ohmidog!

Dog park or ball park?

Ace and other Winston-Salem area dogs have at least two entertainment options to choose from this Sunday, and unfortunately they overlap.

“Tanglewoof,” the long-awaited, much delayed dog park at Tanglewood holds its grand opening Sunday — around the same time that the Winston-Salem Dash has its first “Pups in the Park” baseball game of the season.

What’s a dog to do?

The Tanglewood event kicks off with a blessing of the dogs at 12:45 p.m., followed by an afternoon of presentations on doggie topics ranging from health to agility training.

From 1 to 5 p.m., there will be presentations every 30 minutes, along with vendors offering food and more. Admission is free, but organizers are asking people to bring a donation of food, kitty litter, paper towels or bleach for the Forsyth or Davie humane societies.

The three-acre park, which features small and large dog areas, was built with donations from businesses and private donors. The village of Clemmons pitched in more than $9,000 for plumbing and Forsyth County donated the land in Tanglewood Park. Money was also raised through earlier dog-friendly baseball games held by the Dash.

The minor league team’s first “Pups in Park”  game this season is Sunday at 2 p.m. It’s one of three listed on this year’s schedule. (The other two are June 9 and Aug. 25.)

Pooch passes must be purchased in advance, and written proof of rabies vaccinations are required. (For more information, contact Sarah Baumann at 336-714-6878 or email sarah.baumann@wsdash.com.)

On an August night 16 years ago, Chicago White Sox fans were given the unprecedented privilege of bringing their dogs to a baseball game.

Five hundred seats in the bleachers were set aside for fans with dogs. A “doggy comfort area” was set up with sod, fake fire hydrants, and water stations. Vendors with dog treats patroled the area, and the Humane Society was invited to bring along and feature some adoptable pets.

That — the first “Dog Days of Summer” promotion at New Comiskey Park — sold out, as it would every year during the reign of Rob Gallas, former senior vice president of marketing and broadcasting for the Sox.

In a comprehensive article on dogs and baseball on ESPN.com, Gallas credits the “great creative department” he had with coming up with the idea, which stemmed from the fact there was a kennel at New Comiskey, where fans could lodge their dogs during the game.

“We thought, ‘How about if we allowed fans to bring their dogs out to a game?’” said Gallas, now the vice president and chief marketing officer of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

We’re not sure how much of an act of genius that was — as opposed to just opening up a closed mind – but, in any case, it caught on.

This season, 16 major league teams are hosting dog days, with some holding multiple events. The Pittsburgh Pirates lead the pack, with eight Pup Nights at PNC Park .

Major as it is becoming in the major leagues, inviting dogs to the ball park have become even more of an institution in the minor leauges, with nearly 50 teams having dog-friendly promotions this season.

While the major leagues take credit for doing it first, the concept was most supported, refined and popularized in the minor leagues. (We’d suggest dog-loving fans and humane societies probably did their fair share of pushing, too.)

The Inland Empire 66ers in San Bernardino, Calif., hold “Man’s Best Friend Mondays.” The Greensboro Grasshoppers hold two ”Bark in the Park” games, and the neighboring Winston-Salem Dash are having five “Pups in the Park” games this season. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs hold two ”Dog Days at the Park.” In Albuquerque Isotopes hold “Bark in the Park,” and the Jupiter (Fla.) Hammerheads have the “Dog Days of Summer.”

In Colorado Springs, where the  Sky Sox have hosted Bark in the Park since the late ’90s, and up to 250 dogs can be accommodated in a grassy area down the left-field line, says Jon Eddy, the team’s director of marketing and promotions.

“Frankly, what amazes me is, as a pet owner my entire life, how incredibly well-behaved these pets are on a consistent basis,” said Eddy.

Meanwhile, back in the majors, while the White Sox got the ball rolling, the Cubs still haven’t caught on. Wrigley Field doesn’t allow dogs, (although there is a dog park not far away, called Wiggly Field).

After the White Sox first allowed dogs in 1996, the Montreal Expos followed, in 1998. A year later the Minnesota Twins invited dogs into the Metrodome. Today, The Cleveland Indians have Puppypalooza. The St. Louis Cardinals have Pooches in the Ballpark. The Kansas City Royals have Bark at the K.

At San Diego’s Petco Park, where the Padres play, up to 500 dogs can be accommodated in the annual Dog Days of Summer promotion that includes a pregame “tail” gate party.

And in Oakland, the Athletics’ Dog Day at the Park attracted about 750 dogs — an unofficial record for a major league game.

As the ESPN article concludes, “Baseball is just better with a friend, even a furry one.”

There was at least one “Scout” in the crowd last night at the Winston-Salem Dash game, and he, or she — I didn’t check — was wearing a purple bandana.

The Dash, a Minor League baseball team, has made a major commitment to dogs this season, holding five “Pups in the Park” nights.

The events are sponsored by the Forsyth Humane Society, and last night’s was the second of the season, featuring some of the dogs who have graduated from its prison program, “A New Leash on Life,” in which inmates at Forsyth Correctional Center train dogs that go on to be adopted.

Here’s one of the graduates arriving now:

Last night’s canine attendees — all of whom watch from a grassy knoll in left field — included lots of boxers, like Colby and Cypress (below left) and Gunner (below right).

Also in the crowd was Darwin, a three-legged beagle who seems to be a regular on Pups in the Park night:

Here’s another fan we’ve seen at every game we’ve gone to:

The Humane Society’s mascot was there (played last night by my son, Joe), and he got a chance to meet the Dash mascot, Bolt:

For more information on “Pups in the Park” games, visit the Forsyth Humane Society and Winston-Salem Dash websites. And if you haven’t been to one with your dog, give it a try — it’s a great night, whether you love the game, or just love your dog.

