Doing It Doggy Style

Is your dog scratching up the door, whining like a leaky squeaky toy, and in general acting uncommonly agitated? If so, better free up your calendar because chances are she knows that Woofstock is coming to town this weekend (alternatively, she's sensing an imminent earthquake, in which case just fill the bathtub with water and crouch under a table).

Woofstock has been around since 2003, when the Toronto Star dubbed it "the summer of canine love," which makes you wonder just exactly what they thought was going on down there. Today it's North America's largest outdoor festival for and about dogs, with 140,000 people and countless canines expected to turn up for the party.

The greater part of Woofstock is devoted to vendor booths selling every kind of doggy paraphernalia imaginable, from leashes to treats to cutesy outfits guaranteed to strip away any lingering vestiges of Rover's already diminished post-snip dignity. There's also representation from dog trainers, walkers, talkers, groomers and a variety of organizations that do charitable work on behalf of animals.

Besides the shopping and the chance to butt-sniff outside the usual circles for both you and your pup, Woofstock also offers a slate of shows and demos, including Ms. and Mr. Canine Canada, Extreme Doggie Makeover, and the "I wanna look away but I can't look away" entertainment of the Best Costume Contest.

Woofstock runs this Saturday June 7 and Sunday June 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the St. Lawrence Market area on Front Street between Yonge and Jarvis—best bet is to get off the subway at Union and walk towards the barking.

For details, check out the Woofstock website.

Photo by Miles Storey.