The Cute Factor

Is there anything cuter than babies and dogs hanging out together?

A few weeks ago my brother-in-law and his new family came to visit us in Savannah, which was tons of fun. John and I were very much looking forward to showing them around the town and doing all the things we love, but we were most excited to hang out with our new Nephew, Liam.

I know that every Aunt says this, but he really is the cutest little man out there. And he and Barksdale took to each other right away. There was a whole lot of staring at eachother, tugging on ears, and lots of drool from both parties.

Even though this was Liam's first time hanging out with a "fericious wolf," there was only one mishap the entire time. At some point, he had reached out and tugged a bit too hard on BD's fur. Barksdale reacted with a sharp bark just to let him know that a boundary had been crossed. John and I hated to see that happen, but the good news is that Liam's parents are super cool and totally understood that it was a natural dog reaction.

And best of all, there was no love lost between the cousins.

Which brings me to the point of my posting today:

When you mix babies and doggies together you get one of two things: either an interaction that is so cute that you can't help but want to take 40 million pictures (see above) OR a recipe for disaster. I'm pretty sure that the main difference between the two is the involvement of the parents in the situation and how much they understand dogs and their boundaries.

As I've mentioned in the past, one of my pack's favorite activities is to go out to Ellis Square in the early evening and watch people having fun in Savannah's newest park. Because of the awesome interactive fountain there, there are usually a good number of kiddies running around and they flock to the dog like a moth to flame. Although we have had many great kids of all ages come over and politely ask to pet the dog before doing so, we've also seen a fair share of hellions run up to him and shove their wet hands into his face for a pet.

I can't help but wince whenever that happens because as wonderful a dog as BD is and as much as he loves kids, there is a "right" and a "wrong" way to pet a dog (as Liam found out first-hand). And the last thing in the world we'd ever want is for Barksdale, or any other doggie out there to hurt someone because he thought he had to defend himself. So, a word to the wise. Be on your guard when you and your pup are at Ellis Square at night--because many parents are not.

A Beautiful Reminder

Hi everyone...remember me?! I used to be the blogger for the Savannah Dog Blog before I fell off the planet and stopped writing all of a sudden. Even my promise several weeks ago to begin posting again soon fell flat and I really have no excuse. So, as a way to make amends with everyone and to jump start the Savannah Dog Blog again, I'd like to share this video with you all. It may not have anything to do with being a dog owner in Savannah, but it is a nice reminder of why we all love dogs to begin with.

Enjoy!

...And we're back!

Hello everyone! First of all, I want to apologize for being away for so long. We've been busy these past few weeks with family visits, weddings, and lazy days at the beach (ok, so that last one isn't a great excuse, but we are in Savannah in the summer after all--a girl's got to cool off somehow!).

Anyway, the Dog Blog is back and we have a lot of catching up to do! Stayed tuned for some great new dog-friendly restaurant recommendations, more dog toy and treat reviews and, of course, adorable pictures of Savannah's newest sensation: Barksdale the Wonder Pup.

Parks for Barks

Before Barksdale came into our life, John and I used to imagine the fun times we would someday have taking our imaginary pooch to a dog park. Our home in Arlington was located right near a huge dog park situated on a river, and we'd often walk by it and see dogs gallivanting around and swimming to their hearts content.

However, after we brought Barksdale home and tried the dog park a few times, the three of us decided that we just weren't really the "dog park" type.  We found that too many of the dogs and their owners we would encounter weren't particularly "balanced", which often could lead to humping, barking, and the occasional fight. And since this dog park in particular was so popular, there were often hoards of dogs roaming around -- forming their own squirrel-hunting packs and picking on the new guys.


Since moving to Savannah, our position on dog parks hasn't changed a great deal. But, in case we ever decide to give it another try, we are lucky enough to have a couple of nice options:


#1. Starland Dog Park: 




Also known as "The Savannah Dog Park," this nice-sized park is located on 41st and Drayton Street in the middle of the Starland District (which, is itself, an awesome little area...Back in the Day Bakery, anyone?!). There is a good amount of shade at this park and lots of big Adirondack chairs for dog owners to hang out in. The only catch is that you must become a member of Dog Park Association to bring your pup into this park, but the information about how to join is posted clearly at the park's entrance.

