Over the past year, Carolina Mountain Dog has covered a number of beautiful lakes in our CANINE CRUISIN' and POOCH PATHS sections. With the warm weather upon us, lakes make a great outing for you and your dog, so we thought it might be useful to provide you with links to all of the lake stories in one place. Enjoy!

Lake Powhatan, NC
http://www.carolinamountaindog.com/2010/03/pooch-paths-lake-powhatan-asheville-nc.html

Lake Jocassee, SC
http://www.carolinamountaindog.com/2009/08/canine-cruisin-lake-jocassee-sc.html

Moses Cone and Julian Price Parks, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC
http://www.carolinamountaindog.com/2009/09/canine-cruisin-moses-cone-park-julian-price-park-nc.html

Lake Junaluska, NC

The American Red Cross of Henderson County is known for helping to keep county residents and their families healthy and safe. Now you can take a Pet First Aid Class that will help you keep your furry friends safe, too.

Dogs and cats are more than pets -- they're family. And just like any other member of the family, pets deserve to be cared for and protected. That's why the Henderson County chapter of the American Red Cross is offering a Pet First Aid Class on Tuesday, June 8 at 5 PM. It will be held at the Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville.

The class costs $30 and includes one of the two available reference guides, one for dogs or one for cats. These comprehensive guides contain everything owners need to know, from basic pet owner responsibilities to administering medications to managing breathing or cardiac emergencies to preparing for disasters. The Red Cross even uses dog and cat mannequins in the class to assist in training. (Please, no pets are pemitted in the classroom.)

Advance sign-up is required. Please call (828) 693-5605 to register for the class or for more information, or visit www.hcredcross.org.

Special Offer: Mention Carolina Mountain Dog when you call to register and receive $5 off the $30 price.

Mayfel's, an Asheville restaurant that serves Southern Louisiana-style comfort food, is doing its part to go to the dogs. Every Thursday through the end of August, Mayfel's will donate 10 percent of its proceeds towards different Western North Carolina animal welfare organizations through its "Dog Days of Summer" promotion. Dogs are welcome to sit with their owners on the front patio or in the back courtyard.

Asheville Humane Society, Animal Compassion Network, Animal Haven of Asheville, Brother Wolf Animal Rescue, Humane Alliance Spay/Neuter Clinic, Haywood Animal Welfare Association, Madison County Animal Shelter, and Sarge's Animal Rescue Foundation are just some of the beneficiaries of the program.

Mayfel's is located at 22 College Street in downtown Asheville. Phone: (828) 252-8840.

Pet Trek is a new line of cool products that are for people and dogs on the go. Products include the Traveler, which is designed to hold food and water in two separate compartments, the Walker, with a canteen and pop-off bowl, and the Gear Pack, a backpack designed to carry doggie stuff.

These products look like they're tailor-made for hikes in the Carolina mountains. Check them out at www.pettrek.net.

The Annual Paws on Parade Annual Walk-a-Thon will be held at Carrier Park in Asheville on Saturday, May 22nd, from 9:30 to 11 AM. Registration begins at 9:00 AM and all well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. The walk-a-thon benefits the Asheville organization, Paws with a Purpose, which provides animal-assisted therapy by volunteer pets and their people to hospitals, schools, and other worthy organizations.

Walkers register, raise money for walking, and walk as much or as little as they choose. A prize will be awarded to the top three fundraisers and a light breakfast will be provided. If you are not able to walk in the event, you can sponsor a parading pooch by mailing a check to Paws with a Purpose, P.O. Box 8178, Asheville, NC 28814.

For more information about the event, please contact Donna Hoffman, 828-713-5882, or via email: nycinnc@gmail.com

Carrier Park is conveniently located off of I-240 at the Amboy Road exit in West Asheville.

These are the second five of the Top 10 reasons to adopt an older dog. Read the previous post here.

1. Older dogs ar good at giving love, once they get into their new loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.
2. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.
3. Older dogs are instant companions -- ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.
4. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that young dogs and puppies do.
5. Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need night-time feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

From The Senior Dogs Project, www.srdogs.com

These are five of the Top 10 reasons to adopt an older dog. Five more will follow in a subsequent post.

