Best Dog Friendly Parks in SLO

Guinness, one of many happy patrons at El Chorro dog park

For a beach getaway, try the dog beach in Avila located on the left just before Port San Luis; while you tan during the day, your pooch can enjoy playing and meeting with new friends.  After a long day of playing, you can both snuggle up together on the warm sand while watching the beautiful sunset.

As a student, owning a dog isn’t easy; lease regulations and landlord rules make it extremely difficult to keep a pet with you at home.  But if you are one of the lucky few who have found the time, money, and home to live happily with your pup, pat yourself—and your dog—on the back, because you have gone against all odds of owning a pet in college.

Providing an exuberant life for any dog is key to its physical and mental health, so what could be better than to take your dog to parks that are exclusively devoted to dogs and their owners?  Dog parks serve as great advantages for you, your pooch, and other community members who wish to enjoy the outdoors, fresh air and good memories.

Dog parks

Emerson Park
Pismo St. & Nipomo
FREE!

Enjoy a luscious day with your friends and/or family, that serves to please everyone. With a grass-field large enough to play soccer or football, there is no wonder why this park would be great for your active dog.  Located a few short blocks away from downtown, you can walk or jog with your dog down to Pismo and Nipomo to enjoy a day’s workout at the outdoor gym, or a game of basketball on a full-sized court. Other amenities include horse shoe pits, a kitty playground, and barbecue pits with picnic tables. For those interested in gardening, a community garden is available where the public is invited to plant their favorite flowers and veggies. As a gated park, you don’t need to worry about your beloved pet running away.  Though the park advises patrons to keep dogs on leashes, feel free to let your dog run free at your own precaution. If nature calls, no need to worry, the park provides “Mutt-Mitts” for when you most need them.  This is truly a great, well-rounded park, where you get the sense that the park was built with the whole family in mind…of course, that includes your pooch.

What to bring: sun block, basketball, baseball mitt/ball, soccer ball, seeds to flower, blanket, picnic food, BBQ food, tennis shoes, your dog, friends/family, tennis ball/stick for catch, book, camera

El Chorro Regional Dog Park
Off of Highway 1, across from Cuesta College
$ 2 Entrance Fee (Free on the Weekends)
Closes at Sunset

What could make your dog happier than a fully fenced park, complete with wading tubs and toys?  As an all-volunteer built and maintained dog park, El Chorro offers a great sense of family and community among its visitors who want to enjoy a beautiful day playing and meeting with new companions. The entire park is comprised of seven different amenities: a luxurious gulf course, campgrounds, ball fields, playgrounds, a botanical garden, natural areas and trails which provide great hiking opportunities, and of course, the dog park.

It’s divided into two areas: a small area for smaller, quieter dogs, and a large area for larger, more active dogs; however, small dogs frequently venture with the “big boys.”  The park provides toys and tennis balls to keep the fun rolling, drinking fountains to help replenish your dog’s energy, and wading tubs to keep your dog cool on hot days. The ground is covered with wood chips that are donated by local lumber companies that keep the park clean and paw-safe.  Other amenities within the dog park are picnic tables and barbecue pits that allow for fun gatherings for everyone. Because the park relies on volunteers to help maintain it, visitors are encouraged to donate anything they can, including time to help keep the park clean. To maintain the park at high and happy standards, donations are kindly appreciated—donation envelopes can be found in the park entrance.

What to bring: golf clubs, balls, barbecue/picnic food, blanket, camera, towel, book, tennis shoes, sweater, camping equipment

Laguna Lake
504 Madonna Rd.
(805) 441-5100

With beautiful trails winding in and out of the surrounding mountains, this beautiful park is great to bring your pet to enjoy a beautiful day playing in the area off-leash. Though unfenced, it is set away from any traffic or posing dangers to your beloved pooch so no worries there. However, if your dog is more of the daring adventurer, it would be best to keep him or her on-leash, and just enjoy the surrounding trails and discover new sights, or walk along the lake’s edge and feed the birds. In any case you forget to bring doggie toys, or decide you want to spoil your dog(s) with delicious treats, the park is located across Madonna Plaza, where you can shop at Petcofor your dog’s conveniences.

