National Dog Day: For the Love of Dogs

I didn’t know there was a National Dog Day until I received a PR alert from Earth Rated poo bags, which noted that National Dog Day aligns with Environmental Awareness Month. Colleen Paige is the founder of National Dog Day, and she celebrates all breeds of dogs. National Dog Day also reminds the public of the number of dogs that need to be rescued, an important aspect of this special day.

One of the joys of travel writing for me has been highlighting trips with my German Shepherd Sophie. Sophie has been to numerous restaurants, wineries, and hotels with me, where I highlight the dog-friendly aspects of each.

The Best Dog-Friendly Stays

Not every hotel is suitable for dogs, even if they advertise being dog-friendly. For instance, some city hotels that allow dogs don’t have sufficient grassy areas close by for taking Fido outside. However, we have stayed at Kimpton hotels in Washington, DC, and other cities that allow dogs of all sizes and have grassy areas nearby. 

We love dog-friendly hotels like La Quinta, which allow pets to stay for free. During our move to Maryland from Colorado in 2008, we discovered La Quinta’s pet-friendly policy, which allowed us to include our three cats and dog at no extra cost.

In a writer’s poll for Newsweek that I participated in, I spread the word about the Hummingbird Inn, and this dog-friendly inn took first place. It stood out because all rooms are dog-friendly, and they offer in-house dog sitting. The yard is also suitable for dogs to do their business. Additionally, there’s a Rails-to-Trail path a few blocks away, and the town of Easton, Maryland, is dog-friendly.

A Lesson Learned

After moving to Maryland, we booked a staycation at the Sheraton in downtown Baltimore. When it came time to walk Sophie that night, the only grass I could find was in the median of a busy city street, and it was elevated by about two feet, requiring us both to jump up to walk on some grass. After that experience, if we were booking a hotel we were unfamiliar with, I’d ask about the location of the nearest grass.

Dogs and Boats

One memorable story my dog Sophie has appeared in was a trip on a water taxi on the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Sadly, this water taxi is no longer in service, but when it was, we had a blast riding from stop to stop with Sophie enjoying every minute. The restaurant that operated the water taxi is The Wellwood, in Charlestown, Maryland. Be sure to check out this dog-friendly restaurant and try their amazing fried chicken or steamed crabs on the outdoor patio.

Yet another boat ride I took with Sophie was the Lewes-Cape May Ferry. We rode from Lewes, Delaware, to Cape May, New Jersey, and stayed at the dog-friendly Boarding House Hotel. Sophie and I loved the ferry ride, where she charmed several of the passengers. We hiked the beaches of Cape May with Sophie frolicking in the sand and splashing in the shallows as small waves and seagulls created a soundtrack for our playtime.

At the Races

Steeplechase Horse racing is deeply rooted in the Mid-Atlantic region. My wife and I took Sophie along for the fun at Fair Hill Steeplechase near Elkton, Maryland. Parking was at a field a few minutes away from the event, and we were pleased they let us take Sophie on the school bus used for transporting the race fans. 

If you’ve not been to a Steeplechase race, I recommend visiting Winterthur in Delaware or the My Lady’s Manor races in Jarrettsville, Maryland. Dogs are welcome at both, and at Winterthur, they had a Parade of Hounds that was fun to observe.

Dogs and Burros

Normally, dogs and burros don’t mix as canines are prey animals in the world of a burro. We recently attended Burro Days in Fairplay, Colorado, and were surprised by how many dogs were present in the crowd. 

Burro Days pay homage to the human-burro relationship that many miners had during Colorado’s gold and silver boom days. Prunes was a burro in the town of Fairplay who roamed the streets freely and was loved by many. There is a monument to Prunes on historic Front Street, and it is in view during the races.

We rented a special Airbnb that allowed dogs and was just a three-minute drive to Fairplay. During our visit, we enjoyed the llama races, burro races, and outhouse races. 

One thing that stood out was the large number of dogs at the event and their exceptional behavior. On several occasions, as we weaved through the crowd, Sophie would find herself nose-to-nose with another dog, and there was never a bark or tussle. I was speaking with a fellow dog owner who said, “This whole weekend I haven’t seen one single badly behaved dog, and that’s unusual for an event like this.”

A Well-Behaved Dog

It takes some work to have a well-behaved dog, and with five German Shepherds in my past, I can tell you it took me a while before I learned what it takes to have a dog I could bring along to hotels, wineries, restaurants, and hikes. Dogs should be trained early to obey the basics like sit, stay, come, and “Leave It.” Once I got this down, about the time of my third German Shepherd, I had a dog I could take almost anywhere.

I knew I had a safe dog when, at one crowded event, a toddler appeared. In an instant, the toddler petted Sophie, and she was as gentle as could be with the surprise visit. That shows the importance of properly socializing a dog to be safe with children, elderly adults, and especially other dogs.

The Gear List

To keep Sophie and me happy, we have a gear list for her trips. She loves her West Paw bed, and we love that the bed’s made from recycled plastics. Her favorite travel toy is her squeaky bear, which has been on many trips. We bring a water bowl and a food bowl each trip, unless we know the hotel will have bowls. Snacks are essential on long road trips, as they help keep a dog like Sophie from getting bored.

She loves Zuke’s salmon-flavored treats that are small but delicious. For hikes and unloading her at a hotel, we use a prong collar as she’s excitable in the first moments of entering a new hotel or restaurant. 

Last but not least, poo bags. I thank Earth Rated, the brand of dog poo bags that brought National Dog Day to my attention. I’ve used their poo bags for years and appreciate the lavender scented bags that are sturdy for the work needed.The bags are made from 65% certified post-consumer recycled plastic, helping give a second life to more than 5 million pounds of landfill-bound plastic each year and contributing to the circular economy.

I hope you celebrate National Dog Day every August 26th by taking your dog somewhere special. Dogs are a bit of work, but the love and joy they deliver are worth the effort.