Birthday at Doggie Disneyland

Can you guess where Athena likes to visit more than any place in the world?  It's not the park, and it's not doggie daycare either.  Athena LOVES the beach!  Of course, she didn't like it the very first time that we visited eight months ago, but now she's obsessed and loves to go to the beach.  So, we spent the past four days in Lincoln City, Oregon relaxing and celebrating a very special girl's second birthday.

We actually don't know Athena's official birthday because she was originally admitted into the shelter as a stray, but when we write her birthdate on official documents, we always say that she was born on June 1st.  It was only fitting that we turned our weekend beach getaway into Athena's Birthday Celebration at Doggie Disneyland!

The gremlin didn't particularly enjoy the party hat as much as we did...

Flyball freestyle:

Over the weekend we made it a point to bring Athena down to the beach as often as possible to do what she loves best.  Each day we played fetch at least three times (morning, afternoon, and evening...yes, she's spoiled).  Athena turned the beach into her personal flyball practice course using the washed up logs as her hurdles and the water as her spring loaded box.

Personal cabana:

This time we finally brought the appropriate equipment for hanging out on the beach, complete with a sport tent and chairs.  Athena treated the tent like her personal cabana and expected us to dote on her every need...like when she barfed in the tent four times because of how much sand she inhaled during the flyball session and we had to clean it up...four times.

Pre-barf...

Dining & shopping:

A birthday weekend wouldn't be complete without some good food and some decent shopping.  Athena partook in both throughout the weekend.  She particularly enjoyed our trip to Newport where she was able to dine with us outside at Rogue Brewery and make googly eyes at the other four dogs who were also dinning on the patio with their humans.

Dining at Rogue

We also spent some time paroozing the shops in Depoe Bay (one of which let Athena inside to check out the Vera Bradley selection!).

Mother-daughter time in Depoe Bay!

Athena also shopped with us at the Tanger Outlet Mall in Lincoln City where many stores allowed her inside (much like our favorite Woodburn Outlets!).  When she wasn't allowed inside of certain stores because she's too big to fit in my purse, Athena got in some good people watching (and new Vera Bradley modeling).

Future Vera Bradley model

Meeting 'Doggie Friends' in Old Navy

Napping is for wimps:

Surprisingly, Athena rarely napped during the birthday celebrations.  She played and played and played some more and lived it up just like any two year old would do while at doggie Disneyland!  Here are some other pictures from our weekend that show just how much fun Athena had:

Here's to the terrible twos (let's hope that the doggie twos are different than the human twos)!

Happy (pretend) Birthday, Bean =)

Gearing Up For the Beach

Recently the sun has decided to make an appearance here in Portland.  This seems to happen ever year at the start of spring and all of us Portlanders get false hope that the weather is changing for the better.  When the sun starts to shine, everyone comes out of hibernation and flocks to outdoor activities.  This weekend we were part of the crowd who flocked to the Oregon coast to soak up the sun in the seventy-five degree weather.

This was Athena's second trip to the beach.  Last time we took her to the coast was in October and it was very clear during that trip that she had never touched sand or stepped in the ocean before.  This weekend Athena was SUPER excited to get down to the beach and she didn't show one ounce of fear about the sand, water, or the hoards of people and dogs that we shared the beach with.

Here's a video of Athena playing fetch on the beach:

The difference between this weekend's beach trip and the trip we took in October is that this time we only went to the coast for a day.  We are used to having a beachfront condo that we can go in and out of to use the restroom, fill our water bottles, and take a break from the sun.  Taking a day trip to the beach with a dog meant that we had to be extra prepared with all of our supplies and we had to park close to a public bathroom (a.k.a. the casino).

As much as we were excited about seventy-five degree weather, we got hot pretty quickly and so did Athena.  There wasn't much shade on the beach and we don't own an umbrella.  We had to rub Athena down with ice packs to keep her cool.  The people sitting next to us were clearly much more prepared for the day at the beach because they brought a small tent to provide them with some much needed shade.

