Many Paws Up!

We’ve put together a “motion picture” that captures Wine & Bitch 2009!  Enjoy!

A “Four-Paw” Event

April 17 and 18, Jr. Dog hosted our 1st Annual Wine and Bitch event: a dog-themed weekend featuring Mutt Lynch Winery and their dog-themed wines, Kevin Salem, the Dog Prodigy and Nicholas Sveslosky, Editor in Chief from Fido Friendly Magazine.

The weekend kicked off with a Mutt Lynch wine social meet-n-greet for the humans, and a mutt mix-n-mingle (and at times, tangle) for the dogs.  What fun it was to watch our guests become fast friends, and the dogs become pooch pals!

Guests came with their favorite canines from California to Canada, and there were 21 dogs representing 15 breeds – everything from U-Turn the Min Pin to Sadie the St. Bernard!

While the pooches were being entertained at Doggie Daycare, Chef Wes carried the dog theme out in creative style with a Mutt Lynch wine paring dinner in Pomp.  There were Salmon Corn Dogs, Reconstituted French Onion Soup served in a stainless steel dog bowl; and the crowd favorite….. a “hotdog” for dessert which was made up of an almond “bun” with strawberry ice cream in the shape of a hot dog that was topped with pistachio “relish” all served up on a Frisbee!  Chef even prepared deluxe, gourmet “doggie bags” for the pooches which contained a bit of cheese, a pig’s ear and a bone!

Saturday many guests enjoyed a dog-themed geo-cache hike with doggie treats hidden in the caches; hayrides, and nearly all the dogs were treated to a complimentary doggie massage at the spa!

Saturday night’s entertainment featured Missoulian Vicki Lee and her dogs demonstrating BASIC agility, rally-obedience, and free style, along with Laura McArthur of Smakwater and Sprezzatura Kennels with her sporting dogs demonstrating training techniques.

Following the demonstration, the pooches (and their dog parents) all posed for photos in a western themed photo booth complete with hay bales, saddle, steer head, bandanas, ropes and cowboy hats and also shopped for new treats and goodies at the retail booth set up by our favorite local pet shop, Go Fetch!

Chef treated all to a gourmet buffet with features Paw Paw Salad, Smoked Trout Bark-ettes, Chicken Paw-piettes, BBQ Ribs, Cattle Dog Stew, Elk Steamship, Catfish, Chihuahua Mac-n-Cheese, Hound Dog Hash, Coyote Squash and Peanut Butter Crème’ Caramel.

Kevin Salem, The Dog Prodigy was a weekend highlight and guests enjoyed his feedback and pointers on everything from doggie aggression…..and depression, to hyperactivity….. and humping!

Each night at turndown the pooches enjoyed surprise turn-down treats on their Paws Up beds from MaSnax and Grandma Lucy’s.

To Cinder, Simon, Sadie, Pepper Thomas, Winston, Sage, Dory, Tasha, U-Turn, Frankie, Johnnie, Marlee, Phoebe, Hannah, Sampson, Joey and Gobie, thanks for coming to “sip, stay and play” with us and we’ll look forward to hosting you all back next year!

-Tracie Mardock