Lauren Baron
BRANT NEWS

Perfectly primped pooches won’t be prancing about at this dog show.

The second annual Brantford Barks, being presented this weekend by Fairview Drive Pet Hospital, will let dogs be dogs with dock diving, toy chasing and the chance to play with other local pets.

“It’s just a fun day out with your dog,” said event organizer Jamie Stephens. “There’s not a lot to do with your dog in Brantford, so it’s nice to have a dog event that’s not a dog show in the sense that there won’t be dogs prancing around being judged.
“It’s just a day to come out, meet other people, meet other dogs owners and let the dogs play.”

The event runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Branlyn Community Centre.

While Brantford Barks is not a traditional dog show, there will still be a few competitions, Stephens said.

Dogs and their owners will have the chance to compete to win a pizza package from Topper’s Pizza through a dog costume contest, a dog look-a-like contest and a dog pet trick contest.

Headlining the event is the Ontario Dock Dogs competition. Watch as dogs jump from a 40-foot long deck into a pool to see how far they can go. Local dogs can test it out before the competition for a nominal fee.

“What’s cool is if you like it, there’s a local pool (Carney’s Canine Swim Club), so there’s an opportunity to do it locally,” Stephens said.

Tawnya Casey of Canine Case will host training sessions featuring dog obedience and basic behavioural lessons. Visit www.brantfordbarks.com to register.

“She’s a certified dog trainer and a dog behaviouralist so she has some pretty cool insight,” Stephens said.

An off-leash park will be open outdoors for large and medium-sized dogs and a small dog play area will be set up inside. Small business vendors will be on hand to sell their dog-related wares, including everything from photography to doggy daycare and baked goods.

Pick up a ballot during the event for the chance to win free dog food for a year from Pet Culture, valued at $600.

Visit www.brantfordbarks.com for more information.