A few weeks ago, I was rummaging through some of Clare’s castoffs and found an unopened 2023 Dog Trivia Daily Desk Calendar.

I took it to work and have been catching up on my dog trivia ever since. Here are some fun facts to make you smile during the Dog Days of Summer:

• Dogs sleep between 12-14 hours a day
• Elvis Presley sang his song “Hound Dog” to a top-hat wearing basset hound on a July 1956 episode of The Steve Allen Show
• According to a 2017 study from the Journal of Nature, dogs make dramatic facial expressions and “puppy eyes” when they know humans are watching them
• Hamilton composer Lin Manuel Miranda was inspired to write the ballad “Dear Theodosia” after adopting Tobilio, a stray puppy in 2011 (note you can catch the Toronto production of Hamilton on stage now)
• Julius Caeser described mastiffs in his account of the Roman invasion of Britain in 55 BC
• The Scottish terrier has been one of the Monopoly tokens since 1942
• A golden retriever, Mayor Max II, was Mayor of Idyllwild California for eight years until 2022
• Afghans have dolichocephalic (long) heads giving them a field of vision of 270 degrees
• Weimaraner puppies are born with striped fur. Within days, the stripes fade

And for all you fellow dog lovers in South Frontenac, don’t miss the Dog Days of Summer event at the Frontenac Farmers Market this Friday, July 14 from 3-7 pm in Centennial Park.

Bring your pooch for a dog-themed outing. Get their photos taken, nails trimmed, enter to win a “ruff”-le basket and let your four-legged friend have some fun at the off-leash dog park. All proceeds go to Happy Tail Animal Sanctuary and Kingston Humane Society. I also read that the Kingston Humane Society has been at capacity recently. Summer is a great time to adopt a pet.

Did you know the dogs of the Frontenac Farmers Market have their own Instagram account? Follow them at frontenacfarmersmarketdogs.