By Meredeth Barzen

Here at Sidewalk Dog, we love a lot of things about Minnesota: the dog-friendly businesses, the lakes, the pretty scenery, the cheese. And since Sidewalk Dog’s executives are certified city slickers, we’re fascinated by the way that cheese is made. So when we heard that Michelle and Roger Benrud, dairy farmers based out of Goodhue who are part of the PastureLand dairy cooperative, had a new Blue Heeler farm dog named Duchess, we were intrigued. And when we heard that PastureLand was coming out with a new cheese called “Farmdog” inspired by Benruds’ previous Blue Heeler, Wylie, we knew we had to look into it. First, here’s what Benruds had to say about life with a real, live farm dog. Following that conversation, check out what PastureLand’s Steve Young-Burns had to say about his brand-new cheese.

Michelle and Roger Benrud, PastureLand Dairy Farmers

Wylie, the inspiration for PastureLand's new Farmdog blue cheese.

Sidewalk Dog: We heard your dog Wylie was the inspiration for Farmdog cheese. Could you tell us more about that?

Benruds: I think Steve had more inspiration for this than we did—he comes to our farm monthly for meetings and Wylie would always greet him as he got out of the car. Sometimes she smelled like a skunk she tried to wrestle, sometimes she was muddy/dirty from working, sometimes she’d even be clean. He enjoyed her greeting him and he was the one to make the connection between Blue Cheese and our Blue Heeler.

SD: What is a day on the farm like for Duchess? What are her main duties?

Benruds: She’s not officially trained, but Duchess has pretty well learned her duties on the farm. It’s nothing fancy—her instinct takes care of most of it—but we worked with her a bit as well.

Duchess helps us with getting the milking cows in from the pasture both morning and night. She also is responsible for making sure the cows leave the parlor after they are milked. During the time we had no dog between Wylie and Duchess, cows would just stand around and often poop in the parlor before they left.

Duchess absolutely loves casing cattle and has a lot of natural instinct for it. We are not by any means very skilled in training dogs, but they seem to pick things up quickly if they have the instinct. She is also a very good family dog—gentle with the kids and very friendly toward strangers. I do wish she’d be a bit more of a watchdog (she’d just as well show a stranger around the farm), but all in all, she’s a good dog.

Duchess, Wylie's predecessor at the Benrud farm.

SD: How does she add to the farm?

As mentioned above, helping with get cattle out of the parlor is very helpful. She is a good companion for us and the kids as well. We didn’t realize how much we miss having a dog until Wylie was gone and we had none.

Steve Young-Burns, PastureLand Dairy Cooperative

SD: Tell us about the Farmdog cheese—what was the inspiration for it? How would you describe the flavor and texture of the cheese?

SYB: I had wanted to create a blue cheese for a long time, and we have a world-class blue cheese plant in Faribault to work with, so I knew anything we made there would be top-notch. I knew I wanted a raw milk cheese, and I knew I wanted to honor the role that farm dogs play in the culture, atmosphere and work of American family farms. Blue Heelers are special because they get into their role so much. Wylie was a terrific herding dog, and Duchess is really starting to understand her role in the barn. She is earning her certifications as a dairy cow movement specialist and should be a great cow dog as she gets older.

I am in love with this new cheese. I think the best thing about it is that it is undoubtedly a blue cheese, but the blue serves to highlight the flavors in the milk itself. The blue is not overwhelming, it leads you to the other flavors in the cheese. Having said that, it’s really, really blue; almost green because the cheese is yellow from the grass-fed diet the cows eat, and the veins are blue. You do a double-take when you look at it because it’s green.

SD: Is this a limited edition cheese or do you plan to make it indefinitely? How often does Pastureland come out with a new cheese?

The label from Farmdog blue cheese.

SYB: We hope Farmdog Blue is a lifelong member of the PastureLand cheese family. We come out with one or two cheeses a year, depending on what’s going on.

SD: Do many of the PastureLand farmers work with farm dogs?

SYB: I think Benruds are the only ones with a herding dog right now, but dogs are definitely part of most pastured dairy farms. They do a good job getting the cows in from pasture, and moving out of the barn after milking.

SD: Where can people find Farmdog cheese?

