Catie Fedyk, Alexis Eveland and Katelyn Twillman with friends

Do you like to have fun with your pet dog? Then, the Museum of the Dog at Queeny Park is the place to be on the third Sunday of every month.

That's when the museum holds its Children's Fun Day. It's especially designed for kids 14 and under and their families.

The next fun day will be Sunday, August, 19. The theme is Schnauzer Craze. You'll find out all sorts of things about three different breeds of Schnauzers.

There also will be games and arts and crafts that have a Schnauzer theme. On the August fun day, you'll also learn how to groom your pet and now to buy a pure breed dog.

Each fun day program is from 1:30 to 4 p.m.

Dalmatian dogs were the focus of the July fun day. The main feature was demonstrations by the Dalmatian Drill Team of St. Louis.

Three local 7-year-olds, Catie Fedyk, Katelyn Twillmann and Alexis Eveland, helped other team members put on the program.

They are helpers for "auntie" June Brennan-Mueller of the Spotsavers of St. Louis. Brennan-Mueller is Katelyn's real aunt. But, she added, "I'm auntie to all the girls."

The girls did a little bit of everything during the drill team demonstration. Part of the demonstration featured tips on how kids should act when meeting a dog for the first time.

Katelyn showed how to act when meeting a strange dog on the street.

"If you see a stray dog, you hurry up and stand real still like you were a tree or a rock. You can't move to itch or anything," she said. That gives the dog a chance to sniff you and make sure you're not trying to hurt it, she said.

Catie helped to demonstrate the proper courtesy on how to meet dogs who are with their owners. "First, you ask if you can pet the dog. If they say yes, you cup your hand in a U-shape and let the dog sniff it," she said.

"Then, after you pet the dog, you should say, 'Thank you for letting me pet your dog,'" she said.

Alexis said she hasn't been working with the Dalmatian Formation drill team as many times as the other two girls. "Sometimes, I baby-sit with the kids while the demonstration goes on," she said.

When asked about her own pets, Alexis said, "I've got 61/2 pets. I've got two cats, a bird, a 'sugar glider,' and 2 1/2 dogs."

She identified the "sugar glider" as a variety of Australian bat. As for the 1/2 dog, she said, "My step-mother has a dog and that's half mine too."

Katelyn said she only has one pet, a dog named "Coco," who she described as a German Shepherd-Border Collie mix.

Catie said she hasn't got any pets now. She said she had a dog, two birds and five gold fish but they all died. "My pets all lasted about four years but then they died," she said.

The girls said they all started helping with the Dalmatian Formation drill team when they were five. But, Catie and Katelyn have worked more often.

Catie will be a second grader at Bridgeway Elementary School while Katelyn and Alexis will be second graders at Our Redeemer Lutheran School.

In addition to the demonstration by the Dalmatian drill team, kids at the August fun day had a chance to color pet portraits, solve pup puzzles and participate in arts and crafts.

Families attending also had a chance to tour the museum. It includes portraits of all types of dogs as well as many statues of different breeds. The museum is sponsored by the American Kennel Club.

The museum is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and national holidays.

The museum is located in Queeny Park in west St. Louis County. The entrance is off Mason Road between Highway 40 and Manchester Rd.

For more information about the museum, you can call (314) 821-3647 or log on the website at www.amerkennelclubmuseum.bizonthe.net.

For information about the Dalmatian dog breed, you can go to two websites. One is www.spotsavers.org or www.dalsavers.com.