By Meredeth Barzen

While the Twin Cities certainly isn’t lacking in talented pet artists (see: pooch painters Stray Dog Arts and Lintu Art)—or talented artists in general, for that matter—one has emerged who stands out from the crowd for his stylized, hyper-local treatment of the people, places and pups that populate our fair cities. WACSO (stands for Walkin’ Around Checkin’ Stuff Out)—a.k.a. Robb Burnham—takes inspiration from everything around him, as his name would suggest. Often, it’ll be the fuzzy face of a four-legged pal, but you’ll see local landmarks like restaurants, architecture and adorable old men on benches represented in his work as well. WACSO will draw your dog if you’d like him too—but he won’t take any money for it, just a suggested $100 donation to a pet rescue (check out this recent portrait of his neighbor, M.A. Rosko’s dog Munter.)

“I get a lot of requests from strangers all around the country, which was a bit odd at first because I would really rather meet the dog in person, but I’ve got it down to where I ask them to send me as many photos of the dog as they can. That gives me a pretty good idea of what the dog is like,” Burnham says of his commissioned dog drawings. “I don’t want payment for these drawings so I ask for a donation to be made in my name to a shelter/rescue. I’ll send them a hi-resolution file that they can print however they would like. People have made T-shirts, calendars, mugs … I just had a woman use my drawing to get a tattoo of her dog that passed away. It looked awesome, and I think it was great therapy for her.”

Here’s a look into the philosophy and process that is WACSO:

Do you have any dogs?

I have two dogs: a female English bulldog named Frankie and a little block-of-cement French bulldog named Grady. Frankie likes to watch TV—in fact, if the TV is off, she’ll yip until the TV is turned on, and she’ll actually growl at the mugshots they show on news programs. She knows who the bad guys are; it’s pretty funny.

What’s your favorite dog-friendly spot in town?

Sitting outside at Java Jack’s Coffee Cafe is awesome.

Do your dogs make it into your drawings?

Yes, I constantly draw my dogs.

How long have you been drawing?

I’ve been drawing all my life, but didn’t really get serious about it until about five years ago.

Your work really celebrates the everyday and the local—what is it about those subjects that compels you to portray them?

I like everyday things. Life isn’t all about taking big vacations and going to exotic locations. We’re surrounded by all kinds of cool everyday stuff; we just have to stop and look for it. I had done a drawing of the Blackbird Cafe a while back because it’s a cool place. Well, sadly, it burned down recently—such a drag, but I started getting messages from people requesting prints of the drawing. It was really cool to see what that drawing suddenly meant to people and the importance of appreciating and celebrating the things we have.

What sorts of characteristics make you want to draw a certain dog? Physical traits? Personality? Setting? Owner?

I’ll draw any dog; they are all awesome. Think about it: You can be having the crappiest day of all time and see a dog and smile—what else can do that?

Why do you like drawing dogs in general?

The dog drawings just seem to make people happy. They make me happy drawing them … I laugh most of the time I’m drawing.

How long does it take you to do a drawing?

It’s hard to say how long a drawing takes; I lose track of time, but I’ll usually do dozens of drawings of a dog before I get the one I like best. Sometimes the best version is the first one I draw and sometimes it’s the last.

How do you decide what form it’s going to take (i.e. single-line drawing, detailed, with or without color, etc?)

I will usually do a few different styles; one-line drawings, a more refined style, add color, etc …, and see which I like best when I’m done.

Do you approach strangers and ask if you can draw their dogs? Are they usually game, or do you ever get resistance?

I’m a pretty shy person. I don’t mind talking to the dogs; it’s owners I have trouble with.

Where can people find your work?

Become a fan of my Facebook page! It’s now dedicated to just my dog drawings. I try to put up a new one every couple of days. You can also check out my Web site, which has all of my drawings.

What do you like about the Twin Cities?

The Twin Cities are fantastic—love it here. Tons of dogs, tons of places to walk dogs and the people are cool. I even dig the winters—all those dogs in boots and outfits crack me up.

