Not until last November's cross-country trip with Chaucer and Brontë chronicled in earlier postings here did I realize how desirable it is to have ready access to leash-free areas to exercise a large dog while on the road. Chaucer, that proper little terrier, has been content for years with long walks on a long leash. In his opinion, the only point of a gate is to get on the other side of it--whether by jumping or by latching his paws into the chain links and climbing. Brontë, the galumphing lab puppy, is much more social by canine standards. Those nice long walks several times a day only whet her appetite for activity. Did I mention she's a lab--and a puppy?

As often happens, from personal need arose a business idea. Let's start a section of Chaucer's website that lists off-leash dog parks within a certain distance--say five miles--of interstates, something that wouldn't be too much of a detour. We'll invite fellow travelers to submit places they've found, and gather information from local sources around the country.

It was fortunate then--considering the many other current projects and plans related to Chaucer's site, to say nothing of his line of children's books, oh yes, and those business books we've been publishing for eight years now--that I soon discovered that someone else already had this brilliant idea and executed it online!

The Dog Fun Directory lists dog parks in all 50 states and Canada (as well as one listing in Australia: Café Bones in New South Wales, where owners enjoy coffee and conversation while their pooches romp in a huge park area like happy kids at a playground).

Anyone with information about a local dog park can submit a listing, and many entries are quite detailed, with tips and useful information about the specific locale that only a frequent visitor would know. We were going to try a smallish park in Salem, Massachusetts that we'd heard about until I read on this site that dogs are required to wear "Pooch Pass" tags which are available for purchase at the local senior center, the fee going to help with the park's upkeep. (That is the only park I've seen on this site that requires a pass, by the way.)

Although the entries only include addresses if the submitter provides one, most descriptions contain at least general directions and often quite specific ones (but not, alas weary travelers, actual distances from the closest major highway). Still, for anyone traveling with a dog, especially long distances, this website is an excellent resource. Just map out the parks you might be passing near ahead of time--you know, when you're tracking down all the dog-friendly hotels, dog-friendly restaurants, and dog-friendly tourist attractions on your way, too. I know we'll be using the Dog Fun Directory to plot dog-friendly parks en route during our upcoming cross-country trek in May.

In fact, Brontë and Chaucer have already sniffed out the scene at two New England parks listed on this site. The Derry Dog Park in New Hampshire is a "typical" off-leash dog park: a large, fenced-in area with double gates and agility equipment and toys and lots of happy hounds. The directions for this place were quite specific, but I do wish the entry had included that the rules prohibit anyone under the age of nine from entering the park. (See first photo above.)

Still, it's a good place to know about anytime we're in the area with a bored Brontë in the back of the car, and (with one exception) all the owners were friendly and kept their dogs behaving as decorously as dogs in a dog park do.

The Breakheart Reservation (which, incidentally, is a mere 3 miles south, if that, from the I-95 exit onto U.S. 1 in Saugus, Massachusetts) was a great dog-friendly find, thanks to the Dog Fun Directory! The 640-acre preserve does have a fenced-in leash-free area, The Bark Place, a goodly walk down the trail seen in the photo at left, but in essence the entire place is a dog's paradise. Miles of trails for everything from leisurely strolls to more difficult hikes, and around every corner another tail-wagging new friend to meet.

And while it is technically verboten, I suspect that plenty of people with dogs who respond immediately to off-leash commands are up in the hills and back country quietly running around in utter doggy heaven. Let's just hope they've picked up a Mutt Mitt from the handy dispensers to clean up after themselves!

We've been to Breakheart twice this winter and even on the coldest day--17 degrees, according to the car's thermometer--we met scores of fellow walkers, two-and four-legged alike. Hiking clubs, cross-country skiers, and birdwatchers all meet here, and when the snow and ice are long gone, a winding creek and two ponds offer a cool alternative to midsummer mugginess. Chaucer will be posting a detailed review of Breakheart Reservation on the Dog-Friendly Attractions & Activities page of his site later this week.

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richt  - Great Blog... |02-2-2009 ...for those of us who travel with our pets, especially dogs. Will come in handy when I take Savannah with me on my next road trip. ReplyQuote 0 0

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