Here, at last, is my report on the Loews Surf Dog Competition. Sort of. It’s still more about my friend Clare, our dogs, Frankie and Archie, and a cast of supporting characters who became involved by sheer coincidence. *** So…Clare and I didn’t manage to get to the contest site, Imperial Beach, early enough to…
Our Doggies, Ourselves
I’m embarrassed to admit a key reason I haven’t yet blogged about the Loews Coronado Bay surf dog festival: I am photographically challenged. It’s not just that I tend to take lousy pictures; I also break nearly every camera I touch, even disposable ones. I’ve joked for years that my ex-husband, a photographer, put a…
Driving Mister Frankie
Surfing dogs…best friends and our best friends…dog-loving restaurants and hotels… There’s much to tell (and show), but the San Diego adventure begins with — what else? — the story of driving with my car-averse pup. The drugs The day before we were scheduled to leave, I tried Xanax, the latest vet prescription, on Frankie. It…
Car travel, Part 5: Why driving won out
I let my reservation on Southwest from Tucson to San Diego lapse because of: Money Part of it is my fault. I came up with the idea of flying too late to be eligible for the 14-day advance fares that ordinarily make the trip from Tucson to San Diego so appealing on Southwest. But no…
Car travel, Part 4: Maybe I should fly?
I woke up this morning with a sense of dread — not uncommon, I admit, but this dread had a specific source. I’m planning to leave on Wednesday for San Diego to attend the surf dog festival and I’m worried about the drive with Frankie. It’s not a terribly long trip from Tucson, about 7…
Car Travel with Dogs, Part 3: Buckle Up for Safety
You’ve all seen the ads: Dogs riding in convertibles, wind in their fur, free. And in peril. But here’s an alternate image that shows doggie happiness doesn’t have to be dependent on danger: #3. Always secure your dog in the car. You’ll achieve the best dog security with a harness — never, ever, a collar…
Car Travel with Dogs, Part 2: The Governator, Paris Hilton & Stephen King
Pet-wise, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger can’t seem to get it right. Even before he threatened to cut back on the time that animals will be held in shelters before they’re killed, he vetoed a law (derided by opponents as the “Paris Hilton Bill”) that would have imposed a fine for driving with a dog in…
Would Your Dog Be a Good Driver?
The suggestion in my last post that Irish Setters are notoriously bad drivers — really, a gratuitous, baseless slur — led me to thinking: Which breeds or particular dogs would excel or fail, and why? Frankie isn’t fond of cars, for example, but that could be because he would prefer to be in the driver’s…
Car Travel with Dogs, Part 1: Don’t Be Mitt Romney
As I prepare to head off to San Diego with Frankie, car travel has been on my mind. Shameless self-promotion alert: These tips, to run in a series this week, are adapted from Chapter 8 of AM I BORING MY DOG? And 99 other things every dog wishes you knew, forthcoming from Alpha/Penguin in September.…
Great Expectations: A Tale of Two Dogs
“What’s wrong with that one?” demanded the smug-looking guy with the good-looking girlfriend, pointing at my terrier mix, Frankie. He had just rejoined the line that had formed outside El Mirasol, a popular Mexican restaurant in Palm Springs. My friend Clare had gone in to put our names on the list for the dog-friendly terrace,…