We always love making new doggie pals on the beach in Provincetown. Sebastian and Kodiak were on a weekend scouting trip with their people to see if the four of them would like to spend a vacation in our favorite spot by the sea.
Koko was all about sitting and resting on the beach but Sebby was determined to get a play session going. He's just a pup and could not understand meditating by the sea when you could romp!
On the return trip, he was surprised to learn that those people up there on the deck above the beach knew his name.
We watched this charming family from Amherst as they wandered their way back to their hotel. They were happily impressed with the dog friendliness of the folks in Provincetown. We think they'll return again and often.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
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Our dear Poppy turned 4 on April 20th and she celebrated her birthday with two weeks of walking on the beach and listening to the waves in Provincetown.
Here is her official age four birthday portrait. She was sitting on the window ledge in a bay window keeping watch on the comings and goings of neighbors. The wonderful Provincetown light picked up the blue cast from the glorious sky and used it to outline her white fur.
Her pose shows that she does have her serious and thoughtful moments … ("Aren't you supposed to be preparing my lunch?")
She spent a lot of time in this window seat …
Snoozing on the window ledge …
Or curling up on Penny's lap since this was a favorite indoor reading spot. That's her waterproof Mambe throw that she's cuddled into.
The dog-loving staff at Bayshore/Chandler House were on hand to wish her a Happy Birthday and her personal staff of human retainers (that would be us – Penny & Ed) took her for many walks on the beach at low tide.
"Tell me again why we can't beach walk at High Tide!"
Except for the pesky delivery trucks and the beep, beep, beep of construction vehicles, it was a quiet and happy two weeks for the little Westie girl. She had to be shown the water at the bottom of the access stairs to the beach at high tide because we all know that beach walking is much better than road walking.
So here's a belated happy birthday post for our favorite Sunday Dog. We hope all of you find a happy place with fun things to do for your special dog's birthday or Gotcha Day!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Our dear Poppy turned 4 on April 20th and she celebrated her birthday with two weeks of walking on the beach and listening to the waves in Provincetown.
Here is her official age four birthday portrait. She was sitting on the window ledge in a bay window keeping watch on the comings and goings of neighbors. The wonderful Provincetown light picked up the blue cast from the glorious sky and used it to outline her white fur.
Her pose shows that she does have her serious and thoughtful moments … ("Aren't you supposed to be preparing my lunch?")
She spent a lot of time in this window seat …
Snoozing on the window ledge …
Or curling up on Penny's lap since this was a favorite indoor reading spot. That's her waterproof Mambe throw that she's cuddled into.
The dog-loving staff at Bayshore/Chandler House were on hand to wish her a Happy Birthday and her personal staff of human retainers (that would be us – Penny & Ed) took her for many walks on the beach at low tide.
"Tell me again why we can't beach walk at High Tide!"
Except for the pesky delivery trucks and the beep, beep, beep of construction vehicles, it was a quiet and happy two weeks for the little Westie girl. She had to be shown the water at the bottom of the access stairs to the beach at high tide because we all know that beach walking is much better than road walking.
So here's a belated happy birthday post for our favorite Sunday Dog. We hope all of you find a happy place with fun things to do for your special dog's birthday or Gotcha Day!
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Dogs give us an excuse to seek out natural spaces. Walk the Esplanade early in the morning and you’ll see individuals and groups of friends walking their dogs in this closer-to-nature setting.
In an 1896 letter to the Boston Metropolitan Park Commission, Charles Eliot, landscape architect and champion of this park along the Charles River wrote, “Reservations of scenery are the cathedrals of the modern world.” While the beautiful, bucolic settings that were the original purpose of our parks have been sacrificed over the years, you can still find a few spots where you can feel the healthful effects of nature.
Learn from Your Dog
Watch your dog the next time the two of you visit a beautiful, leafy spot. Notice how he takes in the scene. Follow her lead as she explores the trees, listens to the sounds, and uses all her senses to fully experience the space.
I’m not suggesting you get down and sniff the ground, but rather that you try to pay attention to the sensory setting the way your dog does. Try to find a quiet place in the park, away from modern day distractions, and imagine our city’s natural spaces as they were when created by men like Frederick Law Olmsted, Charles Eliot, or Arthur Shurcliff.
What does the sun feel like on your back? What does the wind in the trees sound like? Try to pick up the slight difference in scent as you near a body of water. These were meant to be places where the city population could escape the crowded city and enjoy the benefits of nature.
