Walkin' the dog...

Welcome to the Pack!

Walkin’ the Dog   vol. I 2025 by Ralph Riello

Alpha Dog’s mission is simple. We truly want to help every dog live its best life.

We do this in a variety of ways, but for this first blog, I’ll focus on two;

1. Promoting and providing events for dogs and their humans to visit together, enjoy together, and have FUN together, just you and your furry wingman, or with the whole family! Our Fun Runs for Dogs provide your dog with consistent exercise that stimulates mind and body. Even if your dog is not very social, we can provide a safe enclosed space with your dog only benefiting from the activity. There is LOTS of room to practice distance socialization training just by attending our events.
   
   
2. Exercise is the key to our “Gym Membership for Dogs” Obesity in humans leads to negative health consequences, impacts budgets, and leads to diminished quality of life. This is a HUGE problem for dogs. We love our dogs, and want the best for them, but for whatever reason, cannot always provide what they need the most…EXERCISE and Socialization! Physical and mental stimulation is key to a dog’s well-being. Dogs are not designed to carry excess weight. Too many of us are sedentary, and this is bad for our dogs. Knowing this, CONVENIENCE for humans is a critical component of our programs and events.

The Lucky Dog Machine      

Walking your dog every day is a great start but does not necessarily provide the activity level needed to keep them from developing pent up energy. Alpha Dog offers consistent exercise programs based on Fun Runs. We also offer “Private Dog Park Sessions”, for those who don’t want to frequent public dog parks.

Designed and manufactured for AKC events, we repurposed this machine and developed the Alpha Dog Fun Run Corral in Durham, CT in 2021 after attending the Chester Dog Fair. (We’ll be at the 11^th annual CDF ON September 13-14 for our 3^rd year!). Taylor, my velcro dog is full of pent-up energy, waited over 90 minutes in the sun to run a “Lure Course”. It was actually an obstacle course, so Mattingly sat on the sidelines due to the tight turns and ancillary equipment cluttering the course. Taylor took to it like a duck to water and was one of the fastest dogs on the course! My deep dive into “Lure Coursing” motivated me to take my years of event experience at the highest levels and apply that expertise to activities for dogs, knowing that if my dogs loved it, many others would. Dog owners needing activities for their dogs was a no-brainer, but leading the way in a new dog services marketplace was a challenge that I was ready for.

Alpha Dog Events & Adventures…for DOGS!

Flash forward four years; Alpha Dog Fun Runs are the number one attraction at many events in CT and NY. This year we move from May to November Sunday afternoon side hustle to a full schedule of dog friendly events in CT and NY. All events start with the Fun Run Corral. Our Alpha Dog Fair on the Madison Town Green in conjunction with the Madison Lions Club and District 23a CT Lions will be our 2^nd annual and features the Alpha Dog Fair on one side of the Green, and the Lions Spring Market on the other side. If you want to participate in either event, register on our event page. Our vendor spaces on the Green are 20’x20’ and you can park right there on your spot!

New this year, our farmers market-inspired “Alpha Dog Bark Markets”, held the last Sunday of every month from April 27^th through October 26^th. In addition to the Fun Run Corral and an ON-SITE dog park to give your leash arm a rest, Alpha Dog Bark Markets feature acoustic music, cool craft vendors, dog retail and even some human retail. We also have the coolest Japanese shaved ice vendor family in CT, maybe the east coast! There are food vendors so you can have a nosh, REAL bathrooms, and family-friendly activities such as beach volleyball, frisbee, horseshoes and bocce. Bark Markets were created as a dog and family friendly destination for a day of dog/family bonding. All dogs must be on a leash, and poop pickup is required by all!

This year we return to Glens Falls, NY on May 18^th for the 2^nd Annual PET EXPO, featuring our Fun Run Corral, the Greatest Show on Four Legs! Check our events page for more details. We offer sponsorship packages and signage at ALL of our events, and vendor spaces at all Alpha Dog Events. Contact us for details on how you can benefit from promotion and fundraising via our events, social media, programs, and more.

Last but not least, we invite rescue and shelter organizations to all of our events so that they promote their mission to find foster and forever homes for dogs in need. ANY qualified 501c3 or similar rescue or shelter is invited to any Alpha Dog Event for only $35 dollars. We will provide FREE Fun Runs and PA announcements about any dog you have for adoption, and you may put out the jar and fundraise to your heart’s content. The fee we charge is just to make sure everybody has some skin in the game. We provided free spaces last year to non-profits and had no-shows! It surprised us but our mission can’t be completed if rescues and shelters don’t participate, so we make it as affordable as we can.

We hope to see you at our events and programs. Your dog will thank you! Enjoy the next opportunity to be “Walkin’ the Dog”! New posts will be announced on Social Media.

Have a great day!

Ralph