Fall is a wonderful time of year to celebrate your dog and enjoy the cooler weather with him. This is national Adopt a Dog month and whether you’ve just adopted your dog or have shared your life with one (or more!) for a while, this is a weekend to get out and celebrate all things dog.
Saint Francis Service Dogs in Roanoke is celebrating the season with its annual “Dogtoberfest” tomorrow from 11am to 4pm. The cost is $2 for adults. There are games for the young and young at heart, as well as dog games. Something new this year is “Barn Hunt” where the dog tries to find a rat hidden in a tube among bales of hay. This is sure to give the old sniffer a workout.
Roanoke is also hosting the “Go Outside Festival” to encourage people to take advantage of the many activities to do around this beautiful area of the country. Among the bike demos, fun runs, and concerts, Ultimate Air Dogs is back for yet another year. This is one of the favorite activities for those participating and those who just want to watch. Dogs jump off a dock into an inflatable swimming pool and they win ribbons for the length of their jump. Sometimes even their handlers fall in and get wet! The world record was set at last year’s event. Bring your dog and try it. If you’d rather just watch instead, a local group, Anubis Air Dogs, has formed to help you and your dog get ready for next year.
In addition to dock diving, there will also be Fitpaws demonstrations and a Canine Good Citizen test, and your dog can try flyball. Heads or Tails Flyball Club from Roanoke will be there to show how it’s done. And you don’t have to travel very far to see a flyball teams compete. There will be a competition Saturday, November 7th and Sunday the 8th beginning at 8am each day at the Blacksburg Community Center.
If you know of other events celebrating dogs happening this month, please comment below. Get out and have fun with your dog!