Molly on the Beach and Mattie playing in background

With Molly and Mattie fashioning their Bark for Life bandana’s we headed over to the off leash dog beach at Crissy Field.  We had just attended the Bark for Life event at the field adjacent to the beach and after several renditions of “Who Let The Dogs Out” decided it was time to head over to the tranquility of the beach.  Molly was also wearing her tie-dye t-shirt as this was right after she had her first surgery for the removal of her Mast Cell Tumor.  This meant no going in the water for Molly, which for a Labrador is a sad day.

Central Crissy Field Dog Beach

As soon as we unleashed the dogs, true to form they were off to explore and visit new friends.  The off leash areas are on the Central and East areas of the Beach.  Dogs are excluded from the West end of the beach, except from May 15 – June 1, as this is a Wildlife Protection Area.

Mattie running on Beach towards East Side

There are great views of the Bay from the beach.  The dogs on the day we visited all seemed to be well socialized and everyone seemed friendly.  The beach wasn’t too crowded probably due to the overcast skies and chilly air.  San Francisco the way we like it.

What is that in the grass?

In addition to the dog beach there is an off leash grass area adjacent to Central Beach.  We observed a few people practicing off leash training with their dogs using long leads.  There also seemed to be a German Shepherd meetup going on as there was a group of 10 or so with their owners.

Be sure to bring water for yourself and your dog as we didn’t see any in area.  There were some bags at the entrance to the grass area, but we recommend always carrying your own.  And please always pick up after your dog.

Mattie's impression of a Jack Rabbit

This off leash beach area of Crissy Field is currently under dispute with the National Park Service with the outcome due later this year.  We truely hope that they do not take away this wonderful venue to take our dogs off leash.  You can read more about this here.

Let us know what you think of Crissy Field off leash dog beach or the proposed NPS changes in the comments below.

Overall ***** 5 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Beautiful views
• Beach
• Free
• Great place to enjoy a picnic and watch your dog play off leash
• Cool off in the water on warm days with your dog

Cons

• Crowded on warm days (Especially weekends)

Shade: No (Bring a beach umbrella if hanging out on beach on a warm day)

Terrain: Sand  (Off leash grass area adjacent to Central Beach, separated by on leash paved path)

Parking: Street and parking lots

Cost: Free

Restrooms: Yes

Directions

Mattie and Molly at table outside Diner

We recently enjoyed a late lunch in between rain showers at dog friendly Fog City Diner on Battery Street in San Francisco.  It was a little chilly out, so a normally crowded outside dining area was enjoyed by us alone.  The dogs didn’t mind as they settled in under the table.

This casual yet upscale diner is located along the Embarcadero, yet off of it enough that you don’t get the tourist traffic from the Wharf.  The diner has recently started offering more small plates on their menu giving us foodies more much appreciated choices.

Fog City Diner Water Bowl

The waitress immediately offered to bring out a bowl of water for the dogs.  Both Adrianne and I thought it was a nice touch and the dog bowl even had the Fog City Diner logo on it.  The dogs lapped up the water as we ordered our lunches.

Biscuits and Clam Chowder

They do serve Brunch on the weekends, but we opted to order off of the regular menu.  We started with the Farmhouse cheddar Biscuits that come with a rosemary apple brown butter.  One word “yummy”.  We then split a bowl of the Clam Chowder.  While we both are fans of creamy clam chowder, this one was thinner, but we enjoyed the flavorings of the yukon gold potatoes and applewood smoked bacon.

While waiting for our main dish, we had several passing people stop to greet the dogs.  Many of them visiting town and reminiscing about their own pets back at home.

Mac & Cheese

For our main course, Adrianne had the Mac & Cheese that had there different cheeses; New York Cheddar, Swiss Bruyere, and French Morbier.  I had the famous Fog City Diner burger  with my favorite, blue cheese.

Burger and Fries

At this point we knew this was lunch and dinner, so we decided to order the Banana’s Foster off the desert menu.  This capped off the meal quite nicely.  Of course, then we were so full we had to take the dogs for a walk before heading home.

Banana's Foster

Summary of Fog City Dinner

Great location off of Embarcadero that has a variety of food choices.  Very dog friendly with several outdoor tables to sit with your dog and enjoy a good meal and the outdoors.  Afterwards, you can take a nice stroll along the water before heading home.

