Free the Puppies

[Lady Mikayla of Phoenicia]

Oh hers is soooo pretty!  Beautiful rose ears and I love her face!  Nice hound structure to it!  And one of my favoryte iggy colours, BLUE  My blue boys 4th birthday is today! 

I ABSOLUTELY love this breed.  They ARE NOT for everyone however I find them to be absolutely delightful!  Wish you were closer so we could have an iggy playdate!  Thank-thee kindly for sharing. 

*Due to Italian Greyhounds obtaining there name from being the breed made popular during the Italian Renaissance, favoured by then royalty and nobility and so thustly named, they should be granted royal waiver by all Faires and allowed entry!!!*   

[Lady Mikayla of Phoenicia]

BTW just saw your website and LOVE your doggie garb!!!  Oh my gosh...   

[KeeperoftheBar]

I can not support allowing dogs at Scarborough.  There is so much noise and excitement going on that only the most well trained dog could keep its wits about it.  Most (no, not all) would bark and leave messes everywhere.  And in the crowded areas people would be tripping over the leashes.  The darn baby strollers are bad enough to get past.  Finally if they did allow dogs, soon the cat people would demand equal rights, then the Scots with their sheep.  Lord knows where it would end.  It would really be a chaotic place.  So please, no dogs.

[Taffy Saltwater]

I love my dog, but think it's best to leave them home.  Poops can be picked up, but I'd hate to drag my skirts, cloak, etc., through a puddle - including my own baby's piddle. 

[Sitara]

Finally if they did allow dogs, soon the cat people would demand equal rights, then the Scots with their sheep.  Lord knows where it would end.  It would really be a chaotic place.  So please, no dogs.

Haha...sheep.

MNRF allowed all pets and has since cut it down to dogs and cats.  No more bringing out my ferrets. 

[BLAKDUKE]

O.K.  here is where I will annoy a lot of people.  First I am as ardent a dog lover as anyone else out here.    DOGS HAVE NO BUSINESS AT A RENN FAIRE.  THERE IS NOTHING THERE FOR THEM.  They cannot play any of the games.  Yes it is nice to have people fawn over our pets, but the faire is NOT the place to have that happen.  If it is hot it is even worse for the dog.  He has to go where his people go.   How many of you have gone to a faire and after even a little while you decide that it is too hot, too cold, to anything and you choose to go home, thats fine, but some of you choose to slug it out and stay just to prove you have the stamina to do it, or you want to stay for more ale at pub sing,  yet in sooth the dog would rather go home, but it can tell you that.  If your wife/husband told you that you would listen, but your dog cannot tell you    In some instances they will interact badly with other canines/animals there.  God forbid that one should get loose during the joust and go after one of the horses.  How would you feel if that was your dog being trampled by a 2000lb percheron just because your attention was on the joust and not on the dog.  Or worse yet nip at some child because the child invaded the dogs space.  Dogs are, for the most part, territorial, and in their view, anything and anywhere that they can see, is THEIR space.   Now the first thing some of you are going to say is "Oh my dog would never do that"  To that I say "HOGWASH or %&**$(*"  None of us, myself included knows for 100% certain what our dogs will do in all situations.   Good God none of us knows what OUR CHILDREN will do let alone our pets.   Case in point while at Nashville several years ago I was talking with a patron who witnessed a person with a dog.  At the time Nasville allowed pets.  The patron said hey I'll come back tomorrow and bring my rotweiller.  I said please don't.  He retorted that "His dog would not hurt anyone, he is so mild mannered".   Yeah right.  So the next day lo and behold he shows up with dogzilla.  He was not there 1 hour when all hell broke loose.  The dog nipped a young child on the cheek.  It broke the skin so animal control had to show up.   The child was fine just a little shook up.  No one knew what set the dog off, he was just  walking by the child and no one knows if the child swiped her hand at the dog with a fairy wand that she had or what.  The child was at the dogs head level and she was in his space.   The dog was impounded for 30 days, tested and then released back to its owner.  Fortunately the dog had no illnesses of any kind so all was well.   However as the owner exited the grounds to follow animal control I tapped him on the shoulder and said, " Now you know why I begged you not to bring the dog to the faire".  He looked at me with anger as if it the whole event was my fault, and walked out.    There is a vendor out there that I wish would win the lottery so he could franchise his company.  It is called HOUNDS TOOTH INN.  They set up a tent outside the gates of a faire and charge a most humble fee to keep your dog there while you attend the faire.  The last time I saw them was at Hoggetown a few years ago.  I sure wish they would set up at more faires.  Our dog travels with us but we leave her in the camper with all of the comforts of home but she is there for the day alone.  If the faire is close enough we will break for lunch and go back to let her out and then return to faire.  We did utilize H.T.I. upon one occasion and they were great.  They would walk the pets, provide water etc.   Spread the word, if they are still around THEY ARE NEEDED.        