By Meredeth Barzen

When Minnesotans hear the name Pohlad, they think of baseball. After all, that’s where local businessman and Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad has made a name for himself. But look a little closer at the prominent family’s favorite causes and you’ll start to associate the name with another great American pastime: dogs.

The Pohlad Family Foundation has supported local pet groups like Helping Paws, says Rebecca Pohlad, who has emerged as the most visibly dog-oriented member of the family. She and husband Robert (one of Carl’s three sons) are Dog Mom and Dog Dad to three of the luckiest German shepherds on the planet—9-year-old Luca, 8-year-old Tasha, and 1-year-old Hannah roam where they will on the couple’s 25-acre property in Washington’s San Juan Islands near Seattle. Hannah likes to chase deer, Pohlad says (“I think she will pass out if she ever catches one!”), and adds that the pup also loves to take a dip in the pool, then shake water all over innocent bystanders.

“Luca loves to be the center of attention,” Rebecca says, “Tasha is aloof, but when she is alone with you, she is a love. Hannah is just plain funny—can’t explain it, but she makes me laugh all the time. She loves to snuggle.”

Though Robert never had dogs growing up, he took his marriage to Rebecca as an excuse to add a canine member to the family. “We got our first cocker spaniel a week after being married and after she died, we have had shepherds ever since—six total in our 32 years of marriage,” Rebecca says. “Our [three] sons loved having what I call ‘the girls,’—they are my female companions.”

And while the Pohlad dogs are living the good life on the West coast, Rebecca and Robert keep local animals close to their hearts as well. Rebecca is a big fan of The Pet Project—so much so that she donated to the group in her dog-loving friends’ names as Christmas gifts last year. “I want people in these troubled times to be able to keep their pets. Families are losing their homes and sometimes do not have enough money for food. What an even worse blow to a family than also having to give up their pet,” she says. “That is why The Pet Project means so much to me.”

Rebecca also counts the Animal Humane Society as a group she believes in. “Animals cannot speak for themselves; they cannot express the hurt of being beaten or being hungry, so we must be there for them,” she says. “The Animal Humane Society of Golden Valley does so much good and they deserve support from all of us that can help. My goal is to not have to see the commercials on TV about animals that are in need; and that all animals will be cared for with kindness and have homes with love and food.” Rebecca adds that she’s just heard about MN SNAP, and will be following their progress as well.

When they’re in town, Rebecca somehow summons up the energy to take three full-grown German shepherds out for a social day. “Our favorite place is Lucia’s,” she says. “They have a lovely water bar for dogs and Lucia also loves dogs and has two of her own.”

And though she finds it hard to explain her love for her dogs, Rebecca offers a mantra that she and her family live by: “Be thankful for what you have. Be aware of what is around you. Use you time, talents or financial support to help those less fortunate.”

By Meredeth Barzen

You asked for it; you got it. Our inaugural roundup of Twin Cities celebs and their furry friends was so much fun, Sidewalk Dog couldn’t resist sniffing out another pack of famous Minnesotans and the four-leggeds that make them say “Who’s my fruffy wittle fuzzy bear?” This time, we’ve found writers, radio personalities, TV gurus, musicians and fashion designers who go nuts for their mutts. So without further ado …

Dan Murphy (musician, Soul Asylum and Golden Smog) and wife Sarah Murphy (owner, Grapefruit Moon Gallery**)
Name: Lily Belle Murphy
Nicknames: Fusspot, Lily Ocho Stinko, Puppy Bear, the Cananitor, The L’il Lebowski, Minnie Ripperton, Dog Stevens, The Aggressitor, Jack Rabbit Slim, Meerkat, The Hot Water Bottle, Buck Snort, and countless others …
Breed: We just found out that she is a Chiweenie (Chihuahua/Dachshund). When we adopted her, we just knew she was a beauty.
Age: Approximately 1 1/2?
Favorite toy: The happy hippo, a little squeak toy we bought the day we took her home from her shelter that has been torn apart and sewn back together more times than we can count. No matter how many other toys she plays with and destroys, she always comes back to the happy hippo.
Favorite treats: Carrots, rice, cheese, and freeze-dried sweet potatoes
Favorite places to hang out: A warm lap, under the covers, her favorite dog pillow, and the passenger side in our car
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Nick and Eddie, especially on a sunny day after she’s just played hard at Loring Park. Doug Anderson and the staff there were initially friendlier to her than she was to them, so it like many things, is still a work in progress!
Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Anodyne Coffeehouse

