Pet Participati o n

Get your furry companion involved in these local events and services

THE SAyING GOES that the dog is man’s best friend, but most of us are pretty attached to whatever pets we own.

If you want to get to know a little more about your pet or just loosen up and have some fun, here are a few activities you may want to consider.

Pet Pride

Show off your pet at the Upper Arlington Civic Association Pet Show during Labor Neighbor Day Sept. 3. The Pet Show has been held for more than 30 years, UA Civic Association Director Greg Rose says.

“It’s a very casual event. This is not the Westminster dog show,” Rose says. “It’s for the kids.”

Judged by the civic association’s junior directors, the show offers prizes for Shaggiest Dog, Most Curious Cat and Best Outfit, but any type of pet is welcome to participate as long as it’s comfortable around other animals, Rose says. Winners receive ribbons.

“One of our directors, Pete Walsh, participated as a kid, and he wears his second place ribbon from the 70s with pride,” Rose says.

The show is held in the Kingsdale Shopping Center parking lot near Chase Bank. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and is free, as are all UA Civic Association events. The show runs from 9-10 a.m.

Other Labor Neighbor Day events include Bike Races for children at 8:30 a.m., starting with ages 2 and under and ending with 12-15 year olds, and a Wiffle ball tournament at 11:30 a.m. For more information, visit uaca.org.

Pups in the Pool

Is your pooch up for an endof-summer dip? Head to the seventh annual Grandview Heights Dog Swim at the Grandview Municipal Pool, 1515 W. Goodale Blvd., from 6-8 p.m. Sept. 4.

The Dog Swim was instituted in 2006 by past pool manager Alan Rill, who was passionate about his personal canine companions, says Parks and Recreation Director Sean Robey.

“He was an avid dog owner and suggested it to us. We said, ‘Sure! Why not?’” Robey says.

The event drew about 50 dogs, large and small, and 75 or 80 people to the pool last year. “They make quite a ruckus,” Robey says. “You can hear the happy barking from our office here about two blocks away outside that evening.”

The romp in the water is for dogs only – owners are allowed to wade in up to their knees – and it’s the last swim of the year before the pool is shut down for the winter.

“The cleanup is somewhat substantial afterward,” Robey says. “It’s amazing how much dog hair is left behind, and a few chew toys too. The hair is floating and sinking and it’s in the filter. It takes a little while to recover from … but it’s worth it to see the smiling owners, certainly.”

The cost is $5 per dog – humans are free – and all owners must sign a waiver/release form. Pool membership and

Grandview Heights residency are not required. For more information, visit www. grandviewheights.org.

Upper Arlington’s annual Doggie Dip, a similar event, was held Aug. 23-26. For more information on the UA Doggie Dip, visit www.uaoh.net/aquatics.

Talk with the Animals

Jennifer Ortman grew up on a farm and started working with animals at age 6, when she saved a litter of barn cats. Ortman puts her animal communication skills to use regularly at The Reiki Center, 140 W. Fifth Ave. The center mainly offers reiki, a Japanese form of alternative medicine for stress reduction and pain relief, for human clients, but animal reiki is becoming more popular.

“When I started my reiki training, there wasn’t a formal animal reiki program, so that’s something we’ve developed here,” Ortman says.

Ortman, director of the center’s Animal Reiki Clinic, says reiki works by bringing each of the seven chakras – the spiritual energy centers of the body – into balance. When one or more of the chakras is out of balance, it can cause physical ailments, pain and behavior problems.

At a recent session, Ortman watches a cat as it explores the room, holding her hands out to it in a welcoming motion. Though the cat doesn’t come to her at first, she explains that touch is not necessary to the reiki process.

“The technique is all done through the hands,” Ortman says. “The nice thing about the technique of reiki is that it will travel to her even if I don’t have hands on, which is perfect for a cat. It all goes back to my intention. Cats like to be very independent and kind of dictate when we put hands on, rather than me insisting on her lying in one place.”

Canal Winchester resident Doreen Huchler says animal reiki and communication with Ortman helped her understand what her yellow Labrador, Riley, was going through after the dog was diagnosed with cancer.

“(Ortman) would explain to me what Riley was hungry for,” says Huchler, adding that the cancer treatments often left Riley refusing food. “When I fed Riley (what Ortman said), she would eat it right down. One night, I tried 13 different types of food, but (Ortman) kept saying she wants some kind of fish. … That’s pretty much what I gave Riley the rest of her life because that’s what she would eat.”

Since that experience, Huchler recommends animal reiki to everyone she meets.

“I usually take in dogs that have behavior issues and they’re pretty much calmer after that,” Huchler says.

By the end of Ortman’s session with the cat, it does seem more relaxed –hopping into its carrier willingly, which is a rarity for this particular animal.

Ortman offers animal communication and reiki classes in addition to simple sessions, so others can learn the same technique. An animal reiki session is $60 for 45 minutes. For more information, visit www.thereikicenter.net.

Perfecting your Pup

Pet-friendly community events and services appeal to most dog owners – unless they’re struggling to help their pooches master certain behavioral skills.

Grandview-based dog trainer Heather Cameron of Cameron Canine Training LLC helps dogs of all ages and breeds become more obedient and socially adept. Sessions are private and held in-home so the dog can learn in a familiar environment.

Many dog owners are looking to teach behaviors that are social in nature.

“Mastering greeting manners is important to owners — teaching the dog not to jump all over people when they enter the home, not to bark at everything they see outside, how to interact with people in general,” Cameron says.

How the dog behaves outside the home matters just as much to owners.

“Getting the dog to walk nicely on a leash is a big one,” she says. “Or, for dogs that are often in open spaces such as dog parks, we work on the off-leash recall skill so the dog learns to return to the owner when its name is called.”

Cameron stresses that most bad habits can be eliminated and new skills can be taught fairly quickly, sometimes in just one or two sessions.

For more information on in-home evaluations and session fees, visit Cameron Canine Training LLC on Facebook.

Lisa Aurand is editor of Tri-Village Magazine. Feedback welcome at laurand@cityscenemediagroup.com.