SYB: Twin Cities shoppers can find Farmdog at most of the area natural food co-ops. Folks outside the Twin Cities metro can use the store finder on our website to find a store near them, or order online. [Ed. note: Some metro-area restaurants are now using Farmdog cheese on their menus, including dog-friendly spots like Clancey’s Meats and Lucia’s Wine Bar, both in Minneapolis.]

SD: Anything else you’d like to add about the cheese or farm dogs in general?

SYB: All of our education and product brand names are designed to remind consumers of where food actually comes from. We have cheeses named for several of our farm towns, and now with Farmdog, we begin to get people’s imaginations even closer to what happens on our farms every day. Dogs are really part of the family and they work side by side with our farmers to create the high quality butter and cheeses we make.

By Meredeth Barzen

A scene from the dog trick contest at Woofstock 2009.

“The Hiiiills are aliiiive …  with the sound of doooogieeeees.”

Yep, that’s right—Linden Hills Woofstock is right around the corner—Saturday Sept. 11th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to be exact. And first things first: Sidewalk Dog is going to be there with bells on.

In fact, Sidewalk Dog, Pampered Pooch Playground and K9 Connection will be be providing a warm water dog wash in the Sebastian Joe’s parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The shampoo is being provided by Topline Canine Care (a local company, natch), and all money raised will go directly to The Pet Project, which which helps people keep their pets by providing pet food and basic supplies to those who are struggling and provides connections to basic veterinary care and information on finding pet-friendly housing (you might also recognize them as the fabulous beneficiary of last week’s Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux—Continued ). If it’s too cold for sudsies, we’ll be playing fun doggie games in the parking lot all day long. There might even be some yummy coffee and treats from Sebastian Joe’s.

A happy customer at last year's Sidewalk Dog-sponsored warm-water dog wash.

But now that we’ve dispensed with the business, let’s talk about the event, which doubled in attendance from 2008 to 2009 according to Lauren Crandall of Pixie Song Events, which produces Woofstock. Last year, “it seemed like EVERYONE had a dog, so the numbers really were astounding,” Lauren says. “As a result, we’ve closed off more real estate this year for more dog events. Bob Bayers of Bayers Hardware is closing off his lot, which is giving us a huge amount of space for more events and safe, car-free mingling.”

All your favorites will be back, including C&E Dog Training with an agility demonstration and a Pint-Sized Play session from Fresh Air Training so smaller dogs can get in on the fun. “We’ll have live music again this year, and dog trick shows for ‘amazing’ dogs, as well as a trick event for ‘average dogs! New stuff we like includes Zen Pooch Doga (yoga with your dog) sponsored by K9 Connection, and a dog/owner photo booth sponsored by Pampered Pooch Playground. And we love that Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) are setting up tents in the Dunn Bros parking lot and having their trained therapy dogs read along with any children that would like time to cozy up with a friendly fido and a good book,” Lauren says.

And don’t forget to stop by that dog wash—we’ll see you there!

The Dog Perk's booth at the 2009 Minnesota State Fair.

By Meredeth Barzen

You know that old saying that comes up every year around State Fair season? “At the Fair, you can find anything imaginable on a stick.” Well, thanks to The Dog Perk’s Tony Waara, that saying has applied to treats for both people and dogs for three years now. Tony’s the creator of Dog Biscuit on-a-stick, which he sells out of his Dog Perk booth located inside the Fair’s Pet Center (located on the northeast corner of Underwood and Murphy in the south center aisle). Type “The Dog Perk” into the State Fair website’s “Merch Search” for more info.

Like all brilliant ideas, Dog Biscuit on-a-stick has one heck of an origin story, which Tony was kind enough to share with us:

“Three years ago, we started our company [The Dog Perk's primary purpose is to sell T-shirts, bandanas and other products for dog lovers] and applied to be in the State Fair. Like all Minnesotans, we figured it would be years [until we were approved]. The Fair called two weeks later and two weeks before the start of [that year's] Fair. We were excited and overwhelmed, considering we had just started our company.

So, naturally, you think ’something on a stick.’ We first thought ’shirt on-a-stick’ and then it popped into my head—dog biscuit on-a-stick! So with a leap of faith, we placed a huge T-shirt order and prayed people would like our shirts.

The famed Dog Biscuit on-a-stick.