Mattie and Molly Relaxing

Price: Expensive  ***We had two drinks, two appetizers, our main courses, and one desert.  Our bill came to $80.80 plus tip.

Pros

• Great location near Embarcadero
• Dog Friendly
• Several outdoor dining tables
• Good menu selection
• Great food

Cons

• Pay to park (street)
• Double Decker tourist bus stop in front of restaurant
• Expensive

Heating: None (It’s SF so always dress in layers)

Dog Location: Any table in outside dining area at front of restaurant

Water: Water bowl provided by staff (nice touch)

Address: 1300 Battery St.  San Francisco

Hours: 11:30AM-10PM MON-THURS   11:30AM-11PM FRI   10:30AM-11PM SAT  10:30AM-10PM SUN   (WEEKEND BRUNCH 10:30AM-3:30PM)

Website: http://www.fogcitydiner.com

Note: We were not asked to review the restaurant and used our own funds.

Directions

Mattie exploring Serpentine Prairie

On a recent warm afternoon I decided to get outside and take advantage of the great weather.  I headed up to Skyline Blvd to hike the off leash trails that are accessed from the Trudeau Training Center in Oakland.  There are several trails in this area that take you thru redwoods, open space, and creeks.  Dogs are allowed off leash under voice control, so I brought along Mattie to hike with me.

Mattie and I started our hike heading thru Serpentine Prairie and over to the look out area where you get a beautiful view of the Prairie.  The Serpentine Prairie trail becomes on leash due to the horse area further down the trail so we crossed back and headed down the Dunn Trail.

View from the Look Out

The Dunn Trail is a very beautiful hike and there is a chance that you will encounter horses on the trails so you may want to leash up your dog until the horse passes.  The trails have some mild hills and also an uphill hike back of about a half mile.  Watch for poison oak in the brush off of the trails, especially if your dog is roaming in the brush.

There are redwoods for shade, but also some open areas so if it’s a really warm day I would head out on this hike early in the morning.  If hiking after a rain the trails will be muddy.

Mattie on Dunn Trail

Bring water for you and your dog.  The sun is pretty intense on the trails in spring/summer so bring along a hat and sunscreen.  Be sure to take along bags and pick up after your dog.

If you are up for a strenuous 4 mile hike, follow Dunn Trail east until you hit Baccharis.  From there go to the West Ridge, then take Graham which will lead you back to the Dunn Trail and to the parking lot where you started.  Keep in mind if you take this route there some on leash areas, but it’s worth it as this is a great hike.

Let us know what your favorite trails are in Redwood Regional Park in the comments below.

Overall ***** 5 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Off leash
• Scenic trails
• Great strenuous hike
• No fees

Cons

• No shade on parts of trails (avoid on really hot days)
• Can be muddy after a rain

Shade: Parts of trails shaded by Redwoods and trees

Terrain: Dirt and natural mulch

Parking: Parking lot and street parking

Cost: Free

Restrooms: Yes

Directions

Molly "The Always Happy Labrador"

Molly went in for what we thought was just a routine removal of two lumps last week.  When I picked her up after surgery our Veterinarian told me that the lump on her right shoulder was actually solid and abnormal so he sent it to the pathologist for testing.  He did not think it was cancer but he could not be sure.  He wanted us to call back at the end of the week for the lab results.

It was an agonizing week and we kept telling ourselves it was nothing to worry about.  On Friday morning I placed a call to the Vet’s office, but the doctor was busy with patients so he would have to call us back.  It was a long wait as we did not receive a call back until after 4pm.

The results were in from the lab and the lump was cancerous.  We had the Vet on speaker phone and we were both in shock as he went on to tell us that it was a Mast Cell Tumor, Patnaik Grade 2.

He went on to explain the diagnosis and options; further surgery, radiation, chemotherapy.  We had lots of questions of course and wanted to make the most informed decision.  He was very patient with us, and faxed us the results from the lab along with key words to research this form of cancer and best course of treatment.  We agreed that we would do research over the weekend and call him back on Monday to determine our plan of action.

First thing we both did after hanging up the phone is give Molly a big hug.  She is our huge affection lover in the house, her big brown eyes stare at you affectionately and she lays her head on your leg for endless petting.  I have had Molly for almost her entire 7.5 years of life.  Mattie and Molly were pups together so there is also a special bond between them.

