Dogs milk the competition for all it's worth

Think it's a dog-eat-dog world? Try competing against 12,000 canines trying to be named the Milk-Bone SpokesDog for 2009.

Canines and owners showed up at Rocky Top Dog Park, South Brunswick, to pose for photos in the Milk-Bone SpokesDog contest on Aug. 15. Above: Toby, a 3-month-old Chihuahua, finds a safe haven away from the crowd. At right: A giant schnauzer, Oberon, patiently sits alongside his owner while the two wait to be photographed. The company's mobile tour bus pulled into Rocky Top Dog Park, South Brunswick, on Friday as it visited the 11th city of its 14-city nationwide tour.

The contest was the brainchild of Amy Hammerschmidt, a dog owner and senior brand manager at Milk-Bone, in San Francisco, Calif., and her team.

"We were excited about an idea to celebrate the brand's 100th anniversary," she said. "We recognized that pet parents have an incredible bonding experience with their dogs and Milk-Bone has been part of that bonding experience the past 100 years."

The mobile tour was launched May 19 in New York City, which was the birthplace of the company.

PHOTOS BY JULIE KIRSH Gretchen Zimmer, of Princeton Junction, who is the Rocky Top founder and owner, explained how her dog park was selected.

"They e-mailed in May that they wanted to use Rocky Top as one of their venues and I agreed right away. I thought it would be a good idea."

It made her a little nervous at first, but then she embraced the idea. She alerted her park members and sent more than 100 e-mails in early July.

"I'm elated!" the Brittany spaniel owner said.

While the sun peeked in and out of the clouds at Rocky Top on a typical dog day of August, the dogs waiting to be photographed by a professional photographer found respite in the park's tree-scattered play areas and pond. Ed Alparone, of North Brunswick, braved the heat with his dog while waiting for a chance at stardom. The owner of Beauregard, a 10-month-old male great Pyrenees, shared his thoughts on his dog possibly being named the SpokesDog.

"He's the perfect dog. He's sweet, he's gentle, he loves my five cats and my mini dachshund that weighs 6 pounds — and Beau is 145."

JULIE KIRSH Kate Miller, of Spotswood, poses with her golden retriever seizure dog, Greta, as the couple awaits their turn outside the Milk-Bone photo booth at the dog park. This isn't just America's Next Top Model for canines, however. The pet parent must also submit a 250-character essay on their "Milk-Bone moment" describing the bond they have with their dog. Although the majority of pooches at Rocky Top were purebreds, Milk-Bone is nondiscriminatory.

"We're looking for the emotional bond and special moment you have with your dog regardless of breed," said Hammerschmidt. The dog that wins the free contest will appear on one of the Milk-Bone boxes, be featured in advertising for 2009 and receive a $100,000 contract with taxes covered by the company.

The contract appealed to Alparone.

"I'll get him a mate — another Pyrenees, and probably a whole lot of food," he said.

Heather Cleffi, of Kendall Park, is excited about possibly seeing her Chihuahua's face on a Milk-Bone box.

"He's lovable, he's cute and everybody says he's sweeter than most Chihuahuas because he doesn't yap. There's a Chihuahuamovie coming out, so Chihuahuas will become more popular," she said.

Despite his petite size and mild manner, the 5-month-old male, Toby, is feisty. Although the Cleffis have only had 3- pound Toby three months, they have great aspirations if he wins the $100,000 contract.

"We'll send him to dog college!" exclaimed Cleffi.

Tunde Gelber, of East Brunswick, was equally excited about her pooch Dusty potentially winning.

"We're going to retire with Dusty's winnings. We won't make Dusty do his paper route anymore!"

Gelber felt her petite and polite 5-year-old male dachshund golden retriever mix had a good shot at acing the contest.

"Dusty has a great demeanor. He's a shelter dog, he's a handsome lad and he snuggles well. He's a gorgeous redhead. Who doesn't love a gorgeous redhead?"

The dogs kept arriving at Rocky Top for photo-ops as five contest representatives dispensed free dog treats, bandannas, coupons and magnetic photo frames for the free photo the pet parents received. One representative advised that the more unusual and interesting the photo, the better. While videos weren't shot at the park, they may also be submitted, although 90 percent of the 12,000 entries to date have been photos.

According to Hammerschmidt, an independent agency selected by Milk-Bone will narrow the entries to the top 100, and then, like "American Idol" minus the music, America will vote for the winning "Milk-Bone moment" SpokesDog. There will be 99 runners-up that receive a digital camera.

Tony Gabriel, of Princeton, was confident he and his male giant schnauzer, Oberon, 7, won't just score a camera.

"He's a champion, a show champion. He's competed nationwide and in Canada the past two years," Gabriel said. Oberon's winnings include prizes, several ribbons, towels, hats and other goodies.

Gabriel, who had his enormous dog shipped from California, posed for the photographer, hugging Oberon as he sat on his owner's lap. He has whimsical plans for his $100,000 contract.

"He likes to smoke pot. I'll buy Milk-Bones with it," he chuckled.

