The so-called “Dog Days” of summer take their name from the star Sirius, also known as the Dog Star due to its inclusion in the constellation Canis Major (that is, Big Dog.) This period, generally characterized by sweltering summer heat in many parts of the world, is historically when the star could be seen rising before or with the sun in the Northern Hemisphere. Although this is no longer true due to the slow precession of the equinoxes, the name remains. We in Southern California are fortunate enough to enjoy a rather moderate summer temperature compared to other parts of the country, but nonetheless, we’ve tracked down some dog friendly fun events to help you beat the heat this weekend.

The City of La Habra is hosting its 2^nd Annual Dog Days of Summer festival on Saturday, August 1, from 9am to 4pm. Held at La Habra Heights Park (1885 N. Hacienda Road,) the event features canine demonstrations including dog agility, flyball, Frisbee, freestyle dancing and police dogs. Bring your dog and enter to win prizes in competitions including dog tricks, dog costumes, and dog look-a-like. Admission is free and offers fun for the whole family.

If you are looking to enjoy some more canine competition, stop by the Anaheim Petco (430 North Euclid Street) at 9am on Saturday morning. The 5^th Annual Petco National Chihuahua Races are touring across the country to find the fastest Chihuahua in America. Arrive at 8am to register your own dog to participate. Prizes include Petco gift cards and, for regional winners, airfare and accommodations to attend the national championship races in New York. Find more details on the Petco website.

If you want to get in on the action rather than just watch, check out the Paws for Cause 5K Dog Run/Walk. The event also includes a 1K Kids Fun Run, dog costume contest, and dog demonstrations. Held on Sunday, August 2 at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, the event kicks off with opening ceremonies at 7:45am and the 5K beginning at 8am. Registration opens at 6:30am, so show up early if you want to participate. Paws for Cause is a nonprofit organization supporting Chaplain Ministries who provide emotional and spiritual support for those enduring hardship or life crises, whether due to abuse, addiction, separation, sickness, disaster or even death. Visit pawsforcauseoc.org for more information.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 31st, 2009 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Community Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.