The inaugural Dog Day Afternoon festival was held last Saturday. I am always looking for ways to socialize Gracie and thought the festival would be fun.
I was shocked to see so many people at the event. Asheville is definitely a city of dog lovers. Cars lined the road alongside the park. We were lucky to find a parking space – and we were only 30 minutes late to the kickoff of the festival!
Gracie handled the crowd very well. She walked among the dogs, observing proper doggie etiquette. She loved all the attention from people. Everyone stopped to admire her. Who does not love a Jack Russell, especially one with cute little whiskers?
We spotted a few other Jack Russell terriers there too along with just about every other breed. I admit I was a little nervous when she approached big dogs, especially a Great Dane. She was very polite though. The only time we had a problem was when another dog tried to dominate her. She quickly nipped that in the bud.
I did not escape carrying Gracie during certain times. You may recall that, in the past, I have carried her the entire time we were in unfamiliar situations. The fact that she strolled around for long periods of time on her own was a huge improvement. She is slowly gaining confidence in herself and me. She knows that she can turn to me for support if the situation becomes too overwhelming. I consider this a major milestone in her training.
I really hope they have the festival again next year. It was a lot of fun. Of course, I will let you know if they do!
Rescue Mommy
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