Nature, Point Isabel, and Albany Bulb

One of the great things about living in the Bay Area is that we are about a 10 minute drive from what I refer to as "nature." (For informational purposes, I'm a born and bred city girl and any area that doesn't have paved roads and a starbucks is what I refer to as "nature.") Some people like to go hiking. I like to shop. Some people like lush green scenery when they drive. I like to see city lights and building that's more than one story.

Two years ago, my response to anything that required me to be outdoors surrounded by trees, on a dirt trail far away from any kind of retail establishment, was a resounding "oh hell no." Then we got Ender. That was when I began to familiarize myself with the great outdoors. This is not to say I now like nature. But I now tolerate it.

Here are some of the places we've tried:

1. Joaquin Miller Park
This is an Oakland park nestled next to the Redwood Regional Park. Perfect for "nature" newbies like myself. It has a a separate big dog and small dog fenced in play area and paved walking trails that connect the north and south end of the park. It's close enough to the Redwood Regional Park so that when you get serious about this nature business, you can hike unpaved trails. That are like, dirt.

2. Point Isabel Regional Shoreline
I believe this to be the most popular of doggy spots. It's a place you can bring your dog and let them off leash. They have a cafe and a dog wash area for those times you forget the mountain of towels. The best thing about this area is that there's a part where you can only access with a pedestrian bridge. Which means, if your dog runs away, there's only one point of access to really run away. That is unless your dog is a swimming superstar. Then theoretically they can swim across the channel and really run away from you. The bad thing about Point Isabel is that sometimes there seem to be an inundation of douche bag owners. Just be prepared.

3. Albany Bulb
Interesting fact - this use to be a landfill and I believe still is somewhat a shantytown filled with homeless people who make cool art. I haven't ventured far enough to actually find said town or art but many people have. This is also an area where you can let your doggies offleash. The most awesome thing about this area is that there is something for everyone here: open fields, trails, and beach. Yes, a beach with sand. The bad thing about Albany Bulb is that if you have a crazy dog like Ender, he will want to run away from you to go play with the doggies on the beach. Oh, and you will occasionally run into some random homeless person who may or may not be on drugs while you are on a trail. Other than that, this place is pretty awesome.

Non Nature Extra:

4. UC Berkeley Campus
All hail the alma mater! The campus has the greatest fenced in soccer field where you can really work your chuckit!

Chuckit!

Sometimes your world gets rocked so hard that all you can really do there is sit and blink at your computer screen until the magnitude of what you have discovered sinks in.

I was browsing the Chuckit! website (which I inexplicably hadn't done until today) and I just discovered there is more than one type of Chuckit! ball launcher and more than one type of Chuckit! ball.

What??? I think I just lost half my paycheck browsing the site.

Product Review: Planet Dog Leash

Longest lasting leash thus far:

Planet Dog Hemp Leash with Fleece-Lined Handle




I bought this on a whim at a local pet store and this has been the sturdiest leash to date. This is the type of leash that makes you feel like you have a handle on your 80 pound dog when he starts lunging at a squirrel.

We had originally started off with the standard cheapo nylon leashes but that thing was so slippery, I had to start tying knots into the leash to prevent rope burn when Ender jumped. Therefore, I was interested in an alternative material such as cotton. When I saw hemp, I thought..eh, close enough, why not? The end result - it's awesome.

When we got Barksdale, I got lazy and bought her a leash that was the most similar to the Planet Dog at the big chain pet store. That leash was promptly shredded by Barksdale.

I have learned my lesson and Planet Dog leash number two is now on its way.

Product Review: Doggy Deodorant

My tolerance for dirt has increased dramatically since these two dogs. And I will be the first to tell you that my tolerance was pretty high to begin with. I must say, we kept Ender pretty clean when we first got him. Maybe that's why the bathtub ended up clogging. (We don't have a yard and we refuse to pay Pet Food Express $15 to wash our own dog.) But soon Ender started his dog walking adventures and we acquired a second dog that couldn't stop peeing and pooing on herself. It definitely went downhill from there. After washing poop off one dog, I could not gather the strength to wash another one knowing that in two days he would be caked in dirt anyway. Hence, no bath for Ender.

However brilliant that plan was, I failed to account for the fact that dogs smell. At first I tried pet wipes but soon realized that I would end up using the entire box if I wanted to wipe Ender down. I was in a pet store one day and (cue angels singing) I saw Earthbath Deodorizing Spritz. At this point, I was already an Earthbath fanatic thanks to their shampoo, but this was simply what my laziness ordered.

I purchased the Lavender Scent, which I find to be a bit strong. It masks dog stink fine but it also smells like, what the bf calls, old man deodorant. Next time, we'll go for the Tea Tree & Aloe.

Pet Vacations

Dude, this is cheaper than our regular dog boarding:

Luxury pet resort opening at Disney World
Associated Press
The Associated Press August 8, 2010 04:00 AM

Pluto never had it so good: The next major attraction to open at Walt Disney World won't be for the kids - it will be for the dogs. Best Friends Pet Resort, scheduled to open Aug. 27, will offer not just boarding, but also bedtime stories and a water park for dogs.

The luxury facility will accommodate way more than 101 Dalmatians. With more than 50,000 square feet of space, half of it outdoors, it has room for 270 dogs, 30 cats and assorted other animals, including birds, potbellied pigs and small mammals like hamsters and guinea pigs. (Sorry, no turtles, snakes or lizards.)

Standard indoor boarding for dogs runs $37 nightly. Upgrades for dogs include vacation villas with outdoor patios and flat-screen TVs for watching videos like "Homeward Bound" ($59), or 226-square-foot luxury suites ($76) with private outdoor play yards and personal pet concierges.

Cats can choose between two- and four-story condos.

Product Review: Doggy Shampoo

I just realized that the doggy shampoo cost more than my own shampoo. huh.

Of course I started off with some cheapo brand shampoo (ahem, Fresh N Clean) but do you know how much shampoo is needed to wash a 80+ pound dog if it doesn't lather well? A whole lot.

Several free samples later, we are now using shampoo from Earthbath. The awesome thing about Earthbath is that they have fragrance free and hypo allergenic shampoos for those pets and petowners who are prone to allergies. I am partial to the Tea Tree and Aloe as it has the small hint of fragrance but not an overwhelming amount.



The best part about this shampoo is that it lathers like nobody's business. Because we were so used to having to use a large amount of our cheapo shampoo, we used the same amount of the Earthbath shampoo on our dogs. Needless to say, the doggies got some extra massage time as we worked out the extra lather.

For a price comparison, the Fresh N Clean Shampoo is about $0.55/oz while the Earthbath Shampoo is about $0.94/oz. Yes, the Earthbath Shampoo is almost twice as much which is why I initially went for the Fresh N Clean. But after using it, the Earthbath comes out to be so much cheaper because you have to use so much less of it.

And FYI, Ender and Barksdale's mama uses Johnson's & Johnson's Baby Shampoo which comes out to about $0.29/oz.