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Pawsh Dog Boutique & Salon

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Once the snow starts to fall, Riley knows Christmas is right around the corner.  And, as much as I hate to admit it, I’m totally one of those owners that spoils there pup at Christmas time.  I don’t like to get Riley just the same old bones, kongs, and greenies that she gets on a regular basis.   I like to try and find special, unique toys.  PawshDog Boutique is a new boutique located in the Back Bay.  They have a wide variety of toys that Riley is going to do flips over on Christmas morning.  They also have sweaters and booties for the winter so your pup can play in the snow and not worry about getting cold or getting salt in their paws.  The Boutique itself is very cute.  It has a fun, playful feel to it.  What I really liked about the Boutique is that it has a delivery service.  With the store in the Back Bay, there are many people in the area without cars.  I’m sure this is a service that will be used a fair amount.  Another thing about the Boutique that I loved was that for every holiday themed toy, winter coat and gift card sold from Now through the end of the year, a portion of the proceeds will go to MSPCA-Angell.  So, if you have a pup that was good this year, or even a friends with dogs who would love some stylish apparel or some cool new toys, this Boutique is worth checking out.  I know I will be picking up some all organic treats for Riley and probably a gift certificate to their salon!

Pawsh Dog Boutique

31 Gloucester Street

Boston, MA 02115

 (617)297-2045

 

Posted in Dog Friendly Places

Middlesex Fells Reservation

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        This weekend Riley and I were feeling adventurous, so we decided to check out Middlesex Fells Reservation.  My roommate was the one that introduced us to this reservation and luckily she came with us on our visit.  This reservation is HUGE, so if you do decide to check it out, I would recommend going with someone that is familiar with the area or do a little research about the trails before going or else you could get lost.  Trail running isn’t something we do very often, however now we might start making it a weekly routine. Riley absolutely loved the Fells.  It was beautiful and best of all it was packed with other people and their dogs.  I did hear there was a section of the reservation that had an off-leash park, but we were so tired after our run that we never made it there.  While you and your pup are one the trails, you must keep them leashed.  If a ranger catches your pup off his or her leash, they will slap you with a hundred dollar fine.  You will also find many people riding their bikes along the trails.  I saw a couple people riding their bikes with their pups on their leashing running along side them! I was pretty impressed! Riley and I haven’t mastered that yet.  Parking can be a hassle but it is worth the wait.  Riley and I will be back this weekend.

South Border Road
Medford, MA 02155
(781) 322-2851

www.fells.org/

Posted in Dog Friendly Places, Parks and Beaches, Uncategorized

Brookline Avenue Playground

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I love nothing better than to let Riley run free with lots of playmates.  At Brookline Avenue Playground she can do just that in a large fenced in park.  There is nothing super special about the park, only that it has four acres for your pup to run around till their furry legs can’t move any longer.  There were so many dogs visiting the park when Riley and I arrived, that by the end of our visit, Riley’s tongue was hanging so far out of her mouth I wasn’t sure it was every going to go back in!  To me that is the ultimate sight of a happy pup!  This isn’t strictly a dog park.  Riley and I watched a soccer game that was going on inside the park, we needed a break so Riley could catch her breath and have some much needed water.  Another thing I really liked about the park was that it was very well maintained.  I’m sure we wont see much more of the grass when winter is right around the corner.  However, I’m sure Riley will like the park that much more once it’s filled with snow.  We will definitely be visiting this park again.

Brookline Avenue Playground

575 Brookline Ave
Brookline, MA

Posted in Dog Friendly Places, Parks and Beaches, Uncategorized

Pet Spa

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Feel like pampering your pup? Sometimes even your pup would enjoy a day at the Spa!  I have never really thought about taking Riley to a spa since she has such short hair, not enough to cut.  So instead I  tagged along with a friend that brought her very fluffy pooch there for a trim.  The employees were extremely friendly and I really liked that they didn’t crate the dogs while they wait to get a hair cut.  The dogs get to socialize and play with each other pups until it is their time for a cut.  Not only is it just a spa but they have a pet Boutique as well.  They have many stylish leashes and collars to choose from along with a lot of toys, bags and water bowls.  They also sell natural and organic treats such as whoopie pies, peanut butter bars, carob drizzled bones, banana biscotti’s and cakes for those special occasions.  This establishment is super cute, very colorful and relaxing inside and most important, very clean.  The only downfall of the place is where it is located.  Very busy street with lot of construction.  Hopefully the construction will be over sometime soon.

