Cris, a 7-year-old Belgian Tervuren, never stops learning. His owner, Bev Eitner, is co-owner of Play Dog Excellent in Red Bank, and Cris follows her wherever she goes.
Ms. Eitner said she lucked out when she found Cris. He was to be a show dog, but the breeder had too many animals. Instead, he is a certified therapy dog, as well as an accomplished canine when it comes to agility, flyball, rally and obedience competitions.
"He gets training on a regular basis and continues to learn new things," Ms Eitner said. "I enjoy the science of dog training and the bond that results. It's all about learning how to communicate in a different language."
Play Dog Excellent, 4113 Dayton Blvd., offers training and doggy day care. This weekend, the center will host a flyball tournament in which Cris will compete. Admission is free and the best times to view the action will be between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Ask an expert
Q: Can children catch worms from dogs and cats?
A: Cats and dogs do have parasites that can be transmitted to humans, especially children. This is just one of the reasons that it is crucial to teach your children good hand-washing skills, especially if they play outside in a sandbox or help in your garden. It is important to have your pet tested by your veterinarian regularly for internal parasites. Not all worms are killed by the same treatment.
Roundworms can be spread to humans by eating a roundworm egg. This can happen when children are playing in contaminated sand or dirt and then put their hands or a dirty toy into their mouths. This parasite affects humans differently than pets and may migrate to a variety of body parts. Hookworms also can affect children by migrating into the skin of a child who is walking barefoot or sitting in contaminated soil.
FREE LECTURE
Veterinarian Colleen Smith will discuss pet nutrition and food therapy at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Nutrition World, 6201 Lee Highway. Dr. Smith said that some of costly health problems seen in companion animals may be due to poor-quality pet foods. For more information, call 892-4085.