Carrying Your Dog Gear

Were fanny packs ever cool? I’m pretty sure they weren’t. (The French exchange students who stayed with us in middle school mocked my mother’s, and the word “fanny” never fails to make Brits giggle like schoolchildren.) And those cheesy mini backpacks? They make me feel sad for people wearing them. So, I’m always plagued by what to use to carry my stuff when I take Riley on walks. You know, a place for my keys, Blackberry, extra dog poop bags, treats, balls, extra cash, a collapsible water bowl, etc.

A month or so ago, I found something that I thought worked well: The Kinetic II lumbar pack by Mountainsmith. It looks a little crunchy and sporty, but it has changed my life.

I keep hearing people rave about the “Doog,” but it looks suspiciously like a fanny pack…just one that’s rotated to your front. (The Doog—which stands for Dog Owners Outdoor Gear—retails for about $35.)

What do you guys use?

Dog Park Politics

I take Riley to Central Park during off-leash hours just about every morning, and we tend to hang out with the same group of dogs and their owners each day. But it wasn’t always that way. There was a time when we’d awkwardly stand at the outskirts of a group of dogs playing, their owners huddled in a semicircle. We’d hope that someone would notice us, give a nod, and offer an opening for conversation, and ultimately, acceptance.

Image via theweblicist.com

See, the thing is, Riley doesn’t really get the whole playing gently thing. She growls when she runs to act tough, and she body-checks. She stands protectively over water bowls, and she even steals other dogs’ sticks. Luckily, my “dog park friends” have grown to laugh at Riley’s idiosyncrasies because they know she’d never hurt a fly. She’s even affectionately been dubbed “The Fun Police” for her tendency to try to herd up other dogs who appear to be having a good time without her.

Still, I’ve realized that dog park politics are very real, and they simply come with being a dog owner during off-leash hours. Here are a few things (some rules, really) that I have learned and have saved me, and my at-times socially awkward dog, from being shunned:

• If your dog does something bad (eg, steals another dog’s ball, growls at someone he doesn’t like, etc.), play dumb and smile.
• Ask before feeding another dog a treat. Not doing so will incite rage in those dog owners who only feed their animals things like organic boneless chicken breasts ordered in from Swifty’s.
• If you have a pit bull or pit bull mix of any kind, you are sort of screwed. People will look you up and down and whisper behind your back, convinced your dog is only seconds away from eating their pet. It’s awful and unfair, really. You will have to work doubly hard for acceptance.
• If your (larger) dog is playing with a Maltese, Yorkie, or Havanese, you will be blamed for any drama that ensues, even if the little punk is the one who started something.
• Treat the dog park like a dinner party: Avoid topics like religion and politics. That conversation is not going to end up anywhere good.
• That hot guy throwing a ball to his German Shepherd? Yep, he’s got a girlfriend. Don’t waste your time.
• Even if you think a certain dog owner is beyond bizarre, tell him that his dog is beautiful and be diplomatic while your dogs play. Your dog shouldn’t have to give up friends just because the thought of talking to a certain dog’s owner makes you want to jump in front of a bus. Suck it up.
• If your dog is a humper, rein that sh*t in.
• Befriend park rangers and staff. Then they won’t out you to the 5-0 when you have your dog off the leash a few minutes after 9 am.
• Bring extra water to share. It will make people like you.

Think I’m missing anything?

Dogs as Workout Companions

Ok, this just may get the award for “Most Obvious Study Ever.” Researchers at Cornell University are conducting a study to determine whether walking the dog helps owners lose and keep off extra lbs, USA Today reports. “An early look at the data shows that the dogs who walk the most steps have a better body condition score,” one study author says. This seems to warrant an NYC Prep-calibre “Duh,” no? (Cue corresponding eye roll.)

Photo credit: Julia Schmalz/USA Today

I mean, I get it. The study is ultimately trying to encourage people—and their dogs—to exercise more. Still, shouldn’t it already be clear that the whole “eat less; move more” phenomenon holds true with not just people, but with dogs as well?

One point that does seem valid, though, is made by researcher Barbour Warren. "Dog walking offers two of the key elements for regular physical activity, purpose and companionship,” he says. “Dogs can provide both of these in spades." You can’t argue with that. Riley can guilt me into putting on my running shoes with just one look at the door. And when I’m too tired to walk another mile, she just drags me anyway. Better than any trainer I’ve ever had.

NYC Tops Pet-Friendly Cities List

PawNation reports that New York City is the most pet-friendly city, according to a survey by Rent.com. “[The] company combed through thousands of pet-friendly rental listings to find cities with a significant percentage of cat- and dog-friendly pads for rent,” PawNation said.

The top ten cities are:

1. New York City
2. Chicago (yay, my hometown!)
3. Boston
4. Houston
5. San Francisco
6. Austin
7. Washington, DC (and nearby Alexandria, Va.)
8. Portland
9. Charleston
10. Ann Arbor (Go Blue! My alma mater is in Ann Arbor.)

You can search for more pet-friendly apartments in NYC here.

Dogfighters Go Underground

Yesterday, CNN reported that dogfighters are getting creative. They’re finding new ways to hide their practices, and they’re carrying out dogfights in on-the-move 18-wheelers to avoid being caught. According to the story, some of the abuses detectives have uncovered in this ongoing investigation include: dogs with missing ears and patches of skin; animals with teeth shaved down to the bone; and contraptions, much like treadmills, that force chained dogs to run or be choked.

One of six dogs rescued from a Sumter County, South Carolina, dogfight waits in a kennel last week. Image courtesy CNN/WACH TV

In one case in Ohio, the story says, “A neighbor called police when she saw a mangled dog that had apparently escaped from a home where investigators found 60 chained pit bull terriers, many being starved and wallowing in their own waste. There were thousands of hypodermic needles scattered across the ground. ‘They were using steroids on the animals,’ he said. ‘There was one dog—in such bad shape, man—tethered to a logging chain, and another was kept in a two-foot shed without ventilation or food.’ The suffering is incalculable, and the cost of caring for the animals is steep.”

To read the full story, click here.

What is it that I’m not getting about the appeal of this so-called sport? Am I incredibly naïve in wondering WTF makes people get off on watching this? There is something seriously wrong when people don’t get basic compassion. There is something seriously wrong when a football team will sign a man who engaged in this and profited from it for years. I really, really just don’t understand.