Dear Urbanhounders,

It's not just the two-legged kids who are going back to school this fall. Lately, we've noticed more and more options for dog training beyond basic obedience. Defying the old chestnut about old dogs and new tricks, these classes offer life-long opportunities to learn, bond and stay active with your hound.

Refresher classes for older dogs are becoming widely available, as are Growly Dog classes that focus on leash aggression, resource guarding and other issues that may arise after sit, stay and come have long been mastered.

Expectant parents can sign up for Diapers & Dogs classes to learn how to introduce the furry first child to the new arrival, while Kids & Dogs seminars cover safe interactions between hounds and older tykes.

For keeping fit and having fun, the options range from agility training (including Urban Agility), lure coursing and disc catching to Rally-O, an energetic form of competitive obedience that's becoming hugely popular. There's also Freestyle dog dancing, a paw-de-deux for you and your hound. We are so not kidding.

Canine Good Citizen certification from the AKC is available almost everywhere these days, as are classes to help your pup pass the test. We've also discovered prep classes for co-op and condo board review (in New York, of course). For extra credit, hounds can enroll in all-tricks classes or take on specialized training to become search-and-rescue or therapy dogs.

Best of all, enrolling your dog in a training class means you get to re-discover the fun of learning, too -- all without a single pop quiz.

With best back-to-school wishes to you and your dog,

Laura Cavaluzzo
Editor, Urbanhound San Francisco

Pit Bull Meetup
Sunday, September 14, noon
Chelsea Waterside Dog Park, W. 23rd St. and 11th Ave., Manhattan
Got a pit or pit mix? This event is a great opportunity to get to know the members of this active Meetup Group.

National Pet Memorial Day
Sunday, September 14, 1 PM
Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, 75 North Central Park Ave., Hartsdale, NY
An interfaith blessing of the animals will be conducted at the historic pet cemetery to commemorate this annual event. All well-behaved pets are welcome. Free.

Pugs for Obama
Sunday, September 14, 7 PM
Perdition, 692 10th Ave., Manhattan
If your Pug is an Obama supporter, he or she is welcome at this fundraising event.

6th Annual AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Day
Saturday, September 20, 11 AM TO 3 PM
Madison Square Park, 5th Ave. and 23rd St., Manhattan
This free celebration, hosted by The American Kennel Club, is a popular annual event for all humans and hounds, purebred or not. There will be obedience and agility demonstrations to watch and Canine Good Citizen testing for those who feel their pups are ready to face the challenge. Various purebred rescue organizations will be in attendance, and some two dozen different AKC-recognized breeds will be represented at the event, including less-well-known breeds such as the Xoloitzcuintli and the Finnish Lapphund. For more information, contact Stephanie Smith at 212-696-8228 or sxs2@akc.org.

10th Annual Grateful Greyhounds Fall Picnic
Saturday, September 20, 11 AM to 3 PM
Belmont Lake State Park, 625 Belmont Ave., West Babylon, NY
If you have a retired racing Greyhound or are considering adopting one, this is a can't miss event. There will be food, games, and Greyhound-related products on sale, plus a parade of adoptable hounds. For more information or to RSVP, contact Grateful Greyhounds at 516-735-5070 or gratefulgreys@aol.com.

PuppyMill Awareness Day
Saturday, September 20, 11 AM to 5 PM
Intercourse Community Park, Old Philadelphia Pike (Rt. 340) and Royal Circle, Intercourse, PA
This free festival held in the heart of puppy mill country is designed to educate the public about the harm caused by puppy mills. For more information, visit the PuppyMill Awareness Day website.

Bobbi and the Strays: Building Fundraiser Kickoff
Saturday, September 20, 7 PM
Four Green Fields Bar & Restaurant, 70-45 67th Pl., Queens
The Bobbi & the Strays rescue group is losing its lease at the VetPort Shelter at JFK in December. This event will raise funds for a new shelter. There will be live bands, food, and a cash bar. Cost is $10. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact Phyllis at 917-559-3862.

The Amazing NY Race–Dog Friendly Edition
Sunday, September 21, 1:30 PM to 4 PM
Begins at McCarren Park Dog Run, Brooklyn
This scavenger hunt/obstacle course was designed for human/hound teams. A series of clues will lead you around Williamsburg, performing physical and mental challenges along the way. There will be an after party at a dog-friendly bar. Tickets are $30.

Speed Dating: Doggy Style
Sunday, September 21, 2 PM
Central Park, Manhattan
Apparently it's the first ever speed dating event designed for people with dogs. Singles 21 to 39 and their hounds will go on 10 mini-dates at several dog-friendly spots in Central Park. Cost is $35. Tickets and more info here.

The Animal Care Affair Gala
Thursday, September 25, 7:30 PM to 11:30 PM
Pressure, 110 University Pl., Manhattan
A fund raising event for Animal Care and Control, the city's shelter system. There will be food, dancing, and live and silent auctions. Tickets are $150 in advance, $200 at the door.

Central Park PAWS Bagel Bark
Saturday, September 27, 7:30 AM to 9 AM
Lilac Walk, mid-Park at 72nd St., Manhattan
Bagels, coffee, dog biscuits, and good company will be on offer at this brand new monthly gathering brought to you by Central Park PAWS.

The Animal Care Affair Dog Day
Saturday, September 27, 8:30 AM to 3 PM
Central Park East Meadow, 99th St. and 5th Ave., Manhattan
A fair to raise funds for the AC&C. Live music, entertainment, and adoptions. Tickets $30 per person, dogs admitted free.

