Out and About

We didn't have any exciting hiking trips or visits to new places this weekend- just some walking around the city and some time at the usual dog park. We had a few errands to run Saturday and took Captain with us around Union Square for lunch outside. It's always fun to walk around with Captain - inevitably people ask what kind of a dog he is, tell us how pretty he is, and then, when Captain realizes we're all talking about him- much to their delight- he gets all wiggly and goes and leans up against them for a good cuddle. It's like sharing a little Vizsla love right there on the street.

We've dedicated much of the past year and half with Captain to figuring out how to take him just about everywhere we can. There is a balance- dogs just don't belong some places- but when we can, we go out to eat outside, we design our weekends around outdoor activities, we go in shops that allow dogs. Part of this is just the fact of being people who like to do active things like running and hiking, and dogs (at least Vizslas!) tend to go along well with that. My husband is also making this lifestyle a work dream- on the side, he's been working on a website & iphone app called Fido Factor designed specifically to help people know what's nearby where Fido is welcome. But it's also a belief that our best friends shouldn't just be left home alone, even if there is a backyard; they are important parts of our lives, and having the ability to know where we can happily bring them with us, whether it's a great dog park, a dog-friendly restaurant, or a hotel for a weekend getaway, is a pretty key tool. In any case, we've found San Francisco to be very dog-friendly, which makes for a fun time.

Well, enough words, right? Here's a video of Ellie and Captain playing in the park. I love the way Ellie 'stalks' Captain in the beginning- she does this every time she sees him! They are great friends, the same age, and have known each other since they were about 5 months old.




I always know playtime with Ellie spells tired Captain afterwords :-)