It's the peak of summer, time for you and your hound to get into the great outdoors, even if you can't get out of the city.

San Francisco is quite simply the sine qua non of doggy adventure, from swimming in the shadow of the Golden Gate, to treks, off-leash and on, over the hills and dales of the East Bay Regional Parks to organized canine hikes with the Sierra Club. You'll find more ideas in our SF Hound Play pages.

Chicago's Off-Leash Dog Beach is the envy of New Yorkers -- it's positively massive in comparison with our tiny (but better than nothing) version in Prospect Park. And just north of the city, Lake County Forest Preserves have amazing Dog Exercise Areas (you'll need a $44 annual permit) and 100 miles of hiking trails where leashed dogs are welcome. Visit our Chicago Hound Play pages for other places for a long walk or bracing swim.

In New York, the Parks Department has compiled a helpful guide to the surprising variety of hikes in parks all over the five boroughs. As long as she's on a leash, your dog can come along. To protect the endangered Piping Plover, dogs are banned on the beaches of Gateway National Recreation until September 15. But at Staten Island's little known Mount Loretto, a brand new state park, there's gorgeous scenery including a beach and red clay cliffs. And, you guessed it, there's much more in the NYC Hound Play pages.

With best get out there and enjoy summer wishes to you and your dog,

Nadia Zonis
Editor, Urbanhound New York

Central Park PAWS Bagel Bark
Saturday, July 26, 7:30 AM to 9 AM
Wollman Rink, east side of the park around 62nd St., Manhattan
Bagels, coffee, dog biscuits, and good company at this brand new monthly gathering brought to you by Central Park PAWS.

Fetch Beer Bowl
Monday, July 28, 7 PM to 9 AM
Fetch Bar and Grill, 1649 Third Ave., Manhattan
What better way to benefit Animal Haven than all the beer you can drink for $20?

Pet Loss Support Group
Friday, August 1, 10 AM to 11 AM (and the first Friday of each month)
Bideawee, 410 E. 38th St., Manhattan
A gathering for those who are mourning a pet. Social workers who specialize in pet bereavement will be in attendance. The meetings are free and children are welcome. More information at the Bideawee website.

Double Dog Extravaganza: FIDO 10th Anniversary and Mayor's Alliance/Maddie's Pet Adoption Festival
Saturday, August 2, 7 AM to 3 PM
Prospect Park, Long Meadow below the Picnic House (7 AM to 9 AM), then Bartold Pritchard Square Parking Lot (11 AM to 3 PM), Brooklyn
A very special Coffee Bark to celebrate FIDO's tenth anniversary followed by an adoption festival. Thinking about adopting a(nother) dog? Along with hounds seeking homes, this adoption festival will include tables manned by a veterinarian, a groomer, and a trainer, all of whom will gladly answer your questions. As well, microchipping will be available for all dogs and cats (not just those adopted at the festival) for $25. For more information, call 212- 252-2350, email info@animalalliancenyc.org or visit the Mayor's Alliance website.

St. Nick's Dog Park Coffee Bark
Saturday, August 2, 9 AM to 11 PM
Mid-park between the 135th St. staircase and 136th St., Manhattan
Coffee and other refreshments are served at this gathering which happens on the first Saturday of every month in St. Nicholas Park. For more information or if you'd like to volunteer, write dogpark@stnicholaspark.org.

Dog Days of Summer Hike
Saturday, August 2, 11 AM
Greenbelt Nature Center, 700 Rockland Ave. at Brielle Ave., Staten Island
A moderate hike through the woods of the Greenbelt sponsored by the Urban Park Rangers. (Dogs welcome.) Please register by calling 718-351-3450.

Sir William's Dog Run Coffee Bark
Sunday, August 3, 10 AM to noon
Sir William's Dog Run, Fort Tryon Park, Manhattan
The Fort Tryon Dog Owner's Group invites everyone to this gathering at their beautiful run. To help out with maintenance of the run, stick around after the event.

St. Hubert's Ice Cream Social
Wednesdays, August 6 and August 20, 6:30 PM to 8 PM
St. Hubert's Madison Animal Shelter, 575 Woodland Ave., Madison, NJ
Ice cream for people, Frosty Paws for dogs, and good company are the big draws at these evening gatherings to benefit St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids, and $2 for dogs.

Madison Square Reads: Dog Days of Summer
Thursday, August 7, 6:30 PM
Farragut Monument, Madison Square Park, Broadway and E. 23rd St., Manhattan
Human representatives of authors Rex and Sparky will read from The Dangerous Book for Dogs. More information at 212-538-6667.

Hands-on History: Dog Days of Summer
Saturday, August 9, noon to 1 PM
Rufus King Park, 150th St. and Jamaica Ave., Jamaica, Queens
The Parks Department has organized stories, activities, and crafts for kids based on the theme of dogs as companions and helpers throughout history. More information at 718-206-0545.

My Two Dogs Benefit Day for BARC
Sunday, August 10, noon to 4 PM
434 Manhattan Ave., Brooklyn
Greenpoint's My Two Dogs offer a bath and blow out for $25, nail clipping for $5 more.
First come, first served. Fifty percent of all proceeds go to BARC. More information at 718-963-0400.

Doglympics 2008!
Sunday, August 10, 2 PM to 4 PM
Animal Haven Shelter, 251 Centre St., Manhattan
The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat for dogs under 12 pounds. Teams will compete in the Hula Hoop Hop, Water Retrieval, and other events. Please buy tickets in advance here. Cost is $10 per dog, humans are free. All revenue goes to support Animal Haven.

