Tuesday, March 31, 2009

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.

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