It’s an event that every Franklin Dog needs to attend! The grand opening and dedication of a dog park at the historic Park at Harlinsdale Farm will be Monday, April 12 at 6 p.m.

The first 100 people (and their dogs) to visit the off-leash fenced park will receive a memento.

This amazing property is located on Franklin Road between downtown and Mack Hatcher. The 200-acre Harlinsdale Farm has been called the most significant historic farm associated with the modern Tennessee Walking Horse industry. Purchased by the City of Franklin, the park’s first phase was opened in September 2007.

The dog park, named The K-9 Korral, features half an acre of fenced area that was formerly the horses’ paddock. It is located on the south side of the barn, right off the parking lot area.

A notice from the Parks Department advises that dog licenses and rabies tags and vaccinations must be current, and dogs must be over 4 months old. when outside the fenced area, dogs must be leashed.

For more information, call the Parks Administration at 794-2103.

Core Value 3: OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS HERITAGE

We believe that as dogs can enhance the lives of families and individuals, they can also connect us on an individual and community level. We look for ways to use dogs to build bridge between members of our community. We recognize accomplishments of Franklin dogs, especially in the area of service to the community, and also work with owners interested in using their dogs to reach out to others. The Franklin Dog brand embraces our community’s history and its pride as a significant Civil War battleground.

Taken at Franklin's "Dickens of a Christmas"

Sitting on your coffee table may be a makeshift scrapbookof less-than-professional snapshots of your Franklin dog. But visit www.framedbyfletcher.com and see why there are a couple of Franklin dogs with portfolios to brag about. After all, they’re owned by quite a creative couple, professional photographers Jonathan and Blakley Fletcher.

Weddings, portraits, special events — the website showcases work in a multitude of categories, including pets. You’ll also find emotion-packed pictures of historic Franklin. The couple fell in love with the city on an earlier visit and moved here last year from Houston, TX putting them closer to family in north Mississippi.

Jonathan and Blakley didn’t come alone. About eight years ago, the Fletcher home welcomed two chihuahua pups (sisters, actually), Sandy (the boss) and Cheesecake (afraid of her shadow, afraid of walking on hardwood floors and afraid of drinking out of a bowl that is anything but plastic).

“We can’t imagine life without them,” Jonathan says.

So which is easier to photograph: people or pets?

Here’s a tip for even amateur photographers: “We find it’s best to find out what makes the pet happiest and photograph them doing just that. Some of my favorite photos of one of our dogs is her in a completely airborne, leaping position as she chases her little miniature soccer ball across the yard. Chasing the ball is what makes her the happiest, and you can’t help but see that and smile when you look at the photo,” he says.

“Sure sometimes a dog will lick the camera lens, whereas a human client might not,” he says. “But it’s all a part of the fun.”

Sandy in flight

Core Value 3: COMMUNITY AND ITS HERITAGE

We believe that as dogs can enhance the lives of families and individuals, they can also connect us on an individual and community level. We look for ways to use dogs to build bridges between members of our community. We recognize accomplishments of Franklin dogs, especially in the area of serve to the community, and also work with owners interested in using their dogs to reach out to others. The Franklin Dog brand embraces our community’s history and its pride as a significant Civil War battleground.

Piper is a little Franklin dog with a great big job! And as her owner, I’m glad to be teaming up with her! She was seemingly custom made to curl up in the lap of a child and lovingly listen as they read to her and play with her long silky ears.

A 5-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Piper is a Registered Delta Therapy Dog (Go to a Page, See Blogroll: Therapy ARC) and a Reading Education Assistance Dog (Go to a Page, See Blogroll: READ).

The mission of the READ program is to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered therapy teams as literacy mentors. Piper and I make up one of many READ teams in the Middle Tennessee area.

If you would like an opportunity to meet and READ to Piper or some of her buddies, join them at the Williamson County Library on the 3rd Saturday of each month. Several teams are available for individual 15-minute appointments with a child. Advanced reservation is required, so please call 595-1244 for your appointment.

We are proud of the good work Piper and her READing Dog friends are doing in our community!

Heather Pass

Becoming a READ team

Here’s the process Piper and I went through to become a team. It took about six months.

1. To become a READing dog, you must first become a Delta Registered Pet Partner Therapy Team. The process is detailed here: http://www.therapyarc.org/Pet_Partner_Process.htm. Because of scheduling conflict with the classes, we choose to order the workbook from the Delta website and self train for the evaluation. We spent about six weeks doing this.