Mattie and Molly (BFF)

Both Adrianne and I have unfortunately dealt with the sadness and pain cancer has placed on members of our family.  My Mother lost her battle with cancer 6 years ago and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think about her.  Other family members have battled and beat cancer and we are hoping the same for Molly.

Over the weekend we discovered some great websites that helped us learned more about Mast Cell Tumors and others experiences with this and their dogs.  We learned that there is a high rate of success if the tumor is surgically removed early and there is surgical lateral margin of at least 2cm and a deep margin of 1 facial plane.  Apparently 80 percent of dogs that are diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumors are classified as grade II and around 8 years of age is the most common age of occurrence.   There is also evidence that Boxers, Bulldog breeds, Bullmastiffs, Boston Terriers, Staffordshire Terriers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Pugs, Labradors Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Weimaraners, and Beagles are at higher risk of of developing skin Mast Cell Tumors.

Molly’s tumor had a Mitotic index of one and low–well-differentiated type which was good as this type had a lower risk of recurrence with successful wide-margin surgical removal.  Surgery is the treatment of choice for the majority of mast cell tumors.

I found a Labrador Chat Board with a discussion of other lab owners that had Labradors with the same type of Mast Cell Tumors that had high success with surgery.  This was very encouraging to us.  There is also a Yahoo Group for owners dealing with a Cancer diagnosis in their dog.

After much research and discussion we and our Veterinarian agreed, when we spoke on with him again on Monday, that the best course of action would be for Molly to go back in to surgery and have him make a wider margin from the lump site.  This margin of skin would then be sent to the pathologist to confirm that we now have a large margin between the cancerous cells and the healthy cells.  We will then have to viliginatly watch and check for any recurrence of the lump.  Dogs that have no recurrence after a year are considered cured.

Molly went back in to surgery today and we again will have the agonizing wait for the pathologist results.  I will post any updates after we get the results.  She has been a trooper through all of this, no matter the pain just wanting her walks and her loving.

Update 5/19 @ 5pm:  Molly just got home from her second surgery.  Her scar is about 6-7 inches long, poor baby.  Here’s a pic of her resting back at home.

Molly's home from her second surgery.

Update 5/24:  The lab results came in today from Molly’s latest surgery.  It was good news, hooray!  The Pathologist said that there were good clean wide margins around where the Mast Cell Tumor had been removed from Molly.  Our Vet thinks the prognosis is very good for Molly as we got this out early and with clean wide margins.  We are trying to keep Molly resting (trying being the keyword as she wants to run around outside).  She still has a little discharge from her incision area which is normal.  She goes back in next week to remove her stitches.  We will still need to monitor her closely for any lumps, if there are no recurrences of tumor in a years time she will be considered “cured”.

Here are some websites we found extremely helpful in learning more about Mast Cell Tumors and Cancer in dogs:

http://www.vetsurgerycentral.com/mct.htm

http://www.dogaware.com/health/cancer.html

http://veterinarycancer.com/mastcelltumors.html

Mattie wanting to go down to Redwood Creek

Redwood Regional Park offers several hiking trails and on a recent day we entered the park through the Canyon Meadow Staging Area.  During the week is the best time to hike this area of the park as there are no fees and you can enjoy the beautiful trails all to yourself.  As most of the trails are shaded by the beautiful redwoods in the park, even on a warm day it is a great place to hike with your dog.

The park can be reached by taking Redwood Road either from Castro Valley or Oakland.  Look for the Redwood Regional Park sign and follow the road for a bit until you see a kiosk.  During the week there is no one there as there is no fee for parking or dogs, but on the weekend it’s $5 for parking and $2 per dog.  After passing the kiosk follow the road till you reach the end and park in this parking lot.

Stream Trail

Dogs are required to be on leash in this area of the park, with a maximum of a six foot leash.  So be sure to leash your dog before leaving the parking lot.  On this day we followed Stream Trail and crossed the bridge over Redwood Creek.  After crossing the bridge we veered to the left and took Bridle Trail.  There are no bikes allowed on this trail making it a great hike with your leashed dog as you don’t have to  worry about a mountain bike racing around the corner.

Entrance to Bridle Trail

Bridle Trail offers some strenuous hills so you can get a good work out in for yourself and your dog.  The trail is surrounded by beautiful Redwoods and ferns.  I almost forgot I was so still so close to the city as the serenity of the area made me forget where I was.  As we were there on a weekday it was so quiet that I could hear the sounds of the creek as we hiked.  Keep in mind dogs or people are not allowed in the creek.