The first year at the Fair, we maybe sold a hundred biscuits. The second year, we put a coupon in the Blue Ribbon Bargain Book. With nothing to reference, we figured [we'd sell] maybe 100 or in our wildest dreams 150 a day. The first day I brought 50—my wife Amy was coming later with more. I walked in and in the first 15 minutes, all 50 were gone and I was on the phone to Amy screaming ‘Bring everything! There are people everywhere with coupons!’

Amy had to fight through the crowd to get to our booth where there were people waiting and waving coupons. We ran out of biscuits the first two days, so she and a neighbor began baking non-stop for nine days—the treats are made by hand, no mixer. Their hands were numb for the next month. We ended up selling 750 a day and total of 10,000 that year. We are planning on selling 15,000 this year along with our bandanas and T-shirts.”

The Dog Perk has another Blue Ribbon coupon this year, so you know the demand will be high again. So get down to The Dog Perk’s booth early to treat your furry friend to the hottest biscuit ever to grace a (rawhide) stick!

Meredeth Barzen

Higgins takes a joyride in a mini ATV at Totally Kids.

We at Sidewalk Dog have a soft spot for Cavalier King Charles Spaniels like Luc, the original Sidewalk Dog who passed away this spring. So when Annie Seberson of Totally Kids Furniture and The Bean Bag Store in Bloomington e-mailed us about her shop dog, a Cav named Higgins, our hearts naturally melted. The more we learned about Higgins (is that a great name or what? We wish she had a doggie-sized tweed jacket, monocle and pipe to go with it … ), the more we loved her. Here’s what we learned about the little Cav who graces what her mom calls “the largest children’s furniture and toy store on the planet.”

Sidewalk Dog: Can you give us some background on your store?

Annie Seberson: Kay (my mother) is an interior designer specializing in children’s rooms and decided that opening a retail store would showcase fun and interesting products making them available to many more people. We are a woman-owned, mother/daughter team. We love what we do and have been serving the Minneapolis area since 1983.

SD: Tell us about Higgins. How did she come into your life?

AS: Higgins is a black and tan Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She is 2 ½ years old. In 2008, my mother and I were having coffee at Starbucks and saw two Cavaliers cuddling with their owner on a bench on the sidewalk. We had never seen that breed before and were so impressed with their markings and disposition; we just had to get one. Higgins loves hiking and cuddling with anybody, anywhere, anytime. She especially loves a tummy rub.

SD: How long has Totally Kids had a shop dog?

AS: We have had a shop dog for nine years. Before Higgins, there was Cinder. Cinder was a mild-mannered, people-loving golden retriever belonging to an employee, Bob. Bob brought Cinder to work everyday for seven years. Cinder is now in doggy heaven.

SD: Do you let other dogs in your shop?

AS: Dogs are always welcome; we have doggie treats and a water bowl. Higgins likes to share.

SD: How does Higgins react to the customers? How do the customers react to her?

AS: Higgins loves everyone. Many of our customers are children and they are always excited to see Higgins.  Our staff are all enthusiastic dog lovers with pictures of their pups on their computers as screen-savers and pinned to the walls in the office. Higgins is the inspiration behind a Halloween costume party for dogs called “Wag-o-ween” that we host in October.

SD: What do you like about having a shop dog? Are there any frustrating moments?

AS: There has not been one frustrating moment with having a shop dog. I think everyone needs a shop dog. They bring joy, entertainment, and warmth to the work environment.

SD: Do you think having a shop dog draws people to patronize your store?

AS: Yes, I think people like being greeted by a friendly, fluffy, tail-wagging little dog.

By Meredeth Barzen

A pup gobbles up a sweet treat at 2008's Paws on Grand event.

As if this summer weren’t full enough with events celebrating great neighborhoods and their four-legged friends, we’ve got another one to tell you about: This Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., St. Paul’s Grand Avenue will be packed with pups for the Paws on Grand event.

For the fifth year, the Grand Avenue Business Association is turning the popular shopping and dining district into a Fido fest, with free pet clinics behind the Grand Avenue Veterinary Center (1 p.m. First Aid presented by Own Your Pets Life, 2 p.m. Animal Communication presented by Pure Spirit and 3 p.m. Clicker Training presented by On Cue Training & Behavior), pet food collection for The Pet Project and a “Pet Picks” contest (submit your pet’s photo and he could be featured in Minneapolis Picks, named Poster Pet for 2011 Paws on Grand and receive a gift bag of goodies).