Pet Loss Support Group
Friday, October 3, 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.

Coffee Bark
Saturday, October 4, 7 AM to 9 AM
Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Held in rain or in shine, in the park's Long Meadow, behind the Picnic House (enter at Prospect Park West and 4th Street, then go left around the Picnic House), the monthly Coffee Bark includes muffins for humans and dog biscuits for hounds. The long standing social is sponsored by Brooklyn's FIDO, officially known as the Fellowship In the Interest of Dogs and Their Owners.

St. Nick's Dog Park Coffee Bark
Saturday, October 4, 9 AM to 11 PM
Mid-park between the 135th St. staircase and 136th St., Manhattan
Coffee and 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.

General Theological Seminary: Blessing of the Animals
Saturday, October 4, 2 PM to 3 PM
21st St. btwn. 9th and 10th Aves., Manhattan
Normally, dogs are not allowed on the lovely grounds of the Seminary, so this is an excellent chance to make a visit. All animals are welcome at the service, which will take place on the steps of the chapel. More information at 212-243-5150.

Sir William's Dog Run Coffee Bark
Sunday, October 5, 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.

Annual St. Francis of Assisi Day Blessing of the Animals
Sunday, October 5, service 11 AM, outdoor fair, 11 AM to 4 PM
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave. (at 112th St.), Manhattan
Dogs of all faiths are invited to this service that celebrates all living creatures. Free tickets to this hugely popular event will be distributed starting at 9 AM, and it's a good idea to get there early. (A limited number of tickets will be distributed in advance. Call 212-316-7483 before September 28.) There will be a festival on the Cathedral's grounds, open to all. A warning to the timid: Because the Blessing of the Animals is so popular, the Cathedral can get packed with animals of every shape and size (including, yes, elephants, camels, and horses, not to mention cats, birds, and reptiles). It may not be pleasant for dogs who are averse to crowds.

Gimme Shelter: Rock & Rescue NYC
Monday, October 6, 7 PM to midnight
Highline Ballroom, 431 W. 16th St., Manhattan
This blow-out concert to raise funds for shelters and rescue groups will include performances by Earl Greyhound, Jesse Malin, Lissy Trullie, and more. There will be a "Rockstar Auction" of items donated by Debbie Harry, Beastie Boys, Joan Jett and others. Sponsored by Rational Animal, a group dedicated to improving the lives of NYC's homeless animals. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact Susan Brandt at sbrandt@rational-animal.org or 917-239-9229.

City Dog: Dog-Friendly Book Signing
Saturday, October 11, noon to 3 PM
Zoomies, 434 Hudson St., Manhattan
Alison Pace, author of Pug Hill, has a new novel out. Both dogs and people are invited to this book signing.

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

Dogs Feel Empathy. (Yawn.) A scientific study conducted at London’s Birbeck College seems to confirm what every dog owner already knows--dogs feel empathy. The study took 29 dogs and exposed them to a yawning researcher. When the researcher yawned, the dogs also yawned, 72 percent of the time. (They never yawned when the researchers just opened their mouths.) This rate of "yawn contagion" is higher than that of people or chimps, previously thought to be the only creatures who could "catch" yawns from someone else.

Clinton Hill Needs a Dog Run! If you agree, get involved by joining the new Google Group dedicated to the effort, or write clintonhilldogrun@gmail.com.

Retractable Dog Leash Recall. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of SlyDog Retractable Dog Leashes. The clasp can break, potentially sending the leash into the face of the person who is holding it. Consumers can return the leash to Worldwise Inc. for a full refund, including shipping costs. For more information, contact Worldwise at 888-296-3807 or visit the company's website.

Dog Licenses Now Available Online. You can now get a new dog license or renew your old one at the Department of Health website, and the Department says the wait time for new licenses and renewals will be cut in half to approximately 10 to 14 business days. We're big fans of licensing your dog – not only is it legally mandated, but it helps those who advocate for city resources for dogs. Plus, if your dog is lost, a license will increase the chance that he or she will be returned to you. The fee for a first-time dog license is $11.50; a renewal costs $8.50 for a spayed/neutered dog and $11.50 for one that has not been fixed. Only 20 percent of the city's estimated 500,000 dogs are currently licensed.

Dietary Supplements for Pets Need Better Regulation. A report from the National Research Council is calling attention to the fact that supplements for companion animals are largely unregulated. The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, passed in 1994 to regulate supplements for people, does not apply to animal supplements. The Association of American Feed Control Officials, which approves the ingredients used in animal feeds, does not dictate minimum or maximum amounts of nutrients allowed in a product.

What's On. Last night someone won $250,000 on CBS' Greatest American Dog. The episode, however, hadn't aired by the time we prepared this newsletter. If you missed it, check out the episode online. For the kiddies, PBS has just adapted Susan Meddaugh's popular Martha Speaks books -- about a talking family dog -- for TV. The show is aimed at 4-to-7-year-olds, but we're sure older dog lovers can watch too. Check your local PBS listings. Like it or not, Cesar Milan airs his 100th Dog Whisperer episode on Sept. 19th at 9 PM eastern. And, for those of you who would rather go to the movies, Beverly Hills Chihuahua opens nationwide on October 3. The tale finds pampered Chihuahua Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore) lost on the mean streets of Mexico.