#2. Beasley Dog Park: 

Located on East Broad Street in downtown Savannah, this dog park is adjacent to a huge athletic field and is itself very large. We have not taken BD to this park yet, so I can't speak to it one way or the other. But they do have their very own blog, which is cool and it looks like there is a strong community of dog enthusiasts involved. And the coolest part is that it is named after Savannah's first black nun, Mathilda Beasley. 

#3. Tybee Bark Park:


Although Tybee Island isn't the most dog-friendly place I've ever been, they do have a pretty nice dog park. It's covered in cedar chips, which helps to eliminate dust in the area and its also nicely shaded, which is key in the hot Savannah summers. It's located at Van Horne Street and Fort Street, right next to the Police Station. For that reason, make sure you have quarters to feed the meter if you go during the week! 

Wherever you decide to take your pup for some fun, make sure that you are a responsible owner and take good care to watch your dog's behavior in the park. My own personal dog guru, Cesar Millan, offers some great advice for having a safe and happy time at dog parks here.

Have fun!

Save a life...ADOPT!!

One of the best decisions that John and I ever made was to shell out the $10 adoption fee and walk out of the Washington DC Human Society with our new best friend three years ago.

this is BD's photo from the shelter

I encourage everyone out there to consider adoption when thinking about extending your family. If you are in the Savannah area, look no further than savannahnow.com for a list of pets that desperately need homes. You can find the link here. On Monday there is another adoption event at Habersham Village from 11am until 3pm, sponsored once again by TailsSpin.

Whether you are expanding your family or just taking good care of the one that you already have, be sure to have a wonderful weekend!!

Puppy Pops for all!

It's rare that a day goes by that John and I will refrain from listing all of the reasons that we love living in Savannah. For example, this morning during our "commute" to the "office" in the middle of "rush hour" (the quotation marks are to let you know that I'm being sarcastic), John and I stopped off at our favorite drive-through Starbucks and couldn't help but remark at how much our day-to-day has improved since we made the move down here. No longer do we face 12 hour work days in a windowless office, or 30 minute commutes on boring highways, or weekends full of errand catch-up. 


And there is only one guy who appreciates the massive improvement in our quality of life even more than me or John...

You guessed it!

But there is one thing that everyone in this family misses dearly about living in the DC area, and that is -- The Dairy Godmother.

Not only did this place offer the best frozen custard flavors, but it also had homemade Puppy Pops, which, as you can probably guess, were quite popular with you-know-who.


I'm pretty sure that Puppy Pops were nothing more than frozen yogurt, peanut butter, and either banana or pumpkin all mashed up together and frozen. But the way that BD would inhale one made me wonder if they didn't add a little ground beef in there too.


Since moving to Savannah we haven't found any Dairy Godmother equivalent and alas, our spoiled dog has had to face a summer without specially made doggie ice cream! GASP!


When we were in Atlanta last week I saw these on the shelf:

I can't pretend that I wasn't excited when I first thought that we might be able to have a Puppy Pop equivalent here in Georgia. But upon further inspection, I realized that as much as I wanted them to be, they weren't my beloved Puppy Pop and never would be.


I'm tempted to start to make them myself, and if I do, I'll be sure to let all of the Savannahians know so that your dogs can experience the joy that is the Puppy Pop.


And in related news... La'Berry, a brand new frozen yogurt shop, opened its doors at 225 W. Broughton Street last week! John and I went in for a free sample the other day and we both really enjoyed what we tried (I had the Taro, he had the Blueberry). It may not be the Dairy Godmother, but I'd happily take a second-rate frozen yogurt in the world's best city any day.

Here We Go Again

As most of you can probably guess by now, John and I love taking Barksdale out to his favorite places in Savannah whenever we can.  We get a real kick out of seeing him work himself up in the back of our car when he realizes that we are heading to Skidaway Island or Ellis Square. His eyes get really big, he drools all over the back of the seat, and he even wedges his face through the car seats to show us just how happy he is.