Cricket has only been at the Forsyth Humane Society for a couple of days, but already the rubenesque Chihuahua has been on a special outing.

Tuesday night, Cricket, along with two beagle siblings named Daisy and Boomer — who are also up for adoption — were taken to Pups in the Park, one of five dog-friendly evenings of baseball planned this summer by the Winston-Salem Dash.

The Forsyth Humane Society, a sponsor of the event, will be featuring some of their adoptable dogs at each of them.

Cricket — and we’re guessing the dog was named after the insect as opposed to the sport – seemed to take all the festivities in stride. Not that Cricket, who has been put on a diet, was striding that much.

More often, the portly pooch was being held by one of the many humane society volunteers on hand to help out.

My son and I met Cricket earlier in the day when we showed up for volunteer orientation at the Forsyth Humane Society, where we’ll be pitching in from time to time in the weeks ahead.

Cricket, Daisy and Boomer all arrived at the game in the humane society’s mobile unit.

All were outfitted in “Adopt Me” vests and mingled with arriving fans.

Since we were volunteering, Ace stayed home, but I was reminded of him every time I saw this dog (left), his lookalike, except for a white patch on her chest. Coco was adopted from the humane society last year.

We also ran into our old friend Darwin, a three-legged beagle we met during a Pups in the Park event last season.

What happens when you decide to walk a dog whose head alone probably weighs more than your entire body?

First, you grab the leash and pull. When he doesn’t budge in the slightest, as is often the case when that dog is a bulldog, you pull again.

What happens when the bulldog finally gets pointed the right way and builds up some momentum?

Quite possibly, if you weigh less than his head, you will fall down.

What happens when you fall down?

You get back up.

Any questions?

(George, a 70-pound, 3-year-old English bulldog, was attending Tuesday night’s Winston-Salem Dash game. It was the first of five “Pups in the Park” nights to be held this summer, sponsored by the Forsyth Humane Society.)

The Salem Red Sox beat the Winston-Salem Dash 16-10 last night, and Ace didn’t like that at all.

That’s not because he’s a huge Dash fan, but because — I’ve ascertained after our second dog-friendly minor league baseball outing — he prefers shutouts. The crack of bat striking ball, like thunder and fireworks, seems to unnerve him, if only fleetingly.

Still, slugfest that it was, Ace — and scores of other dogs — seemed to enjoy the first pooch-friendly night at Winston-Salem’s  BB&T Park.

In particular, he seemed most impressed with the kiddie pools, which he could both climb into and drink from at the same time, the treats, the attention from other fans, the treats, the canine fellowship, and the treats.

The Dash threw together its first “Pups in the Park” event in the waning days of the season, but pulled it off, it seemed, without a hitch.

To me, it proved again that, when it comes to baseball, the Minor Leagues — where salaries aren’t pumped up, concessions aren’t too inflated and heads aren’t yet swelled — aren’t just the most dog-friendly, but the most fan-friendly, and perhaps there’s a connection between the two.

I did pay $7 for a beer, but there were $1 hot dogs to be had (I just couldn’t find them). Besides, I don’t mind inflated prices if I get to bring my dog along.

Those who brought their dogs were restricted to the lawn in left field. It’s a pretty steep incline, leading a few dogs and humans to slide downwards, or rollover more often than they intended, but most people seemed to find comfortable spots to lay down their blankets.

A beagle named Darwin — rescued after he lost one of his front legs to gunfire — had no problem cozily settling in:

The Forsyth Humane Society — a sponsor and beneficiary of the event — was there with several adoptable dogs and their mobile unit, which Ace found fascinating, either because of its smells or the animals depicted on its sides:

Ace also got a chance to meet the Humane Society mascot, shown to the left.

Some of the proceeds from the event are also going toward the building of a new dog park in Tanglewood.

You can learn more about that project  here.

We got to see a lot of great dogs — including two we’ve run into before, Stringer, a chocolate Lab, and Gatsby, a Great Dane.

We also got to meet Louis, an English bulldog not quite three months old (left), a massive St. Bernard named Cooper, a charming little pug named Meatball, and dozens more.

Every single one was well behaved, acting as if they’d been going to baseball games all their lives.

Some rested quietly, some sought diversion — but then that could be said of the humans, too, depending on how many $7 beers they’d had. 

There was some mild frolicking, but all of it in moderation.

This one decided he wanted the blanket he was sharing with his owners all to himself:

This one was playing tug of war with his leash, until a home run soared overhead, the ball landing not far away:

As for Ace, he couldn’t seem to get comfortable on the hill, until we figured out that if I lay downhill from him, with my head on his belly, he wouldn’t slide, and I would have a pillow, not to mention a somewhat level spot, my belly, on which to rest my $7 beer.

The photo to the left was taken by Lauren Carroll, a photographer, otherwise off-duty, for the Winston-Salem Journal.

The high point of the game came when the Dash got their 12th hit — thereby entitling every fan to redeem their ticket for a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts, ensuring my belly will become even less level.

The highlight for Ace, though, was after the game, when he got to go with his friend Stringer to his favorite bar downtown, Recreation Billiards, a highly dog-friendly establishment.

After getting oodles of attention from customers, he was handed a treat from the bartender, prompting him to stare longingly at her for the next 30 minutes.

Eventually he came out of his trance and joined his friends in the booth, where, though tempted with beer, he abstained.