Park members Amy and Alex Saville brought their male, black Labrador retriever, 16-month-old Mason, because they thought it would be fun. Bought from a family friend in Virginia, Mason endeared himself to the couple and is "very talented and well behaved, and has been home schooled," according to Amy.

"We think he's the most wonderful, beautiful dog to walk the face of the earth, so he'd be a natural to be the Spokes- Dog," she said.

When asked what they'd do with their winnings, Alex replied, "We're going to start a scholarship fund for him, then we'll buy a boat since he loves the water so much."

The winnings may sweeten the deal for an owner submitting a mere owner/dog photo, but Hammerschmidt stressed that despite the fact the winner will be the "ambassador to the Milk-Bone brand," the company is mainly seeking a depiction of an emotional bond between a pet parent and dog. Nowhere was that bond more evident than between Kate Miller, Spotswood, and her 2½-year-old female golden retriever, Greta.

Miller has had her seizure alert dog 10 months and got her from Georgia upon learning about her from a drug representative where her mother works.

"She's just the all-American dog. She has all the qualities you want in a dog, plus more!" Miller said.

If Greta wins, the Rocky Top member said, "I'll pay off college and donate the rest to where I got her, K-9 Assistance."

The song "Who Let the Dogs Out?" would have been appropriate at the event as Mad Max managed to settle down long enough to have his SpokesDog moment with his owner, John Cody of North Brunswick.

The energetic 6-year-old male Boston terrier is "the Pelé of terriers — we came because he's the winner," said an equally energetic Cody. The duo's "Milk-Bone moment" was Max affectionately sitting on Cody's lap ... this after he nearly trashed the prop Milk-Bone box and plastic boxwood shrubs as Cody aimed a laser beam toy at them.

Cody acquired the terrier from a Miami rescue group and the two initially had a bumpy start.

"I hated him when I first got him. He chewed up my antique furniture! He was rotten!" said Cody. Over time, "I realized he liked fun as much as I do. He likes kayaking and I live on the water."

Cody has grand illusions should he and Max win: "I'll use $50,000 to have him cloned, and I'll give some away to charity, either for people or dogs."

Chris Olivaccé and his son Quentin, 10, of Dayton, brought along Biscuit, 3, a male Pomeranian, and Maisy, a 7-year-old female Samoyed.

"We came especially for it today hoping they could get a spot on a commercial or some kind of Milk-Bone ad. Maisy wanted to eat the Milk-Bone sign!" Chris said.

Maisy was a show dog acquired from a private home when she was around age 2, but, "She's not like a show dog now, she's retired. Now the most she could probably do is sit and be fed Milk-Bones all day, the type of dog that will lay back like a queen on her royal couch," noted Chris Olivaccé. Despite Maisy's show dog past, "Biscuit has a better chance of being the SpokesDog. He'll be like the Chuck Wagon dog running across the kitchen floor for a biscuit."

"Biscuit's really cute, he's my best friend," said Quentin. "I'd like to see him on a Milk-Bone box."

ChrisOlivaccé relayed that the lovable Biscuit sleeps underneath Quentin's covers in his bed every night. He said, "Quentin wants to rescue dogs, so we'd think of opening something like Rocky Top, but not just for dogs, for other animals as well. There wouldn't be a fee, but a suggested donation," explained Chris Olivaccé, if either dog should win the competition.

Despite the fact that Rocky Top was closed and the weather ominous, Zimmer made an exception for a couple that had driven more than an hour to get there. Departing the play area en route to the SpokesDog section were a mildmannered Doberman, Zeus, nicknamed "Gentle Giant" by park-goers, according to his owner Louann Steepy, of South Brunswick.

"I figured there'd be a lot of dogs to play with and I was right," she said.

A member of the park since he was a pup, the 20-monthold male has never been in any other contest, but "He can eat more Milk-Bones in a minute than any other dog," opined Steepy.

The unique-colored mellow Doberman sat as his pet parent spoke and detailed why he's be a shoo-in to win.

"He's a gentle, loving family dog that loves to play. He's a happy dog."

She also shared that the enormous dog sleeps on her bed.

"He's in charge — he's definitely in charge!"

If Zeus wins the contest, Steepy said, "I'm going to DisneyWorld! We'll travel cross country and go to dog parks!"

A technical glitch postponed the fanfare at the site for a while, but Zimmer traversed from the park's play area to the photo site, overseeing everything.

"I'm pleased with the outcome. The weather turned out great. The dogs had so much fun in the swim pond. It's a very nice crowd and everyone is getting along very well. All the dogs are happy and all the members are happy," said Zimmer, who opened the park six years ago and is assisted by two employees.

Rocky Top marks the tail end of the SpokesDog tour, which will visit six more sites after South Brunswick.

"My main goal was to at least make people aware of the existence of Rocky Top," said Zimmer. "Hopefully, the exposure from the event will get people to return either as a visitor dog or a member."

The SpokesDog tour ends Sept.19, and for the dogs and pet parents at Rocky Top, it was not your typical dog day of August.

Entries will still be accepted online at www.milkbone. com.