Denton sponsors original day of fun for pooches and their people.

he Dog Days of Summer Celebration originated in Denton—literally. Fourteen years ago, downtown Denton development manager Julie Glover noticed the pet attendance at other festivals increasing. “I was actually at the Arts & Jazz Festival in 1994 working a booth and noticed that everyone had their dogs with them,” she says. “I thought we needed a dog event.”
With a booming pet industry, the dog day festival has become a popular concept for similar events across the nation in the past decade. “Things have taken off since we started the event,” Glover says. “There weren’t pet-friendly hotels and that kind of thing that we see now. I think Dog Days is a signature event for Denton. It was uniquely ours for a long time. A lot of other festivals are now based on Dog Days.”

Texas’ original festival for pooches and their people began as a three-hour event in the heat of August with about 300 attendees. In 14 years it has grown into an all-day event in June, featuring 60 to 80 pet-related vendors, pet-training demonstrations, and a dog show. “We’ve come a long way,” event and marketing coordinator Christine Gossett says. “Each year the event grows, and each year we add some aspect of fun.”

One of those fun pet activities is “GlamFur Shots,” an amusing photo session where dogs dress in wigs and costumes and have their pictures taken. In recent years, the process has gone digital, producing high-quality images after a short wait.

Spokesdog
The 2007 Spokesdog will make a scheduled appearance this year. Harley Hound the Super Sniffer, a 4-year-old basset hound, won the title last year and spent the past year performing her Spokesdog duties. Harley’s parents, Matt Torres and Dena Guzman-Torres, say she’s a natural. “The fame of being the Spokesdog hasn’t really affected Harley,” Guzman-Torres says. “We entered Harley in the Spokesdog contest because she is a very original, outgoing dog and loves to make people smile.”

One of Harley’s winning attributes is her flair for wearing colorful costumes. Guzman-Torres began outfitting the super sniffer when she couldn’t find anything to fit the basset hound’s figure. Her husband helps inspire the concept of each design, and she builds them from scratch. “[Harley] loves it and doesn’t seem to mind anything that we put on her,” Guzman-Torres says. “She seems to know that when she is in costume, it’s time to perform.”

The super sniffer costume idea came from Matt’s love of detective comic books and Harley’s obsession with finding lost pets. Harley has a knack for alerting her parents to dogs in distress. “Ever since Harley was little she would find lost dogs and make us pick them up and take them home until we could find their owners,” Dena says. “In fact, we had a stray dog in our backyard for the past two days and just found the owners this morning.”

The Day of...
For many people and their pooches, Dog Days is a tradition. “We have gone to Dog Days three times and have always brought Harley,” Dena says. “We love this event because it is a very unique event and you get to see so many dogs. Our favorite part is definitely the Spokesdog contest because no other dog event has such a fun and different contest.”
Gossett feels Denton’s intimate setting creates a great family experience that regular festival-goers look forward to every year. “I think Denton’s Dog Days offers a safe, comfortable, and convenient outing for families and people with their pets who just want to come and enjoy a fun day and not have a lot of hassle,” she says.

Expecting a crowd of more than 10,000 this year, festival organizers have packed the day with activities for everyone in the family. A pet parade around downtown kicks off the fun. After your four-legged friend gets a GlamFur shot, stroll by the stage to see contests featuring “stupid tricks,” dog singing, and a magic show. Catch 2007 Spokesdog Harley Hound at this year’s Spokesdog Pageant and enter your pooch into the Heinz 57 Dog Show, where dogs compete in 29 various categories including Curliest Tail and Best Pedicure.

“It’s what makes our show so special. We truly are a festival for people and their pooches, and it’s all about the dogs,” Gossett says.

Insider Tips
Dress comfortably and wear clothing appropriate for hot weather. Bring along an umbrella for shade, and bring extra water for pets. Denton Main Street provides plastic sacks, and all pet owners are asked to clean up after their pet.

Lend a Paw
Festival organizers welcome any volunteer help. Volunteers can help with setup and cleanup, as well as tear down after the festival. Help is needed for the information booth, souvenir shop, and staging of the dog show and contest. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Denton Main Street at (940) 349-8529 or info@dentonmainstreet.org.