1. Older dogs are houstrained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping/cleaning up after accidents.
2. Older dogs are not teething puppies and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.
3. Older dogs can focus well because they have mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.
4. Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.
5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.

From The Senior Dogs Project, www.srdogs.com

The summer vacation season is upon us, and lots of folks are probably going to opt for less expensive trips that they can make by car. And that means you can take your four-legged friend along.

Or can you? Where do you stay with your dog? Where do you find beaches that allow dogs... or the best places to hike... or daycare facilities and vets in areas far from home?

As you might expect, there are websites with just that sort of information, and here are two very helpful ones that should give you everything you need to know before you take that road trip:

www.dogfriendly.com

www.petswelcome.com

Check 'em out!

Looking for the latest fashions? Want to see adorable mutts and beautiful models strutt their stuff?

Then head on over to the Hotel Indigo at 151 Haywood Street, Asheville, on Sunday, May 16 at 5 PM for the Mutts and Divas Fashion Show.

Sponsored in part by Blaze N Skyy Pet Boutique and Wellness Center, the show promises to be a pawsitively elegant affair. Suggested donation of $20 admission benefits Asheville Humane Society.

There'll be music, complimentary appetizers and beverages provided. Cocktails will be available for purchase. Participating restaurants: Asheville Pizza and Brewing Company, Bouchon, Carmel's, Fiore's and Mayfels. Featured clothes by The Jazzy Giraffe and Union. Hair and make-up by L'eau de Vie.

See you on the runway!

Dogwood Park in Knoxville, Tennessee is considered one of the South's "5 Best Dog Parks," according to the May 2010 issue of Southern Living. The magazine says:

"Puppies are not overlooked here with a playground (constructed especially for little legs) that features a tunnel, puppuy jump, and inclined hill. Once your pooch is thoroughly worn out, he or she can drink up at a water fountain designed just for dogs. It's part of larger Victor Ashe Park, a 115-acre area that also includes a disc golf course, a children's playground, soccer fields, fishing, a 1.5-mile cross-country trail, and a paved greenway for biking or jogging."

Directions from I-40: From I-40, take the I-640 exit #385; take the Western Ave. West; head west on Western Ave; turn right onto Ballcamp Pk. at the Wendy's; turn right onto Bradshaw Rd; park will be on the left. (Note: I-40 has been reopened so travel to Knoxville from the Carolina mountains is easy again!)

For more information: http://www.ci.knoxville.tn.us/parks/victor.asp

A current television/online ad for Apple's iPhone is built around a shelter dog. A consumer talks about how she found a dog she fell in love with at a shelter. Of course, it also demonstrates select iPhone applications which relate to the adoption story, including one for Petfinder.

It's a nicely done promotion for the iPhone -- and it reinforces visiting a shelter to get a pet. Kudos to Apple.

Here's the ad:

Hickory, NC: Friends for Animals, Humane Society of Burke County, NC Adoption Event, May 8-9, Noon - 3 PM
This event will be held at the PetSmart on 8th Street Dr. SE in Hickory, NC. For more information: (828)433-1115.

Arden, NC: Transylvania Animal Alliance Group Adoption Day, May 8, 11 AM - 4 PM
This event will be held at the PetSmart on McKenna Road in Arden, NC. For more information: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NC391.html

Fletcher, NC: Paws in the Park, Brother Wolf and Community Partnership for Pets, May 8, Noon - 3 PM
This event will be held in Fletcher Park off Hendersonville Road, Fletcher, NC. Blessing of the dogs, games, food, music, adoptions, microchipping. For more information: (828) 687-0751.

If you're looking for an idyllic stroll with your dog in the Upstate, there's none better than Furman Lake, located on the campus of Furman University. The trail meanders about 1-1/4 miles around a small lake and offers shade and lovely views of the picturesque clock tower and campus. Take a picnic lunch and make it an outing.

There are other trails on campus as well, including a two-mile trail behind the lake that goes through the woods, and a portion of an eleven mile trail that stretches from downtown Greenville to Travelers Rest.

The lake and trails are open to the public, but dogs should be on leash -- and please remember to pick up after your dog. For directions and more information, visit the CANINE CRUISIN' page.

If you want to tie this stroll in with some off-leash time for your dog, check out the canine fun park in close by Greer.