Roo exploring the countryside- July 17, 2011

Transcribed from the road, Wednesday July 13th

Somewhere in that stretch of Utah along I-70 where there is NOTHING- no gas, no services, just this.


Iowa

Up all night paying fetch in the hotel wearing her thundershirt (we were supposed to get severe weather but didn't)


Vail Bike path- obsessed with the stream.

We’re a little bit belated in updating our blog. Between 4^th of July and Carmageddon prep has kept me pretty busy with Fetch! Pet Care. In addition to that, I have also been getting ready for a cross country road trip from Los Angeles to my parents’ home in Rochester, NY. I apologize for the delay. I actually have 2 or 3 blog installments pending but just haven’t wrapped them up and finalized for posting. However I do want to give you our current installment since we are traveling cross country. It’s just Roo and me; Will and Duval stayed home in LA. So, Roo is going many places this week.

As I record this for transcription on Wed July 13th, I have just passed through Omaha, NB and Council Bluffs , Iowa, so we’re driving across the state of Iowa right now and we’re on our 3^rd day of the drive. Going backwards in time- we stopped in Omaha- I had heard there was a good dog park in Omaha, and sure enough I mapped it on our way across the state of NB and saw it was just a few miles off of our route (I-80). It was quite a nice dog park, a big dog park, nothing fancy but very spacious and Roo was DESPERATELY in need of some retrieving time. She hasn’t been to the dog park since Sunday evening, (it is now Wednesday) and last night she kept me up pretty late in our hotel room playing with the ball: losing it under the bed countless times, crying when it was lost under the bed, pacing and crying if I took the ball away and even barked at me once at around midnight. Somehow I finally convinced her to get on the bed and pass out so I could get some rest. Hopefully tonight will be better now that she has had an opportunity to wear herself out with lots of long retrieves and no distractions. She looked pretty tired.

The dog park also came, as any good dog park will, complete with a lovely mud pit in the middle. When we arrived there was a German Shepherd running around who had clearly enjoyed himself in that mud pit- splashed me with mud from his tail and got mud all over Roo just from trying to get on top of her. Unfortunately Roo later discovered the mud pit as well. She hates water but loves mud pits, don’t know why. Despite my yelling “no mud,” which is a command she knows, she just walked herself right in and as soon as she walked in she sunk about 6 inches. It was a pretty deep mud and mushy mud pit, and I had t step in to pull her out and ended up with one foot covered in mud. Thankfully it was just that one dip in the mud bit, and she ran off most of the mud and is reasonably clean at this point- not that it really matters because the car is filthy anyway.

Before Omaha, we spent the night in North Platte, Nebraska. I found a really nice little trail. We were staying at the Motel 6 (always pet friendly and cheap) which was right along the river, and I discovered a nice little paved walkway which followed the river. We went through a beautiful park, and it looked like there was a dog park inside of the park, but we were on the wrong side to get in the park and it was a little too late at night to figure out how to get in and spend any time at the park. But we enjoyed a long 45-60 minute walk along the path.

During the day yesterday (July 12^th) we were mostly within Colorado. About halfway through our day I noticed a nice little bike path running along I-70 in the mountains around Vail, and decided it would be great for us to access that and take our long midday break. It was cool and overcast so great for a little hike at several thousand feet. Not sure if we were supposed to be pedestrians on the bike path, but no one complained and it didn’t really feel like we were in the way. Roo really enjoyed the raging stream flowing along the path, especially when she saw the chipmunk scurry across. It was a beautiful path and we could still see snow on the mountains even in the middle of July!

We had spent the previous night in green River Utah (also at Motel 6). Not many places to walk in Green River- we walked up and down the main street just before dark. Unfortunately someone shot off a gun at one point and she was so upset and I was worried she would either hurt herself or snap her leash so I carried her the last 50 or so yard to the hotel. I then put her thundershirt on and she chilled out for the evening.

Earlier on Day One we had also stopped for a long walk in St. George, Utah. We didn’t have time to search for the dog park that is supposedly there, but we enjoyed our long walk anyway.

We had made a quick stop in Nevada earlier, so Roo has touched the ground in quite a few states already:

Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska.