There's that freckle tongue again!

However, there is one place that we've taken him repeatedly since moving to Savannah that never seems to elicit the same reaction from BD in the back of the car. 

I'm speaking, of course, of the vet. 

As I've mentioned before, we use Central Animal Hospital in the Starland District. And as much as John and I really like it there, we are no happier than BD about having to be there so often.  We've been a total of three times in the three months that we have been living here. 

You see, apparently living in Savannah if you are a dog is like living in the middle of a dandelion.

Achooooo!

Barksdale has had the hardest time with his allergies here. They seem to manifest themselves as skin ailments, and he is constantly itching. He has wrestled with a couple of "hot spots" (you can relive that whole episode here) and other red bumps that look terribly itchy. So after discovering a new bunch of red and bumpy skin this past weekend, John and I decided that another visit to the vet was in order.

Central Animal Hospital is a very cool vet. It features tons of local, handmade art on the walls and is a housed in a retro loft-style space. It's clearly run by young vets who care almost as much about design and style as they do the health of your pets. We've also been really pleased with the numerous vets that we've met there, although I will say that it would be nice to see the same vet a few times rather than having a different person help us each time we go.

Our past visit there was pretty standard: Barksdale was afraid of the scale; we met a great veterinarian; and we left with a ton of pills and a determination to kick these allergies in the butt.

Which brings me to Greenie's Pill Pockets. You can see that I have several bags of them: one for large pills and one for small pills. To say that life would be harder without this amazing invention would be a vast understatement.  Since Barksdale's battle with Ehrlichia last year, John and I wouldn't even attempt to give him a pill without these guys. They are basically a soft treat with a whole in the middle where you place a pill and then squeeze shut. Barksdale loves them and actually comes running over when we open the bag. He even takes one horse-sized pill daily without having a clue.

We are hopeful that this round of heavy meds will knock out his allergies for the rest of the summer until the environment calms down a bit and allergies aren't as prevalent. And perhaps as he adjusts to the region's climate his body will acclimate and he will overcome his skin problems. But alas, I know that this is probably just wishful thinking. For now, we'd just settle for not having to go back to the vet again for a couple of weeks!

Good boy...

HOT DOGGIES!

One of my most favorite things to see while walking around downtown Savannah on any given afternoon is  this:

And this:

 And even this:

(the longest tongue I've ever seen)

However adorable as these guys are, I know they're just very hot and just trying to find some relief from the Savannah sun. John and I understood that moving to Savannah meant we had to prepare ourselves for heat the likes of which we had never seen -- this includes DC where it gets plenty hot. And just as important as making sure we stay cool is making sure that ol' Freckle Tongue himself can find some relief. 

Check out that freckle tongue!

Over the past several months we have become quite adept at making sure that no pack member overheats. I share with you now the best methods for keeping pooches cool in the hot summer sun:

#1. Make sure they have plenty of water

We use the Outward Hound line of portable water dishes and we are very pleased with them. They fold up nicely to fit in your short's pocket and the material is sturdy and strong. Barksdale tested, Barksdale approved.

#2. Make sure they stay inside most of the day

This should go without saying, but if it's too hot for you to be outside, then it's too hot for your dog to be outside. I can't tell you how often we hear dogs barking in their backyards in the middle of the hot afternoon and it drives us mad!

#3. Take them into the water whenever possible

As I've mentioned in my previous posts, Hilton Head is a great spot to take your doggie for a dip to cool down. (Just remember that they aren't allowed on the beaches after 9am or before 5pm). Not only is swimming a great way for your dog to stay cool, it's also one the more adorable things to watch. Need proof?

#4. Don't be afraid to spray them down

When John and I moved down here, one of our first purchases was a spray water bottle that we use to spritz  water all over the wolf when we go for walks. He seems to like it (after he realizes that it isn't going to hurt him), and I can't pretend that I don't enjoy "missing" BD and hitting John instead once in a while. ;)

I've also recently discovered the Canine Cooler, although I haven't tried it yet. It seems like you basically fill a specially designed bed with cold water and let your pup lie on it whenever he gets hot. Seems like a good idea, but they aren't cheap. Has anyone tried this product before? Would you recommend it?