Best Dog-Friendly restaurants

Louisa’s Place
964 Higuera street
805-541-0227

Louisa’s have been voted the best breakfast spot for three years in a row, and keeps many tummys full and happy. But the restaurant doesn’t only care about its customers. The outdoor seating is perfect for you and your pup to enjoy a beautiful day and delicious food. The waitresses, and even the manager, make sure to keep both you and your pet happy by bringing them water and special treats.

West End Espresso & Tea
670 Higuera St.
805) 543-4902‎

The patio is a great place to sit and enjoy a wonderful espresso or tea along with your pooch.  Sip on a cold drink while your dog munches on complimentary treats provided by the coffee shop.

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Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants In San Antonio

photo credit: SA Current

Looking for a new restaurant you can bring your whole family to — including the family dog?

Here’s a list of the best dog-friendly restaurants (and bars!) in San Antonio, as compiled by readers over at the San Antonio Budget Grocery Facebook page, plus a few I’ve personally visited with my dog Jackson.

Everything is sorted alphabetically by restaurant name, and I’ve also listed any current coupons or deals available, so you know which spots can save you some money too!

Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants & Bars in San Antonio

• 
  Beer Goggles — Check their Facebook page for daily specials.  Dogs are welcome on the patio.


• 
  Bin 555 — Dogs are welcome on the patio.


• The Cove — Dogs are welcome on the patio.  Sign up on Facebook for their free rewards program!


• 
  Flying Saucer — it’s rare to find a night without dogs on the patio.  Check their online calendar for daily drink specials.


• 
  Freetail Brewing Company — Dogs are welcome on the patio.  Daily specials are listed on the website, but $ 2.50 Pint Night on Tuesdays is always popular with beer drinkers and dog lovers alike.


• 
  The Friendly Spot — This Southtown open-air favorite allows dogs, but may not be a great choice if your fur-baby gets anxious in crowds.


• 
  Green Vegetarian Cuisine at the Pearl Brewery — Dogs are welcome on the patio, but fair warning that ducks from the river are often on the patio as well.  So be sure you keep a tight grip on your dog’s leash!  Sign up for their online mailing list for coupons and weekly specials.


• 
  Los Patios — actually was the very first San Antonio restaurant to welcome dogs!  Jackson is a particular fan of their patio, since the staff brings him water and generally makes a fuss over him.


• 
  Madhatters Tea House & Cafe — Dogs welcome on the patio.


• 
  Papouli’s — The various locations throughout San Antonio all allow dogs in their outdoor seating areas (although the location at Huebner Oaks definitely has more room to stretch out than others.)  Don’t forget to sign up for your free Papouli’s Perks card – you can earn free $ 10 dining credits with regular use.


• 
  Tre Trattoria in Alamo Heights — Dogs are welcome on the patio.  I recommend following the Tre Facebook page for current specials, like their semi-regular Wednesday WINE Down, which offers 5 glasses of wine + a complimentary appetizer for $ 25 per person.

Need more options for a meal out with your pooch?  The San Antonio Current has a compilation of their favorite dog-friendly restaurants available here.

Charlotte"s Best Neighborhood Windsor Park is Dog Friendly

Be a good dog neighbor!

Robert Frost wrote that “good fences make good neighbors.” It is equally true that good dog owners make good neighbors. Neighborly relationships are ruined every day by unconscientious dog owners, and poorly trained dogs. But, if you take the right measures, you can have your dog and your friendly neighbors too, whether you have good fences or not.

Barking

One of the biggest issues people have with their dog-owning neighbors is excessive barking. The best way to keep your dog from barking and infuriating your neighbors is to keep him inside when you’re not available to supervise.

This doesn’t just benefit your neighbors. Dogs left alone in the yard can escape and get in to all sorts of trouble. They are also left open to teasing by other animals, neighborhood kids, and mean neighbors. But as far as the excessive barking, you have no way to control the behavior, or correct it if you aren’t around to witness it. If you leave your dog outside all day while you are at work, you have no way of knowing if he is disturbing your neighbors, so it is best to leave him inside. If he is not well behaved enough to be trusted in the house, crate training is a wonderful and safe option.

