Lakefront Lunchtime Concerts in Columbia

The Columbia Association (CA) is sponsoring a series of Lakefront Lunchtime Concerts on Wednesdays from noon to 2 pm, running from May 11 thru July 6.

Members of Columbia Dogs on the Go are invited to bring their dogs and join in the fun! The CA will even try to provide water dishes for our thirsty pooches.

We'll post each concert on the Events page of the CDOG website, so we can let each other know who's planning to attend. Those interested can add a lake walk before or after the concert.

The musical line-up represents a wide variety of musical styles, including rock, folk and jazz. If information is available about the artists, we'll add that to our announcements.

The Lakefront Wednesdays lunchtime concert series is part of CA’s welcome initiative to help new and current residents learn more about Columbia’s history and vision and encourage them to become involved in their community.

For more information, please call 410-715-3104, or send an e-mail to Kelly Cooper, the CA's coordinator of this event.

Sheep Dog Demos @ Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival

May 7-8, 2011

This weekend is the big Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival at the Howard County Fairgrounds. Sheep herding demos are presented on Sat. and Sun. at 11 AM, 1 PM, and 3 PM. Border collies with a flock of sheep. The shepherd explains all that he/she is doing. Get there early for a good view!

Our thanks to Eileen for this reminder!

Please note: Our dogs are not allowed at the festival, so Riley and Cody will be staying home.

The festival has more details on the Working Sheepdog Demonstrations on its website.

Ask the Vet: Non-anesthesia Teeth Cleaning

Guest post by Dr. Scott Sanderson

Q. I hear there is a new method of cleaning dogs' teeth that doesn't require anesthesia. Does anyone have any experience with this? What is it? Sedation? How do they clean the teeth? Is it less expensive than anesthesia? Any drawbacks? – Eileen

A. Non-anesthetic teeth cleaning is available for your pet, but only for routine cleaning. If your pet has a broken or loose tooth, gum infection or is difficult to handle, anesthesia or light sedation may be required.

Untreated gum or dental infections can lead to serious liver, heart or kidney disease. Drooling, halitosis, bleeding gums and pain when chewing are some of the tell tale signs of dental problems.

There is a national group called HoundsTooth that is promoting non-anesthetic dental services. I have not had any clients use them but their technique seems interesting.

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Got a pet-related health question? Use this form to Ask the Vet. Scott Sanderson DVM runs the Animal Wellness Center in Columbia, MD and is a sponsor of Columbia Dogs on the Go. He is a certified Veterinary Acupuncturist and has completed training in the Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique (NAET). Dr. Sanderson is a member of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncturists, the American Veterinary Medical Association, and the American Animal Hospital Association. He is a local resident of Howard County, and a past president of the Howard County Veterinary Medical Association.

Yappy Hour at the Wine Bin

Bring your well-behaved dogs on the first Friday of each month for a fun evening of wine and dog biscuits at the Wine Bin. Featuring luscious Parfections chocolate and live music.

Next Yappy Hour:   

6:00 PM - 9:00 PM  May 6, 2011

8390 Main Street | Ellicott City, MD 21043 | PH: 410.465.7802 | FX: 410.465.7804 | wine@winebinec.com

Forest Habitat Trail: Patuxent Wildlife Refuge

It may have been a wee bit early in the year for this walk--not to mention a wee bit wet and muddy after heavy rains the day before--but I see great potential for this one for a group walk. It's a very pleasant and easy 2.5 miles through the woods, with interpretative signs throughout to educate us about the trees.

This walk is one of the trails in the North Tract of the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge. (There is also a South Tract, which is home to the Refuge's National Wildlife Visitor Center and several popular trails, including one around Cash Lake. The North and South tracts are accessed via different entrances.) Access to the the North is on Bald Eagle drive near the intersection of Rt 32 and Rt 198.

We scouted this trail on Sunday, April 17. We had actually been to this refuge several times in the past--though not very recently. I was surprised at the condition of Bald Eagle drive. Quite a number of pot holes to dodge! But, always the optimist, I figured this might help keep the area from becoming too popular and crowded.

You must also check in at the Ranger Contact Station, and fill out a form with your vehicle information. You then carry the pink copy with you and place the yellow one in your car--and return both to the station before you leave the refuge.

The Forest Habitat Trail starts right across from the ranger station with a boardwalk that passes through a butterfly garden and bird feeding area. It had rained pretty heavily the day before so once we crossed the boardwalk we found ourselves slogging through some muddy patches. But things did clear up as we continued.

Map of North Tract Trails - Patuxent Wildlife Refuge

Surprisingly, the forest still seemed like it was hanging onto winter. Trees were barely beginning to leaf out and ferns and wildflowers had not yet emerged. But it was beautiful and peaceful nonetheless, and the dogs seemed to enjoy it as much as we did.

In a few more weeks--or less, I'm sure the dogwoods and moutain laurel will be blooming. We'll aim for another weekend walk here.

Sheep Dog Weekend

APR 30- MAY 1, 2011

Come see Border Collie sheep herding demonstrations at 2 pm on Saturday and 1 pm on Sunday with resident shepherd Janet Harvey. Janet competes with her dogs at herding contest throughout the country. See how amazing the dogs are!

Clark's Elioak Farm
10500 Route 108
Clarksville, MD 21042

More info:
410-730-4049
http://clarklandfarm.com/CEF%20SE%20Spring%20Weekend%20Events.htm

River Hill Walk: A quiet 3-mile stroll along a wooded pathway

"Hey, driver! Follow that squirrel!" Riley and Cody board a taxi
at a neighborhood tot lot in River Hill.

We took a little walk Saturday along the pathways in the River Hill village. This was a nice, quiet walk, mostly wooded, and sometimes crossing small streams and passing by tot lots.

After forecasts of rain and thunderstorms for Saturday, we were surprised to see the skies clear up and the sun come out. So we decided to try out this walk that I've been wanting to do for quite some time. We started at the River Hill neighborhood pool, which can be reached by taking the Great Star exit off Rt 32, turning right at the light, and taking the first right onto Trotter Road. We parked in the pool parking lot, went down a set of stairs, and then crossed Summer Sunrise (a quiet street) to begin the walk on the pathway. We relied on the Columbia pathways map, a Google map, and Richard's GPS when necessary to map out the walk.

River Hill section, from the Columbia pathways map

The day turned out to be much hotter than anticipated, and the walk was a little longer than anticipated--thanks to a few wrong turns. So the pooches were a bit pooped after it, and so were we. I think we did just over 3 miles on this one, but I would probably shorten it a bit for a group walk.

Next time we do this I will follow the walk with a trip to the River Hill Village Center. There is a Maggie Moo's there, which I think would make a perfect post-walk place to head.