Just remember: whatever you do this summer, stay cool out there. After all, they aren't called the Dog Days of Summer for nothing!

Tales of the City

As far as I know, Barksdale has never been to Atlanta. I myself have only ever been once and that was years before my life had been officially taken oven by a four-legged mutt. So when John suggested that we head to the "big city" for the Fourth of July weekend, Barksdale and I were very excited.

We also had some of the same questions:

Would Atlanta be a dog friendly place? Would we be able to find open green spaces for our morning walks? Would we be able to visit one of the city's 10 (yes count 'em, TEN) Mellow Mushrooms?!

The answers to these questions are YES, YES and YES INDEED!

It turns out that there a tons of dogs in Atlanta--all over the place. The apartment where we stayed was located on Piedmont Park, which was one of the most beautiful public parks I've ever seen. You honestly couldn't go ten feet without seeing another dog tromping around the park with its tongue waving in the breeze.

A man and his wolf

Where do all those doggies go to shop, you ask? If they're smart, they're going to Inman Park Pet Works, an cozy pet shop located on Austin Avenue in Inman Park. We checked no less than four pet supply and specialty stores around Atlanta (because what else would you want to do on vacation?!) and found that Inman Park Pet Works had a great selection of fun toys, a really cool vibe, and two do it yourself dog baths. And trust me, we took advantage of those baths.

We walked out of there with a clean dog, a couple of treats and a new racoon toy!!! (To understand why this is exciting, read my previous post here.)

Barksdale was super happy and so were we. He was also so exhausted from trying to escape from the bath tub that John and I had no problem leaving him at home while we went out for a delicious Italian dinner.

Atlanta was tons of fun and we got to enjoy beautiful weather, the Peachtree Road Race, and several great meals. But I think it becomes apparent that a place where you live is really your home when you can't wait to see it again, even after only a couple of days. Ah, Savannah. We missed you!

Happy 4th!

The Fourth of July holiday is special for me for a couple of reasons; the main one being that it is when John proposed to me here in Savannah one year ago. We were on our way to eat dinner at the fantastic Sapphire Grill when he pulled me aside on the street and proposed. :)

mmmm....Delicious

To celebrate, we are heading up to Atlanta for the weekend! We thought it would be a fun place to explore since neither of us know the city well and we are in the mood to try something new. I'll be sure to fill you all in on the dog-related things we do and find when I return.


In the meantime, for any dogs that are sticking around Savannah over the weekend, be sure to pull your owners out to TailsSpin where you'll find a veritable dog party on the 4th. There will be micro-chipping, a dog wash, a BBQ, and a pet adoption fair, in the Habersham Village parking lot. The best part is that all of the money raised will go to various pet rescue agencies in the area. You can find out more about it here.

For those of you who don't know TailsSpin, it's a pretty well-stocked pet store in the Ardsley Park neighborhood. I've been a couple of times to grab some essentials and they generally have what I've been looking for. It's a great place to go if you are just looking to pick something up for your dog and you are in the area--However I do wish that it was a bit warmer of an atmosphere and that it felt like a place where I could have some fun shopping with Barksdale.


Anyway, have a happy and a safe Fourth of July everyone! 

Rain Rain Go Away

I have always loved a good thunderstorm. The excitement of the thunder, the comforting sound of the rain---I love it all. And since moving to Savannah, where, as I think I might have mentioned once or twice, the average daily temperature seems to hover somewhere between scalding and sweltering, I particularly love how the daily thunderstorms cool everything down.  Every afternoon, just as the concrete begins to radiate heat waves that are visible to the naked eye, the skies open up and leave the world a much more manageable place.

My love for our daily storms, however, is not shared with everyone in my house. While John and I look forward to the storms, Barksdale is totally indifferent to the weather. Often he will retreat to the Wolf Den (under the bed) and take a nap while John and I watch Mother Nature's show.