We hiked Bridle Trail until it ended back on to Stream Trail, at about Trails End where no bikes are allowed on Stream Trail at this point.  We then hiked for about a mile more before turning back and following the same route back to the parking lot.  If you have the time and the energy you can hike Stream Trail until it turns in to East Ridge Trail then take Canyon Trail back to Stream Trail and parking lot.

Mattie on Bridle Trail

Even though it was a warm day when we hiked the trails we stayed cool from the shade of the tall Redwoods.  Be sure to take along some water for yourself and your dog.  There are no bags provided along trail so bring your own.  This was our fist time hiking this area and we will definitely be back.

Let us know what your favorite trails are in Redwood Park in the comments below.

Overall ***** 5 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Numerous trails to hike
• Lots of shade
• Beautiful surroundings
• Challenging trails
• No fees on the weekdays

Cons

• Dogs have to be on leash
• Fees on the weekends
• Most trails will be muddy after a heavy rain

Shade: Shaded by tall Redwoods

Terrain:  Some paved areas, but most trails are natural

Parking: Parking lot with over flow lot if it is full

Cost: Weekdays are free; Weekends $5 parking and $2 dog fee

Hours: 5AM – 10PM

Water: At staging areas

Restrooms: At staging areas

Directions

Designated potty area in our yard

Through trial and error I came up with a method to help me in housebreaking dogs.  I originally wrote this post to help others that are fostering rescue dogs.  But, these steps will also help you if you have a new puppy or adult dog in your home that needs to be housebroken or needs to be reminded.

The first and foremost thing you will need is a dog crate.  Dogs naturally are smart enough to know that they shouldn’t relieve themselves in the place they sleep.  The crate should be large enough so they they can turn around and stand in, but not much larger than that.  You don’t have to buy a new crate, check out Craigslist for used crates.  I do not recommend leaving any dog in a crate for long periods of time as this can lead to other problems such as destructive or neurotic behavior,  and the dog can become unhappy or depressed.  A laundry room or bathroom will also work, as I have had experience with some dogs that were terrified when placed in a dog crate.

At the beginning of housebreaking,  taking a dog out on a leash to a designated potty area in the yard is most beneficial.  This had even worked with our own dogs when we created a dog area in our backyard and wanted them to relieve themselves in a specific area.   Your dog should be taken out to relieve his or herself first thing in the morning, after each meal, mid-afternoon and every evening before being placed in crate, bathroom or laundry room.   You will want to leash them and take them to the designated potty area.   After they have relieved themselves be sure to give lots of praise while they are still outside.  Don’t worry if they do not go to the bathroom each time as you are just trying to establish a routine with the dog that it goes out to relieve him or herself.

If you cannot take your dog out midday, you may want to consider having someone come by and take them out for their midday break.  In the past, I have even left a foster dog with access to garage and yard to encourage them to relieve themselves in yard.   This way if they did have any accidents, it was easy to clean and/or wash down concrete in garage or yard.  Remember this is only until you have housebroken your dog.

Molly "our lab" walking to designated potty area

During your housebreaking period watch your dog for signs that they may need to go out to relieve themselves.  This can include sniffing and walking around, and whining.  If you cannot watch them, place dog in crate, bathroom or laundry room.  If your dog does have an accident in the house, do not scold them unless you find them in the act.   If you do catch them in the act, then firmly say “NO” (do not yell) and immediately take them out to the designated area in yard.

After the first week, sometimes less if I have a dog that catches on quickly, take dog out without leash and walk them to designated area.  Again, giving them encouragement after doing so.  Giving dogs daily neighborhood walks will also encourage them to relieve themselves outside.   Please remember to pick up after your dog.  I keep plastic bags in the leash basket, so I always grab a couple when heading out for walks with our dogs.

If your dog is an adult dog, this process may take a couple of weeks or longer depending on the age of the dog.   I have generally been able to housebreak my fosters within two to three weeks.  Remember be patient, your dog wants to please you, so you are his or her guidance.

Tell us in the comments below what has worked or not worked for you in housebreaking your dog.

Entrance to Bort Meadow Parking Lot

Bort Meadow is part of the 5,067 acre Anthony Chabot Park and contains undeveloped areas that you can enjoy the beautiful grasslands and eucalyptus groves while allowing your dog to roam free.  It is easily accessed off of Redwood Road from either Castro Valley or Oakland.  The ride itself to the area is quite scenic and is a favorite of local motorcyclists.