At some point this afternoon she will step foot on Iowa soil and then we’ll be spending the night in IL.

So that’s it so far this week for all the places Roo will go. Tomorrow we’ll hit Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and finally NY, which is our final destination and we’ll be there for a few weeks….and may even head up to Massachusetts and Maine! She is one well traveled little pup!

Friday June 17: Pets Naturally, Pride n Joy, Three Dog Bakery

Friday afternoon in the Valley- after we dropped our Fetch houseguest Seamus off at his home, we took a little tour around his neighborhood in Sherman Oaks. Roo was in rare form today. She's had a bizarre week actually. She occasionally reacts poorly to loud sounds. In the last week every time we've been to the dog park she has been disturbed by something- sometimes it is audible, sometimes not (at least not to me) and she stops playing fetch. :( Which breaks my heart because it is her favorite thing in the world. Today we at least played for about 20-25 minutes, but on Monday I barely threw the ball 3 times when she ran to the gate and begged to leave. Sad.

Anyway, today walking down Ventura Blvd she just wanted to go inside every door we passed. So she was very happy when we finally reached Pets Naturally and entered. It's been a whole since I've been there. A few years ago, Pets Naturally was the go-to spot for all of your natural, high end healthy food. Unfortunately for them a lot of competition has popped up, and they can't fit a lot in their small space. However, their advantage is the knowledgeable and friendly owner. I believe she would order anything you wanted if she felt it would enhance your pet's life. And if it won't, she'll tell you why (she let me know I shouldn't be using Missing Link for my dog Duval due to the yeast in it). Roo really enjoyed meeting everyone there, and several of the folks who came in just to visit with the store owner were in love with Roo, which always boosts her confidence. We'll be back.



Stop 2 was Pride n Joy groomers. However before we stopped there we passed an unnamed pet store (or at least I couldn't find a name) which we almost visited until we saw written in the window "we sell puppies!" I got the distinct feeling the puppies they were selling weren't the kind rescued from the shelter like our friends at The Orange Bone in We Ho. So I snapped a photo without Roo (she refused to pose) and we walked on.


Store touting "we sell puppies"

Pride n Joy really is a grooming salon- I've had a number of clients take their pets there. The sell pet supplies, but I wouldn't recommend going there for them unless you are there and are short on time and need a bag of food. I bought a Natural Balance Roll for 2X as much as I can get it in Henco in Sun Valley, and about $6 more than what I pay at Petco. I was bummed about that and almost said nevermind but thought that would be rude and they were a couple of very nice guys. Then the cat came out. I wasn't expecting the cat. Nor was Roo. Good thing I had a good hold on her. "Oh the dog doesn't like cats?" I guess most of their dog clients are OK with this kitty? Or maybe they don't care. The cat was brave and even stalked us outside when we were trying to get a picture (you can see Roo looking for the cat amongst the towers in the photo).





Last stop- we headed over to the Three Dog Bakery. Yum. Said Roo....Actually she spent more time eying their great toys than the treats in the case. I talked with the gal working about what I could get for my highly allergic Duval. It is a bakery after all, so grain free was not really possible, BUT I did pick up some wheat free goodies which they both enjoyed when we got home.

All in all a good afternoon of shop and treat hopping. :)







Roo trying to keep her eyes off the pastries....

Duval nibbling the crumbs of the pastry we brought home for him

Any more in that bag????

Week of June 6th: Maxwell Dog, Kriser's, Laurel Canyon Dog Park

Happy weekend everyone! So we're a little late this week: normally we do our tour on Wednesday afternoons, but I was busy helping my friends at Angel City Pit Bulls out with a special event- which we'll have to tell you about at a later date because I'm not sure if we're allowed to talk about it yet. Shhhhhh.

We did, however, pay a visit to the Laurel Canyon Dog Park on Wednesday afternoon, because I felt bad that I was gone during our prime walking hours and the pups were definitely a little stir crazy. It's not our usual park- I tend to do the dog park in the evening and usually am not in the mood to deal with rush hour traffic up the hill. But on Wednesday we went at 4 pm which was, in my opinion, PERFECT timing. There were a handful of people there, but by my count only one dog walker with a small pack of dogs who were mostly well-behaved. Here's the thing- yes, I am a dog walker, but I have over time grown to dislike being at the dog park with other dog walkers who *mostly* bring large packs of unruly dogs and sit around and gossip with other dog walkers while their dogs take over the park, stealing balls, starting fights, and just plain being obnoxious. And the Laurel Canyon Park is where you'll find the worst offenders most weekdays.


