, 31 tiny teeth that weren’t doing Luc any favors, and a very rude awakening on the importance of keeping your dog’s mouth clean and healthy. We found out that, just like in people, unhealthy teeth and gums can directly lead to serious health problems like heart disease and pneumonia—not to mention an offensively stinky mouth—in dogs.

Again, we’ll give you the full rundown in an upcoming post (sparing you as many of the gory details as we can), but we feel compelled to get the word out now about how very, very important it is to schedule regular dental exams, cleanings and X-rays for your dog, and to brush his teeth in between visits. Not only will you not have to suffer through icky dog breath when they slobber you with kisses, but it will help them lead happier, longer (yes, longer!) lives.

And we can’t wait to tell you all about our wonderful experience at Pet Crossing—where, besides the world-renowned dental care, you and your dog can take advantage of luxe touches like a fireplace in the lobby, a cushy private waiting room with snacks, a comfy couch and a T.V., and pre-op massages (for your dog).

But in the meantime, do your dog’s mouth (and body) a favor and schedule a dental exam—then whip out that toothpaste and start brushing!

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By Meredeth Barzen

Jacob Turner, like so many of us, was crazy about his dog. He was that guy we all know (or may even be) at work: at his job in Target’s human resources department, he went on and on about Marty, his 2-year-old pug with a fascinating arsenal of tricks. He longed for the day when he could bring him into work to show off his talented little friend—and he got his wish when he brought Marty to a Target event as a mascot of sorts:

“I finally got to do this at an outdoor summer kick-off event that I organized for my team by making Marty one of the main attractions,” Turner says. “I sold it as ‘Get your picture taken with Marty the amazing high-fiving pug.’ I had to present the idea to a party planning committee; he got his picture taken and high-fived about 50 people that day. I saw the smiles and laughs and how much everyone enjoyed him. It got me thinking how great it would be to have other Team Members be able to share their dogs.”

So Turner started the Bow Wows, a group of Target employees whose enthusiasm for their dogs goes above and beyond. The group is still just a pup, but it’s quickly growing in scope and complexity. Last month, Turner launched an internal SharePoint site for the group’s members, and with the help of Shannon Scanlon, the group’s co-creator, he’s building the site and recruiting members. The Bow Wows even plans to expand into multiple areas within Target—Tiffany Wanner has already signed up to be captain of an additional chapter.

Turner says that the group plans to encourage others to participate in Target-sponsored volunteer events, among other things. “I think pets can benefit from social networking as well as an excuse to get out and be active,” Turner says. “I feel that it is a positive thing to have pet owners incorporate their pets into social activities, much like how some people would incorporate their kids.”

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By Meredeth Barzen

Mike Frattallone hates to see a dog stuck waiting in a car while its owner runs errands. That’s why he declared this August the inaugural “Dog Days of Summer” at Frattallone’s Ace Hardware. If you bring your dog into any of the 14 Frattallone’s locations around the Twin Cities during the month of August (instead of relegating them to the boring backseat of your car while you shop for duct tape), the store will donate $1 to Homeward Bound Dog Rescue.

“Often I’ll walk up to a store and see dogs sitting in car and even if it’s not hot out, I think ‘why don’t you put it on a leash and bring it in?’” Mike says. Though dogs have always been welcome in Frattallone’s stores, he saw Dog Days as an opportunity to spread the word, and to help some down-on-their-luck dogs in the process. About Homeward Bound, Mike says, “We love the fact that they’re a no-kill dog rescue and placement organization, and we wanted our donation to make a big difference.” And Mike’s no stranger to rescues himself: He has two rescue dogs—Lucy, a 4-year-old whippet/Border collie mix, and Mabel, a 2-year-old corgi/golden retriever mix.

He says the hardware stores, which are staffed by “almost all dog people” [that’s people who like dogs, not half-people/half dogs], have seen many more dogs visit this month than they normally do. Mike adds that Dog Days has been so successful, he’d be surprised if they don’t hold it again next year.