After parking in the lot traverse the paved fire road downward until you reach a three way split at the bottom of hill.  Make a left turn and you will see a cattle gate.  Be sure to close cattle gate once you are through gate.

Cattle Gate to Bort Meadow

Keep in mind that dogs are only allowed off leash in undeveloped areas of Anthony Chabot Regional Park.  There is a fire road to the left, but if there are no cows grazing we like to go straight and take the dogs off leash through the undeveloped meadow for a nice hike.  If there are cows out grazing you may want to leash up your dog until you pass them or take fire road to left where they are required to be leashed.

Mattie on undeveloped trail in Bort Meadow

It is a very scenic hike and the dogs always have a good time smelling around the brush.  Watch out for any cow patties along the way.  The terrain is pretty uneven so be sure to watch where you are walking and wear good hiking shoes.  Keep in mind there is poison oak and coyote brush in this area.

We have hiked Bort Meadow on weekdays and weekends and it never seems to be crowded.  During the week you can pretty much have the trail to yourself.

Carry your own water and bags as there is none available in this area.  There is little to no shade on the trail so I would avoid this hike on really warm days.  You may want to bring a hat as the sun is pretty intense in the open areas.  Avoid this trail after winter rains as it will be muddy.

Mattie in the Meadow

We really enjoy this hike as it feels like we are miles away from the city even though in reality it is less than 7 miles away.  The dogs love running through the meadow.

Let us know what you think of Bort Meadow in the comments below.

Overall **** 4 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Beautiful meadow
• Dogs can be off leash in undeveloped areas
• Eucalyptus groves and Oak trees
• Quiet  (Unless they are shooting at nearby Chabot Gun Club)

Cons

• Muddy after a rain
• Uneven terrain (be careful)
• Cows may be blocking trail
• Little to no shade

Shade: Small amount of shade in meadow

Terrain: Dirt (will be muddy after a rain)

Parking: Small to Medium sized parking lot

Hours: 5AM – 10PM

Cost: Free

Water: No

Restrooms: No

Directions

While in the waiting room during a recent trip to the Vet with Molly and Clyde I noticed a poster on the wall from VPI (Veterinary Pet Insurance) that listed the top ten items that are most surgically removed from pets.  Reading the list I realized that some of these items we have laying around the house on a daily basis.

Our dogs, especially Mattie, have ingested some strange things around the house and yard.  Luckily for us they passed the items with the exception of when Mattie ingested a fox-tail in her nose that prompted a trip to the emergency vet clinic to have it removed.

Clyde somewhere he should not be

Ingested items can become stuck in your dogs stomach or intestines and sometimes dogs will pass the item or surgery will be required to remove item.  Left untreated, ingestion of these items can be fatal.  Watch for signs that your pet may have ingested a foreign item; continual vomiting, dry heaving and/or coughing.  If any of these symptoms occur, seek medical care immediately for your pet.

Check out the list and count how many items you have laying around your house or yard.

Most common items surgically removed from pets:

1. Socks
2. Underwear
3. Panty Hose
4. Rocks
5. Balls
6. Chew Toys
7. Corn Cobs
8. Bones
9. Hair Ties/Ribbons
10. Sticks

While we cannot watch our pets every moment of the day, we can take a few extra precautions to prevent them from ingesting harmful items.  The cost of surgically removing these items can be from hundreds of dollars to well over a thousand.

Precautions you can take around the house and yard to safeguard your dog:

• Put dirty clothes immediately in clothes hamper
• Put dog toys away when you are not around to observe dog (keep children’s toys away from pets)
  
• Get a flip up style (step on to open) garbage can or if it is a food scrap temptation consider taking it immediately to outside trash/compost container
• Pick up any small branches that fall from trees in yard
• Put hair ties in drawer instead of leaving out around house
  

Some may consider pet insurance for these events, but we have never had pet insurance for any of our dogs.  We are not against it, we just don’t feel the cost of it is worth it to us.  We set aside a pet fund for unexpected and expected trips to the vet.

What other preventive measure have you taken or will take?  Tell us in the comments below.

Molly and Mattie exploring brush area

Earl Warren Dog Park was difficult to find the first time I visited the park with Molly and Mattie.  We reached the park by taking Center Street in Castro Valley to Pleasant Knolls then following street until it ends to enter park.

