A Ruff Life: A Dog's Perspective of Living Life to the Fullest on the South Shore
By Grendel the 7lb Yorkie
Wishbones
146 Front Street
Scituate, MA
Of course I love this place this is where my dinnah comes from. I am also a fan of any store that will let my fury little paws in…..I am always on my best behavior and promise not to pee or chew on anything. Plus everything in here is too pretty to do any of that. My mom usually takes me here to pick out my food. I always get a little disappointed because I hope she will buy me a new toy like that rope I have been eyeing or…. a gourmet doggie pastry. Maybe next time. The owner is friendly, easygoing, and my mom says she has a great selection of items. (Another reason why my mom should buy me more things when we go.) I think I need a new leash and harness to fashion in the neighborhood. She has a great lobster leash I may have to put on my Christmas list. I am also in agreement that even though we pay a little bit more it is important that we support a local business that we believe in.
http://www.wishbonespet.com/
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/scituate/2011/07/natural_dog_foods_popular_on_s.html
http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/features/x1090838449/Wishbones-opens-on-Front-Street#axzz1Xq6gCRK5
Photograph references: Benjamin Brown- Wicked Local, Wishbones website
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/scituate/2011/07/natural_dog_foods_popular_on_s.html
http://www.wickedlocal.com/scituate/features/x1090838449/Wishbones-opens-on-Front-Street#axzz1Xq6gCRK5
Photograph references: Benjamin Brown- Wicked Local, Wishbones website
Salty Dog Doggy Daycare
853-B Plain Street
Marshfield, MA
I love this place. I always cry when my mom drops me off but I quickly get over it and end up having a blast playing with my friends all day. Maybe this is what my parents do when they go to work…..Run in circles, play chase, chew on balls, sunbathe, and have barking contests….??? I have had the pleasure of meeting friends of all different sizes and breeds here at the Salty Dog. The staff split us up by size, which is nice and always makes me feel secure and safe. This way I can bark at the big dogs and they can’t do anything about it. I bark and taunt them telling them they are oooooggglllllllllyyyyyyy. My mom tells me that such behavior is immature and rude but I still enjoy it and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. The facility has a great set up because we have access to both indoors and outdoors and are closely supervised at all times. The people who work here are superb. They all take good care of me and pay my friends and an abundance of attention all day long. The Salty Dog also offers grooming services on site, which my mom is a fan of. I hate getting groomed. I like my long hair and am a true believer that the lady friends in my life also think it brings out the man in me and makes me look tough. My mother tells me my hair is easier to manage when its short…it makes me feel like a puppy. I think she just needs to look into buying some product. Anyhooo, this place also sells the best doggie treats I have ever tried. Yuuuummmmmmm. You must try some of these Stella and Chewy's duck treats. I didn’t think I was into duck until I tried these bites…they have changed my life. I will do just about anything to get my paws on these. The Salty Dog Day Care is clean, professional, fun, and has allowed me to strengthen my social skills and network with other canines that share similar interests and goals.
Staying Fit
I have noticed as I have gotten older my body has changed and I can’t eat as much as I used to without not thinking about exercise. Nutrition and fitness have become two major elements in my healthy lifestyle. First of all let’s talk nutrition. Keep trying to convince your parents that fresh haddock (the kind they get from the local guy at the Farmer’s Market), lobster, and that left over steak is necessary for good doggy health. I don’t have any evidenced based research on this but just trust me! There is nothing else like it. Dog food isn’t the same as the stuff your parents eat. I don’t care what the package says or what the pictures look like. I have tried some dam* good dog food and nothing compares. Don’t beg. Just give them the look…you know what look I am talking about. This is the technique I use over and over and it works well. I lay in my bed as my parents eat dinner and just as they are finishing I look up, make eye contact, and give them the “What about me, sad, hopeful look”. It works about 75% of the time. They will mix some of their fine food in with mine.
Once a summer I am treated to an ice cream, which I split, with my mom at Dribbles. Vanilla soft serve…..yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh . Oh summer I will sure miss you! Ok now onto fitness. I enjoy working out at home and outdoors. My favorite indoor activity is playing rope. My dad throws me the rope down a long hallway or across the room and I run and fetch it. We do this over and over. It never gets old.
As for the outdoors I love long walks on the beach….I am a bit of a romantic. It’s even better when my parents let me run off leash and I can run, play in the sand, and test the waters. I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to the ocean water. I will put my feet in but that’s about it. Recently I have been introduced to hiking, which I have taken to quite a bit. There are so many smells to take in that are not familiar which means I need to mark my spot quite often. I enjoy climbing rocks, running the hills, being in the shade, and encountering other dogs along the way. Here is a list of my favorite places to hike in the area. Don’t forget to take out what you bring in. They are also great places to be off leash if you are under voice control. Unfortunately, I don’t have that type of self-control…if I see a bunny I just have to go get it.
Once a summer I am treated to an ice cream, which I split, with my mom at Dribbles. Vanilla soft serve…..yeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh . Oh summer I will sure miss you! Ok now onto fitness. I enjoy working out at home and outdoors. My favorite indoor activity is playing rope. My dad throws me the rope down a long hallway or across the room and I run and fetch it. We do this over and over. It never gets old.
As for the outdoors I love long walks on the beach….I am a bit of a romantic. It’s even better when my parents let me run off leash and I can run, play in the sand, and test the waters. I am a bit of a chicken when it comes to the ocean water. I will put my feet in but that’s about it. Recently I have been introduced to hiking, which I have taken to quite a bit. There are so many smells to take in that are not familiar which means I need to mark my spot quite often. I enjoy climbing rocks, running the hills, being in the shade, and encountering other dogs along the way. Here is a list of my favorite places to hike in the area. Don’t forget to take out what you bring in. They are also great places to be off leash if you are under voice control. Unfortunately, I don’t have that type of self-control…if I see a bunny I just have to go get it.
Turkey Hill, Whitney and Thayer Woods- Cohasset/Hingham
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQv9P2FHxfM
Dog friendly, great views of the ocean and the Boston skyline, complimentary maps and doggy bags, while feeling like you are a world away from home.
Other great walks:
The Scituate lighthouse loop. Have your folks park at the lighthouse and prance the loop. It is my favorite Sunday afternoon stroll route.
Favorite beach to run: Humarock and Minot
Grrrrrreat Recommended Reads
Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover’s Story by Mark Levin- no matter how you stand politically this is a great book. (Mark Levin is a syndicated national broadcaster) My mother couldn’t out this book down. She loved it, as did I. Very moving.
Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin
An incredible story about an incredible dog that was rescued by an incredible group of people. This inspiring story gave me hope for all the animals that suffer from abuse and are able to be rescued and find good homes. It’s a love story like no other. I told you I was a romantic….
I hope you other dog lovers out there are able to take some time to explore and enjoy these special finds!
Best,
Grendel
(Named after the Bar in Harvard Square- Great spot to check out if you are in the Boston area. Great food, beer, and ½ off menu Monday-Thursdays 5-7:30pm http://www.grendelsden.com
Ha-ha and you thought my folks were literary snobs