Mike tells the story of a woman who was shopping at the Frattallone’s on 18th and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. The staff told her about Dog Days, so she drove home, picked up her dog, brought it back to the store, got her Homeward Bound donation, and then drove to the Frattallone’s on 39th and Lake Street to get a donation from that store as well.

So next time you need to make a run on duct tape, bring the dog. A hardware store is a lot more interesting than the inside of a car.

Editor’s Note: Frattallone’s Ace Hardware for raising $5,790 for Homeward Bound Dog Rescue during their inaugural “Dog Days of Summer” August fundraiser.

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By Meredeth Barzen

Sidewalk Dog and its loyal readers are clearly nuts about their pets—most of us would do anything to keep their bellies full and their medical needs met. But for many Minnesotans affected by the economy, the only “anything” available in their situations is to give up their best friends because they can’t afford food and vet care. This grim reality is what drove Kim Carrier to start The Pet Project, which just became official last month.

“I began thinking about The Pet Project in late spring when I heard news stories about people giving up their pets because of the economy. Each heartbreaking situation made me think ‘somebody should do something about this’ and it really became an obsession. I learned that there were several food shelves doing their best, but that they didn’t have a consistent supply of pet food. I decided that if ‘somebody’ wasn’t out there, that I’d better start doing something.”

Carrier’s friends helped her design a logo, build a Web site, create signs and find a lawyer and an accountant. Soon, the Pet Project was up and running, and Carrier was collecting pet food donations at drop-off sites like Urbanimal and Bone Adventure and distributing them at local homeless shelters. Since last the program started in July, Carrier has collected 400 pounds of donated food.

As a next step, Carrier will soon be accepting applications for veterinary appointments—she’s working on partnerships with local vets to get that component of the program rolling. “The truth of the matter is veterinary care is expensive,” Carrier says. “When you have to chose between feeding your family or getting your pet’s rabies vaccination … well, the vaccination goes out the window.” In the long term, Carrier would like The Pet Project to offer seminars for pet owners and landlords that would make an abundance of pet-friendly housing a winning situation for both parties.

“The biggest inspiration, of course, has been my own pets,” Carrier says. “My cats, Sophie and Maggie, and my dogs, Stella and Rosie have been my cheerleaders, teachers, nurses, psychiatrists, comedians and companions. I couldn’t imagine a life where, if I had had to give any of them up, I would have to wonder every day if they were loved and cared for, if they were safe, if I had done the right thing or if they were happy.”

Here’s hoping that with a little generosity from everyone in the “crazy-about-their-pets” community, more dogs and cats can stay with their families, even when times are, well, “ruff.”

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By Meredeth Barzen

You know how it feels when you’re on a lovely little walk with your dog, having a grand old time and—EEEW!—you have to execute a very quick sidestep maneuver—or shove your walking companion out of the way—to avoid someone else’s dog’s poop.

“This is why people think dogs are a nuisance,” you say to yourself. But not only does failing to pick up after your dog make dog owners look like bad citizens; it’s bad for the water in our streams and lakes as well. That’s why the Minneapolis Park and Recreation board launched the “Canines for Clean Water” summer movie series—the most enjoyable way to crack down on improperly managed dog poop ever conceived.

Dog-themed movies (“Because of Winn Dixie” and “Scooby Doo” are past examples) are shown at a handful of Minneapolis’ lovely parks, and dogs and their people can show up a little early to participate in some fun dog-friendly activities and take a pledge to keep dog poop off the ground and out of the water. Plus, your signature (and your dog’s paw print) earns you a free water bottle from the Park board.

“Objectives (of the program) are to get dog owners to understand the negative impacts of dog poop on water quality (not to mention aesthetics and the ability to walk barefoot or not get dog poop on your shoes), as well as have dog owners make or renew their commitments to bag up dog poop and put it in the trash,” says MaryLynn Pulscher, who coordinates the environmental education programs for Minneapolis Park and Rec.