[BLAKDUKE]

I can not support allowing dogs at Scarborough.  There is so much noise and excitement going on that only the most well trained dog could keep its wits about it.  Most (no, not all) would bark and leave messes everywhere.  And in the crowded areas people would be tripping over the leashes.  The darn baby strollers are bad enough to get past.  Finally if they did allow dogs, soon the cat people would demand equal rights, then the Scots with their sheep.  Lord knows where it would end.  It would really be a chaotic place.  So please, no dogs.

And then wizards would want to bring their dragons, can you imagine that pile of poop and having to clean it up.   

BTW  I did have, for the briefest of moments the thought that this was a bodice thread.   O.K. so my mind wandered a bit, dirty old swordsmen need love to ya know.    Plus I apoligize for the pevious war and peace length epistle.

[Queen Bonnie]

 You are right! But faire is no place for cats either. I do bring my dragon- but he is invisible most of the time!

[mieljolie]

...I ABSOLUTELY love this breed.  They ARE NOT for everyone however I find them to be absolutely delightful!  Wish you were closer so we could have an iggy playdate!  Thank-thee kindly for sharing. 

*Due to Italian Greyhounds obtaining there name from being the breed made popular during the Italian Renaissance, favoured by then royalty and nobility and so thustly named, they should be granted royal waiver by all Faires and allowed entry!!!*   

Me, too.  I'd love that!  And, I agree, they should be made an exception and be welcomed to all faires.  They aren't just dogs, they ARE royalty.  Hehe 

I would say no dogs at faire, but mine IS the exception.    She would fit right in at faire.  Lindy actually loves kids, enjoys dressing up,  stays with me without a leash and LOVES to be fawned over while on walks, too.    I take her to swap meets and other gathering and have never had a problem.  When a large dog approaches, she jumps in my arms.    As for picking up messes, mine is SO modest and lady-like she doesn't like to "go" unless she is home in her own yard.  I have to tell her it's okay.  Seriously.  She does NOT like an audience. 

Enough completely biased comments from me.  FREE THE (IG) PUPPIES!!!

[Castle Canine Creations]

Interesting comments and opinions, which is great because this part of the World is based on that kind of freedom. There are always the possibility of a bad dog or owner, but if we use this logic, we surely must ban kids, as they are such a Pain in the weed puller for the poor vendors and performers.  Actually, I like kids and dogs, and ferrets should be allowed as well. In all the fairs I have seen with dogs there was only one time when I noticed the dog was really tired, and then owners were pushing her in a baby carriage. LOL. I feel it is just like the responsibility of having children, you must be careful, but it can be a fun experience. I also don't think we should allow Buffalo Bill fans, those people are obnoxious.

[BLAKDUKE]

There is one exception that I would make to my long winded tirade above which essentially says no dogs at faire.  That would be the local SPCA, PAWS, or any other acredited adoption agency that would show up in garb and promote the adoption of pets at the faire.  GARF/Atlanta does that and the only dogs allowed on site are the rescued Greyhounds.  They have also brought in abused animals and it just gets the hackels on my neck in a tizzy when I see how some brain-cell less twit has mangled a dog.  I have prayed to be present when something like that is going on so I can send the perPETrator to his just reward, in the next life.

[VIII]

Someone wanted to bring a pair of Irish Wolfhounds to Scarborough Faire for a photo shoot with King Henry VIII.  I thought it would be great and agreed, even offering to walk them during the parade.  How's that for a "Ye Olde Newes" cover?!?
Then she dropped the bombshell, saying, "You'll have to keep them all day."
No thanks, I have a job to do, and it ain't dog-sitting!

[SirRichardBear]

While I love me dogs more than I like most people I wouldn't bring them to faire.  It would be just to much for them the heat the noise the strange smells etc.  I do miss the sheep dog show and wish they still had room for that at Scraby.  Maybe they could do a sheep dog show in the jousting field?  I would also like to see them allow rescued Greyhounds at least one weekend. 

[KeeperoftheBar]

but if we use this logic, we surely must ban kids, as they are such a Pain in the weed puller for the poor vendors and performers. 

Good idea.  Ban children, then Iris & Rose could really cut loose.

[Ronald the Bald]

An adult faire is an interesting idea. Or even an adult only section of a faire. Hawkwood should have been adult only with some of the things going on there. This only works if it is a small percentage of faires. The kids can be annoying, but they are the future of our faires. Ban them and we will see our hobby die out eventually.

Can't see that for Scarby though. It is a family faire and I like it that way. I want as few changes as possible to plague "my" faire.

As for Iris and Rose... The first year of Hawkwood I worked in a booth just across a dirt path from the adult pub. There were no walls at the pub the first year. All day long I heard the songs over and over and over. Now I can't stand them. I don't remember if it was actually Iris and Rose or another group singing the same songs, but it doesn't matter. I stay far away. Hearing "Roll your leg over" is like hearing fingernails on a blackboard now. Wasn't too bad the first 20 times, but now......