Pitous lovers should prick up their ears: they are invited with their truffle companion to various festivals and gatherings looming in Quebec during the summer. Here are three, including a brand new three-day event in Montreal.

Doggies tired of the daily routine and the local dog park will have plenty to entertain themselves under the canines in the coming months. In addition to the return of the usual festivals that have been rolling around for a few years, a newcomer will make a sensational debut in Montreal. Called Woopaw Fest, the event will run from June 30 to July 2 in Griffintown – the exact location will be announced in May.

All the threads are not yet definitively attached, but an overview of the activities can already be drawn up by the organizers: there will be gatherings of pedigree dogs, a market area, dog trainers and NPOs, and gourmet treats intended as well. both to canids and to their masters. “The merchant space will bring together local merchants and SMEs as much as possible, with food, dog clothes, bandanas, collars, harnesses, mattresses, dog trainers, people who will give a minimum of knowledge on what to do and not to do to make everything happen safely, ”lists Tatiana Tomaszewski, general manager of Woopaw Fest.

It was under the impetus of Thien Vu Dang, instigator of various Montreal festivals such as Yatai or Mapp, as well as recent dog gatherings, that the project was set up. Successful first attempts had already been launched, notably parades of corgis with their owners, bringing together more than 200 adorable specimens, or gatherings of shibas and akitas on the occasion of Japan week in Montreal.

“We expect to have a thousand visitors a day during the event, but we hope to have more,” says Ms. Tomaszewski, whose dog Reine, a Pomeranian, will sneak paws on the festival site.

Summer will be far from over for festive dogs, since the 4th edition of the Rendez-vous canin, to be held on August 12 and 13 at the Center de la nature de Laval, will give them the opportunity to strut their stuff with their summer fur. On the menu, agility courses, obstacle games, lure races, demonstrations, local toy, accessory or treat merchants, professionals, microchip clinic… The organizers, who indicate having welcomed nearly 20,000 visitors and dog lovers during the previous editions, also promise new features and more gray areas for doggies this year.

The regions are not left out, with the return of the Grand Canin Festival in Dégelis, a small town in Bas-Saint-Laurent, where some twenty ethical breeders who are members of the Canadian Kennel Club will be present, alongside 25 commercial and professional stands. . Conferences of dog handlers will be offered, and many canine sports will be put forward. “Sheep Herding will unfortunately not be back this year, but we will have Harness Sports, Rat Sports, Agility Trials, Frisbee, and Lure Racing. We hope to bring the aquatic jumps next year, “explains Marcel Morin, president of the organizing committee.

For information, harnessed sports involve traction (from a sled, a bicycle, a runner or a skier, for example), while rat sports consist of having the dog unearth a tube where the a rodent. As for the aquatic jump, it is a kind of long jump with landing in a pool. Dog handler Katherine Langlais, the first woman to win the Can-Am Crown race, a 400 kilometer event in Maine, will be the guest of honor for this 4th edition. On the Friday night before the festival, a happy hour and a purebred dog fashion show are also planned.