She points out that more than 100,000 dogs call Minneapolis home, and that create an estimated 41,000 pounds of solid waste every day. According to Pulscher, the park board has to close down a swimming beach if it tests for more than 1,260 E. coli—a pile of dog poop contains millions of the nasty little critters. That means that if you leave your dog’s doo doo to wash into a lake even once, you could ruin some serious summer fun for others.

There are only two more movies left for this summer, so catch them while you can: on August 25, “Beverly Hill Chihuahua” is showing at Painter Park on Lyndale Ave. and 34th St. (Canine Companions will be holding a dog-wash before the movie, which starts at dusk.) And on August 26, “Bolt” is playing at Father Hennepin Bluffs Park (on the east end of the Stone Arch Bridge), and Wild Honey and the Locusts will be playing live beginning at 7 p.m.

And please, for the reputation of dog owners everywhere: bring an extra baggie on your walk.

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When we at Sidewalk Dog finally got around to launching the Sidewalk Dog Directory last summer, we threw ourselves a party to celebrate. And just where did we hold our fabulously dog-friendly celebration? At fabulously dog-friendly Corner Coffee in Downtown Minneapolis’ North Loop neighborhood.

This summer — this weekend, in fact — Corner Coffee is hosting their own dog-friendly event. They’re calling it “Dog’s Day Out,” and it’s this Saturday from 4-5PM.

Here’s what you’ll find:

• Live music by folk singer-songwriter Trish Painter. Painter’s new Dog Tracks album features “original songs about and inspired by dogs — their adventures, their dreams and their lives of snooping around and loving life.”
• Contests galore (Best Trick, Owner Look-Alike, Best Dressed, Biggest Dog, Smallest Dog, etc.)
• Killer coffee (duh)
• Free stuff and special offers from MadDog Delivers, Who Let the Dogs Out, Aloha Pet Care, Own Your Pets Life, Downtown Dogs and Ollu Self-Serve Dog Wash, an “eco-conscious self-service dog washing facility” opening soon near St. Anthony Main.
• Information on Guardian Angels For Soldier’s Pet (GASP), a nonprofit dedicated to reuniting military service members with their pets following deployment or emergency hardship
• Information on The Pet Project, a new nonprofit helping the financially struggling keep their fur kids by providing pet food and basic supplies via local food shelves

Our advice: Go early — the first 150 to show up will get a free gift bag — and stay late.

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By Meredeth Barzen

Ask any dog what his version of heaven is—it’ll probably read like this:

“It’s nice people who pet me and tell me I’m a good dog and a big bowl of treats right on the ground so I can snarf them and—IS THAT A RABBIT!!??—Anyway, there are like a million smells all over and—SQUIRRREL!!!—there’s this lady who hand-feeds me little balls of ground beef just because I’m a good dog and she knows I am the best at catching the Frisbee!”

Welcome to Clancey’s.

Kristen Tombers opened the Linden Hills store when one of the only surviving meat markets left in town went up for sale. She thought she’d try to revive the shop by selling only meats from locally raised animals—this was fortunately right as the local food movement really started to catch fire—and named the market after her grandpa’s yellow lab. Clancey the Dog is now going on thirteen years old.

Not only is Clancey’s the absolute, hands-down best place to get bacon in the Twin Cities,* it’s a veritable doggie paradise.

The nice people and the petting? Tombers allows dogs in the store and always gives them lots of attention. The bowl of treats? A cast iron cauldron on the floor filled with Solid Gold Cinnabones—all natural, of course (according to Tombers, “lots of the dogs—even the short ones—go in for a treat on their own.” The smells? It’s a meat store—imagine the sensory overload on your dog’s olfactory system—but don’t worry, germaphobes: all the food is far from the dogs and safely behind glass.

And the lady with the meat balls? Let’s just say that almost every time we’ve gone in (which is often—we really like bacon), Tombers has come from behind the counter with a very special treat for Sadie the Wonderdoodle—washing her hands very carefully afterward, of course. According to Tombers, this part is pretty popular: “The dogs that know the shop (especially the ones more motivated by food) go pretty crazy knowing that they’re potentially in for a raw meat treat. Most of them pull to the end of the counter to make things happen faster.”