Once in a while, however, Barksdale will come and hang out with us. In fact, I even stumbled upon this scene of BD and John watching the storm together earlier this afternoon.

                  This is  ridiculously cute

The only problem with the storms is that they seem to begin promptly at 5pm--just as we would usually be heading out on our afternoon walks.  And while John and I may be sitting on the couch enjoying the calming effect of the rain, recently, BD has retreated to the corner of the back bedroom to take care of what needs to be done.

And this, my friends, is why we love Enviropet.

Enviropet is an enzyme-based cleaning carpet and upholstery cleaner that is completely safe to have around dogs, babies, and other living things.  And the best part is that it works really well!

We've tried our fair share of pet-stain removing formulas over the years and this is our favorite.  At first we tried the all natural cleaners from Trader Joes (sob...I miss you TJ!) and when those didn't work well we finally gave in and went for the Resolve.  But no matter how safe Resolve claims to be, I'm suspect based on the smell alone.

Enviropet does a bang-up job on even the whitest carpet and it has quickly become one of John's favorite dog-related purchases of all time. And because it's all natural I don't even mind having the culprit himself sitting near me as I clean up after him. 

And really, with a face like this, how could anyone in their right mind ever object to having him nearby?

Hold The Presses!!!

As any good professional journalist (or small-time blogger who writes obsessively about dogs) knows, it is important to admit mistakes and make corrections to your publicized work whenever possible.

This is what a professional dog-blogger looks like

So it is with the utmost apologies that blog to you now about why Tybee Island is not, in fact, a totally un-dog-friendly place. I make this concession to you with a huge smile on my face, since I want nothing more in the world than to let Barksdale run free on the beaches on Savannah, and every little step toward making that a reality is welcomed with open arms.

This past Saturday night, John and I decided to mix things up a bit and take a drive out to Tybee for dinner. We brought BD (because what's date night without having a slobbering 70 lbs mutt drooling on your feet while you eat dinner?!) and headed out to Sting Ray's, located right on the main strip on the Island.  John and I have a special connection to Sting Ray's since it was one of the first places we ever ate dinner in Savannah and one of the few places on the Island that allow dogs. They have good food (including a veggie burger, hooray!), play fun live music, and best of all, have these amazing water-misters out on the deck to make the summer nights bearable. So off we went.

Once we got there, we saw that we were not the only ones with this fantastic idea of a fun Saturday night. The place was packed, and we were told we'd have an hour wait for a table! This was a big bummer because, as previously mentioned here, Tybee doesn't have many other restaurants that allow dogs.

Enter: Social Club.

This place came out of nowhere. As soon as we turned our disappointed backs on Sting Ray's, we noticed a restaurant that we'd never seen before. Up until recently, this site had been home to Cousin Vinniy's Pizza (a pretty mediocre pizza place that John and I once went to because how can you not go to a restaurant with a name that ridiculous), and the place was vacant the last time we had been on Tybee. But now in that spot stood a freshly painted restaurant with a giant outside deck, a soulful guitarists, and a sign out front enticing us with the promise of "hibiscus martinis".

John, BD, and I looked at each other a ran for a table.

Not only does this place LOVE DOGS (we were approached by no less than 6 different people asking us if they could pet BD while we were there [4 of them were staff]), but the food was good, the atmosphere was relaxing, and the staff were professional, friendly, and efficient. It's about time we had a place like this on Tybee!!

If this restaurant was located in downtown Savannah, it would be up against some pretty tough competition. But since it's a welcomed haven in an otherwise pretty barren landscape, I'm going to give Social Club 3.5 bones (out of 4). As any new restaurant, this place still has a few kinks to work out. But after such an unexpected enjoyable night, I predict that the three of us will be back within a few weeks.

Dog Days of Summer

As previously mentioned in my post about Tybee Island, which you can revisit here, I'm not all that impressed with the dog-related offerings at what is otherwise a lovely and convenient beach spot. So, the other day, when John and I decided that in exchange for moving to a place where 110 degrees passes for NORMAL, we deserved some beach time, we decided to pass on Tybee and make the drive out to Hilton Head.