Favorite dog-friendly store: Guse Hardware at 46th & Bryant; she and Chloe, the new mascot, are becoming fast friends.
Favorite pet store: Urbanimal
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: She’s such a homebody, so I’d say sitting on our porch on a warm day. We adopted her in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in January of 2009, so in many ways I would bet she still considers Florida her actual home and Minneapolis her summer getaway. She was a runaway and we got her at a tiny little animal shelter that removed her from a high-kill shelter in Miami. She spent three months on the streets before the first shelter took her and another two months at the shelter where we met her. About 10 minutes into the initial visit, she picked us as her doggie parents. So vacations are not in her immediate plans as she seems so delighted to finally have landed a home. She is a nester at this point and loves to go on walks, particularly when the whole family is present and accounted for.
Best trick: No longer being scared of every stranger/noise/car that comes by. All thanks to Cele Danner (the miracle worker) at The Canine Coach. Also, she rip-snorts when she’s happy and runs “hot laps” around our dining room table when she feels like letting off a little steam. She can do a really cute prairie dog/meerkat hind leg dance that is adorable.
Best friend: Nigel, the Chihuahua; he still plays hard-to-get, but he’s coming around. Also my son Kelly’s mixed-breed female 2-year-old, Lucky
Nemesis: Bike riders, tall men, sunglasses and baby prams ….
Favorite naughty behavior/bad habit: Barking at the mail carrier, jumping on the dining room table looking for crumbs, attacking my face with kisses
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Jumping into my lap as I try to work, or even into my laptop, doing hind-leg stands at your knee and going onto her favorite leopard-print lucky treat pillow, looking at you with a cocked head and staring you down until the treats come out
Sleeps on: Bed
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Often, but she’s too smart to fall for that most of the time. My doggy dialect revolves around her being a Southern Belle, so I use a butchered French Canadian meets Cajan New Orleans Style drek that usually starts with “L’il belle … ”
Anything else we should know about your dog? She’s a wonder. The most nervous, shy, and troubled puppy in the world when we adopted her, she has become the most friendly, loving friend anyone could ever hope to have. She’s sweet with a good heart and really wants to be happy and finally is learning how.
What are you up to these days? Dan: Busy with shows including our annual First Avenue holiday engagement Friday, December 4. Sarah and Lily and I are spending our second winter in the sunny, warm, small-dog-friendly confines of Southern Florida. Sarah: Working with the Animal Rights Coalition to raise awareness of the inhumane dog breeding that is continuing at puppy mills and all the wonderful animals (like Lily) who have been abandoned or lost and are waiting at local shelters for a loving home!

**Both Sarah and Dan run Grapefruit Moon Gallery, an online art gallery that specializes in American Illustration and Pin-up original paintings and artwork.