The store also makes a cooked dog food that sounds like you could happily share it with your mutt—all beef shank meat cooked with carrots and celery. You can add just a little to your dog’s dry food to amp up the flavor.

“We are dog-friendly,” Tombers says. “We are also earth-, farm-, food- and people-friendly and are always striving to create a sense of community with our customers. It’s much easier to be in business when the customers can be considered as friends.”

In case you’re wondering, the luckiest animals in the world are Lilah, a seven-year-old yellow lab, and Schmitty (“a ten-month-old brown tabby kitten who thinks he’s a yellow lab.”) They live with the meat lady. “They are all rescue animals,” says Tombers, “which is kind of funny. I rescued them once. They save me every single day.”

* Official Sidewalk Dog Bacon Preparation: Cooling rack over sheet pan. Oven. 400 degrees. 15-20 minutes. Trust us on this.

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By Meredeth Barzen

If dogs are man’s best friends, then by the transitive property of celebrity canines, dogs of famous people are famous best friends … or famous best friends are dogs? Hmm, we’ll have to make a flow chart to figure that one out, but in the meantime, we at Sidewalk Dog love to hear your dog stories … favorite parks, best squirrel-chasing grounds, yummiest treats, etc … So thought we’d ask some of the Twin Cities’ best-known dog moms and dads about their best friends. Below are their deepest, darkest dog secrets.

Mary Lucia (Host, 89.3 The Current, Minnesota Public Radio)

Dog’s name: Smudge

Dog’s nicknames: Ladies and gentleman for one night only the incredible Smudgestone!

Breed: Pug/88 year old man

Age: 5

Favorite toy: Anything meant for my cats

Favorite treats: Anything that falls on the floor

Groomer: Keira at Petco in Richfield

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Two inches from my left arm

Favorite dog park: Not a “throw the stick and run” kinda dog

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Gigi’s Café in South Minneapolis

Favorite pet store: Calhoun Pet Supply in South Minneapolis

Childhood dog: Enzo

Dog’s best trick: Somehow convinced my cat Muse to groom her

Dog’s best friend: Anyone who stops to pet her

Dog’s nemesis: Smudge loves everyone.

Sleeps on: Her own bed in my bedroom closet. I now sleep with earplugs as she snores louder than any human being I have ever heard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? My voice is too husky to talk baby talk but sometimes I find myself using an English accent when I speak to her: “Good day, Smudgely.”

Pat Neshek (Minnesota Twins pitcher) and wife Stephanee

Dogs’ names: Juicy & Kirby

Breeds: Juicy is a dachshund mix and Kirby is a chocolate piebald dachshund

Ages: Juicy, 4; Kirby, 2

Favorite toy: Juicy likes any stuffed animal that she can rip open, shred apart, and pull the stuffing out of. Kirby LOVES mini tennis balls with squeakers.

Favorite treats: Juicy likes those chewy doggie pizza treats (but she doesn’t get them much because they are terrible for her!) Kirby loves bananas! He goes crazy and can smell them a mile away … he’s even gotten into the back of the car while we were driving and eaten a whole peel with the banana!

Favorite place to hang out: Bike trails by the Coon Rapids Dam—they love walks!

Favorite dog park: Elm Creek dog park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite dog-friendly store: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite pet store: Petco

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Dog beach in Fort Myers, Florida

Childhood dog: Stephanee’s family had a golden retriever named Brandy. Growing up, Pat had a cocker spaniel named Tuffy. When Tuffy passed away, the Nesheks adopted Dodger, a Lab/shepherd mix. After 14 great years, Dodger died in his sleep of old age last August.

Best trick: Kirby will roll over for treats—and loves getting treats so much, she will keep rolling over in continuous circles!  Juicy can dance—she can even ”raise the roof” when she gets excited! Both dogs will sit up in a “prairie dog” position, but it isn’t really a trick. They do it whenever they want something.

