Sometimes it seems we would do anything for our dogs. Even help carry a BIG stick.
But, we should make it clear this pup is not spoiled – just very good at training people!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
Sometimes it seems we would do anything for our dogs. Even help carry a BIG stick.
But, we should make it clear this pup is not spoiled – just very good at training people!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
It was such a pleasure to see Winston and his mounted Park Ranger adding a highly visible degree of protection to our parks.
Watching this pair interact with park visitors proved what great ambassadors the mounted patrol and their most attractive horses are for our parks. Each year The Friends of the Boston Park Rangers Mounted Unit have to raise enough money to keep this program going.
If you want to see this program continue, visit their webpage and make a donation. Stay informed about their activities by following their facebook page.
Our Greyhound pal Marley really enjoyed her first encounter with one of these very much larger-than-her critters.
Judging by Marley's reaction, we suspect she has a big crush on Winston. She watched him intently until he disappeared from her view.
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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
For those of us with dogs, our daily routine includes a number of short walks to take care of their needs. Somewhere in that schedule is a longer walk to give you and your dog some exercise and perhaps a bit of fun. On weekends or vacations, these walks may turn into adventures in new settings with great things to see, hear, and for your dog to sniff!
Two-year-old Sam loves his early morning walk. He practiced his sit when Penny met him. His person said this daily routine gets her going too!
One friend calls this “the long walk.” We call it "Poppy’s exercise" because she will gladly go inside on her puppy pads to avoid being outside. But she does need to move her little body and get her pulse rate up at least once a day, so we take her for a mile or two trot around the neighborhood.
A Study on Walking the Dog
A recent study titled, “(Just) a Walk with the Dog? Animal Geographies and Negotiating Walking Spaces,” argues that “… walking with dogs represents a potentially important cultural space for making sense of human–animal relations. We show how the personalities of both dog and walker can shape not only walking practices, but also the human–animal bond. We contend that the walk is a significant arena where relations of power between animal and human are consciously mediated.”
It makes you think about the interactions you see as people walk their dogs. Is the dog having fun? Are the dog and human interacting or are they on separate missions? Who is training whom?
One of Poppy's favorite snow day activities is to run in the snow with Ed. Look at that waggin' tail to see how much she enjoys this.
Be A Dog!
One command you should regularly give your pal on the other end of the leash is, “Be a Dog!” To us that means Poppy can follow her nose, sniff at the corners, or hop up on a bench and relax. She gets a turn to do what she wants on the walk.
Other times we may need some faster-paced exercise and she will have to walk along with us to allow us to get what we need from the walk.
It's a matter of give and take. Sometimes Sam gets a longer walk. Sometimes Poppy gets to play in the snow. Sometimes Sam's person wants to get home sooner. Sometimes we want to walk faster. Everyone should get a turn now and them.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
For those of us with dogs, our daily routine includes a number of short walks to take care of their needs. Somewhere in that schedule is a longer walk to give you and your dog some exercise and perhaps a bit of fun. On weekends or vacations, these walks may turn into adventures in new settings with great things to see, hear, and for your dog to sniff!
Two-year-old Sam loves his early morning walk. He practiced his sit when Penny met him. His person said this daily routine gets her going too!
One friend calls this “the long walk.” We call it "Poppy’s exercise" because she will gladly go inside on her puppy pads to avoid being outside. But she does need to move her little body and get her pulse rate up at least once a day, so we take her for a mile or two trot around the neighborhood.
A Study on Walking the Dog
A recent study titled, “(Just) a Walk with the Dog? Animal Geographies and Negotiating Walking Spaces,” argues that “… walking with dogs represents a potentially important cultural space for making sense of human–animal relations. We show how the personalities of both dog and walker can shape not only walking practices, but also the human–animal bond. We contend that the walk is a significant arena where relations of power between animal and human are consciously mediated.”
It makes you think about the interactions you see as people walk their dogs. Is the dog having fun? Are the dog and human interacting or are they on separate missions? Who is training whom?
One of Poppy's favorite snow day activities is to run in the snow with Ed. Look at that waggin' tail to see how much she enjoys this.
Be A Dog!
One command you should regularly give your pal on the other end of the leash is, “Be a Dog!” To us that means Poppy can follow her nose, sniff at the corners, or hop up on a bench and relax. She gets a turn to do what she wants on the walk.
Other times we may need some faster-paced exercise and she will have to walk along with us to allow us to get what we need from the walk.
It's a matter of give and take. Sometimes Sam gets a longer walk. Sometimes Poppy gets to play in the snow. Sometimes Sam's person wants to get home sooner. Sometimes we want to walk faster. Everyone should get a turn now and them.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)
Here is something you need to put on the to-do list of your human servants.
In Boston it's so simple even a human can do it. I nagged a bit when I spotted the envelope from Inspectional Services in the mail pile, sat Penny down at her computer, and I already have an official 2017 dog tag from the city.
Because I already had all my information in the system, the city sent a reminder to my staff. But, this year, it arrived early in February instead of late March or April. Good work dog license crew.
My new tag arrived in a week!
Just like you have to make sure your chauffeur has a valid driver's license, you have to be sure one of your human staff members gets you a Boston dog license. (If Boston is your main residence and you are more than six months old.)
You can sit them down at a computer and send them to the Animal Care and Control page for more information. Here is the link for your secretary to get your license done online.
Should you require an updated rabies vaccination before you can apply for a license, there are a few low-cost rabies clinics scheduled. Here's the list. Or you can Download 2017 Boston Rabies Clinics.
Please don't come running up to me on one of those long, thin, dangerous strings with a pulley. I'm a bit shy and I don't trust those things. You'll make me stamp my little paw down!
Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston. If a person tries to attach one to you, g-r-o-w-l at them.