Many of Grand Ave.’s businesses are holding specials, deals and activities for the event: At Dog Days, trainer Linda Schindler will be answering questions and you can get your dog’s nails trimmed for $5. At Frattallone’s Ace Hardware, visit some adoptable pups from Homeward Bound Rescue—and if one catches your eye and goes home with you, you’ll get a $50 gift card to the store. The Bibelot Shop is offering 20 percent off all pet-related items, and the list goes on!

It’s a be-there-or-be-square kind of event, and as Sidewalk Dog is anything but square, you can be sure we’re choosing the first option and showing up with bells on. So stop by and say hi!

By Meredeth Barzen

Proud dog moms and dog dads parade their pups during last year's event.

Northeast Minneapolis, long known as a hub for hipsters, artists and creative types of all stripes, would like to add another cultural subgroup to its resume of residents: dog lovers. The neighborhood is a welcoming enclave for dog owners and dog-friendly businesses—and this facet of the community will be put on display this Friday, July 30, with the fourth annual Northeast Dog Parade.

The festivities start at 5 p.m., when you and your  pooch (owners are encouraged to dress their dogs up in fun costumes or outfits) can picnic in Chute Square. At 6:15 p.m., the Minneapolis Police Department will escort the parade from Chute Square through the Northeast Business District to a final destination near the Red Stag Supperclub. But don’t disperse quite yet: There’s a special “Dogtail” happy hour and flea market where you can socialize and shop with fellow dog lovers.

Bone Adventure's Brian Fulmer passes out some neighborhood-branded goodies.

Northeast’s growing core of dog-friendly and pet-related businesses started the parade four years ago, says Brian Fulmer, owner of one such business—Bone Adventure pet boutique. He adds that last year’s parade drew more than 300 dogs, and with the way Northeast’s dog population is growing, organizers are anticipating more than 500 dogs this year.

But you don’t have to be a Northeaster to join in the fun. Dog owners from all neighborhoods are welcome.

And while you’re there, stop by the Red Stag parking lot where Sarah Beth Photography will be snapping some photos, then hop over to Bone Adventure to get a last look at her “Style Hounds” display before it closes.

By Meredeth Barzen

Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

The doggie sushi has been distributed, the Paw Reader tent has been dismantled and the verdict is in—Sushi With Your Poochie: Part Deux was a smash success. Sidewalk Dog is happy to report that during Tuesday and Wednesday’s festivities, more than $1,000 was raised for our fabulous beneficiary, Minnesota Spay Neuter Assistance Program (MNSNAP). Click here if you missed the party but would still like to donate to this noble cause.

Big thanks to our co-host, the lovely Tiger Sushi 2 in Uptown (and may we take this opportunity to remind you that their expansive patio is always dog-friendly), and to our sponsors as well: Bark Busters Home Dog Training, Bone Adventure, Pampered Pooch Playground, Pet Crossing Animal Hospital & Dental Clinic, Sarah Beth Photography, ScoopyPoo and Stunt Puppy.

Make no mistake—serious fun was had by all. And if you weren’t able to make it and need further proof, Sarah Beth Photography snapped some great photos. See for yourself!

Tiger Sushi 2 owner Lisa Edevold serves up doggie sushi handmade especially for the event. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Yes, he uses utensils to eat his treats. He's a dog, not a barbarian! Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Münter, doggie guest of Fox 9 News' M.A. Rosko, eyes a cold one. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Eloise (a.k.a. "Weezie") the mini Aussie shepherd greeted guests Wednesday night. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

A potential puppy pile? Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Stunt Puppy's Ken Goldman pauses to give his dog Bauer some love. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Stella the mystery mix gets her paw read by improv actress Peggy Kelley. Photo by Sarah Beth Photography.

Why yes it is; thanks for asking!

Newswoman MA Rosko with her oft-featured dog, Munter.

