The family dog now has the opportunity to tell you to get off the furniture. Architecture for Dogs has paired with pet-tech camera company PetCube  to present the dog-friendly Taps and Tails event. Taps and Tails will feature a reception with beers on tap, an interactive play space for the pooches, and an art exhibition and auction of PetCubes and pet hammocks painted by five Pow! Wow! artists. Taps and Tails will take place Wednesday evening, Aug. 8 at Berlin Bistro, 420 E. 4th St. in Long Beach. It’s a free event—dogs must bring their humans.

Architecture for Dogs is a collection of designs for dog furniture developed by architects and designers. The company launched its exhibition at Design Miami in 2012 and has since traveled to Japan, China and Brazil. Enterprising pet parents can either download blueprints for designs or purchase a Wanmock, like the ones in the photos. A Wanmock is a hammock for dogs—cats would likely covet one, too—designed by Japanese firm Torafu Architects. The term Wanmock is a mashup of hammock and wan—woof in Japanese. The structure consists of a frame on which you stretch one of your T-shirts for the pet’s emotional comfort.

PetCubes are interactive pet nanny cams that humans can link to their smartphones and then watch, talk to and play with their pets. You can conceivably make your dog or cat enjoy their bond, or else yell “Do not do that on the ficus!”

The Pow! Wow! artists who hand-painted the Wanmocks and PetCubes are Apex, Sean Chao, Amanda Lynn, Jeff McMillan and Dave Van Patten. All proceeds from the auctioned pet hammocks will benefit the shelter at Long Beach Animal Care Services. Guests who manage to place the winning bids on both the PetCube and the Wanmock will have fun watching their dog at home snoozing on an elevated T-shirt or the cat ignoring it completely and heading for the clean laundry.

Wanmock hand-painted by Pow! Wow! artist Sean Chao. Photo courtesy of Architecture for Animals.

 

The event organizers recommend that you RSVP at Eventbrite so that they know how many guests to expect. Enjoy a unique exhibit along with the hair of the dog in more than one way.