fun things to bark ABOUT

Orvis Cover Dog Contest

There’s still time to enter your dog in the 2023 Orvis Cover Dog contest. Jump in and enter online any time before March 31. The winning dog will receive a $500 Orvis gift certificate and $900 worth of Purina Pro Plan dog food…plus the coveted Orvis cover! You may also vote for your favorite pup. Each vote costs $1, which is donated to the Morris Animal Foundation for canine cancer research. To date, Orvis customers have raised over $1 million for canine research grants. Enter as many times as you’d like, and photos can feature one or more dogs! (Coverdog.Orvis.com/enter-contest/) (Coverdog.Orvis.com/vote/)

Canine Stars at NH Speedway

One of the most entertaining dog events ever will be in our neck of the woods in July. The Canine Stars Stunt Dog Show is an act that features a world-class team of dog trainers and their adopted dogs. They will be performing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Fri- day, July 14th through Sunday, July 16th. This amazing group has been touring North America since 2012 and was featured in the 2021 season of America’s Got Talent! The shows feature extreme dog sports, and you will be sure to fall in love with these incredible canines. The events are free and will be held at the Fan Zone at the Speedway. (TheCanineStars.com)

Similar Personalities

Do we somehow choose dogs that are like ourselves? The Kennel Club in the U.K. studied 16 popular dog breeds and more than 1,500 of their owners to see how their personalities matched. Five traits were studied: openness, extroversion, agreeableness, loyalty and emotional. From there, they sought to understand if dogs and their owners have similar personality traits. The findings showed that dog owners subconsciously do choose pups whose personality traits match their own. Positive and happy individuals often choose lovable and outgoing breeds like Golden Retrievers. Owners who identified as extroverted and agreeable tended to pick Pomeranians and owners who identified as loyal, friendly and affectionate often picked Staffordshire Bull Terriers or Jack Russell Terriers. You can read the interesting results online. (www.thekennelclub.org.uk)

Popular Dog Names

According to Rover.com, these are the top-10 most popular dog names in 2022. A few unique names that weren’t on the list but seemed to be trending include: Beige (as in color), Adele (as in singer) and Kate (as in royalty)!

1. Max - Luna

2. Charlie - Bella

3. Cooper - Daisy

4. Milo - Lucy

5. Buddy - Lily

6. Rocky - Zoe

7. Bear - Lola

8. Teddy - Sadie

9. Duke - Bailey

10. Leo - Stella

And a bit closer to home, here are 10 popular New Hampshire-inspired dog names.

1. Alton

2. Bow

3. Elm

4. Keene

5. Mandy (as in Mandy Moore who was born in Nashua)

6. Granite

7. Jericho (Jericho Mountain State Park)

8. Winnie (after Lake Winnipesaukee)

9. Sandler (as in Adam Sandler)

10. Bartlett

Skijoring at Gunstock

Skijoring is a winter sport in which a person on skis is pulled by a horse, a dog or a motor vehicle. The name is derived from the Norwegian word skijoring, meaning "ski driving.” Skijoring has become a popular sport in the U.S., and you can partake in the fun with your dog at Gunstock Mountain Resort in Gilford. The resort offers lessons at their Outdoor Center and has the harnesses for you and your pup. The first lesson begins with simple commands that your dog will need to know. For example, “gee” is for right turns and “haw” is for left. Visit their website to learn more about skijoring with your dog. What a fun way to spend a day with your pup if they love the outdoors and love to run. (gunstock.com/on-snow/nordic-center/xc-lessons-clinics/)

Support for Service Dogs

When it comes to caring for a service dog, there can be many expenses and every service dog deserves the best quality of life possible. The New Hampshire Coalition for the Support of Service Dogs was established in 2018 by Brendan Madden to help people provide for their working dogs. To assist service dogs with medical needs, the NHCSSD has created a medical fund which you may apply for online. Or if you’d like to get involved with this great non-profit, they are looking for board members and help with some behind-the-scenes administrative work. For more information, please email Brendan (nhcssd1@gmail.com). (ServiceDogsNH.org)

Daniel the Hardware Store Cat

A lucky cat named Daniel, who was adopted from Midcoast Humane in Edgecomb last year, has become not only somewhat of a local celebrity but also has over 60,000 social media followers on Tik Tok! Daniel lives at Shoppers True Value hardware store in South Portland and is totally content in his new home, with sleeping by the cash register being one of his favorite pastimes. In addition to providing online entertainment, this adorable feline is also driving new customers to the store. A client from Falmouth came to buy duct tape and told the owners, “I could have bought it in Falmouth, but I wanted to see Daniel!” You can find Daniel on Tik Tok via @shoppers_hardware.