Lucinda Breeding

Denton dog lovers, it’s time to get your four-legged friends shampooed, blown dry, primped and clipped. If you have a bumblebee costume made expressly for your mastiff, get that ready, too.

It’s May, and that means the hunt is on for a very particular sort of spokesmodel. Denton Main Street is looking for the 2009 spokesdog for Dog Days of Denton. You know, that festival for the strange breed of human who likes to dress dogs in humiliating outfits?

The spokesdog title is no mere ceremony. It’s a chance to have your mutt — or your purebred — on all the promotional posters and press materials for next year’s big day for dogs.

That big bash is Dog Days of Denton, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 31. Here’s how to get your precious pup in the running.

1. First, you have to get your dog to cooperate for a photo. You’ll be producing a non-returnable, 4-by-6 photo to Denton Main Street. If you’re really enthusiastic, you can shoot a photo of your dog in costume. Proceed at your own risk. The photo should be just of your dog or your dog in costume. No people in the photo, and no stickers on the photos.

Denton Main Street offers a hint: The best photo is likely to win. So use a simple background, light if your dog is dark, dark if your dog is light. See the photo of the 2008 winner for an example.

2. Take a dictation from your dog. In 50 words or less, write why your dog should win the spokesdog title. Make sure to include your dog’s name, your name, an
e-mail address and a telephone number where you can be reached. Send your entry to Dog Days Contest, P.O. Box 1158, Denton, TX 76202.  All entries must be delivered by mail on or before May 22.

3. Wait patiently — it would be nice if you didn’t pester the good folks at Main Street with calls to “check in.”

4. Attend the Dog Days of Denton celebration with the other contestants for the final competition for the winning title. An important note: Your dog must be up to date on all vaccinations and remain on a leash during the event.

The winning dog not only gets to be the face of Dog Days of Denton 2009, but he or she will also get a medal to wear at appearances. The spokesdog also gets prizes and plenty of crowd adoration.

Spunky, sweet and well-trained dogs really should try out for this honor.

My lovable mutt won’t be in the running. As it is, she tries to chew through her harness, and doesn’t appreciate hats. The one and only doggie coat she owns — as protection for the rare cold winter days in Denton, I swear — is occasionally dug out of a storage crate and attacked with a mix of glee and righteous anger. She deliberately breaks her cutest poses as soon as you press the camera button. The one time she was still for a photo — she had no choice, as a man dressed as Santa Claus at PetSmart was holding her — she was so scared she looked like some other dog in the finished photo.

She might just behave for the big party on the last Saturday of the month. She’ll sniff, whip her tail and probably bark up a storm.

Just don’t try to get her to pose for a picture.

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877. Her e-mail address is cbreeding@dentonrc.com .