Science Confirms
Today, study after study has proven that these men were wise in their instinct to provide spaces where dogs can take their people back to nature.
The University of Rochester reported this conclusion after reviewing a series of studies on the topic including one by Professor Richard Ryan who reported, “… people are more caring and generous when exposed to nature.” And, "The findings were particularly robust, being outside in nature for just 20 minutes in a day was enough to significantly boost vitality levels.”
“We have a natural connection with living things," said Ryan. "Nature is something within which we flourish, so having it be more a part of our lives is critical, especially when we live and work in built environments."
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Next Sunday, April 24, 2016, is Fresh Paint Day! Put it on your dog walk calendar because that’s when the talented artists from the Copley Society of Art spread out across the area to create a fresh work of art that will be auctioned off at their May 5th gala.
It’s also a great photo walk for those who love to give their cameras or phones the challenge of recording what’s happening on a day like this.
Gather the pack, get a map of where the artists will be from the Copley Society, plan a picnic lunch along the way, and give the dogs a nice long walk while you pick out your favorite piece of artwork to bid on for that doghouse of yours.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
If you have a camera on your phone, you probably have hundreds of photos of your companion animals from silly moments to formal portraits.
Here's our Poppy posing in her pearls.
Have you ever thought of documenting a day in the life of your furry family members. This exercise could be more than a happy photo album. It could be a guide for someone else who might one day care for your animals.
Safety Net
Every being that is dependent on someone for their daily care should have a safety net plan in place. My husband and I carry Pet Alert cards with a photo of our Westie Poppy and instructions on the people to call if we are unable to care for her.
The friends whose names and numbers are on the card have keys to our home and know a lot about Poppy. But it recently dawned on me that we could give them even more insight into her habits.
Poppy loves being under things. She's often found sleeping under Ed's desk while he works.
I’m going to do this by recording what happens in a typical day in her life and putting that information into an online document in Dropbox or Google Drive that I can share with them. By providing a link to a document instead of a piece of paper, I can update it as things change and they would have the latest information just by going to that link.
Poppy's caregivers should know where her food is stored – (the freezer) and how much to give her each day.
Learning from a Foster Dog
Years ago Ed & I accepted the surrender of a very sick, but very loved, Westie named Shannon. Her family had been overwhelmed by unexpected caregiving responsibilities. They were very careful about choosing a Westie Rescue Group to take her, and did everything possible to make her transition to our home an easy one.
They provided full medical records and her favorite toys, but more helpful was the information they included about her. Every member of the family wrote down all the little things they could think of to tell me about her: what she ate, how she liked to play, what made her happy, and what scared her.
The rescue team was able to cure Shannon’s disease and find her a loving, permanent home. In turn, this experience taught me how important information can be to someone who takes over the care of a dog.
Need To Know
Start with a basic fact sheet with contact information for your veterinarian, a list of medications, any seasonal or ongoing problems (like itchy allergies), and feeding instructions. Then, with the help of photos or short videos, you can run down your routine for a typical day.
In time, most dogs and cats will adapt to whatever household routine they are given. However, you can make it so much easier for both your caregiver and your animal if they have some idea of normal.
On a routine walk are their dogs, people, or objects that your dog should avoid? Are there favorite spots where he really enjoys walking or special friends she would love to see? Does your cat have a special scratch spot that will make his eyes squint with pleasure? Or is she reactive when you touch her paws or ears?
I would never ask her caregivers to follow an exact routine. They were chosen because I trust them. By providing complete information, they’ll know that, for example, my Poppy needs a late night snack or she may have an upset tummy from too much acid in the morning. That could save a clean up and a trip to the vet.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
If you have a camera on your phone, you probably have hundreds of photos of your companion animals from silly moments to formal portraits.
Here's our Poppy posing in her pearls.
Have you ever thought of documenting a day in the life of your furry family members. This exercise could be more than a happy photo album. It could be a guide for someone else who might one day care for your animals.
Safety Net
Every being that is dependent on someone for their daily care should have a safety net plan in place. My husband and I carry Pet Alert cards with a photo of our Westie Poppy and instructions on the people to call if we are unable to care for her.
The friends whose names and numbers are on the card have keys to our home and know a lot about Poppy. But it recently dawned on me that we could give them even more insight into her habits.
Poppy loves being under things. She's often found sleeping under Ed's desk while he works.