Louise Erdrich (novelist, owner—Birchbark Books)
Name: Makate Ma’ingan (Ojibwe for “Black Wolf”)
Nickname: Maki
Breed: Belgium Shepherd
Age: 4
Favorite toy: Punctured soccer balls
Favorite treats: Peanut butter toast and cat food
Favorite place to hang out: On the couch, watching his bird feeder and the birds he protects
Favorite dog park: Poorly socialized; Maki doesn’t do dog parks very well. Owner also poorly socialized.
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Kenwood Cafe [next door to Birchbark Books]. Poorly socialized owner sits outdoors with Maki.
Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Again, Kenwood Cafe. Maki enjoys a latte now and then to calm down.
Favorite dog-friendly store: Birchbark Books
Favorite book: Anything by Temple Grandin or Mary Ludington
Favorite pet store: Chuck and Don’s Pet Food Outlet

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Lake of the Woods, where Maki roams free and fierce.
Best trick: Looking fearsome
Best friend: Rowdy, the protector—the real ferocious canine in the house
Nemesis: The neighbor’s taunting cat who sits under Maki’s birdfeeder
Most naughty behavior/worst bad habit: Lunging in sick lust at female dogs
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Sitting and staring fixedly at the treats and projecting an air of injured nobility
Sleeps on: Again, the couch as long as nobody is looking
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Are you tiddin’?
Anything else we should know about your dog? He reads in secret and recommends books for his owner’s bookstore
What are you up to these days? Birchbark Books, a nice stop for people and dogs who walk the lake.

Lizz Winstead (comedian, co-creator—The Daily Show)
Names: Edie and Buddy
Nicknames: I call Edie ‘Sweedy’  ‘Piaf’ or sometimes ‘Diarrhedie.’ Bud can be ‘Budward, handsome man.’
Breed: Both mutts. Edie is a Collie/Shepherd mix and Buddy is Corgi/Spaniel.
Ages: Edie, 9; Buddy, 6
Favorite toy: Anything that’s not a toy! Like a throw pillow. Edie carries around a stuffed daisy in her mouth and it’s so cute. Buddy’s favorite toy is actually my underwear.
Favorite treats: See: Underwear
Favorite place to hang out: Next to me on the couch—next to me wherever I am
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: The Hamptons
Best trick: Edie can high-five
Best friends: Each other
Nemesis: The vacuum cleaner
Favorite naughty behavior/bad habit: Edie is a poop-eater. Buddy, the boy, doesn’t lift his leg when he pees and Edie, the girl, does. I think that’s funny.
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Buddy will just jump in your lap; Edie will hump your leg.
Sleeps: In bed with me
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dogs? Yes
Anything else we should know about your dog? They are both rescued. I adopted Buddy in Minnesota!
What are you up to these days? I’m going to be at the Parkway theater for an exciting New Year’s Eve spectacular called “What the F#ck Just Happened?” Tickets and info here.

Joy Teiken (designer and owner, Joynoelle)
Name: Pellet
Nickname: Pelly
Breed: Little mutt
Age: 16 to 18; we don’t know since I found her
Favorite toy: Her cat, Sadi
Favorite treats: Pup-Peroni
Favorite place to hang out: In her dog bed or at Grandma Harriet’s house
Favorite dog park: Too old to go to the dog park
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Too old to go anywhere
Favorite dog-friendly store: My boutique

Favorite pet store: Southside Farm Store
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Cabin time at Eagle Lake
Best trick: Sleeping
Best friend: My husband, Craig
Nemesis: Khea the cat
Favorite naughty behavior/bad habit: Ignoring us on her walks; she walks without a leash and sometimes she takes herself for a walk.
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Barks
Sleeps on: Bed, couch, floor, dog bed—really anywhere she wants to
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? We used to, but now she’s deaf and we just give her lots of kisses.
Anything else we should know about your dog? She has a sad turned happy story. I found her by the side of the road in southern Minnesota and she had pellets from a bb gun in her head and back. (That’s why her name is Pellet.) That was 11 years ago … she’s had a great life ever since.  She’s almost deaf and blind, but she’s still happy.
What are you up to these days? I’m working on a bridal line that will be available online this winter.

Andra Suchy (singer, guest—A Prairie Home Companion) and husband, Andrew Pierzina
Name: Lucy
Nicknames: Mit Mit, Rucine, Rucy
Breed: Boxer mix
Age: 7
Favorite toy: Bumblebee, a catnip cat toy, and tennis balls
Favorite treats: Real bones with peanut butter inside and carrots
Favorite place to hang out: On the couch or in our bed; outside if it’s nice weather
Favorite dog park: The Suchy farm, owned by Andra’s parents, near Mandan, North Dakota
Favorite pet store: Urbanimal
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Going to the Suchy Farm

Best trick: Running on the treadmill. She runs several times a week for 30 minutes at a time.  She will also sit, lay down, and stay for a treat with hand signals until I say ‘OK.’
Best friend: Our late Weimeraner, Sophia. Our cat, Lester. They play together and he will grab her face and lick her eyes. They love each other. Also, her cousins Willie the cow dog and Bjork the pug at the farm.
Nemesis: The lake. She can’t stay out of it. She is VERY obsessed with biting the water. She also hates the rain.
Favorite naughty behavior/bad habit: She sometimes doesn’t play well with others …
Favorite way to get attention/treats: She will sit very, very close to you and make a very loud sighing, breathing sound. We say she swallowed a bullsnake. Or, she will jump her front feet down onto the ground and bark until you play with her.
Sleeps on: Bed
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Almost always
Anything else we should know about your dog? She loves kids, and gets really excited when we have company. She loves people in general.
What are you up to these days? Andrew and I are both going to be performing guests on the A Prairie Home Companion 2010 Western Caribbean Cruise in March.

Brian Lambert (writer, blogger, talk radio host)
Name: Ernie. She’s a girl. But every animal we ever bring home—lizards, birds—we call Ernie, (for Cubs great Ernie Banks) so we don’t get confused.
Nicknames: The Living Rug, Rugball
Breed: Cocker Spaniel/Bichon Frisee … we think. White, anyway.
Age: 14
Favorite toy: Has always been annoyed by or afraid of toys, especially after that mechanical rubber mouse episode
Favorite treats: Anything that says “bacon” on the package
Favorite place to hang out: An ottoman, on a gold quilted blanket, looking out the front window like a damned queen
Favorite dog park: The neighbor’s back yard
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: I’d say Manny’s Steakhouse, but I’d be lying. The closest she gets to a restaurant is the bag of bones I tote home from Famous Dave’s.
Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: The Starbucks at 50th & France in Edina … tied to a sign post
Favorite dog-friendly store: PetSmart, St. Louis Park
Favorite pet store: Ditto, especially the packaged bacon treats aisle
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: The cabin, in northern Wisconsin. 11 acres of woods, deer and ticks
Best trick: Trick? She whines for bacon. Is that a trick?
Best friend: Whoever is slipping her people food under the table
Nemesis: Other than the mechanical mouse, any dog that gets to the bacon before her. Oh, and any squirrel.
Favorite naughty behavior/bad habit: Licking plates in the dishwasher
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Whining, scratching at doors, “herding” humans toward the bacon treats in the pantry
Sleeps on: My side of the bed … and on my legs
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? No. I save that for my 28-year-old.
Anything else we should know about your dog? If you put a chipmunk in a rain pipe, Ernie will bark at it for four hours.

Sims (hip-hop artist, Doomtree)
Names: Lola, Superbowl Champion
Nicknames: Lola, Champ
Breeds: Pit Bull
Ages: 11, 3
Favorite toys: Tennis ball, rubber football tied to a rope for tug-of-war
Favorite treat: Meat. Anything but vegetables, although the look of betrayal on their faces when given a vegetable is pretty amazing, so that’s my favorite treat to give them.
Favorite place to hang out: Outside, anywhere we can play ball. And in the car.
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Muddy Waters
Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Muddy Waters
Favorite dog-friendly store: The Alt bike and board shop
Favorite pet store: Petco
Best trick: Sit
Best friend: Me
Nemesis: Brooms and thunder
Sleeps on bed, couch, dog bed, floor, or outside: Yes
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? No. But they get treated as if they were my kids … maybe that’s worse.

Kathie Jenkins (restaurant critic/food editor, St. Paul Pioneer Press)
Name: Helen
Nickname: Helly Belly
Breed: Bouvier
Age: 5
Favorite toy: A wool lamb
Favorite treats: Bananas and dried sweet potatoes
Favorite place to hang out: On the living room sofa
Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Dairy Queen; she loves the cones but she doesn’t go overboard because she knows she has to watch her figure.
Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: She doesn’t like coffee shops; she’d rather be at home lounging on the sofa and watching “The Dog Whisperer.”
Favorite dog-friendly store: She doesn’t like stores, either. She has fear of floors and most places are just too slippery for her.
Favorite pet store: Pet Junction
Favorite dog-friendly vacation: She’s a homebody
Best trick: Laying down on command
Best friend: Josie, a three-legged golden retriever that gives her a good run.
Nemesis: Fivel, an autistic German shepherd. She just won’t have anything to do with him.
Favorite naughty behavior/worst bad habit: Dripping water all over the entire kitchen floor every time she takes a drink
Favorite way to get attention/treats: Just looking like she’s about to chase a squirrel
Sleeps on: Couch
Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? I call it ‘dog talk.’
Anything else we should know about your dog? She loves to have her teeth brushed. Every morning she comes out in the kitchen and doesn’t leave until I brush her teeth.

By Meredeth Barzen

September has arrived, and we all know what that means: Woofstock is coming! On Saturday, September 19, all of Linden Hills (a neighborhood that needs no officially sanctioned holiday to go dog-crazy, but appreciates it anyway) will be swarmed with pooches and their people taking in tons of doggie-centric events, vendors and contests.

Sadie the Wonderdoodle can speak from firsthand experience to say that Linden Hills is pretty dog-friendly all year round: Many of the main drag’s businesses—like Clancey’s Meats, Bayers Do it Best Hardware, Coffee & Tea Ltd. and Wonderment—not only let dogs in their stores, but reward pups for their owners’ great sign-reading skills with biscuits and belly rubs. For Woofstock, these businesses are stocking up on treats and celebrating the day with things like doggie corsages, hats for the annual Pooches Promenade, and special sales and events.

These businesses are also playing sponsor for a grand four-legged scavenger hunt, where dog owners go to certain stores to sniff out a huge, golden bone. Everyone who completes the task is entered to win prizes.

We’re most excited about the Wash-a-thon and Coffee Tasting in the Sebastian Joe’s parking lot from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., sponsored by Pampered Pooch Playground, K9-Connection and yours truly, Sidewalk Dog. For a $5 suggested donation to People for Parks, the event’s beneficiary, you can have your filthy friend primped and pampered in a warm-water dog wash while you sample Sebastian Joe’s coffee.

New to the festival this year is an exciting agility demonstration put on by the folks at C&E Dog Training Center. They’re bringing their super-agile animals with them and will be showing off their skills in the Sebastian Joe’s parking lot between 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Also new this year is Fresh Air Training’s Pint-Sized Play, where small dogs can romp with their similar-sized peers. Wild Rumpus bookstore (where cats and chickens reign supreme) will have a contest to see who has the most well-read dog—just snap a photo of your pooch inspired by your favorite dog in literature and bring it to the store for a chance to win a prize. And to set a soundtrack to the festivities, Trish Painter (who has a CD of dog-inspired songs) and the Linden Hills House of Music’s Rock Camp for Dads will be serenading us dog-lovers.

One of Woofstock’s perennial favorites, the dog tricks contest, will be hosted by FOX 9’s Juli Jay—and this is the first year the judges will be looking for “average” dog tricks like a fast-sit, a high-jump, a cute booty-wiggle, resemblance to owner or even being just plain old.

Some of the festivities (like the Wash-a-thon) benefit People for Parks, a nonprofit that funds projects to improve Minneapolis’ stellar park system. Or, you can help them out directly by buying an engraved paver (in tribute to anyone you love, animal or human) that will live in front of the Lake Harriet Bandshell—they’ll be exhibiting at Woofstock, so be sure to pay them a visit.

