The Pup Pope (photo by Hollace Lyon)
Linda Lyon
Working like dogs might be an appropriate descriptor for the SaddleBrooke Dog Park Association (SDPA) lately, but there’s been much fun in the mix as well. Our awesome volunteer maintenance team has been diligently dealing with the change in weather challenges, and have stepped up event planning with snowbirds returning and the holidays approaching.
On Halloween, the small dog side of the park was packed with both small and large dogs dressed in adorable costumes for a fun-filled afternoon full of laughs. There was a bat, cheerleader, football player, sheriff, hippie, alligator, devil, spaceship, and even the “Pope” made a surprise visit! Numerous prizes as well as goodies were handed out, so no one went home empty-handed.
The SDPA believes better behaved dogs are in everyone’s best interest. To that end, we are happy to once again offer all SaddleBrooke residents (whether or not they are members of SDPA) the opportunity for training classes right here in SaddleBrooke. These classes are offered by Jeremy Brown from The Complete Canine and are held in “Riley’s Place,” the inner fenced-in area of the dog park.
Jeremy offers the classes in three levels (beginners, intermediate, and advanced) over the next four months. The schedule is designed so pet parents may choose to do all three levels in succession with their pups. They are held on Mondays and last one hour with the Beginners class at 9 a.m., the Intermediate at 10 a.m., and the Advanced at 11 a.m. The dates for the upcoming sets of classes are as follows:
1. Dec. 12, 19, and 26 and Jan. 2 and 9
2. Jan. 16, 23, and 30 and Feb. 6 and 13
3. Feb. 20 and 27 and March 6, 13, and 20
4. March 27 and April 3, 10, 17, and 24
The cost of each set of five classes is $185. Checks should be made out to The Complete Canine and are due prior to the start of the first class. To register for one of the training courses, please contact Judy Luning at [email protected] or call 520-818-9115. Participants who are not SBDP members must provide Judy with proof of rabies vaccinations prior to the first class, and a waiver must be completed and submitted prior to the start of the classes.
To learn more about Jeremy and his very effective classes, go to completecaninetucson.com. To learn more about the SDPA, go to saddlebrookedogpark.com.