A Bride to Better Times

Although I am not a regular of Access Hollywood, I was happy to watch the interview with Jennifer Hudson last night. Considering the recent tragedy in her life, I was happy to see her looking so beautiful. She was glowing but then, again she is a blushing bride.

For those of you who do not know, Jennifer Hudson is marrying David Otunga, a reality TV star with an Ivy League education. He is good looking and went to Columbia and Harvard. I am not going to ask why he appeared on I LOVE NY-2 but that's his business. And, I'm sure that his mother probably regrets that too.

In Hudson's interview, she mentioned that she wanted her dogs, Oscar, Grammy and Dreamgirl to be in her wedding. She even mentioned that she wants to send them down the aisle dressed in a tux or a beautiful dresses.

In my book, The Miss Fido Manners Complete Book of Dog Etiquette, I devoted Chapter 9, entitled Four-Legged Wedding Guest, to this subject.
So here are a few tips for you Jennifer and other blushing brides who want to their dogs to take part in their special day.

1. If you are working with a wedding planner, discuss how you would like to incorporate your dogs into your wedding day at your initial consultation. I am sure she or he has heard this idea before.

2. At your wedding, your dog should be able to walk niceily down the aisle, sit and stay for pictures, not jump on guests and not bark thru the ceremony. For a refresher course in doggy wedding manners, browse the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (www.apdt.com), the International Association of Canine Professionals (www.dogpro.org) and the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (www.nadoil.org) to find a dog trainer near you.

3. To reduce the allergic reactions of your wedding party and guests to your dog, treat your pet with Allerpet to cleanse the hair of dander, saliva, and sebaceous glad secretions (www.allerpet.com).

4. To find doggy wedding attire, search the www.doggieclothesline.com.

5. For a list of dangerous plants and flowers, review the Humane Society of the Unites States website at www.hsus.org.

6. Hire a petsitter or doggy escort for the day who can watch that your dog doesn't get into trouble, eat from the table or commit any other faux paws. The sitter can even take your pooch to the kennel after the ceremony so you can start your honeymoon immediately after the party.

To all of you blushing brides, good luck.

Meet the Breeds Comes to Town

The American Kennel Club and the Cat Fanciers' Association recently announced that on Saturday and Sunday, October 17th and 18th, 2009 at New York City's Javits Convention Center, they will showcase 160 AKC registered dog breeds and 41 CFA registered cat breeds as Meet the Breeds, a first stand-alone event of its kind in the world. The show is sponsored by PetPartners, Inc. a leading pet healthcare provider.

Since 2001, AKC Meet the Breeds has been held at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship, drawing hundreds of spectators to the creatively decorated booths showcasing each AKC registered breed. The booths, created by national breed clubs, are decorated to depict the breed's country of origin, historical purpose or function, as well as to highlight that particular dog as a family pet.

This upcoming fall, responsible breeders and their dogs, puppies, cats and kittens will interact with the public to educate them about the various breeds and being a responsible pet owner. Additionally, various activities such as dog and cat grooming, Agility (dogs and cats), AKC Canine Good Citizen Testing, K-9 Search and Rescue and First Aid for dogs and cats will take place.

But of course, you can come and do more than watch and learn about the purebreds. For those seeking souvenirs or for those who love to shop, there will be a shopping area. Billed as just in time for the holiday season, you can shop until your heart's delight. Well, let's hope so, vendor space is priced at $2000.00 per booth.

Pet Writing Conference Wrap-Up

Next to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the hottest (pet) ticket in New York City this past February was the first Business of Pet Writing Conference, held at the Radisson Martinique. With an international mix of pet writers, veterinarians, dog fanciers, animal behaviorists and other pet industry professionals, the conference has been lauded as a success. So much so, the conference is returning to the Big Apple for an “encore performance” on Saturday, February 6, 2010.

I was thrilled with this first conference. The feedback I’ve been getting has been in superlatives like "brilliant", "fabulous", and "fulfilling". We have a lot of people to thank for their participation, both on the sponsorship and presenter sides. It couldn’t have been better. I’m expecting next year’s conference to be triple in size.”

The conference hosted a myriad of respected professionals from both the publishing and pet industries. Seasoned and aspiring writers were given valuable information about how to effectively navigate the business of pet writing. In addition to the impressive schedule of group presentations throughout the day, editors and agents made time to meet with conference participants individually.

After seeing such enthusiasm at the pet writing conference, I'm looking forward to an even more successful event in 2010 and urge pet writers to sign up early. Furthermore, in 2010, there will be limited seating. Early bird registration will commence in June with a discount cost of $150.00 until September 1st. The price of the conference is $175.00.

For further information and/or to become a conference sponsor for 2010, I can be reached at (212) 631-3648. To see details about the first conference, go to www.petwritingconference.com.

Dog Writers Association of America

The Dog Writers Association was established on February 13, 1935 in the Westminster Kennel Club's meeting room in the old Madison Square Garden at Eighth Avenue and Fiftieth Street. At that time, thirty writers, editors and publishers decided to set dues and hold a yearly meeting in New York City just before the annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. The Sunday night dinner has become a tradition to which so many dog writers look forward.

Prior to the year's dinner, The Dog Writers Association of America elected a new President. After a very heated election season, Deb Eldredge, DVM emerged as winner and champion. She assumed the Presidency with Susan McCullough as Vice-President, Liz Palika as Secretary.

In a very short time, she seems to be creating a very dynamic organization. She has encouraged participation. Finally, board members are given assignments and the organization seems to be headed in the "write" direction.