Big Paws Only Dog Forums

Hey all it was a crazy weekend and I am sad it is over.  Yesterday was the annual Bay to Breakers race in San Francisco.  For all of you who don't know what that is, it's a 7.25 mi. foot race that goes from downtown San Francisco out to Ocean Beach.  There are a lot of people who actually "run" this race, but the majority of people are partying in the streets.  There's centipedes, people tied together in a group with some sort of theme (some of which are disgusting), and costumes and naked people all over the place.  It is a great event to bring your dog to.  So I brought Drake for the second year and he had his Doggles and drool bib on.  He got absolutely molested!!!  People came up and were petting and kissing him and he was photographed at least 100 times!  No Joke!  I, unforturnately, forgot my camera in my rush out the door in the morning and I really wish I had brought it.  It would have been great to get of shot of my dog/celebrity in his glory.   At one point, there were about 15 people with cameras around Drake and about 5 girls posing with him and hugging and kissing him.  It was a total frenzy!!!  And then there was me at the other end of the lead, just smiling and laughing.  He was like Paris Hilton posing for the Paparazzi.  It is unbelieveable how much attention big dogs get, people couldn't get enough.  He gets a lot of attention in public normally, but at an event like Bay to Breakers where people are drunk and out of control, it is just NUTS!!!  Hopefully I get a picture from it all to share, I think one of my friends took one.  Seeing how many shots were taken of Drake, there's got to be many pictures of him zipping around the internet today.  Was anyone else there and have the same experience?

We bought a faucet "lickit" attachment and Drake took right to it.  It helps if you buy a splitter so you can still have access to the faucet if you need it for hoses or whatnot.  After playing or a long walk, he makes a beeline for the lickit and I don't have to worry about him not getting water when he needs it.

That pretty much settles it for me then.  If Bear didn't like walking with Doggles on either, it wasn't meant to be.  I'll probably do the same and put them on when were driving or just chillin' in the sun.  I don't want them to be an unpleasant thing for Drake, I want him to be able to handle wearing them when I put them on.

Wow! Small world indeed!  Novato is such a great town, not a pretentious as other towns in Marin and there's lots of room to grow.  It's kind of a mix between a farming and upper suburban community.  My wife and I both grew up in Napa and we prefer Novato.  Napa will always be home for us but Novato is better suited to our jobs and lifestyle.  So your daughter is dating the fire chief, that's great.  Our friend Mia, who owns a Newfie as well, lives next door to the family of that firefighter who died fighting the So Cal fires.  The Firemen in this area have it made, cush job.

You can probably find them at most high-end pet stores, but you can go to this link as well.  They are too cool and you can even switch lenses on them.  Too much fun!  Shop around because some places my mark up the prices on them.  I would guess they shouldn't be much more than $20, but I got mine as a gift so I don't know the price.

http://www.doggles.com/

Ocean Beach in San Francisco is unfortunately not a dog friendly beach.  Right next to it is Fort Funston, which is basically another huge beach and it is where you can take your dog off leash.  It might be an ideal spot for the Nor Cal get together.  Not only could we have a big space for dogs to play, people could spend a day in one of the best cities in the World.  There's Golden Gate Park, Chrissy Field, the Embarcadero and so much more to do with your doggie.  Yes, I'm biased because I live in the Bay Area, but regardless of where the chosen spot is, there's going to be a lot of people who would have to drive several hours to attend.  SO, I'm thinking why not San Francisco?  It is an International destination and there's so much to do.  Imagine walking your Big Dog across the Golden Gate Bridge?  How cool would that be!  The view is going to be obstructed soon by a proposed suicide barrier and the bridge will not be the same, so it might be something people want to do before it changes.  Also, I saw there's a lot of non-Californians who would love to attend.  If it was at San Francisco, they could make a weekend trip out of it, maybe even go up to the Wine Country.  I grew up in Napa and I could be a good winery tour guide.  Just a thought, what do the rest of you think?

Heather, you are dealing with an old problem.  Usually, a few well placed swats by the cat are enough to keep most dogs from bothering them, but some dogs need more than that.  What I have found that works is to bring both pets into the same room but keep them separated.  Let your dog see you petting your cat and being affectionate with it.  Then go do the same thing with your dog.  Let your dog see that you love the cat as much as you love him.  Repeat this several times and do it on a regular basis.  If he stil chases, use the "Leave it" command and be extremely stern.  Let him know that chasing the kittie is not acceptable.  It worked for us because Drake chased our cats when he was a pup but doesn't do it much any more.  Our Orange cat Kenai sometimes runs when Drake approaches him, which causes him to chase but not always.  Boo, our Bombay actually plays with Drake and let's him know when he's had enough.  I think this picture below shows their relationship and how our method seems to work.  Good luck!!!