Do you take your pup to the beach?

What's your favorite pet-friendly beach?

We found a super-secret, magic island off the coast of Chatham, MA.  You have to take a boat to get there.  Here are a few photos of Copley's adventure.

Do you have any favorite beach activities?  We like playing soccer and catching the waves!

Shoo! Fleas & Ticks, don't bother me

While preventitive care for flea & tick is critical, chemical solutions have always made me a bit nervous as I've heard a few horror stories.

My parent's dog, Grady, has had several bad reactions to both prescription and over the counter flea & tick solutions.  She'll break out into a sweat, foam at the mouth, run around shaking and crying.  Apparently, this is more common than what I thought.  I recently heard of a dog loosing its fur along the flea & tick chemical solution line.  Thankfully, Copley and I have never had a problem and have used both BioSpot (sold at http://www.petsmart.com/) and Nature's Guardian with out a problem. 

When I was first introduced to Shoo! Tag, a chemical-free flea & tick solution, I was a bit skeptical.  It is a small plastic tag with a magnetic strip.  It doesn't look capable of repelling fleas & ticks.  But, it works very well.  Copley spent the weekend playing on Cape Cod, rolling in the sand and playing in the tall, marshy grass.  Not one tick!  Amazing.

Shoo! also makes human versions of the tags which allegedly keep away the mosquitos.  I'm thinking of giving it a try.

How does your dog react to flea & tick solution?  Have you ever tried a chemical-free or all natural alternative?  How did it work?

Who you gunna call? GooseBusters!

This story is far too fantastic not to talk about.

A big topic of conversation on local talk radio this week is "the Geese".  At first, I was horrified that with everything going on in the world people were in a tizzy about Geese.  But, the Canadian Geese have been and are a becoming a bigger problem to the local community.  The bottom line, they poop everywhere!  And nobody gives them an Oops Station.

A local family decided to put their team of Border Collies to good use as a team of GooseBusters.  They travel around the local communities chasing the Geese out of school athletic fields, golf courses, parks, etc.  I heard on WTKK that a team of GooseBusters on the south shore can reduce the number of Geese on a golf course by 75%, by ruffling their feathers.

Check out the local GooseBusters on YouTube or read more at the Dedham Transcript

Also, please check with your town, my understanding is that in some cities/towns they grant you a special off-leash dog license just in case you want to go Goose-Bustin'. 

We're determined to make Copley the first Boston Terrier GooseBuster in the area.

The Pet Cabaret in Roslindale, MA gets my vote

Only three quick days after my quest to seek out and enjoy all the pet-friendly places and shops in Boston, I stumbled across The Pet Cabaret , a local pet supply store in Roslindale, MA. 

Now, I've been in many, many pet stores.  In fact, I stop at almost every pet store that I drive by.  The Pet Cabaret, hands down, is the most amazing pet store that I've ever been in.

One of the owners, whose name I didn't catch, was absolutely delightful.  She took me for a tour around the store, educating me on all the wonderful natural/organic and most importantly grain-free product selection.  Due to Copley's grain allergies, I'm a huge advocate for all natural/grain-free dog food and treats.  Usually, I have to purchase a little here and a little there online.  The Pet Cabaret brings together all my favorites in a wonderful community store experience.

As an added bonus, many of the customers were greeted by their first name.  In fact, she even answered the phone with a warm hello to Mrs. (so and so).  My goal is to have Copley and I on a first name basis with the Pet Cabaret.

The store is very clean, well maintained and organized.  She clearly takes a lot of pride in her store as well as and her responsibility of providing the absolute best pet products and solutions to the local community.

I'm overwhelmed by the wide selection super premium pet foods, treats, chews, flea & tick, and so on. It was very tempting to try everything in the store - I can't wait to go back and broaden my selection.  For tonight we're going to try (over the next few weeks, look out for product reviews):

• 
  
  BRAVO Trail Mix training treats - the trail mix includes hot dogs, buffalo meat, turkey meat, and Vermont cheddar cheese.  Yum!
• Himalayan Dog Chew - Yak and Cow Milk with lime juice
• Shoo! Tag - a chemical-free way to prevent flea & ticks

I give them a 5 out of 5 rating.  We'll be visiting our new friends at the Pet Cabaret for all of Copley's food and treat needs.  I can't wait to get back there and try some more of their great product selection.



Pet Cabaret Contact Info:
http://www.petcabaret.com/
4404 Washington Street
Roslindale, MA
617.323.PETS
Pet Cabaret Blog

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P-town is dog-town

In my quest to find dog friendliness in the greater Boston area - I'm quite pleasantly surprised to see this newly published article from Dog Fancy Magazine, ranking Provincetown the most dog friendly town in the USA.

Provincetown is known as a community that opens virtually almost all its doors - stores, restaurants, and even the bank - to pooches! Here are some of Ptown's pet friendly activities.

Next time we're at the cape, we'll be hitting up Provincetown. Supporting local and pet friendly businesses is a must-do.

Copley's Chicken-in-a-Cube

One of Copley's favorite summer time treats is an ice cube or a little taste of vanilla ice cream.

Unfortunately, the ice cream gives her gas. The kind of gas that you are shocked could come of out such a tiny, 18.5lb body...but it does. It is so awful, I've had to cut her out of our occassional after dinner treat. I feel terribly guilty that Copley couldn't join in dessert.

So, I've made a special treat for her: Chicken Broth ice cubes.

All you have to to is fill an ice tray with chicken broth and freeze. Now, when I sit down for my ice cream, Copley gets her special Chicken-in-a-Cube treat.

Everyone is happy!

Boston, the pet UN-friendly city

Six months ago Copley, my Boston Terrier, and I moved back to Boston from Scottsdale, AZ.

We've had to give up a lot of our together-activities because Boston is the most UN pet friendly city. In Scottsdale, we hit up dog parks, joined others at the local Boston Terrier meet up, went to agility/obedience class two days a week, and played tons of frisbee.

I'm on a mission to seek out, experience, and rate all the pet friendly places in the Boston area.

What are your favorite pet friendly places in the Boston area?