Despite what it might look like, Izzy actually is enjoying the music of the Zurah Shrine Band.

Sighting: Izzy the yellow lab

Location: Lake Harriet Bandshell in Southwest Minneapolis, showing live music every night this summer

Human Buddy: Teresa

Fun Fact: Izzy was adopted from Pet Haven.

Editor’s note: If you spot a Sidewalk Dog hanging out at a local dog-friendly restaurant, store or event, snap a pic and we might feature it in a future Sidewalk Dog Sighting! Send your photo (just dogs; no people, please) to info@sidewalkdog.com, and be sure to include the dog’s name, breed, location, human buddy and a fun fact.

Attendees really got into the "spirit" of the event at last year's Monster Dash 5K-9.

By Meredeth Barzen

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Halloween with your dog? Team Ortho is holding its annual “Monster Dash” 5K-9 on the spookiest day of the year—this Saturday, October 31.

The 5K-9 is the dog- and costume-friendly (for people and their pets!) portion of the Monster Dash race, which also includes a half-marathon, a 10-mile race and a regular 5K race—more than 7,000 runners are expected to participate this year. The 5K-9 will take place around Lake Harriet, and for your noble exercising efforts, you’ll receive a long-sleeved tech shirt and a collar or leash from the event’s sponsor, Stunt Puppy. Sidewalk Dog will be enjoying the festivities from Stunt Puppy’s tent. Plus, Fetch Delivers will be there to refuel your dog with treats and free one-pound sample bags of Go! Natural Grain Free Endurance dog food (great for active dogs) and to hand out coupons for any food in the the Now!/Go! lines, which can be redeemed at any retailer. ScoopyPoo will take care of anything your dog—ahem—leaves behind, Bits of Love Pet Massage will be providing mini-massages for your four-legged athletes and Pampered Pooch Playground will be on hand to simply love up all the pups.

Registration is $47 for one adult and one dog. If you haven’t pre-registered, registration for the 5K-9 opens at 8:45 a.m. Saturday morning, and the race starts at 10:35 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell.

There will be three water/trick-or-treat stops along the way, and remember: There’s no shame in walking if you get tired—you can always blame it on your dog.

Here’s some important info from the pooch lovin’ people behind the race:

1. Race Guide: The entire guide can now be downloaded at www.teamortho.us. In the guide, you will find detailed schedules and start locations for runners, information on parking, great suggestions for spectators and where you can pick up awards for running and costumes. We encourage you to read this document.

2. Packet Pickup is Friday, October 30 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Please note that packet pickup has moved from Marathon Sports to the Minneapolis Convention Center. Time for packet pickup: 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. in Ballroom B. Please bring a valid ID and your confirmation card. If you didn’t receive a confirmation card yet, never fear; come to packet pickup with your photo ID and we’ll get your bib number for you. Note: There will be no packet pickup on race day for the Half Marathon and the 10 Mile.

3. Registration is still open for the 5K-9: Online registration (highly encouraged!) shuts down Wednesday night. You can register at packet pickup on Friday or on race day; registration fee will be $47.

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.

This dog is not so sure about its custom-made hat from Wonderment--but hey, the owner likes it!

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!

A lucky customer cools off at Lucia's Dog Bar

By Meredeth Barzen

Note: Throw us a bone and tell us about your favorite places to grab a bite with your dog in the comments section below. Or go one further: We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stunt Puppy to create this super-snazzy interactive map of our choice dog spots in the area. Check it out and add (and review!) your own faves here.

You asked for it, you got it! Our readers have been hounding (nudge, nudge!) us for a definitive list of places to dine with their dogs. Everyone (hopefully) knows about Lucia’s Dog Bar–the creme de la creme of doggie dining–and some of the bigger names we touted in last year’s doggie dining roundup. Now that the season’s officially upon us (catch these 72-degree days while you can,) Sidewalk Dog’s here to offer a few of our favorites.

1. Riverboat Grill - That’s “Captain Fido”, thankyouverymuch. This old-timey riverboat docks at Saint Paul’s Harriet Island and serves up choice chow and scenery in an extremely dog-friendly environment. Since the entire dining room is outdoors, dogs are permitted to roam just about anywhere they’d like–brave pups can even take in the view from the top deck, provided they’re not afraid of a flight of stairs. Water, treats and ample tie-up spots are a given.

2. Toast Wine Bar and Cafe – This North Loop cafe in Downtown Minneapolis has three separate sections to its patio to accommodate all levels of doggie dining interest. Plus, they’ll be hosting their second annual “Yappy Hour” on June 6, where lucky pups will get to taste-test their special treats. Stay tuned to Sidewalk Dog for more info on this event!