Pet Spa

669 Somerville Ave
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 666-7387

Hours:
Mon, Fri 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Posted in Uncategorized

Pope John Paul II Park Reservation

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This reservation is located right near the city.  I have heard good things about this park and after a few minutes of walking around the reservation, I understood why it was important for me to check out.  The grounds people keep this place in amazing condition.  It has a total of 65 acres, and for you runners and cyclist’s there are 2 miles of paved paths for you and your pup to get some exercise.  Riley and I came across a lot of bird watchers and families having picnics on the grass and in the gazebos.  There are also soccer field and football fields at the reservation, which I hear the soccer fields are the most popular, always people there kicking the ball around.  The park also has restrooms, always a plus! What I really liked about the park was the wildlife that have been spotted there.  If you are lucky you might spot some black ducks or a Great Blue Heron.  I’m not sure if many people know about this reservation because it hasn’t been around for too long.  It is never crowded there so if you are looking for a quite, peaceful place then this is the park to check out.

Pope John Paul II Park Reservation

Neponset District
(617) 727-6034

Posted in Dog Friendly Places, Parks and Beaches

Stony Brook Reservation

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Riley and I love living the city life but we also really enjoy taking trips to Maine to visit the great outdoors.  However, we don’t get to do it very often.  So, instead we take a short ride to Stony Brook Reservation.  Stony Brook is open year round and during the winter, it is absolutely beautiful.  There are Ten to Twelve miles of hiking trails and bicycle paths throughout the reservation so you and your pup can get a great workout while taking in all the scenery.  Stony Brook is a great place to take your pup and the entire family.  There are soccer fields, baseball fields, tennis courts, fishing, picnic area’s and a skating rink.  So no matter what your kids like, there is something for everyone.  It is not and enclosed reservation and leashes are required.  As much as Riley loves to run free, the “Leashes Required” rule is for their own safety.  There have been coyote sightings at the reservation, so I rather keep Riley right by my side.  Stony Brook is a great place to visit and if the coyote comment scared you a little bit, just talk to the grounds people.  They are super helpful and made me feel a lot better about taking Riley around the reservation.

 Stony Brook Reservation

Turtle Pond Parkway, West Roxbury, Hyde Park.
617-333-7404

Posted in Dog Friendly Places, Parks and Beaches

Laundromutt

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Riley manages to get super dirty at every park we visit.  She loves to roll around in any mess she can find and if there is mud around, you better believe that she doesn’t leave the park without wearing all that mud home.  I grew tired of giving her baths at home, the clean up was just too much.  However, last week I drove by a place that caught my eye.  It’s called the Laundromutt.  Having such a dirty dog, I had to check it out.

It is not very big, but it doesn’t need to be.  I felt that its small size actually made it that much cooler.  They have made bathing your dog enjoyable!  The people there are awesome, super nice and they really love dogs.  The inside is bright and colorful.  There are elevated baths with hoses that don’t just spray water, but the shampoo goes right through the hose to make things a lot easier on you, and they have many different scented shampoo’s to choose from.  They even have rubber aprons for you to wear so you don’t get soaked attempting to clean your pooch. When your pup is clean, you have the choice of towel drying or using the blow dryer.  They also sale treats, toys and bathing products.  They are not expensive at all, very reasonable priced.  I will continue on taking Riley here whenever she needs a bath.

