'This is the way we wash our dog, wash our dog ...'

Camp Canine teaches kids to care for pets. By AMY RAY

The dog days of summer can stretch long for children. To help pass the time, parents can sign young animal lovers up for Camp Canine, a weeklong day camp run by Club Canine Dog Wash and Day Spa in Portsmouth.

“A lot of kids come in here (to Club Canine) and they have a lot of fun washing their dogs. We wanted to capture the spirit of that,” said Stacey Kimberley Rogers, co-owner of Club Canine.

The camp, which runs in weekly sessions from June 23 through Aug. 18, will offer children the chance to learn junior dog handling, participate in dog-themed arts and crafts, learn how to groom a dog, meet shelter animals visiting from the New Hampshire Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Stratham and meet a working dog from the police force. The week will end with a party for the children and their own dogs.

Up to a dozen children ages 9 to 12 are invited to participate, but they don’t have to have a pet to come to camp.

“It’s a great way to visit dogs and get your fur fix,” Rogers said.

Children with dogs will be able to bring in their pets for show and tell. While visiting, the pets will be treated to a light training session and a dog wash, including an all-natural blueberry and vanilla facial that is formulated to wash a dog’s face.

That pampering will surely get the dogs’ tails wagging and the children will learn how to read other kinds of dog body language that may be less obvious. They will also learn about bite prevention, how to approach another dog and how to walk a dog on a leash in a way that is safe for both the dog and the child.

It all boils down to the humane treatment of pets for Rogers. A board emeritus with the NHSPCA, she has been associated with the organization for 18 years.

“The humane treatment of animals begins with kids,” she said. It is about having respect, overcoming fear and having fun.

Rogers and co-owner Maribeth Girard opened Club Canine a year and a half ago, but this will be the first time the camp is being offered.

“I come to work every day with a big smile on my face, which is nice,” Rogers said of her growing business.

Parents of youngsters who are interested in having some fun this summer at Club Canine can visit www.clubcanineseacoast.com or call 433-1999.

Amy Ray is a freelance writer who lives in Rye.