Anyway, back on track- Wednesday was glorious- mostly a bunch of owners there. Respectful dogs, Roo could chase her ball and not once did anyone try to steal it. Nor did she have me running around because she decided she wanted someone else to throw the ball ( a trick she loves to pull on me in North Hollywood). Maybe because we don't go to this park every day? It was nice to get to play with my own dog for a change.



The LC dog park is very large so there is usually one end where you can head to avoid chaos. However on one side of the park, behind the water, there is a slightly "wooded" area that I don't like. Duval is always trying to head up there and I worry about rattlesnakes and other things that he could get into while I can't see him- we are in the Hollywood Hills. Also a lovely musty puddle develops behind the watering station, and some dogs like to lay in it and get extra stinky- keep an eye on your water loving pups!




On Friday, we decided to stay local and walk to a couple of our favorite local hotspots- Maxwell Dog on Ventura Blvd, and Kriser's also on Ventura. Roo put on the charm at both stores as usual, and the store clerks all loved her. At Maxwell Dog we did see a little terrier mix come in, and while she was surprised, she did not react negatively. Instead, she really just wanted to play with this little wiry guy. His folks were busy trying to buy him one of Maxwell's gorgeous jeweled collars and so he was "naked" for a bit and trotted right up to Roo. They greeted each other and moved on. But Roo kept an eye on wherever he was in the store in hopes he'd come back and play. Later a mother and son came in and the son very respectfully asked if he could pet Roo. Of course she jumped on him (sigh) because she LOVES kids but he told me he had a golden retriever at home so he didn't mind. After a good tour of the store and all of it's fabulous goods, we purchased a Thundershirt (more on this on our next entry).



Back down the street to Kriser's- a place we frequent a lot because of their fantastic selection of food and treats. The Stella and Chewy's rep was right by the door and greeted Roo with treats and love. Then, a little long haired doxie came charging out at Roo, as doxies too, and she handled it like a champ. Good girl. Of course 5 minutes later she was starting to lose focus and everything was getting her wound up- from the dog in the grooming facility to the folks coming in to shop, so we decided to quit while we were ahead and start walking home.

Even on her walk she was quite good, though we did have a few moments of trying to "gallop with stick" (one of her favorite activities when she starts to lose focus on walking) on the way. We had wanted to pop into the Dog House on Moorpark, but we decided to save for another week when she could be fresh.

Later that evening we went to our regular dog park. Sadly she was disturbed by someone kicking a deflated basketball- she doesn't care for the loud "boof" sound it makes and this is two days in a row that she has freaked out and run off to the gate, refusing to continue her game of fetch. I think we're gonna have to buy a basketball and work on this at home. Or use the Thundershirt.....

June 1st: Urban Pet Supply, Orange Bone, Tailwaggers and a walk along Melrose

Happy Wednesday! It's time for another day of travels with Roo. Today, we cruised around 3rd, Melrose and Beverly in the West Hollywood/Park La Brea area.
WE had an ambitious 5 stops on our agenda, but we only made it to 3 due parking issues and a walk that got a little bit extended. We'll catch those other 2 spots on another outing.

First stop: Urban Pet Supply. Right across the street from Pan Pacific Park, Urban Pet is a spacious store filled with all sorts of goodies for pet and their owners. Don't be surprised if you are "greeted" by Mr. Moon at the door. Mr. Moon is the black dog in their logo, with one ear up and one ear down (he is also in the photo with Zack, the owne, if you click on the link in his name). He laid about 5 feet from the door, staring out as if daring us to enter. Actually is a very nice old dog, but I think his presence reminded Roo of my dearly departed Alex, and so it took a few minutes for her to get the courage to walk by him.



