Fun things to do with your
four-legged friends
Kate Whitney
 Well, it’s about that
time of year….a few weeks before
Labor Day, to be exact. When this article
comes out in the September Issue of the
paper, Labor Day will already have come
and gone.
It’s at this point in the year that
I look back over the past few months and
think about the things I wish I had done.
One of the biggest things on my list this
summer was to bring my dogs into Boston
for a fun filled day.
Of course I do fun things with them
locally…bike rides, long walks, the
beach, etc. but I really wanted to take
them somewhere new and exciting.
Somewhere that was filled with new
smells, sounds, people, and most
importantly, new dogs (very important for
socialization!)
It was a beautiful Sunday morning in
August and I decided to take Dash and
Honey to Boston. My aunt and two best
friends accompanied me as well; one of
them brought her dog, a pug named Chubbz.
Our first stop was at Polka Dog Bakery on
Shawmut Ave.
I had read reviews about this cute dog
bakery and finally I was able to check it
out myself. When you first walk in, you
are surrounded by colorful leashes,
collars, toys, and lots of dogs!
The most amazing sight is the large
selection of treats, chewies, and baked
goodies for pooches. Faced with so many
yummy treat selections I went to town
picking things out. I grabbed a few
handfuls of some homemade treats and also
two cookies and cream dog ice cream cups
from the freezer.
Then we were on our way to the next stop.
The dog park. We took the dogs to Peters
Park Dog Run on E. Berkeley and
Washington St. What a great place! It’s
large, clean, and well maintained.
There were rocks for climbing, a water
station for hydrating, and lots of
benches to sit on while watching the dogs
happily play.
A few tips for the “new” dog
park attendee: don’t bring a bag
full of yummy treats from Polka Dog
Bakery (like I did) to the park unless
you want to look like Cesar Milan and
have a pack of 15 dogs following you
constantly.
 Along the same lines, if you
bring a sandwich for yourself (like I
did) expect to eat it while having dogs
stare at you or continuously jump on you
begging for a little taste. Also, try to
figure out what way the wind is blowing
and sit down-wind.
The dog park is a place for dogs to
exercise and also relieve themselves,
which in some cases can be stinky. So
pick your spot to sit carefully! Also,
remember to keep your eye on your dog at
all times. Not only for the dog’s
safety, but also to monitor if you need
to pick up poop or separate your dog from
another dog if any aggression should
occur.
If you see your dog get aggressive,
immediately remove him from the park.
Remember dog park etiquette!
I wanted to share the previous story with
you in the hopes that it might prompt
some of you to take your dogs somewhere
new and exciting. Summer is almost over
and that means only a few more weeks of
warm weather…so take advantage of
it!
There are some really great websites that
have great ideas for fun things to do
with your dog. To find out what, it’s
simple. Just Google “Dog Friendly
places in MA” or “fun things to
do with dogs in MA” and look at all
the sites that come up!
There are listings for dog friendly
hotels, beaches, restaurants, parks, and
events. Speaking of events, I encourage
everyone to attend the events that
support local shelters and rescues. As
you know, this is a cause close to my
heart, and I intend to participate in
every upcoming walk/event that I can. Let’s
get together and raise money and
awareness for those dogs and cats that
have nothing!
On another note…I received an email
from the President of Patriot Pet, Keith
Cathey. Patriot Pet is a dog treat
company located in Oklahoma. As a
business owner myself, I really like to
support other US companies. Patriot Pet
sent me a few bags of their treats for me
to test on my dogs. My dogs absolutely
loved these treats!
I don’t even think Honey chewed it;
she pretty much just inhaled it. Dash and
Camryn devoured them as well. Another
point that I really liked, was that
Patriot Pet has partnered with the USO,
guaranteeing that a portion of the
proceeds will go directly to support the
troops.
I really like this company for a few
reasons: the products are made with
healthy, high quality ingredients, they
give back to our troops, everything- from
the actual treat to the packaging- is
made in the U.S.A., and unlike many other
big food and treat companies, they do not
test on animals.
I hope all of you get out and do
something fun with your dogs!
They will be so happy to do something new
and exciting with you. I’m always up
for suggestions, so if anyone can
recommend something fun that they have
done, email me!!
And if anyone has questions about
upcoming walks/events, email me as well.
Enjoy the last weeks of summer!
If you are interested in adopting a puppy
or becoming a foster parent to a puppy
waiting for a home you can email Kate at Kwswingrite@aol.com
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All
pictures and material are
(C) copyright, Valley Patriot, Inc., 2008
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