You can also take measures to limit your dog’s barking in general. Come up with a “be quiet” command like “hush,” or “enough.” When your dog barks, say “hush” and “sit.” If he sits and stops barking, give him a treat. Tell him to hush every single time he barks, and give him a treat every time he sits and stops, and he will learn that hush not only means that he must stop barking, but also that he is going to be rewarded.

Teaching a place command can help as well. Place is a target exercise that cues your dog to go to a specific location and hold a down stay. You can use this as an alternate behavior to excessive barking. Read the article on Teaching Place to learn the steps to shaping this behavior.

Pick Up the Poo

Another issue people have with their dog-owner neighbors is dog waste. It is unpleasant, smelly, and a huge pain if you step in it. It also spreads disease. Dog waste left out can seep into the ground water or flow into streams and make people and other animals sick.

Police your yard regularly for doggy piles. There are many affordable pooper scoopers available, so the fact that dog waste is gross and you don’t want to touch it is no excuse. Also, always, always, pick up after your dog when you are on a walk or at the dog park. Not doing so is unsanitary and intolerably rude. There are lots of small, handy carriers for biodegradable bags, some of which even attach to your dog’s leash for superior convenience. Never leave the house to walk your dog without some baggies to pick up after him.

No Roaming

No matter how good your dog is about wandering around the neighborhood and always coming home, you should not allow this behavior. Dogs who are allowed to roam often lead a sort of double life. Much like a flock of neighborhood kids, roaming dogs will hang out together and form a pack. A perfectly mellow and non destructive dog can wreak havoc when grouped with a bunch of other dogs. They can tear apart garbage cans, chase children, or tease or injure other animals.

Roaming dogs also face the danger of being hit by cars, being stolen, being picked up by Animal Control, or being injured by another animal or person in the neighborhood. People can be cruel, and as hard as it is to understand, there are lots of people out there who just hate animals; you don’t want your dog to be at the mercy of these kinds of people.

When your dog is not in your home or yard, he should be with you, and always on a leash. You have zero control of a dog not on a leash, no matter how well trained he is. The best way to avoid disaster is to leash your dog.

Dog Park Manners

Do not let your dog off his leash until he is in the dog park, and always pick up after him. Dog parks are shut down all the time because of lazy owners’ reluctance to clean up after their pooches.

Also, you must understand your dog’s behavior so you can anticipate trouble. Know your dog’s body language so you can tell if he is frightened or about to behave aggressively. If your dog is bullying other dogs, stop him immediately. The dog park is not a babysitting service; you must supervise your dog and be ready to diffuse any situations that may arise. If your dog is continually bullying, it’s time to go home. The dog park is there for everyone to enjoy, and a whole dog park’s good time can be ruined by one bully dog. If your dog is extremely dog-aggressive, do yourself and your neighbors a favor and keep him out of the dog park until this behavior has been reversed.

If you follow these tips, use your good judgment, and think about how you would like you and your dog to be treated, you can be a great dog neighbor. There’s no reason that dog people and non-dog people can’t get along and have fun, fulfilling neighborly relationships.

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Best Dog-Friendly Beaches

Take your salty dog to one of  Coastal Living Magazine’s best six dog-friendly beaches.

This salty dog is definitely a beach  bum. Love the shades pooch!

Kudos to Coastal Living Magazine  for publishing in the most recent issue their vote for six of the best dog-friendly beaches and what a fun way to exercise your dog (and yourself) than a pooch-friendly beach. So let your salty dog take a run along the wet sand, take a cool dip in the ocean and lap up the fun at one of these great dog friendly beach destinations.  Click here for the link to Coastal Living Magazines Best Dog Friendly Beaches article- 

Make sure that you observe all posted dog-friendly beach rules and regulations and of course always please clean up after your pet.

Please help keep these beaches dog friendly:
* Never leave your dog unattended.
* Always keep your dog on a leash or under voice control.
* Always clean up after your dog.

Here’s a great listing of Dog Beaches & Dog Friendly Beaches in the U.S. created by Pet Friendly Travel

Have you visited one of these beach destinations with your nautical pet? Have another dog-friendly beach to recommend? Let’s here about it! Send pics too.