The lovely young women working were happy to give Roo treats and very helpful. Roo was not on her absolute best behavior however, she barked at some labs who were coming out of a training session, and then again at a sweet bulldog entering the store. However, we caught up with that bulldog as we were walking to our next destination. Her name was Vee and Roo greeted her quite nicely on the sidewalk. We than ran into another pup a little further down the street, who also received a very calm sniff from Roo. All in all she was actually quite calm about the dogs we passed on the street today.

Our plan was to walk up to Orange Bone on Melrose. I had left my planner with the address scribbled down in the car, so I went from memory...which of course was wrong. We should have just made a left around the corner and there was Orange Bone. But we went for a nice little stroll down Melrose. Which, actually was a good thing for you. She strolled confidently along, navigating lots of people and bikes and waiters bringing food out to people seated at tables on the sidewalk.

Eventually I pulled out the handy iPhone and realized my mistake, and back we went to Orange Bone. Let me tell you what I love about Orange Bone- they sell puppies.... from shelters!!!! That's right, so all those people out there claiming it's so hard to get a puppy if you aren't buying from a breeder or a puppy mill pet shop, take a stroll by the Orange Bone. That had some gorgeous, playful Rottie mix pups in the window who were dying to play with Miss Roo, and lots of small breeds available inside the store. (also, for the record Roo came from the shelter as a 4 month old puppy- she wasn't the prettiest as she had mange, but it was easily treated and she is gorgeous and happy now!). Anyway, Alex at Orange Bone was super nice and I enjoyed chatting with him until he had to get back to work because a herd of puppy shoppers entered the door.

Our final stop of the day - Tailwaggers NEW location on Fairfax. Great staff at Tailwaggers- when Roo poked her nose into the back she wasn't shood away but welcomed and then asked if she wanted a treat (to which she replied, yes, of course!). I have to work on "shake" with Roo though, because she does it for me but when others ask her for it she seems to think they want her to lay down.

By this time, we were both quite thirsty, and wishing we had time to stop in for a drink at The Fat Dog which was right next to Tailwaggers. But we had to get home and attend to Roo's big brother Duval, so we skipped the pint at The Fat Dog- next time!
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Franklin Canyon, Beverly Hills

One of my favorite places to go in Los Angeles is Franklin Canyon- it's easily accessible for us folks who live in the Valley, but also for those who live in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or on the West Side. So, if I want to get the dogs out for a little hike but don't have a ton of time to spend in the car, I can just shoot up Coldwater Canyon, take a right onto Franklin Canyon Drive and and park at the entrance - just through the gate.
Franklin is a great place to go when you are seeking a little peace and quiet. It's not as popular as some of the other nearby trails in the Hollywood/Beverly Hills area such as Runyon, Fryman and Wilacre. I particularly like to go here when I am taking out some leash "challenged" dogs who don't always react very well when they see others of their kind- we don't see a ton of dogs here, they are *supposed* to be on leash (but I know better and am always prepared to see an off leash pup when I am on the trails) and there is plenty of space to get myself and my dogs out of the way of any oncoming pooches.

When you are in the midst of the canyon, it really is very easy to forget that you are right smack dab in the middle of LA. It is relatively quiet, the air feels clean and actually smells of nature, and you may even see some "nature" such as coyotes, deer and the occasionally wildcat- my mom and I once spotted a bobcat up on a cliff spying on us as we walked along the fire road.
Wile I am often content to just walk the dogs along the park roads, there are plenty of off road excursions available. If you entering from the Coldwater/Mulholland side, shortly before you get to the main parking area at the bottom of the hill you'll find a fire road on your right. This road is about a mile long and nice and wide and fairly easy for even slightly older dogs to navigate though there is a gentle slope, so be prepared to come back uphill on your back to your car.

Off the main parking lot at the bottom there are a handful of single track trails- they do get quite steep, and be forewarned that you may have a tough time getting back down the steep, soft dirt slopes with a leashed dog. And, yes, there are rattlers hanging out in the bushes so keep your eyes and ears open.

If you venture past the ponds and head down Lake Road toward the reservoir, you'll find both the Discovery and Hastain trails. The Hastain trail is a little wider and probably one of the more popular trails at the park. Unfortunately, this trail has been the object of some controversy lately- the trail ventures onto private property towards the top, which for years was not an issue. But a contractor is building a home atop the hills and has been trying to limit hikers' access to this part of the trail....much to many a park user's dismay. You may encounter barricades and signs warning you about trespassing or even protestors upset by these new barricades. Kind of ruins the experience. Hopefully hikers and property owners can come to an agreement soon.