Dog’s best friend: Kirby and Juicy are best friends. Other than Kirby, Juicy’s best friend is Stephanee’s sister’s Chihuahua Ozzie. They grew up together in Florida. Kirby says his best friend is his daddy.

Sleeps on: Both dogs sleep in the bed with us—under the covers—every night.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time … they are our babies.

Cheryl Kaye (Morning show co-host, 102.9 Lite FM)

Dogs’ names: Ursula and Elwood

Nicknames: Ursie (Ursula) and Smelly (Elwood)

Breeds: Dobermans, both adopted from rescue organizations

Age: Ursula is 14 and Elwood is 8

Favorite toy: Anything fuzzy with stuffing inside—they like to rip them apart. I suspect they pretend they are squirrels!

Favorite treats: Anything remotely edible.

Groomer: Uh, I guess that would be me?

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: My bed.

Favorite dog park: Ursula is a diva around other dogs, so we don’t do the dog park. But they love to go for leashed walks at Central Park in Roseville.

Favorite dog-friendly store: Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

Favorite pet store: Chuck & Don’s

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: The Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint trail.

Childhood dog: Ringo, a beagle

Dogs’ best trick: Sleeping

Dogs’ best friend: Elwood adores Ursula. Ursula puts up with Elwood. Typical woman!

Dog’s nemesis: The rabbits in the neighbor’s yard

Sleeps on: Mostly the bed. But they love a good sun nap in the backyard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Every second of every day: “Ursie bursee, boosie, tootie wootsie.”  “Elwood smellwood, pooper dooper.”  Wow, I can’t go out in public anymore after that admission.

Frank Vascellaro and Ameila Santaniello (Husband-and-wife TV news anchors, WCCO)

Dog’s name: Cleopatra

Dog’s nickname: Cleo

Breed: Hound/boxer mix

Age: 16 and still doing OK

Favorite toy: Too mature for toys, but loves being around our three kids

Favorite treats: Cleo has been exposed to a wide variety of foods and eats darn near everything. About the only thing we found she doesn’t like are beets.

Groomer: Hurray for short hair. All she needs is a little nail clip at home every now and then, but Amelia points out that she sheds.

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: These days, she just wants to be around us at home with a special emphasis on the kitchen.

Favorite dog park: The unofficial dog park bordering Minneapolis, Edina, and St. Louis Park near 40^th St. and France Ave.

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Java Jack’s Coffee Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly store: Settergren Ace Hardware on Penn Ave. and 54^th St. Great people, and the dogs always get a treat.

Favorite pet store: Cleo has never had a bad experience cruising the aisles of Petsmart.

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: We take Cleo with us Up North every weekend.

Childhood dog: Frank had Mickey and Gino and Amelia had Chibi and Poco.

Dog’s best trick: Cleo is super smart. She’s 16 and is too mature to be tricked into performing, but she’s still very aware.

Dog’s best friend: Frank

Dog’s nemesis: Thunder and lightning

Sleeps on: In younger days, she would sleep in our bed and could jump up there. These days, I need to carry her up and down the stairs because she’s old. We bought her a dog bed for the floor about two years ago.

M.A. Rosko (Morning news reporter, FOX 9)

Dogs’ names: Munter and Red

Nicknames: Munter, aka “Private Pinkerton” when she’s on squirrel watch duty, and “Princess Muntavia von Licktenstein” when she’s being a willful, yet beautiful Teutonic princess. Red also goes by “Ass Man,” as he charges at other dogs in a terrifying manner, only to gleefully grab a tantalizing sniff of nether regions.

Breeds: Munter is a silver dappled miniature dachshund; Red, to the best of our knowledge, is a Lab.

Ages: Munter is 9, Red’s about 5.

Favorite toys: Munter loves her threadbare, barely stuffed but still humpable Koala bear. Red goes ape for a peanut butter-stuffed Kong.

