Cabana and I love going to the off-leash dog beach, and it's an absolute CRIME that we go there just once or twice a year. We only live 30 minutes away, but we don't go more often because (these reasons need to be read in a high-pitched whiny voice) it's almost always foggy and windy on the coast, Cabana gets all sandy and stinky, and it costs $7.00 to park our dern vehicle. 
But our crazy northern California temperatures have been in the 70s this past week, and since the coast was clear (ha ha, by that I mean no fog), I made it a priority to go there. And this time, we got to go with our friend Susan and her English Springer Spaniel, Maggie. 
Cabana has lots of doggy pals, but none are as special to her as Maggie. I don't think it's anthropomorphizing to say that they are true friends. When Cabana and Maggie see each other, it is pure joy--for them and for anyone who is watching. In fact, people at the dog park comment all the time on how these two girls play. They sneak up on each other, pounce, go for the other's hind legs, while all the time running and rolling and growling playfully. They never get upset with each other--they just are so comfortable and in sync when they play. I never get tired of watching them.
Cabana thinks the beach is great no matter what, but being there with Maggie was really the icing on the cake. 
I hereby resolve to go to the beach more often this year, at least 6 times. So this was my first time in 2012--I'll post about our 5 subsequent visits, so keep me accountable! This was Maggie's first time ever at this dog beach, but I'm sure she'll be back. Hopefully, with us!
If I had to pick, I'd say English springer Maggie is Cabana's favorite gal pal at the park. Cabana and Maggie are always so happy to see each other and can roughhouse endlessly. The humans get such a kick out of watching their antics, sneaking up on each other for a surprise attack, playing leap frog, or biting on the others' hind legs.
So when Maggie's owner asked us to watch her for a few hours earlier this week, I didn't hesitate to say yes. 
Plus, it was a great opportunity to utilize Maggie's cuteness to showcase my handmade dog collars for my Etsy shop. 
Cabana is a fabulous model, patiently posing for me in our photo shoots--but I welcomed the chance for variety. And some colors look so much nicer against Maggie's gorgeous black and white coat.
I gave this collar to Maggie in payment for her modeling services. I just love the red and silver against her coat--stunning!
These collars and others have been posted in my Etsy shop. Blog readers can receive FREE SHIPPING, just enter OURSFORAYEAR in the coupon box.
Phew, modeling is hard work. Good thing we have two spots for sunbathing on the carpet!
Our human family members spent the week of Thanksgiving in Tennessee. Cabana went to stay with some friends of ours, where she got to hang out with two chihuahua mixes, Scooter and Maggie. Cabana had a great time with them.
Cabana got a good report from our friends, and they taught Cabana how to catch treats in the air! It's pretty nice to come home to a dog that's even more trained than when you left.
In Tennessee, as probably in most parts of the world that are more rural than the Bay area of California, dogs don't seem as fortunate as the ones I'm used to seeing. When I went for walks in the morning there, I saw dozens of unfenced, unleashed dogs, hanging out in front of their owners' homes. As I approached, they would bark at me like crazy, sometimes running up to me, trying to make sure I wasn't going to enter their territories. I did my best to avoid eye contact, mind my own business, and continue walking along on the street. A few times, though, I did turn around when a dog got too close, barking at my heels, and tell them to knock it off and leave me alone. Good thing they did what I asked because I don't really know what I would have done if they threatened me further. 
It made me sad to see so many unsocialized dogs, dirty and scared. This dog behind the fence barked ferociously, even though his face is so sweet. His skin was covered with little nicks, maybe from scratching fleas or mange. He looked like he had LOTS of health problems. So, so sad.
The dog below barked at me for a good 5 minutes straight and was one of the ones I had to turn around and shush. But later that day, she ended up on my mother-in-law's front lawn. She kept barking at us and was skittish, but when we picked up a stick and threw it for her, she eagerly ran after it. We had made a friend! She didn't really want to be petted, but she loved playing fetch and would hang around for as long as we'd play with her. It turns out this dog is a stray that goes from house to house, getting fed and played with by the neighborhood kids. My daughters thought she was great and wanted to bring her back home to CA with us. It was a nice thought, but not too realistic!
I'm so thankful to be home and thankful to have Cabana back. We went for our walk this morning, stopping to play at the dog park--ahh, nice to get back into our daily routine. I'd say Cabana is pretty darn thankful to have us, too!
This is Beau, a gorgeous 9-month old German shepherd. We've seen Beau a few times here and there since he was a tiny pup, but lately, he's been coming to the soccer fields to play on a regular basis.
Cabana and Beau hit it off right away, becoming instant romping pals. Maggie likes to get in on the action, too. Beau is a big guy at over 90 pounds, but being a young gentleman, he knows how to tone things down for smaller dogs (which, in comparison to Beau, is just about every dog).
Cabana doesn't go into a submissive roll for just anyone, but I think Beau's sheer size makes Cabana feel she should do it often. In this photo, Cabana looks like she's either scared or drunk--but neither is the case. One of Beau's favorite things to do while Cabana is laying quietly on her back, is to gently gnaw each one of her legs in succession. He does it so tenderly, it's kind of sweet. He also tries to put Cabana's entire head in his mouth, and it almost fits!
Happy birthday to one of Cabana's all-time favorite pals, Maggie, an English Springer Spaniel puppy. Could there be a sweeter face?! She also has the sweetest personality, jauntily coming up to me when we arrive and leaning against my legs for a 5-second back rub.
We see Maggie most mornings at the soccer fields. When Cabana and Maggie see each other in the distance, it's instant joy. They greet each other, then they romp non-stop, running and wrestling, falling over each other, often ignoring the other dogs. Because they have similar play styles and are close in size, they're a great match for each other.
Maggie's owner, Susan, and I look on in simultaneous pleasure, knowing that our dogs are happy--and tired out!
© Blogger template Shush by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009
Back to TOP