We’ll see you there!

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.

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.

By Meredeth Barzen

Most dogs love fish. But who knew they loved sushi restaurants so much?

Recently at Sidewalk Dog’s “Sushi with Your Poochie,” more than 200 local dog lovers and their dog lovees hung out on Tiger Sushi 2’s lovely Minneapolis patio, tried their hands at Stunt Puppy’s hands-free leashes, got training tips from Bark Busters, noshed on Tiger Sushi 2’s happy hour menu and got a break from plastic-bag duty courtesy of ScoopyPoo.

And that was just the human-oriented fun! Dogs were treated to Tiger Sushi 2’s homemade biscuits and massages and pawdicures from Pampered Pooch Playground, and took home doggie bags loaded with goodies from UrbAnimal.

The always-lovely Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography was there to capture the rampant adorableness: Click here, then select “Access Gallery” and enter code “sidewalk” to see if she snapped your dog’s mug (and chances are, she did!)

The best part? As those of you who were buying charitable sake bombs know, the event raised money for MnPAW, a coalition of Minnesota animal welfare organizations. The ticket sales alone raised almost $1,000 for the organization, so instead of “Sushi with Your Poochie,” perhaps we should have called it “Sushi for Poochie … in Need.” We’ll work on the name. In the mean time, thanks to all who came and made the event such a hit!

When Sidewalk Dog recently discovered the fabulously dog-friendly patio at Tiger Sushi 2, it was love at first site. And so we’re throwing a fabulously dog-friendly party… together!

The nitty-gritty
What: “Sushi with Your Poochie,” an on-leash event presented by Sidewalk Dog and Tiger Sushi 2

When: Thursday, July 16th from 6:00PM to 8:30PM (Rain date: July 22nd)

Where: Tiger Sushi 2’s huge, lovely, breezy and well-shaded patio. (FREE parking is available after 4:00PM in the Egg & I parking lot across the street.)

Beneficiary: Minnesota Partnership for Animal Welfare (MnPAW), a new coalition of animal welfare organizations who are committed to working together to reduce euthanasia of adoptable animals in our State. Members include A Rotta Love Plus, Animal Humane Society, Pet Haven and RAGOM – Retrieve a Golden of Minnesota.

Menu: Tiger Sushi 2’s awesome Happy Hour menu* will be available throughout the entire event!

Tickets: $15 online ($4/ticket will go to MnPAW). Every effort will be made to sell ALL available tickets online. If event does not sell out online, tickets will be available for $18 at the door.

On to the fun stuff!
Bark Busters will be on hand to make sure all the doggies are getting along. They’ll also take your dog to go potty if you’d like (provided your dog is game).

Pampered Pooch Playground will be offering a special doggie menu of tableside services, including personal water bowl, serving of treats with doggie fortunes (homemade by Tiger Sushi 2!), personal doggie bed, 3-minute massage, pawdicure, etc.

Sarah Beth Photography will be capturing all the fun.

ScoopyPoo will be scooping poo down on the Greenway and serving BlackDog Whinery’s (first vintage!) Doggy Cabaret, PeeNo Su Casa, ZinFanDog to pooches on the patio.

Stunt Puppy will lend you one of their hands-free leashes for use during the event (if you’d like, that is).

Tiger Sushi 2 will be serving oh-so-fun sake bombs to benefit MnPAW.

UrbAnimal will send you off with a seriously awesome doggy bag filled with treats, food samples, a toy, a poop bag dispenser, other product samples and special offers from local pet-related and dog-friendly businesses.

