August/September 2015 69 FINE ARF Sure, you’ve got tons of snapshots, selfies and even videos, so perhaps the time has come to immortalize your best friend forever with a priceless (to you, anyway) piece of art. So, pack away the GoPro, and let professionals help you and your dog paint a mutt masterpiece together or create a portrait you’ll proudly display over the mantel. Christene Pinter of Pinter Portraits is a leading Bay Area dog portrait painter who says she looks beyond mere appearance in order to translate inner beauty onto the canvas. If your preferred style runs more to the abstract, then Gwen Fuller of Your Pet Paints will produce a colorful background on canvas, which your dog then walks over with (safely) paint-dipped paws. “I think dogs are my favorite because dogs are goofy and they just find it hilarious and fun,” Fuller says. Or create your own work of art at Valley Painting Parties’ Paint Your Pet classes. Stacy Houghton and her team of artists will do an outline sketch of your pup and then give you all the tools and guidance to paint in the details. “Some people have never touched a brush before,” Houghton remarks. “They leave with these phenomenal paintings.” Okashi Barkery Pet parents are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest toys to keep tails wagging. In particular, owners and trainers seem to be singing the praises of the highly durable line from Bionic Pet Products. Bionic toys are made of specially engineered rubber, and the company says that less than 5 percent of dogs can outsmart and out-chew their products. Bionic even offers a one-time replacement guarantee and jokes that if your dog chews up more than one of the company’s toys, you should consider enlisting the pooch in a product testing group. For mental and physical acuity, try the Cynjo Foobler. This ball-shaped feeder keeps pups guessing with six different puzzles to solve. Or go classic with good old Kong toys, which have evolved beyond the funny-shaped rubber bulbs to include new lines, such as the recently added Tennis Pals, which combine a squeaky toy with a tennis ball. CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER RIGHT: COURTESY OF BUBBA ROSE BISCUIT CO.; COURTESY OF CYNJO; COURTESY OF PINTER PORTRAITS AH DISO GTO AYNSD ANPIMARATLSY According to Psychology Today, 25 percent of pet owners celebrate their dog’s birthday. It’s becoming a big business here in the South Bay, as more pet parents seek to fete their dogs. Okashi Barkery in Campbell is dog party central. Store owner Joanne Gutowski-Joplin sells specialty doggie birthday cakes and treats, handmade birthday hats, paper plates, napkins, candles, doggie treat bags—just about everything needed for a classic birthday party. Some customers even hold their dog’s parties at Okashi Barkery; Gutowski-Joplin does not charge an extra fee for the venue. Another popular doggie birthday party destination in Campbell is the Zoom Room, which throws deluxe birthday blowouts for your dog and his friends that feature a discothemed dance party, complete with music and laser lights. Guests get a free mini-agility lesson, and added options include Doggie Donuts, gift bags and other treats. Pinter Portraits Cynjo Foobler
South Bay Accent - Aug/Sep 2015
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