I’m going to do this by recording what happens in a typical day in her life and putting that information into an online document in Dropbox or Google Drive that I can share with them. By providing a link to a document instead of a piece of paper, I can update it as things change and they would have the latest information just by going to that link.
Poppy's caregivers should know where her food is stored – (the freezer) and how much to give her each day.
Learning from a Foster Dog
Years ago Ed & I accepted the surrender of a very sick, but very loved, Westie named Shannon. Her family had been overwhelmed by unexpected caregiving responsibilities. They were very careful about choosing a Westie Rescue Group to take her, and did everything possible to make her transition to our home an easy one.
They provided full medical records and her favorite toys, but more helpful was the information they included about her. Every member of the family wrote down all the little things they could think of to tell me about her: what she ate, how she liked to play, what made her happy, and what scared her.
The rescue team was able to cure Shannon’s disease and find her a loving, permanent home. In turn, this experience taught me how important information can be to someone who takes over the care of a dog.
Need To Know
Start with a basic fact sheet with contact information for your veterinarian, a list of medications, any seasonal or ongoing problems (like itchy allergies), and feeding instructions. Then, with the help of photos or short videos, you can run down your routine for a typical day.
In time, most dogs and cats will adapt to whatever household routine they are given. However, you can make it so much easier for both your caregiver and your animal if they have some idea of normal.
On a routine walk are their dogs, people, or objects that your dog should avoid? Are there favorite spots where he really enjoys walking or special friends she would love to see? Does your cat have a special scratch spot that will make his eyes squint with pleasure? Or is she reactive when you touch her paws or ears?
I would never ask her caregivers to follow an exact routine. They were chosen because I trust them. By providing complete information, they’ll know that, for example, my Poppy needs a late night snack or she may have an upset tummy from too much acid in the morning. That could save a clean up and a trip to the vet.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
There is nothing like watching a puppy bound through the park discovering the world and the people and dogs around him or her.
We keep running into these two little pups on our walks on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. Their antics are sure to make you smile.
They circle and sniff one another and then take notice of all their human admirers and dash away to get some smiles and pats from their fans.
This youngster jumped for joy when he saw our friend Greer. She is very tolerant of puppy play and will only give a silly little growl when the kids get out of hand.
Lilly, the Westie pup, was visiting Boston. Her person stopped us near the Public Garden to ask suggestions for a great place to buy a hostess gift. (We sent her to Blackstone's Beacon Hill on Charles Street where we knew the well-mannered Lily would be welcomed and the selection would result in a perfect gift.)
You met Guinness in a post last month but he is such a cutie and was quickly surrounded by a gathering of fans as he walked down Columbus Avenue in the South End that we had to include him in this post too.
Thanks to all the people who allow us to enjoy their new pups. But, just one reminder, if someone is keeping that puppy away, it may be because he or she is not ready for the meet-and-greet scene. The little dog might be in the "window of susceptibility." More about that in this post about another adorable puppy.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs. (This post will be first in the group, so scroll down to meet more of our canine pals.)
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
One of our walking companions Sky introduced us to her distant relatives Charlie and Smokey a few weeks ago as we all reached the Vendome Fire Memorial on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
As you stroll the parks and other popular dog walking places in Boston, you meet playful puppies bounding up at every dog and person in sight. You avoid snarling beasties with more attitude than a mountain lion. You greet old friends with the usual rounds of hellos and sniffs. And you come upon very nice polite pups like Charlie and Smokey.
While you might think the darker of the two is Smokey and the lighter Charlie, it is just the opposite. They are both sweet pups who seem to get along with everyone they meet on their walks.
Maybe they're just responding to the way the people in the group are admiring their adorable expressions.
You two are becoming a highlight of our walks. See you soon.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
One of our walking companions Sky introduced us to her distant relatives Charlie and Smokey a few weeks ago as we all reached the Vendome Fire Memorial on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
As you stroll the parks and other popular dog walking places in Boston, you meet playful puppies bounding up at every dog and person in sight. You avoid snarling beasties with more attitude than a mountain lion. You greet old friends with the usual rounds of hellos and sniffs. And you come upon very nice polite pups like Charlie and Smokey.
While you might think the darker of the two is Smokey and the lighter Charlie, it is just the opposite. They are both sweet pups who seem to get along with everyone they meet on their walks.
Maybe they're just responding to the way the people in the group are admiring their adorable expressions.
You two are becoming a highlight of our walks. See you soon.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