When we first pulled up in to the small parking lot I was already not impressed by the park.  The dog area seemed overgrown and surrounded a hot sand pit where the dogs could run and play.  Earl Warren Park is maintained by the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District and by the looks of it they don’t do it very often.

Large Dog Park

The dog park has separate large dog and small dog areas that can be entered from either side of the small enclosed gated entrance.  It was hard to tell which was which as someone had scratched out the weight limits, and the actual small dog area on the day I was there had large and small dogs in it.  I was told later that on the weekends people tend to stick to the appropriate areas.

I went on a warm day and there was not a lot of shade, which is probably why most people were on the small dog side as it offered the most shade.  There are some tables, and benches and chairs in each area.  By the looks of the terrain the area must get really muddy after heavy rains.

Small Dog Park

There were poop bags at the entrance.  We carry our own which was a good thing on this day as Molly and Mattie promptly did their business upon entering park.  After picking up after Molly I had to hunt the brush for Mattie’s and unfortunately I found it by feeling a squish beneath my shoe.  The joys of cleaning up after your dogs.

There is a water located further inside of both areas of dog park.  I wish they had put one near entrance, as our dogs tend to want to drink water as they are leaving.

What has your experiences been with Earl Warren Dog Park?  Tell us in the comments below.

Overall ** 2 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Enclosed dog park (good for training)
• Brush area in large dog area for dogs to explore (careful of fox-tails in summer)

Cons

• Poorly maintained
• Little shade in large dog area
• Dogs not as well socialized as I have observed at other parks

Shade: Small amount of shade in perimeter of large dog area and shade at entrance of small dog area

Parking: Small parking lot shared with other park areas, also street parking

Cost: Free

Water: Yes

Restrooms: Yes

Directions

Nestled amongst the beautiful redwoods of of the Oakland Hills is where you will find the Joaquin Miller off leash Dog Park.  As soon as you reach the redwoods an almost calm serenity hits you.  To me, it’s hard to believe that we have such a beautiful place to visit in the vastness of our Bay Area urban mecca.

Large Dog Park

Located just off Highway 13, Joaquin Miller Park has both a small dog park (also known as Gizmoland) and a large dog park located just a few hundred feet in to the park on the left side.  You will first see the large dog park and below it is the small dog park.  Both parks are completely fenced in and and have a double gated entrance in each to leash or unleash your dog upon entering or exiting park.  This also helps to keep any dogs that may be following you out of park from making their great escape in to the redwoods.

Small Dog Park

We parked in the lot next to the small dog park and headed in to the large dog park located just above it.  The large dog park is probably just under the size of a football field.  There were maybe 10 to 15 dogs in the park, not crowded probably due to the rain showers that were intermittent throughout the day.  We unleashed Molly and Mattie just inside the first enclosure then headed in to the dog park.  We were greeted by some very friendly dogs and Mattie and Molly were off to smell and mingle.

Molly and Mattie playing

Both dog parks are surrounded by redwoods, so on warmer days they will provide some shade to the dog parks.  The grounds were covered in mulch as I would imagine if they were not it would get quite muddy in the winter.  There is drinking water for the dogs on each side of the dog park and bags at the entrance.  We recommend bringing your own biodegradable poop bags.  There are garbage cans in the park for poop bag disposal.

Molly and Mattie exploring

There are plastic chairs and large logs to sit on throughout the park.  Everyone was either sitting or walking around with their dogs.  We liked that everyone was friendly and the dogs all seemed well socialized.

Joaquin Miller Park also has several trails to hike, but dogs must be on leash outside of the enclosed dog parks.

Let us know in the comments below what you like or don’t like about Joaquin Miller Dog Park.

Overall **** 4 out of 5 bones

Pros

• Nestled amongst beautiful redwoods
• Friendly people and dogs
• Enclosed (great if you need to practice recall with your dog)
• Great place to socialize your dog

Cons

• Muddy at certain times of year
• Closes to allow parking for Woodminster Amphitheater events

Shade: Shade provided by tall redwoods

Terrain: Mulch

Parking: Area next to and in front of dog parks and larger paved lots at entrance to Joaquin Miller Park

Cost: Free

Hours: Sunrise to Sunset

Water: Yes

Restrooms: Yes, at main parking lot at entrance

Directions