You may have seen Sidewalk Dog’s founder, owner and fearless leader Ali Jarvis on FOX 9’s Morning News show today with fellow dog fanatic and reporter MA Rosko. Ali was showing off a small selection of the super-fun pet products that are made right here in the Land of 10,000 Dog Lovers. Wondering where you can pick them up? Again, glad you asked:

• Pumphouse Creamery’s doggie ice cream can be purchased at the shop in South Minneapolis.
• Stunt Puppy’s hands-free leashes can be purchased online, at Bone Adventure, at select Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlets and at Marathon Sports in South Minneapolis.
• Nelli Designs Maggie’s Light pet candles can be purchased online, at  Bone Adventure (Edina, Wayzata and Northeast Minneapolis) or at the other local retailers listed here.
• Sojos treats can be purchased online, at Bone Adventure, at Woody’s Pet Food Deli in Minneapolis, at Lulu & Luigi in St. Louis Park, at Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet (multiple locations), and at many other retailers listed here.
• Mod-Dog lockets, breed-specific note cards and posters can be purchased online.
• The Thundershirt pressure vest (not locally made, we know, but we just had to talk about this with 4th of July fireworks coming up!) can be purchased online or at 4 Perfect Pets in North St. Paul.
• Bedtime treats from Bedtime Bones can be purchased online or at Bone Adventure. (Note: These chamomile bones are currently buy-one-get-one-free if ordered from a Minnesota ZIP code!)

Thanks for watching! And if you missed it, here’s one of the segments:

By Meredeth Barzen

One of the team's custom doggie storage centers

If you’re an avid Sidewalk Dog reader, you should be convinced by now of the increasing role our pets are playing in our everyday lives. We’ve already organized our meals, our walks, our work schedules and our leisure time around our pooches—and now, we’re organizing our closets around them.

Jessica Hein is a locally based sales and design consultant at California Closets who helped develop a complete pet storage system for the store. The idea to organize the hodgepodge of supplies that our four-legged friends require came to her after a casual conversation with Kay Grobel—business development for California Closets—and Brenda Higgins, owner of Kitchen Comfort in St. Paul. “Clients more and more want to incorporate their pets into their daily lives and make sure there is a space for them too. When Brenda is working with a client on a new or remodeled kitchen space, the issue of ‘Where does the dog food go?’ or ‘We can’t change this because the cat likes to sleep there’ often comes up. So [Brenda and Kay] thought, ‘Why not create a custom storage space for pets?’ That’s where I came in—to meet with Brenda and discuss how we can create a doggy center that will house all pet needs,” Jessica says.

This doggie storage design was accessorized with products from local pet boutique Bone Adventure. You can check it out up close at Kitchen Comfort's St. Paul showroom.

The team brainstormed the things that follow dogs into our houses—food, treats, toys, medicines, bath products, leashes, clothes—”and, of course, a place for doggy to hang out,” Jessica says. In a design created for Brenda’s granddog Penelope, they allowed for a small space at the bottom of the unit for the dog to lay down or for dog kennel storage. On the side of Penelope’s unit is an elevated surface for her food and water dishes, with dog dish-sized holes cut into the top. There are drawers for toys and collars, open space behind doors for food and bath products, and space for Penelope’s extensive wardrobe.

“When you have the opportunity to remodel, build new, or add on to a space, a lot more thought goes into it because you are thinking about how you and your family, and yes, your pets, are going to be using the space on a daily basis,” Jessica says. “You get to design it for the way you live in it.” For instance, “A great solution for larger dogs is to have a pull-out basket near the bottom of the system for toys that the dog can slide out on its own to get the toys out,” she says. “However, [getting the dog to] put them away is another story.”

And the designs are cute as well as functional: “We have used hooks that look like dog butts for leashes, or drawer pulls that look like bones. This is a great way to personalize the space and add some humor,” Jessica says.

If you’d like to check out a custom doggie storage space, stop by Kitchen Comfort’s showroom in St. Paul. You might even run into Penelope, the most organized dog on the planet.

A trip to Wonderment toy store gives kids and dogs alike something to look forward to.

Business: Wonderment toy store

Neighborhood: Linden Hills in Southwest Minneapolis

For you (and your little ones): Beautiful handmade, natural, creative toys. We’re talking carved wooden figurines, dolls made from cotton and wool, science kits and art supplies. No plastic cartoon characters here.

For dogs: A jar full of treats and a scratch behind the ear inside; a bowl of water outside when the weather’s warm.

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