Here's a list of must-have dog supplies that we would bring to our next beach day trip:

• Small tent (like this one)
• Doggles (a must-have for keeping sand out of Athena's eyes and protecting them from the sun)
• Water-proof collar (like this Ruffwear one that we own)
• Towels for laying on the sand AND extra towels for drying off afterwards
• Water, water, and more water!  (we kept ours in a cooler-bag with bags of ice to keep it cool)
• Grooming wipes (these are our favorite) for wiping off sandy paws before getting back in the car
• Toys like ChuckIt balls, a ChuckIt kick ball, and a frisbee for staying entertained
• Chilly Bone to keep in the cooler for a quick cool down
• Back-up leash just in case your leash clip gets sand stuck in it causing it not to close (likes ours did).
• Sunscreen (like this one) is important for any dog that spends time out in the sun.  Unfortunately I looked at multiple pet stores for sunscreen before our beach trip, but none had any at this time of year.  Your best bet may be to buy it online if planning a trip.

On our way home from the beach we stopped at a Petco Unleashed to give Athena a bath.  Since it was so hot out, she also got a special frozen yogurt treat to enjoy.

What essentials do you pack for a trip to the beach with your pup?

Pitlandia in Lincoln City

Last week we took a little beach vacation to Lincoln City located approximately two hours from our hometown of Portland.  Lincoln City is one of our favorite cities to visit along the coast for multiple reasons.  1) We know someone who owns a couple of beach front condos and the price is right to rent them 2) It's touristy, but not too touristy-- meaning that there's good shopping but there's also many places to get away from all of the people 3) It's a very dog friendly city.

Earlier in the week Athena told you her thoughts on our beach vacation, now it's my turn to tell you EXACTLY how it went:

1.  Athena was terrified of the sand and the ocean on our first day

We brought Athena down to the beach for an evening walk on our first night.  The second she touched the sand she FREAKED out!  Luckily we had her on leash, because I don't think that we would have been able to control her if she were off leash.  From seeing her reaction to the sand, we could tell that this probably was her first touch of sand.  The sand experience was like many that have occurred in the past few months which leave me wondering just where Athena came from and how she spent the first year and a half of her life, because I don't think it was spent getting out and about and experiencing the world.

Can you tell I was a little nervous my first time on the beach?

2.  Athena learned to love the sand and the water

On the second day of our trip we brought Athena down to the beach for a morning walk.  This time, we equipped ourselves with Athena's two favorite things: her ChuckIt! ball and the launcher.  Athena was once again a bit confused about all of the sand under her feet, but she quickly forgot about it's squishiness once B unclipped her leash and started flinging her ball through the air.  She LOVED chasing after her ball, especially if it happened to splash in the ocean.  Each day we visited the beach three times-- once in the morning, afternoon, and evening.  And after each trip to the beach, Athena would stand at the bottom of the stairs and protest our departure.  She didn't want to ever leave!

3.  We broke the rules, but it was fun!

So, we totally broke the rules and let Athena off leash on a leash required beach.  I'll admit, it wouldn't be the first time that we've broken the rules, so we decided just to do it.  I mean, all of the other dog parents on the beach were doing it too =)

Throughout the four days at the beach, Athena showed us how well she can behave while off-leash.  We never had to worry about her running up to unknown people, chasing after the seagulls, or approaching other dogs-- unless we instructed her to do so.  The only time that she took advantage of being off leash was to chase a horse...whoops!  Luckily we were able to call her back quickly...I will add that another dog did it too, so she wasn't the only naughty one at the beach that day!

4.  Athena made some friends

The beach was filled with people and their furry companions.  Some people walked their dogs on leash and some let their dogs romp off leash.  As we are still assessing Athena's "dog aggressive" label that she received from her previous owners who returned her to the shelter, we are never the ones to approach people to ask if Athena can play with their dog.  We were surprised at how many people actually were the ones to approach us and mention that they noticed from afar how well trained Athena was and wondered if she could play with their dogs.

Athena got to play with SO many dogs on the beach and every encounter was excellent.  Aside from engaging in puppy play and ball chasing, she also had the opportunity to practice greeting a variety of dogs that walked by us.  We were so proud of Athena and happy that she received so much dog socialization on the trip.

5.  We bought Doggles

Oh yes, we did!  Of course one of my goals while in Lincoln City was to stop in to the local pet shop called Paws On the Sand.  This cute pet boutique had the BEST stuff!  The owner told us that he goes to multiple pet shows each year to find the latest and greatest toys and pet gear to carry at his shop.  One of these latest and greatest items happened to be Doggles!

