Pita - 9 Weeks

Here's Pita's best shot at nine weeks old! She always turns from the camera or comes running at it, so this is the best for now... :-)

Notes about her changes in the past week:
~ Comfortable with her harness
~ Eating dry food
~ Much more energy
~ More strength and coordination (in other words, she bites harder and doesn't trip over everything; also, she can stand on her hind legs for a second and jump over small items)
~ She had a strange white wart-like thing on the inside of her back left leg that went away on its own (sorry for the details).
~ Used to the sound of the trains and the dishwasher
~ Barks at any new item in the house (ie. Rebecca's backpack, shoes she has not seen prior, etc.)
~ Sleeps in the living room by herself now and does not whine until she is hungry in the morning
~ Goes to the back door and looks back at you when she needs to go out (this occurs about 85% of the time; the other 15% means that we have gone through numerous rolls of paper towels and cleaner)
~ Did NOT like her first bath in the kitchen sink, but did enjoy time out back in her new pool (the lid of the trash can flipped over and filled with water)
~ BMs have been inconsistent (for medical purposes)
~ Is very comfortable in the house and backyard (hence the flattened plants), but the hallway in the building and the back walk to the street were scary for her
~ Eats everything including tanbark and newspaper
~ Comes when called (unless she is in play mode) and knows her name
~ Is VERY good when given the warning sound to stop chewing on an item, then licks it...
~ Enjoys tennis balls and so do I since they play with her in return. She pounces at one, and it rolls away, and the cycle continues! :-)
~ Was kind and a bit shy when the maintenance men came

Here she is getting accustomed to the camera, more like just yawning then barking at it!

Dog License in Boston

Upon taking home the new furry addition to your family, you need to license him or her in your city. For Boston, it's a fairly simple process.

1. Go to the Boston Dog License website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/animalcontrol/dogapplication.asp

2. Print and complete the PDF application.

3. Mail it or take it to Animal Control and pay the appropriate fees.

4. Receive your dog's license.

The tricky part is that they run on an April 1st to March 30th year cycle and you do not have to license your dog until age 6 months. Pita was born just in time because she will be 6 months old in late January, so Animal Control told me to apply for her license in February 2010 and they would put her on the April 2010 to March 2011 cycle. If she were 6 months in July (or anytime in the middle of the year cycle), then I would have to pay the full fee even for just a partial year license. You do need to re-register each year, though it is probably similar to the DMV where you simply pay the fee again and do not have to send in a new application. I am guessing on this part, but I will let you know when I find out!

The fees for a spayed or neutered dog is $6 per year. The fees for a dog that is NOT spayed or neutered is $17. A little incentive to get your pup fixed!

If you have more questions, Animal Control was very helpful when I called and I hope that you will have the same experience.

Pawsh

Pawsh Dog Boutique is a gem in the middle of Back Bay on Newbury Street and it has plenty of gem-studded collars to prove it! Balki, the Boston Terrier mascot for the store, slept quietly in the corner while I shopped for a slicker brush and any other miscellaneous goodies for Pita.

The store is clean and small, but the downstairs will surprise you with a clearance section and a selection of dog food. Since I was shopping around for various places nearby to buy dog food on a routine basis for Pita, Pawsh caught my attention in that THEY DELIVER! How smart when it is not easy to carry huge bags of dog food anywhere in the city. Even though they have a small selection of dog foods in the store, the owner offered to order what I wanted for the regular price and deliver it to my house for $3. I emailed him for the price of the food and I have not heard back yet, but he probably is not raising the price since it is a guaranteed sale.

Pawsh might be a little to classy for my taste, but I had a pleasant experience and Pita and I might just take a long walk over there sometime for a tasty dog treat and some Ben & Jerry's!

For the Pawsh website, click here: http://pawshboston.com/index.html

Doggy Day

Across the street from ARL Boston (Animal Rescue League) is Doggy Day. They sell pet products as well as services for your pet and I have recently become quite a fan!

As you walk in, the place feels like a pet playground with stairs stepping down into a montage of toys, baked goods, apparel, camping gear, and, of course, food! The back is where they have their doggy day care, grooming services, and grooming facilities where you can bathe your own dog.

I went in to ask about their dog food and delivery possibilities because living in the city means that it is difficult to carry home a 50 pound bag of dog food! They carry only natural dog foods that have no fillers or animal by-products. With Pita, I needed a large breed adult dog food and had heard that Blue Buffalo is a great brand. They sure enough had the basic adult dog food for Blue Buffalo and let me know that they would order any all-natural food and sell it to us at a discount since it was a guaranteed sale. The one down side is that they do not deliver to your home (unlike Pawsh- see next post). Luckily for me, I live less than a block away so even carrying a large bag of dog food is not a burden.

Doggy Day's services such as dog walking, pet visiting, overnight stays, and grooming are well priced and the staff is very kind and helpful. For more information, visit their website at http://www.doggieday.com/indexnoad.html

Espeso, Inc.

We live in the South End in Boston and the collar we got for Pita is too big...not for long with a Newfy. But we did need something in the meantime, so we walked over to Espeso, Inc. (website).

At first sight, it seems like a complete pampering store for your pet with spa treatments, glittering collars, and frosted baked goods. After looking around for a few minutes, we easily found the harnesses and the store manager was very helpful. He helped us decide on a suitable harness size and type. Pita was not with us (since we did not have a suitable collar), so we had to guess on the size. The price for the harness was $10, not outrageous, especially with the manager's guarantee that if it did not fit for some reason, then we could bring it back no problem. Upon deciding to buy the small, blue harness that was adjustable for her undoubted growth spurts, we found some complimentary food samples and pamphlets being put in our bag.

Thank you, Espeso, Inc. for being so convenient and open on a Sunday evening!

The Team

The Blogger - Jenn
I live in the South End in Boston and am ready to experience this new city, coast, and weather!


The Dog - Pita
She is currently 8 weeks and about 12 pounds. Watch her as she grows to over 100 pounds in the next year!

Welcome to Dog Friendly Boston!

When I decided that I was going to get a Newfoundland puppy, I started doing a lot of research about having a dog in the city.

Here is what I found:

DogFriendly.com - They have a site for most cities (or at least major ones) that list hotels, parks, outside restaurants, etc. that allow dogs. They specify a few details for each location. http://www.dogfriendly.com/server/travel/uscities/guides/us/cities/usonlinecityMABoston.shtml

Boston.com - Map view of dog friendly locations in Boston and Cambridge. This site gives you some interesting sites and fun quotes from the store managers, as well. http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/special/dogfriendly/

Care.DogBoston.com - Another map view of dog friendly stores and parks. http://care.dogboston.com/dog-friendly-parks-and-beaches/

These are all great, but why do they all have unique information and where are all the answers to my questions about having a dog in the city? This blog will document the dog friendly locations that we visit and answer questions about living in Boston with a dog. Please feel free to post questions and we will be happy to do some learning!

Thanks for reading and enjoy the ride!