Prizes!
Your ticket comes with a chance to win fabulous prizes from our sponsors and other pet-related and dog-friendly businesses. Plus, you’ll get to find out if you won upon check-in! Stay tuned for a complete list of prizes. Here’s a preview:

• Bark Busters: One (1) gift basket with dog training items and toys (value $70)
  
• Ink: One (1) very cool dog pen (value TBA)
  
• Pampered Pooch Playground: Four (4) $25 gift cards
• Sarah Beth Photography: Two (2) 5-packs of notecards; One (1) FREE 8 x 10 of you and your dog at “Sushi with Your Poochie”
  
• ScoopyPoo: Two (2) FREE months of weekly scooping
• Shure Pets: One (1) 8 oz. bottle of Aromutt Therapy Spritzer in Vivid Vanilla (value $13)
• Stunt Puppy: One (1) leash and one (1) collar (value $35)
• The Dog Perk: One (1) gift certificate for a sweatshirt; One (1) gift certificate for a t-shirt
• Tiger Sushi 2: Two (2) $50 gift cards
• UrbAnimal: One (1) gift basket with dog toys and treats (value $75); One (1) 4 lb. box CANIDAE Nutritional Gourmet Snap-Biscuits; Two (2) 3-pack Sojos treats
• One (1) copy of K-9 Nation Biscuit Book: Baking for Your Best Friend by Klecko
• One (1) Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack of Disney’s Bolt
• Two (2) copies of Angel Dogs with a Mission: Divine Messengers in Service to All Life by Allen and Linda Anderson

* Tiger Sushi 2’s Happy Hour Menu

Drinks
Tap Beer $2.75 — Bud Lite & Miller Lite Bottles $2.50 — White & Red Wine by the glass $3.00 — Well drinks $2.75

Appetizers
Edamame, Potstickers $3.50 — Tiger Wings $4.95 — Grilled Kushiyaki Combo $ 3.95  (skewered Chicken, Beef & Salmon) — Ceviche $4.95 — Beef Tataki $5.95

Nigiri Sushi
$1.95 per piece: Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Unagi, Tako, Bincyo, Suzuki, Hirame, Sockeye Salmon, Kampachi

Rolls
The “Favorites” are $2.95: Tekka Maki (tuna roll), Sake Maki (salmon roll), Veggie Roll, Kappa Maki (cucumber roll)

Specialty Rolls
Spicy Salmon Skin Roll $3.50 — California Roll $4.95 — Caterpillar Roll $6.95 — the “Kick in the Pants Roll” is $7.95 — Spicy Tuna Roll $4.95 — Dynamighty Roll $4.95 — Crunchy Roll $5.95 — Crispy Crunchy Tuna & Salmon Roll $5.95

My dog Luc is special. As in lemony. Which means he’s chock-full of issues, including Episodic Falling Syndrome, chronic rhinitis (at any moment, his nose could collapse à la Michael Jackson), corneal dystrophy and a fear of intimacy (he simply refuses to kiss me on the lips).

As such, Luc doesn’t have many canine friends. Most dogs find him and his übermellow, slow moving self, well, boring.

But not Eloise!

Eloise sent Luc the following (love?) note last week after we took a walk along Lake Calhoun with her and her mom Christy Lund. (Lund happens to work at one of Luc’s favorite stores in the entire world, Bone Adventure in Edina.)

Dear Luc,

Too much fun hanging out with you last night! Can we do it again soon? I liked having you follow my butt around the lake, and don’t worry that you were kinda slow. (My mommy always goes too fast and doesn’t give me enough time to stop and smell the roses and doggy butts!)

Loved the fish taco crumbs your mom snuck me at The Tin Fish… Yummy! And I can’t wait to try the doggie ice cream she wrote about in her newsletter. My mom’s been reading it and has all these great ideas for hanging out with me around town. You guys just hafta join us for some human/hound fun!

The only thing I was bummed about last night was not getting to see you in your black sling bag. I know you and your mommy both hate the bag, but I also know you need to be in it sometimes and I promise not to laugh at you.

Okay, I’m trying REALLY hard right now to get my mom to throw the ball for me. Doesn’t she get it when I keep putting the ball right next to her?! I’m a Mini Aussie and I need to fetch! Stupid humans…

Looking forward to another day of getting spoiled!

xoxoxo,

Weezie