By JANE HOUIN
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Horses won’t be the only focus of the 2009 Ohio Equine Affaire in Columbus, April 3-4. Dogs will take the limelight during the Canine Affaire, a special “event within an event,” according to Affaire organizers.

Like its equine predecessor, Canine Affaire will feature a program of clinics and demos on popular canine disciplines including obedience, agility and grooming as well as clinics on general dog training and management topics - and a trade show specializing in canine-related products.

Attendees can learn training tips for their canine companions, expand canine horizons and shop for canine products at the premiere Canine Affaire in the nation. The activities will be interspersed with the equine presentations on Friday and Saturday in the demonstration rings located in the Celeste Center and the Bricker Annex.

Canine Affaire events will kick-off on Friday morning in the Bricker Annex with Linda MacDonald presenting two sessions during the day on Dog Obedience I and II. The first session will focus on establishing the fundamental training skills with the second session focusing on refining and perfecting your dog’s performance.
Lisa Gunter will also present two sessions in Bricker that day, starting with a session on beginner agility dog training followed by a second advanced agility dog training session. Both will focus on “the little things” important to this discipline.

Four additional sessions will take place in the Celeste Center on Friday, starting with a seminar on canine nutrition and the limitations of extruded dog food by Jon Sawle. Later in the day, Carlos Pinto, Ph.D., will also present a seminar on whelping and canine pregnancy and parturition.

Other sessions that afternoon in the Celeste Center will feature Luci Dimick, DVM, talking about the latest on canine vaccinations and current trends for keeping your dog healthy followed by a session on house training 101.

On Saturday in the Celeste Center, additional sessions will be presented on puppy training and getting started on the right foot as well as a seminar by Ava Frick, DVM, on K-9 sports medicine and building a better canine body. Other seminars will include Nikki Puccini talking about conformation and tips on showing your dog to its potential as well as Michelle Whipple presenting a seminar on canine grooming techniques, including brushing and clipping, bathing, eye, ear and toenail care and more.

Other Saturday seminars will also be taking place in the Bricker Annex, including an introduction to the sport of herding as well as the basics of flyball competition and training. Deb Jones, PhD and Judy Kelly will also present a seminar on using clicker methods to teach dogs a variety of tricks as well as Morene Stickrod presenting a session on canine freestyle, including tips for developing a freestyle and competing successfully.

Although the Canine Affaire will take place April 3-4 only, the Equine Affaire itself will take place over a four-day period, April 2-5. Event hours are 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., April 2-4 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 5.

Daily admission is $14 for adults and $8 for children age 7 to 12 years; children under 6 are free. Four-day passes are $48 for adults and $28 for children. There is an additional parking charge.
For more details or advance tickets, visit www.equineaffaire.com or call 740-845-0085 weekdays from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.