Ryan Beil: Dog Day of Summer was a resounding success, but I have ideas to make it even better

For many years now the Vancouver Canadians have offered up what has become a cherished tradition for fans attending games at Nat Bailey Stadium. And that is the Dog Day of Summer. 

For those of you who have been living your life with your paws over your eyes, I will once again explain what Dog Day of Summer is. And believe me when I say I totally enjoy explaining what Dog Day of Summer is. 

Dog Day of Summer is the one day of the year when all dogs are allowed to come within the gates of The Nat and confusedly take in a game of baseball. 

In my house, it’s the most important date on the summer calendar, surpassing all weddings, birthdays, and stat holidays. 

I’m only (slightly) joking, of course, but it is a tremendous event with lots of fun to be had, especially if you enjoy looking at dogs!. And while I have no hard evidence (remember: I’m not a real journalist) there seemed to be more dogs than ever at this year’s festivities (which took place on Tuesday June 27).

I had an absolute blast and my two dogs/monsters, which I brought with me, were over-stimulated into a state of total euphoria. 

It was lovely and also kind of whimsical to see a sea of happy dog faces bathed in the setting sun while a baseball game took place in front of them. A good one, too; we won in a walk-off.

I’m thankful the Canadians keep bringing the night back, as I know it must be somewhere between hectic and chaotic for the C’s staff, who work so hard to make it a smooth-running and fun evening for everyone involved. 

So I’m not here to knock it. Not by any means. But. I’m a real “gild the lily” type of person, you see, and I may or may not have a couple of ideas on how the C’s could improve Dog Day for next year and the years to come. 

1. Involve the dogs in the Sushi Race

I think this is a huge opportunity staring everybody right in the face. Everyone at that stadium on Dog Day wanted to see some dogs run the bases, and if they tell you differently they’re lying. The Sushi Race is the perfect moment for this. Plus, while some of the dogs seemed to react favourably to the Sushi Mascots, others…were distrustful…angry even. Including a couple of these dogs in the mix would add an extra layer of intensity that, frankly, we haven’t seen from the Sushi Race in years. 

2. Give some dogs jobs

A cursory search on the internet tells me that many minor league baseball teams employ what are known as “Bat Dogs” and I demand the same thing happen here in Vancouver. You heard that right. A Bat Dog: Dogs that are trained to retrieve the bats of hitters and take them back to the dugout. 

It’s a perfect win-win-win situation. The crowd wins because it’s an adorable thing to watch. The team wins because they just got an extra (and very good) Bat Boy, and the dog wins because dogs like to pick things up with their mouths and run around with them. And If I were in charge, which I am most certainly not, I wouldn’t stop there. Why not Dog Beer Guys? Or Dog Ushers. I mean if you’re gonna call it Dog Day I think you really need to go for it. Basically, I’m asking that you hand over the majority of control to the dogs for one day. 

So what do you think? Do you love Dog Day? Or do you steer clear of Dog Day? Have some improvement ideas of your own? Let me know! As always, you can find me at The Nat!