489 Concord Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 864-9274
www.laundromutt.com

Hours:

Monday: Closed

Tuesday – Friday: 10:00 am – 7:30 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sunday:  11:00 am – 6:00 pm
       Last bath is a half hour before closing

Posted in Dog Friendly Places

Dog Friendly Places: Henrietta’s Table

This week Riley and I decided to dine out at Henrietta’s Table in Cambridge. The restaurant has a very organic feel to it, along with great organic food. I thought our waitress was super friendly and very accommodating. I had to leave her a big tip just for saying how beautiful she thought Riley was. However, I think Riley is starting to get a big head with all these compliments she keeps getting. As much as I enjoyed the food that Henrietta’s Table had to offer, I probably won’t be visiting the restaurant very often. Their prices were a little too expensive for my budget. Some things I really liked about Henrietta’s were that they get their produce from local farmers, which I love to support, their wine list was pretty impressive and the atmosphere of the restaurant was very relaxing. It made me feel like I was in a rustic farmhouse. I would definitely recommend this place if you don’t mind spending some extra money for some locally grown food. But, if your budget is tight this place may not be for you.

Henrietta’s Table
1 Bennett St (The Charles Hotel)
Cambridge, MA 02138-5707
Phone: (617) 661-5005

Hours:
Mon-Thu 6:30am-11am, 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Fri 6:30am-11am, 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Sat 7am-11am, 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm
Sun 7am-10:30am, 12pm-3pm, 5:30pm-10pm

Posted in Dining Out, Dog Friendly Places

Dog Friendly Places: Peter’s Park

I have been hearing a lot of great things about Peter’s Park located on Washington Street in the South End. Riley wanted to know what all the buzz was about and boy did we find out! In our first visit, she made about twenty new friends!

The park is completely fenced in with double doors that make it super easy to enter the park and pretty much impossible for your pup to exit without you. What I really loved about the park was that it had a separate play area for small dogs. Now, that doesn’t mean your tiny pooch can’t play with the large dogs. But, if they get a little intimidated by the big guys, they can wrestle around with pup’s their own size in their own fenced in play pen. It made life a lot easier for me since Riley weights 60lbs but thinks she weights about 10lbs, so she tends to think that the little pups can hold their own against her. We are still working on her manors.

What was also very cool about the park was its doggie water fountain. It’s too cold out now to use, but once summer rolls around again, your pup will be pumped to run around in the sprinklers. I’m sure people would like more of a grassy area in the park instead of the rocks that it has. I also would like it to have more grass but the up side is that when it rains, Riley can’t find a lot of mud to roll around in. Finding parking is fairly easy and there are disposable bags at the park which is always a plus. This park is moving up my list very fast because of all the other friendly dogs that we meet there. Definitely check it out!

Peter’s Park
1313 Washington Street
(between Leland Pl & Rollins St)
Boston, MA 02118

Posted in Parks and Beaches

Dog Friedly Places: Danehy Park

Riley and I visit Danehy Park everyday with her pal Zoe. The her happy face and wiggling tail just as we approach the park are priceless, and she can’t get out of the car fast enough! Danehy Park is located in Cambridge at 99 Sherman Street. It is great if you have a pup that needs some exercise. With 50-acres, you can imagine how much running they can do. Riley and Zoe’s favorite thing to do at the park is find has many puddles as they can after it rains and jump around like crazy in them. If your pup likes to do the same, make sure to bring a couple towels with you so your car doesn’t get too muddy. Also, make sure to bring your own disposable bags. They use to provide them, but the container has not been filled in quite some time. The 50-acres consists of softball/baseball fields along with a few soccer fields. It also has a paved path that goes around the park that is great for runners. What I like most about this park is not only is it huge but there are a few regulars that visit the park after work everyday with their dogs. Dogs can’t get enough socialization and I love that Riley has a ton of friends at many different parks. Just remember that this park is not an enclosed park, so its best to keep your eyes on your pup while you visit.

99 Sherman Street, Cambridge

Posted in Dog Friendly Places, Parks and Beaches
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