Favorite treats: Red eats anything; he’s a Lab. Lately he’s obsessed with picking up mulberries that have fallen off the tree in the backyard. Munter likes “people food,” which I should call “other people food” as other people feed it to her, I do not.

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: Munter likes to go to live shot story locations with me and bask in attention. Red enjoys the backyard.

Favorite dog park: Airport or Minnehaha Falls

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Café Barbette and Galaxy Drive-In (the newly remodeled “Wagner’s” drive-in, in St. Louis Park—gives free kiddie cones to all dogs.)

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Butter, on 36^th and Grand Ave., bakes its own biscuits

Favorite dog-friendly store: Diamond Lake Hardware

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: I can’t wait for this one! October 8-11, the Gunflint Lodge is hosting “Waggalot,” a dog-friendly celebration. There will be hikes, photography, seminars on training and nutrition, canine massage and more. Join Red, Munter and me up north this fall!

Your childhood dog: My first dog was a terrier named Governor, whom I called Govvy Gee-Gee. As an infant, I ate his dog biscuits out of his Christmas stocking, and whacked him on the head with a (soft) xylophone mallet. God bless that dog.

Best tricks: Red makes bananas disappear. As in, I swear I left some bananas on the counter, now all I can find is a bit of stem on the floor.

Dogs’ best friends: Munter’s best friend is my boyfriend’s yellow Lab Samantha. Red has recently become BFFs with my Fox9 Morning News co-worker Alix Kendall’s new adopted dog, Pax.

Dogs’ nemesis: Munter has a prejudice against big fluffy dogs like Huskies. Red wants a piece of my mailman, who happens to be the nicest man in the world.

Sleeps on: Munter likes to change position several times each night, and burrowing under covers is necessary. She has two dog beds (she’s taken over Red’s large bed as well as her own) but  a pile of clothing on the floor will do. Red sleeps wherever Munter has chosen not to.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time. Even on the air.

Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis City Council Member and key player in getting last year’s doggie dining ordinance passed

Dog’s name: Sadie Rose

Dog’s nickname: Miss Sadie

Breed: Goldendoodle

Age: 4

Favorite toy: Anything soft and stuffed animal-like

Favorite treats: Homemade snicker doodles by Senator Linda Higgins

Groomer: Royal Pet

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Loring Park dog park or any beach

Favorite dog park: Loring Park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Nick and Eddie or Toast Wine Bar and Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Cafe Espresso Royale

Favorite dog-friendly store: Corazon

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Lake Michigan dog beach on Montrose in Chicago

Dog’s best trick: Shaking hands

Dog’s best friend: Our cat Coco

Dog’s nemesis: University of St. Thomas–Minneapolis Campus plaza and fountain where she has been told not to play in the water.

Sleeps on: Couch

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Of course!

Al Franken (Recently seated Senator whose first piece of legislation was the Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which will pair service dogs with veterans who have physical or mental wounds, including PTSD. His dog, Kirby, recently passed away.)

Name: Kirby

Breed: Black Lab

Age: 8

Favorite toy: His favorite game was tug of war, so anything that helped him play that was his favorite toy. Until, of course, it ripped.

Favorite treats: He was a Lab, and Labs eat anything. He didn’t get people food or table scraps (unless he stole them). He got the same kibble every single day—Eukanuba—and every day he ate as if it were the first time he’d ever had it. He absolutely destroyed it.

Favorite dog park: Lake of the Isles Dog Park—right by the soccer field

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Childhood dog: There were two—Brownie was a mutt, and Gunther was a dachshund named after Gunther Toody from “Car 54, Where Are You?”

Best trick: He wasn’t a service dog. His best trick was running around in circles chasing his tail whenever I came home. It wasn’t much of a trick, but I liked it.

Dog’s best friend: Me, the kids, Franni, my wife, anyone else

Dog’s nemesis: Franni, only while cooking food he wasn’t going to get to eat

Sleeps: On a chair. It was “his” chair.

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