3. Blue Plate Restaurants - With hip, dog-friendly spots all over the metro (3 Squares, Edina Grill and Groveland Tap, anyone?), two of this local diner dynasty’s restaurants have really gone to the dogs: Longfellow Grill and Highland Grill.  While dogs are welcome to keep you company on the other side of a low fence surrounding all Blue Plate patios (though not on the patios proper), four-legged friends seem especially taken with the casual atmosphere and official, restaurant-branded water bowls at these two locations. Some owners even order lunch for their furry dining companions.

4. Gigi’s Cafe – Need nourishment after a romp around Lake Harriet or Lake Calhoun? This South Minneapolis bistro has a lovely sidewalk where you and your dog are welcome to relax with brunch and a bowl of water. Dispatch from the rumor mill: Homemade dog biscuits are coming soon!

Picosa's patio on St. Anthony Main's cobblestone streets

5. Picosa – With walking trails and a park bordering a long, narrow patio along Minneapolis’ historic St. Anthony Main, dogs are a natural fit at this Latin American/Caribbean restaurant. Water bowls and treats are available for canine customers.

6. Birchwood Cafe – If the homemade dog biscuits that this Seward eatery has in the works are anything like its often local, sustainable and organic people-food, then Twin Cities dogs have a reason to rejoice.

7. Pumphouse Creamery - For dessert, you can’t beat Pumphouse’s decadent ice cream–for you and your dog. That’s right, the South Minneapolis shop makes their own gourmet doggie ice cream. Inspired by 2 neighborhood dogs, the treat comes in two flavors: Bella’s
Tracks (plain) and Bruno’s Tracks (peanut butter). With half the fat and sugar as “people” ice cream, your pup can go gonzo for a treat that tastes like people food, but won’t mess with his system.

Other great places to nosh with your dog:

• Riverview Cafe and Wine Bar (Longfellow neighborhood, Southeast Minneapolis)

• Aster Cafe (St. Anthony Main, Downtown Minneapolis)

• Liberty Frozen Custard (South Minneapolis)

• Butter Bakery Cafe (South Minneapolis)

• Nomad World Pub (University neighborhood, Minneapolis)

• Coffee News Cafe (Grand Avenue, St. Paul)

• Maverick’s Wood Grill (Champlin)

• View Restaurant and Bar (Uptown Minneapolis)

• McCoy’s Public House (St. Louis Park)

• Laredo’s Tex-West Grill and Cantina (St. Louis Park)

• French Meadow Cafe (Lyn-Lake neighborhood, Minneapolis)

• Wilde Roast Cafe (Northeast Minneapolis)

• Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar (St. Paul)

• Costello’s Bar and Grill (Selby Avenue, St. Paul)

• D’Amico and Sons (Locations all over the Metro Area)

• Grand Ole Creamery (Grand Avenue, St. Paul)

• Joe’s Garage (Loring Park, Minneapolis)

• The Tin Fish (Lake Calhoun, Uptown Minneapolis)

• Sea Salt Eatery (Minnehaha Falls, Minneapolis)

• Town Hall Brewery (University neighborhood, Minneapolis)

• Barbette (Uptown Minneapolis)

• Cafe Maude (Southwest Minneapolis)

• Cafe Twenty Eight (Linden Hills neighborhood, Southwest Minneapolis)

• Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge (Northeast Minneapolis)

• The Happy Gnome (Cathedral Hill, St. Paul)

• W.A. Frost & Company (Cathedral Hill, St. Paul)

How about you? Throw us a bone and tell us about your favorite places to grab a bite with your dog in the comments section below. Or go one further: We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stunt Puppy to create this super-snazzy interactive map of our choice dog spots in the area. Check it out and add (and review!) your own faves here.

So many days, so many activities so many smells, sights, sounds and experiences to be had!

Here’s how we’ve been enjoying the Summer of 2008 so far.

• Dining out on restaurant patios such as Herkimer, Cafe 28, Cafe Maude, Cue, W.A. Frost, Lucia’s To Go
  and more!
• Treat bobbing in the plastic kiddy pool.
• Weekends away to Stillwater and the North Shore.
• Sorbet at local ice cream shops, Sebastian Joe’s and Crema.
• Waggin’ through the local garden shop.
• Shopping in Minneapolis in Linden Hills and Downtown, as well as Grande Ave. in St. Paul.
• Digging in the sand at the playground up the street.
• Conducting official business at the UPS Store on 50th and Xerxes Ave. S.
• Free concerts at Lake Harriet Bandshell.
• National Night out with the neighbors and a fateful meeting with an abandoned hot dog bun.

What have you been doing with your dog? Respond here.