One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with you, your retainers, if asked, must be able to show that they are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags
Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies if you are stopped after your business is done, but the walk isn’t.
Sir Felix is one of my special knights. He prefers a leather leash
I must admit, I'm not much of a dog park dog. I prefer a nice chat on a park bench or a picnic lunch under a shady tree.
But, for those who like to romp, the legal exceptions to the leash law are: the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End, DeFilippo Park in the North End, and Ronan Park in Dorchester.
The one bit of guidance you must be sure your humans note is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “… every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” My people have their number on all our cell phones in case of an emergency. And it can't hurt to have your chauffeur practice a drive to the location so he or she will know where you are going during a stressful time. You don't want to be giving the driver directions if you have an upset tummy.
If you have questions about living in Boston, have your people send them to my people and I'll try to dig out answers. (I do love to dig.) Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.
Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon
Details:
Words: The Most Noble Duchess Poppy of Whitehead. (Dictated to her humble servants Ed & Penny)
Photography: © 2013-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
Duchess Poppy Whitehead here! (Once we're friends, you can call me Poppy.)
Here is something you need to put on the to-do list of your human servants.
In Boston it's so simple even a human can do it. I nagged a bit when I spotted the envelope from Inspectional Services in the mail pile, sat Penny down at her computer, and I already have an official 2017 dog tag from the city.
Because I already had all my information in the system, the city sent a reminder to my staff. But, this year, it arrived early in February instead of late March or April. Good work dog license crew.
My new tag arrived in a week!
Just like you have to make sure your chauffeur has a valid driver's license, you have to be sure one of your human staff members gets you a Boston dog license. (If Boston is your main residence and you are more than six months old.)
You can sit them down at a computer and send them to the Animal Care and Control page for more information. Here is the link for your secretary to get your license done online.
Should you require an updated rabies vaccination before you can apply for a license, there are a few low-cost rabies clinics scheduled. Here's the list. Or you can Download 2017 Boston Rabies Clinics.
Please don't come running up to me on one of those long, thin, dangerous strings with a pulley. I'm a bit shy and I don't trust those things. You'll make me stamp my little paw down!
Boston's leash law is clearly stated on the city’s site, “When your dog is off your property, it must be on a leash.” City ordinance calls for a leash of 10-feet or less. That makes most retractable leashes technically illegal in Boston. If a person tries to attach one to you, g-r-o-w-l at them.
One more interesting aspect of Boston’s dog rules is that while out with you, your retainers, if asked, must be able to show that they are carrying something to pick up dog waste. This makes city dog walks a prime reason to attach a roll of pick-up bags
Even if your people use recycled bags to do the majority of clean ups, the roll will give them a back up supplies if you are stopped after your business is done, but the walk isn’t.
Sir Felix is one of my special knights. He prefers a leather leash
I must admit, I'm not much of a dog park dog. I prefer a nice chat on a park bench or a picnic lunch under a shady tree.
But, for those who like to romp, the legal exceptions to the leash law are: the “official off-leash hours” on the Boston Common, and inside the fences at dog parks like Peter’s Park in the South End, DeFilippo Park in the North End, and Ronan Park in Dorchester.
The one bit of guidance you must be sure your humans note is that Angell Animal Medical Center Emergency Services are available, as they say, “… every day of the year, 24 hours each day.” My people have their number on all our cell phones in case of an emergency. And it can't hurt to have your chauffeur practice a drive to the location so he or she will know where you are going during a stressful time. You don't want to be giving the driver directions if you have an upset tummy.
If you have questions about living in Boston, have your people send them to my people and I'll try to dig out answers. (I do love to dig.) Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email.
Get to know all of the wonderful Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon
Details:
Words: The Most Noble Duchess Poppy of Whitehead. (Dictated to her humble servants Ed & Penny)
Photography: © 2013-2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
This was a week when Poppy's Pawz
As we walk along, we have a system to be sure she hasn't thrown a shoe. Salt is the reason she is wearing boots, so each time we cross a salty intersection, we do a mental boot count.
Once you get started on this habit, it becomes almost automatic. Road = Salt = Boot Check! Then if we count three boots instead of four, we only have to backtrack one block to look for the missing paw cover.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
This was a week when Poppy's Pawz
As we walk along, we have a system to be sure she hasn't thrown a shoe. Salt is the reason she is wearing boots, so each time we cross a salty intersection, we do a mental boot count.
Once you get started on this habit, it becomes almost automatic. Road = Salt = Boot Check! Then if we count three boots instead of four, we only have to backtrack one block to look for the missing paw cover.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino
Poppy, our Westie, puts on a little weight every winter. Ed, who weighs her regularly and keeps a log, has noticed this seasonal increase for the past three years.
Besides snow walking, Poppy loves “snow hopping” (her favorite sport). Both give her a good workout and help control winter weight for all of us!
This winter, because she’s had more exercise than in past years, we’re scratching our heads to figure it out. We weigh her food and monitor her treats so we’d know if she were eating more. She’s not. Is there something in a dog’s nature that hangs on to calories in winter? Does her metabolism slow down?
The Thrifty Gene
After some research, we learned the answer to those questions is,”Yes!” Ken Tudor, DVM, on the Pet MD website wrote, “Shorter days signal to the dog brain that winter is coming. This sets off hormonal changes to slow metabolism and conserve calorie expenditure.” He says, “These changes also promote the deposition of fat. This phenomenon is a result of a genetic adaptation called the ‘thrifty gene.’ The thrifty gene prepares the dog for the harsh winter and allows for normal performance in harsh conditions.”
We have to offset the thrifty gene with more attention to the “food in/exercise out” balance. Just as it is with humans, dogs have to eat less or exercise more to keep from gaining weight.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino adapted for BostonZest from one of our City Paws newspaper columns.
Photos: ©2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino