PawsAbilities 2013: Fun, Friends, and Lots of Dogs!

PawsAbilities 2013 was full of wagging tails, excited barking, and prancing feet! Dogs of all kinds from tiny Chihuahuas to huge Great Danes joined in the activities. What did you and your dog do?

Dog Olympics

Dogs tested their skills in the Dog Olympic Games. A favorite of people and dogs alike was the Clean Plate Club. What dog wouldn't want to be allowed to eat everything that's placed in front of him? In D-O-G, dogs and their handlers competed in a dog trick showdown. We saw dogs dancing in circles, balancing treats on their noses, and high-fiving their handlers. In Doggy Limbo, we saw some large dogs proving just how low they could go!

Ultimate Air Dogs

WestWind Air Dogs, sponsored by Ultimate Air Dogs, made a splash at PawsAbilities! Crowds watched dogs leap as far as they could off the dock. Besides a Splash competition, they held practice jumps where anyone could try dock jumping with their dogs. Some dogs made the leap for the first time!

Demonstrations

If you blinked, you may have missed the flyball demonstration by Flyball Dogs Anonymous. These dogs practically flew down the course, leaping over the jumps, to grab a tennis ball and sprint back to the finish line. Be sure to check out the video of Flyball Dogs Anonymous.

People and their dogs could also learn about and try Rally-O, an obedience course where dogs must perform certain behaviors at designated markers. In another ring, dogs could try hunting and retrieving with the Northern Piedmont Retriever Club. Other demonstrations included a grooming demo by Pet Bath & Beyond and the Triathadog obstacle course by Dog Scouts of America.

Vendors

If you were looking for great gifts for your dog or dog lovers, you came to the right place. PawsAbilities included over 50 vendors offering dog treats, collars, bandanas, leashes, artwork, jewelry, custom (human) foods, information about rescue organizations, and more!

Contests

We saw some great costumes in the costume contest, including Big Bird, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, a peacock, a sock monkey, and Angry Birds!

There were lots of entries in this year's Great Biscuit Bite-Off and all of them looked wonderful! Our service dog judges wanted to eat all of them! Watch SSD Meade take his turn with the judging.

Abrams & Weakley Parade

The finale of each day at PawsAbilities is the Abrams & Weakley Parade, sponsored by Abrams & Weakley General Store for Animals. Children and adults and their dogs marched around the hall, but this was more than just a parade. As people were marching, our judges were busy awarding prizes in 20 different categories, including most Irish, shortest, longest fur, most drool, most attentive, and more.

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