Brooklyn Cyclones' Annual "Bark in the Park" Day
Monday, August 11, 4:30 PM (adoptions), 5:30 PM low-cost microchipping, 7 PM start of game
KeySpan Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn
Bring your dog to the ballpark as the Brooklyn Cyclones face the Batavia Muckdogs! Dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens will be available for adoption outside the front gate, and low-cost ($25) microchipping will be available for dogs of ticket-holders. To purchase a ticket to the game for you and your dog, contact Joyce at 718-382-2619. For more information on pet adoption or microchipping, contact the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals at 212-252-2350 or info@AnimalAllianceNYC.org.

Your Dog Is Worth It Too Day
Saturday, August 16, 8:30 AM to 4 PM (rain date: August 17)
L'Oreal USA, 36 Broadway Rd. off Rt. 130, Cranbury, NJ
At this daylong festival and fair to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, events include agility training, dog swimming pools, a canine beauty contest, and a pug/dachshund/bulldog race. Admission is $10 per adult. Kids and dogs admitted free.

Little Shelter Petsapalooza
Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, 9 AM to 6 PM
33 Warner Rd., Huntington, NY
A two day festival with music, food, and entertainment to showcase the pets available for adoption at this Long Island shelter.

Bobby & the Strays All You Can Eat Pasta Party Benefit
Thursday, August 21, 7 PM to 10 PM
Carosello, 162-54 Crossbay Blvd., Howard Beach, Queens
$25 per person buys a limitless pasta dinner and benefits the Bobbi & the Strays rescue group. Email bobbicares2@aol.com for more info and to order tickets.

Agility Trail Dog Show
Saturday, August 23 and Sunday, August 24, 7 AM to 7 PM
Wolfes Pond Park, Hylan Blvd. and Cornelia Ave., Staten Island
An agility competition at the Wolfe's Pond Park Dog Run, with food and dog-related products on sale. More information at 718-816-6172.

Central Park PAWS Bagel Bark
Saturday, August 23, 7:30 AM to 9 AM
Bow Bridge entrance to the Ramble, mid-park at 72nd St., Manhattan
Bagels, coffee, dog biscuits, and good company at this brand new monthly gathering brought to you by Central Park PAWS.

Pet Fashion Week
Saturday, August 23, 8:30 AM to 11 AM, and Sunday, August 24, 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., Manhattan
What with the explosion of canine fashion and accessories, it's only logical that supermodels on the runway would follow. This event includes a trade show, fashion show, industry symposium, and black tie charity gala for animal welfare organizations.
Call 401-331-5073 or write info@petfashionweek.com for admission information.

Deck the Walls Art Opening
Saturday, August 23, 7 PM
The Grey Dog's Coffee, 33 Carmine St., Manhattan
Artist Shai Dahan has a distinctive medium--skateboard decks. He frequently paints images of dogs, and can do custom dog portraits. His work is on display at the Grey Dog now, and everyone is invited to meet the artist at this opening.

Love on a Leash Parade
Wednesday, August 27, 3 PM to 6 PM (rain date: August 29)
On the Village Green at the Gazebo on the east end of Main St., Westhampton
For the eighth year in a row, Bide-a-Wee invites children, pets, and others to participate in this parade and fair. There will be contests, give-a-ways, and a vet and trainer on hand to answer questions.


If there's an event you'd like us to mention in the next NewsHound, please email us.

Wag the Dog. Nixon had Checkers. Dubya has Barney. Now there's a bit of a dog fight going on over what sort of canine should trot into the Whitehouse on the heels of Barack Obama. When Obama commented that he promised his daughters a dog after the election, The American Kennel Club was quick to offer suggestions, asking the public to "Vote for a Canine Candidate" from a field that includes the bichon frise, Chinese crested, miniature schnauzer, poodle and soft-coated wheaton terrier (no Clinton-esque chocolate lab in the running). Now the Best Friends Network, an animal rescue organization, has countered with a petition to urge the Democratic candidate to adopt a shelter hound. At press time there was no comment from Sam and Coco, John McCain's dogs.

New Podcast for Pet Owners. Pet owners can now get health and safety tips from the vets of the American Veterinary Medical Association through the AVMA's podcast, Animal Tracks. Posted on the association's website as an RSS feed, the podcasts are also available as free downloads to iTunes subscribers. The service launched in May with a discussion of summer safety for pets. The most recent episode covers ways to manage aggression between family dogs.

Music Hath Charms... Is your hound a little wound up? Classical pianist Lisa Spector says her album, Through a Dog's Ear: Music to Calm Your Canine Companion, will help. In a recent interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Spector explains that after attending a seminar on psychoacoustics, she began experimenting with simple piano compositions, studying their effect on anxious dogs with the help of a veterinary neurologist. Her album, and a follow-up release for the car, draw from classical music heavy-hitters including Bach, Chopin and Beethoven.

What's On. Well, we're now into the throes of finding out who's the Greatest American Dog, thanks to the new reality show on CBS. One question: If there's another round, does the winner get to defend his or her title? Elsewhere, Discovery Health is airing Pets and People: The Power of the Health Connection, hosted by Animal Planet's Jeff Corwin several times this month. And on Animal Planet, Victoria Stillwell continues to train unruly mutts on Its Me or the Dog, with new episodes airing on Saturdays. In August, Puppy Games 2008 picks up where the Puppy Bowl left off. The 3-hour show premieres on Animal Planet Aug. 8, with rebroadcasts throughout the month.