Finally, the best thing about Franklin Canyon- the park ranger/maintenance man, Saban. Those who frequent the park know him well. He remembers everyone, and always takes a moment to stop and ask how you are doing. I don't always run into him, but when I do, it makes my park experience that much more enjoyable!

Roo and Seamus enjoyed Franklin Canyon on both Thursday and Friday this past week. Photos included, though they were both being extremely camera shy (also Seamus was annoyed by some flying bugs that would surround us every time we tried to stop).

Franklin Canyon Park Place page

2600 Franklin Canyon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Spot! D.O.G. Boutique, Animal Crackers and The Healthy Spot

Today marked day ONE in Roo's new exploration of the LA's best pet spots. We targeted the area around The Beverly Center, making four stops along the way.

Our first stop: D.O.G. (dee-og-gee) Pet Boutique:
346 N. La Cienega Blvd.
West Hollywood CA 90048
Owner Christian Bryan Velasco is a very friendly, outgoing owner who was happy to visit with Roo and chat about his store and products. They have a great selection dog supplies, Designer dog clothing, dog couture, dog toys, dog carriers, designer dog collars and leashes, pet furniture, swarvoski collars, for small dogs and large dog, all the finest upscale items for your pampered dog and puppy fashion needs and much more. They also have some awesome looking (and tasting!) baked goodies for the pups. Roo was VERY interested in these. Roo met the owners two small dogs and was on her absolute best behavior here.







Our next stop: SPOT! Los Angeles: 534 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
The folks at SPOT! were quite busy today so we didn't get much of a chance to chat with them. They had an amazing selection of high quality food, and I overheard one of the ladies speaking with a customer abut the food and she was quite knowledgeable. While we were shoopping around we discovered a tower of balls- Roo's very favorite toys- so we had to walk away with a couple. We purchased a red bouncy rubber ball with the SPOT! logo on it (whihc sadly rubbed off within a few minutes of play) and a planet dog ball which promised to give 20% of the proceeds to help homeless animals. Roo tested the red ball, and though it doesn't have the bounce she usually likes, I loved the visibility of the ball. From time-to-time something spooks Roo and she loses the ball, and this could be spotted far far across the park.
Roo was pretty good at Spot!- paying no attention to the little one we saw when we came in. it was only when a happy-go-lucky lab puppy rounded a corner unexpectedly after his grooming session did she let out her mean dog bark. But she quieted right down with a little correction from me.
SPOT! Los Angeles does carry my favorite martingale collars- they can be quite hard to find in stores and I often end up ordering online. These are the nice nylon webbed martingales that slip over the head- no buckles which can break.
(planet dog ball)
(SPOT! ball before play)

(SPOT! ball during play)

Stop #3: Animal Crackers: 8023 Beverly Boulevard, Suite 1
Los Angeles, California 90048

We met Kevin at Animal Crackers who was delightful. Once again, I was extremely please with the wide variety of good quality foods. For those who like the "baked not extruded" Flint River Ranch- this is one of the only stores I've seen carrying it. No wonder people travel from great distances to get to this store. While we were there one of the regulars came in with her little boy named Oscar. Roo loves kids and was just crazy about him. You can see her looking longingly at Oscar while I tried to snap a photo of her.



Stop #4: The Healthy Spot

8525 Santa Monica Boulevard West Hollywood, CA 90069

The Healthy Spot was also quite busy when we stopped in. The day care area was full of well behaved dogs- they were being so good that Roo didn't even notice the room full of little ones. She was also quite good about the little dog that we followed in. She barked once- but it was more a "I want to play" bark. We spoke to a couple of associates who were quite busy running around helping shoppers and grooming clients. We checked out the supplies- lots of high quality foods and treats her, and a great selection of collars. Also we found this stack of crate liners/beds made from recycled bottles- this we LOVE!

All in all we had a great day and mission accomplished! We introduced ourselves to some great pet places in the heart of LA, AND Roo worked on her social skills.
Stay tuned for next week's hotspots!