2. We scheduled our evaluation through the local Delta chapter: Therapy ARC http://www.therapyarc.org/. Contact Ken Bell at kensk9comcast.net. Evaluations are scheduled about four times a year. They fill up quickly.

3. After passing the evaluation, we sent in our completed registration packet and became an official therapy team.

Then, we decided to focus our Therapy by becoming a READ team.

1. First, we had to fill out the initial application online: http://readingpaws.org/Application%20for%20Training%20FormFL.htm.

2. Then we attended the one-day class to become READ certified. This class is offered a few times a year (contact Helen Wahl at Helen@READingPaws.org).

3. We began by working with the Williamson County Library once a month, and then requested a placement in a local elementary school. We are now serving at Crockett Elementary once a week.

If you have a question concerning any type of therapy work with your Franklin Dog, email it to therapy@franklindog.com.

Core Value 3: OUR COMMUNITY AND ITS HERITAGE

We believe that as dogs can enhance the lives of families and individuals, they can also connect us on an individual and community level. We look for ways to use dogs to build bridges between members of our community. We recognize accomplishments of Franklin dogs, especially in the area of service to the community, and also work with owners interested in using their dogs to reach out to others. The Franklin Dog brand embraces our community’s history and its pride as a significant Civil War battleground.

An MTGRR Success Story

In America and beyond, Golden Retrievers are a well-loved breed. And for a Golden in distress, there’s no better friend than the Middle Tennessee Golden Retriever Rescue, headquartered right here in Franklin.

Ginger is a MTGRR success story who happily calls herself a Franklin dog. She’s part of the Waller family consisting of Gerald, Marcie, Aaron and Daniel.

Ginger’s “before” story is not a happy one.  Rescued in late 2008 by MTGRR, she was one of six dogs that had been used all their lives to produce litters.

MTGRR volunteer Sarah Sherck explains, “Over-breeding and lack of vet treatment caused them to develop painful infection called mastitis. The infection can kill the litter and cause severe swelling and huge tumors. In addition, the excessive breeding resulted in an aggressive form of malignant ovarian cancer for at least one dog. MTGRR paid extensive medical bills to treat these dogs and placed them into loving and responsible hands, where they are getting affection, care, and kind attention for the first time in their lives.

Marcie, the “mom” at Ginger’s forever Franklin home, says, “It has taken some time for us to win Ginger over. We have had her a little over a year and I think she is finally convinced this is her forever home and that we are safe and love her very much.”

As dog-lovers the Wallers are truly golden. After they sadly had to say good-by to their oldest Golden due to bone cancer, they added another to their family — Bama, adopted a week before Thanksgiving.

MTGRR is regularly in need of foster homes before dogs are placed in their forever home. You can access their website through our blogroll

Stop in at Keke’s Kitchen Dog Bakery and Boutique and meet another family that’s discovered that Franklin is a great place for dogs and dog lovers.

Located one block south of Moores Lane on Franklin Rd. (next to Gateway Village), Keke’s, owned by Keke, Leo and Stephanie Sotiros, is an extension of a business that opened in Wisconsin in 2005.

When they were ready to expand, Franklin was their choice. “This city fit all of our criteria,” says Stephanie.

“This is a very dog-loving community,” she says. “People open their hearts and their homes to dogs. The rescue effort is amazing and I admire how the community helps support the rescues, shelters and breed rescues.”

Among their best sellers are their cookies, freshly baked in Keke’s kitchen. Over 75 varieties are naturally preserved, made with nutritious ingredients with no sugar, salt, wheat, or or corn.

And even non-dog owners can find something for themselves: Greek Baklava and Stephanie’s Fudge Brownies are always available. Plus, there’s the boutique side of the business featuring Keke’s original artwork.

Collars, leashes, beds, toys, grooming products, naturally-preserved dog food and chew treats, protein treats and more are also in the inventory.

The Sotiros family has added to the Franklin dog population with Saxby (Scottish Terrier), Poppy (French Bulldog) and Vinne, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV) who is a trained Search and Rescue Canine for Williamson County.

For many years, Stephanie bred, raised and showed Bernese Mountain Dogs and Clumber Spaniels. In the past, a Maltese, Wirehaired Dachshund and a West Highland White Terrier have been a part of their lives.

Check out www.kekeskitchen.com. Keke’s does mail-order, and you can have gifts sent to others.