Hilton Head is about 30 minutes from Savannah and the drive out there is almost as beautiful as the final destination itself. We decided to go later in the day to beat the crowds and the heat, however once we got there, we quickly realized that we didn't succeed in either.

Coligny Beach

But despite the crowds and the sensation that we were walking on the burning surface of the moon, it was a fantastic trip and we can't wait to get back.


One of the main reasons that the trip was so great, is, of course, this:

Barksdale loves, loves, LOVES, the beach!

This dog loves to dig in the sand, run in the water, and basically put on a show for whoever is close enough to see him prance around like a total maniac. Hilton Head turned out to be the perfect beach spot for all of this.

Dogs are allowed on the beaches before 9am and after 5pm, which is fine seeing as it's too hot to take them out there during the day anyway.  Coligny Beach, was close to loads of parking and and had great restrooms, changing areas, showers, and benches. The ocean was the perfect temperature and we only saw a handful of other dogs on the beach with us (but this may be because we were there on a Monday night).

Coligny Beach is also close to plenty of shopping and restaurants, most of which is super dog-friendly. So after our escapade in the sand, the three of us went to dinner at a place called Skillet's Cafe, located Coligny Plaza. While the human food left quite a bit to be desired, the place offers a doggie menu (i'm not kidding), so BD got to enjoy Tailwagging Turkey and a dish of ice water. Safe to say, he was in heaven.

All in all, it was a short visit out to Hilton Head, but we will most certainly be back as soon as we are able. I'm not sure which of the three of us enjoyed the trip the most, although, judging by the silence coming from the backseat of the car on the drive home, I'd put my money on you-know-who.

Dogs in Raccoonland

Whenever we are asked "what kind of dog is that?" John and I usually look at each other and non-verbally decide which one of us will answer before rattling off a list of breeds that we think may have contributed in part to the wonder that is Barksdale.

Depending on on the day, this list may be a long list of up to five breeds (part shepherd, part lab, part hound, part rottweiler, part doberman, part chow, etc.) or we may just shrug and say "he's a mutt" and leave it at that.

But in secret, John and I spend way more time than we should discussing what breeds we think BD might be. After much deliberation, we've come to the decision that he is most definitely part shepard, part lab and part black and tan coonhound.

The shepard and the lab go without saying. See below:

The black and tan coonhound took a bit more investigating, however. I think that we first saw a picture of the breed online and decided that BD bore some resemblance. Then we began to realize that BD has some strong  hound tendencies: he is a regular pointer, he loves to use his nose, and he needs a lot of exercise. But what gave it away most was when we happened to see a raccoon stuffed animal in store one day and bought it on a whim. Soon after giving the toy (aptly named Robert the Raccoon) to BD, we saw quickly that he LOVED THE TOY.
Insane amounts.
Robert quickly became an important member of the family who was brought to dinner, presented to whoever came into the house, and was happily chewed for hours and hours.

There have been roughly seven raccoons since Robert, each loved more than the next.

Spoiled Rotten

Now, I don't consider myself to be an expert in many things in life, but I think it's safe to say at this point that I am an expert in dog raccoon toys.

Maggie and BD testing out a raccoon toy together

Some are too squeaky, some don't have enough stuffing, and some are made in China. Also, I'm not fond of the extra buttons that are put on for eyes since they very often end up in the dog's mouth. We've been through our fair share of raccoons and after extensive research I have been about to pin point the best of the best.

So, without further adieu, here is my pick of the best raccoon toy on the market:

The Coleman!!

Made in USA, two squeakers (one in the tail and one in the main body), no eye buttons to rip out, and all around strong seams. This is the creme de la creme raccoon.

And I've even consulted with our resident expert on this decision.

He agrees.

The only problem is that since moving to Savannah, I've been unable to find this fine raccoon in any stores. I hate to give my money to the big box stores and there isn't much in the way of dog boutiques in Savannah with an extensive raccoon selection. I guess that for now I'll be buying my raccoons here.