If you want your dog, especially your pit bull type dog, to be approached by humans of all kinds...you need to buy some Doggles.  I'm telling you, everyone and their brother came over to talk to us at the beach when Athena was wearing hers.  They wanted to know where we got them, how we liked them, and if we thought their dogs would like them too.  Paws On the Sand should probably send us a little somthin' somthin' for all of the referrals we made to their store =)

6.  Athena worked on her tan

When she wasn't fetching her ball, splashing in the ocean, playing with doggy friends, or having her picture taken, Athena was getting her tan on.  She enjoyed laying on her beach towel and watching the waves roll in while she frequently changed positions to ensure her entire body got an even tan.

Hey, look at that body!

7.  We considered moving to Lincoln City

Ok, maybe not really, but the thought did cross our minds!  Athena loved the beach so much and we loved watching her love it.  More trips to the coast will definitely be in our future...probably not again until next summer though, because I will assume that Athena wouldn't appreciate a soggy Oregon beach during the winter!

I could get used to this happening every day!

How do your pets like visiting the beach?  What's their favorite beach activity?

The Beach: As Told by Athena

Hi guys!  Athena here.  You have probably noticed that my mom has taken an unusually long absence from writing posts on the blog.  This was because we spent four whole days at the beach!  Those of you who follow us on Facebook know about some of the fun things that I did while I was there.  Here's my take on this weekend's beach trip:

1.  I wasn't a big fan of the sand...or the o-shin either...

My mom and dad think that this trip to the beach was probably my very first time stepping my paws in the sand.  I was a little bit afraid because I just didn't know why that stuff was so squishy!  Here's documentation of my first touch of sand...

Mom couldn't stop laughing because I guess I looked pretty silly!  Then, my dad took me into a giant bathtub and my mom laughed some more.  They called the big bathtub the o-shin, and it had some very chilly water inside of it with big bath time bubbles.  I didn't know what to do in such a big tub, so I ate some of the bubbles...

First steps in the o-shin...so many bubbles!

See my little foam beard? =)

2.  I love the sand and the o-shin...oh, and don't forget the ChuckIt!

After my first visit to the big squishy bathtub o-shin place I started to like it...actually, I really LOOOOOVED it!  Did you know that you get to chase the favorite ChuckIt! ball extra far on a big beach? Yeah, I didn't know it either until it happened to me.  I got to chase my ball on the beach EVERY day for SO long!  My mom and dad chucked the ball over and over and over and over and over.  I never wanted the chucking to end!

3.  Decks are for o-shin watching and seagull stalking

The beach condo was on the third floor which meant that we had a deck for me to sit on.  It was my favorite place to be when I wasn't playing on the beach!  I watched the o-shin and the seagulls and the kitty cats and the doggy friends and the people and the moon.  Whenever I wasn't snugglin' or eating my food, I was on deck duty patrolling the neighborhood.  Mom and dad let me sit on the deck for as long as I wanted...except for the time that I started woofing at a fat kitty cat on the ground...I never did that again after the first time though because it meant I had to go on a "no more deck" time-out!

Observing the sunset from my beach deck

4.  Doggles are a girl's best friend!

I got to visit a doggy toy and treat palace (mom calls it a pet shop) while I was at the beach.  I was sniffing around and eating yummy duck treats from the nice man behind the counter when all of a sudden my mom started having an attack.  She was jumping up and down and waving at my dad screaming, "OH MY GOSH, they sell Doggles!  Like Two Pitties in the City!  We have to get some!"  The next thing I knew the nice man with the ducky treats was putting the Doggles on my face and my mom was so happy that I liked them that her and dad decided to buy them.  So, I wore them every day down to the o-shin.  All of a sudden it was like I was a movie star...

Stylin'

5.  After all of the fun in the big bathtub o-shin you have to get in the baby bathtub...

I didn't know that super fun beach time also meant super not fun bath time.  That's right.  Every-stinkin'-time I went in the big bathtub o-shin I had to go in the baby bathtub in the beach condo.  My mom and dad said that it wasn't a REAL bath because I only got rinsed off with water...no soap!  But, I thought it was a little bit TOO much like a real bath for my liking.  I was happy not to have itchy salt water skin any more though...

I had a bath three days in a row...talk about torture!

6.  I thought we were moving in...

Spending four days at the beach means that you are moving in, right?  WRONG!  I was all comfy and settled into the beach condo and my beach deck when my mom and dad started cleaning like mad people and we LEFT!  Just like that!  You would have thought they would have given me a little bit of notice.  I loved the beach so much I wanted to stay forever!

We are moving here, right?

Make sure to check back this week to hear my mom's side of the story, how Doggles made me famous, and see some more fun pictures from our beach trip!

Love, Athena