Albert Payson Terhune (1872-1942) in my mind ranks as an American treasure. Out of his love for dogs, including his collies at Sunnybank Kennels in New Jersey, he wrote numerous epics of heroic dogs who served their masters with great devotion.

Prior to a family vacation a few years ago, I stopped by our Williamson County Public Library and checked out the audio version of Lad, a Dog. I recalled seeing the 1962 movie version at a drive-in theatre with my parents on a vacation of our own and thought it would make good listening while my passengers slept. I under-estimated the power of Terhune’s picturesque writing. Everyone was interested.

Only recently I recalled that the name I choose for the American Eskimo Dog of my boyhood was from another Terhune book, A Dog Named Chips. Nowadays, sitting on my bookshelf is the appropriately weathered copy that my wife, Lisa, thoughtfully searched out as a gift for me.

A Dog Named Chips, though more light-hearted than other Terhune novels, is just as engaging…enough to make a dog-loving boy name his best friend Chips.

Randy Smith

Remember our story about local musher Rodney Whaley? Well, Vickie , his wife, gave him an out-of-sight Christmas present: a 12-month-old husky. Koyuk (in the forefront of the picture) is already running with the team.

By the way, Rodney is one of the organizers of the inauguaral Music City Dryland Sled Dog Challenge. To find out more, contact Rodney at rodneywhaley@att.net or at www.tnsleddogs.com.

Are you starting 2010 with a new Franklin dog of your own? Let us know at randy@franklindog.com

You’ll want to read about Jake, Williamson’s Co. Sheriff’s Dept. 11-year-old German Shepherd Dog. Jake crossed the Rainbow Bridge Dec. 14.

It’s a wonderful article. Jake’s many heroics included tracking a disoriented diabetic who had wandered into the woods.

Jake began a legacy that continues through all our local law enforcement K9 units.

About a week ago, our dog came down with an ear infection (I promise to make this a spiritually relevant story, so stick with me). We’ve had this pup for almost a year, but this was a new experience for us as “parents.” Thanks to several wrestling matches with a 45-pound dog who does not like to have drops put in his ear, I can report he is now healthy. But my friend asked yesterday how you know a dog has an ear infection. I explained that I noticed something was wrong because I could tell he just wasn’t himself.

Later last night, I was thinking about her question and realized that the bottomline answer is really pretty simple: We paid attention. We knew simply by observing him that something wasn’t right, and closer inspection revealed the problem. Here comes the spiritual part: People don’t always just say what areas of their lives could use a little tender, loving care. Sometimes you have to pay attention and take note of moments when they don’t seem quite like themselves. You don’t then have to pry into their private matters, but a gentle prayer or unexpected word of encouragement might be just what they need. Before you can offer that, however, you have to be paying enough attention to realize something is wrong. I encourage you this week to take a careful look at the people around you, whether strangers, friends or family members. Their pain may not be spoken, but that doesn’t mean you can’t notice and care.

Blessings,

Brooklyn Lowery

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Though she now lives in nearby Crieve Hall, Brooklyn grew up in Franklin and graduated from Centennial High School. As for Jersey, her handsome dog that’s pictured above…..well, he was fortunate enough to be chosen by Brooklyn at a puppy adoption day at Happy Tales Humane.

Brooklyn is an editor with LifeWay Christian Resources.

1. Go to any of the “Pages” listed on the left hand column of this webiste.

2. Once you’ve reached a “Page” look at down the left hand column, and under “Blogroll,” click on “Create a Profile for You and Your Franklin Dog.” This will take you to a page headed “Franklin Dog: Create Your Own Profile.”

3. On the right of the page, you’ll see a block that says, “Welcome to

Franklin Dog: Create Your Own Profile.” Click on “Sign Up.”

4. Fill in the requested information. Write down your password for future reference. On this “Create Your Profile”page, entered your Full Name and, if you have a picture of you, your dog, or you AND your dog, upload it.

Fill in the last two questions and click “Join.”

Voila! You’ll see a page with a message that says “Welcome to Franklin

Dog: Create you Own Profile, (Your Name)!”

5. Now, why don’t you go to the left of the page.

*Click on the individual pictures of Members to see other people who have joined.

*Or add some photos!

*Or go to the middle column under “Latest Activity” and see information

that other members have recently posted.

*Or go to the brown banner at the top of the page, click on “Add content,” and post some information about you and your Franklin Dog.

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