San Francisco Bay Area Dog Resources
Dog Parks, Walking, Boarding, Grooming and More
Pat and Steve are often asked about local dog resources ranging from where
to walk with my dog to where should I board my dog. We came up with a list
of our favorite places and referral sources to help the Bay Area dog owners.
This of course is not a complete list of dog resources and if you would like
something added to it or want to make your own recommendation please email
us at:
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Dog Parks
Dog Trails
Dog Walkers
Doggie Day Care
Dog Boarding
Dog Grooming
Agility
Organizations
Trainers
Dog/Breed Organizations
Obedience Competition
Rescue Organizations
Websites
Doggie Boutiques
Books and Articles on fun things to
do with your dog
Point Isabel Regional Shoreline, Richmond
This is a great place
to take your dog off-leash. Over 21 acres bordered by the bay. There are beautiful views
of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. Over 500,000 people and 750,000
dogs visit per year. Our only note of caution is that you need excellent
voice control of your dog and though the majority of people are very
responsible you can occasionally run into an aggressive dog. We like
to go on week days when you have most of the park to yourself. Weekends
can be a zoo and overly crowded with too many inexperienced dog owners.
If you go on the weekend go early in the morning because there are fewer
people. The park also has a café and a dog wash called Mud-Puppy's Tub
and Scrub. There are adequate restrooms and watering places for the dogs.
At the East entry there is also a hose that you can use to wash down
your dog after they have been in the bay or in the mud. They also provide
doggie clean up bags and have plenty of garbage cans spread out through
the park. This is a doggie paradise!
Directions: From I-80 in Richmond exit Central Ave. Go west towards the bay. If you want to go to the less crowded entrance turn right at the first stop sign after the freeway exit and go past the U.S. Postal Service Bulk Mail Center.
For more info:
PIDO (Point Isabel Dog Owners and Friends)
or go to Muddy Puppy's Tub and Scrub
Cesar Chavez Park, Berkeley
This is a beautiful park, rolling hills with
grass on about 17 acres with spectacular views of the bay, San Francisco
and the Golden Gate Bridge. They supply poop-bags and people are very
good about picking up for their dogs. The park is not as crowded as Point
Isabel and is one of our favorites.
Directions: Take University Ave. west and follow the signs to the Berkeley Marina and Cesar Chavez Park.
Alameda Dog Exercise Area, Alameda
This is one of the largest fenced in dog parks in the Bay Area. It is a
great place to practice your recall. We often meet clients here to practice
off-leash obedience. It also has a small and large dog area. There are
shade and picnic benches spread throughout the park. The park is located
at 8th and Central right next to the Washington Park tennis courts.
Memorial Park, San Ramon
The park is fenced in on 1.3 acres and has a
small dog area. The surface is made of decomposed granite. There are
no trees but it does have a covered area with picnic tables for the owners.
Great place to throw your ball or frisbee for your dog. We also do beginning
off-leash work here with our clients from the area. There are restrooms
and water available. It is located on Bollinger and San Ramon Valley Boulevard.
San Miguel Park, Walnut Creek
This is an open grassy 4 acre area that
allows your dog to be off-leash but only between the hours of 6 am to
9 am. There are a lot of trees and shade. The park is located on San
Jose Court. Take Ygnacio Valley Rd. going east about 2 miles to San Carlos
Drive turn right and go .3 miles then left on San Jose Court.
TOP
Dog Trails to hike with your dog
Skyline Gate off Skyline Blvd in Roberts Park, Oakland CA.
Take CA13
to the Joaquin Miller exit and go East 1.1 miles then turn left on Skyline
Blvd. Go 3 miles to parking lot on the right.
This is a beautiful wide trail that winds into the hills of Oakland with plenty of shade. The trail is shared by runners, bicyclists, dog walkers, and horses. There is a large parking lot and they have water and bathrooms at the trail head. There are many small trails that branch off the main trail to add variety and interest. Some of the smaller trails require dogs to be leashed. Look for the signs that designate off and on leash.
Richard C. Trudeau Training Center
11550 Skyline Blvd.
Take CA13 to Joaquin Miller go east 1.1 miles, stay right on Skyline and make a left right after the stop light. The off leash dog park is to the right of the training center. You will see a trail head with a sign that designates the area as an off-leash dog area. This area is wide open and great for throwing balls and frisbees. It is a favorite spot to do some obedience work with your dog.
Dog walkers can be a real benefit to getting your dog that extra exercise and stimulation they need when your busy schedule gets to be too much. Getting your dog properly exercised can be the difference between a happy content dog and one that drives you crazy and destroys the house out of boredom and frustration. If you cannot exercise your dog everyday then we recommend a good dog walker. Here are some of our favorites.
Run with the Big Dogs
Located in San Leandro, CA
Owners: Pam and Jerry Treber
Phone: 510-568-1875
email: treberjr@aol.com
Animal House
Located in Orinda, CA
Owner: Pete Ritter
Phone: 925-254-3677
Email: animal-house@comcast.net
Pawderosa
Located in Oakland, CA
Owners: Phillip & Lori Falkell
Phone: 510-595-7328
www.pawderosa.com
Dog day care programs benefit the dogs of owner's who's busy lives prevent them from properly socializing and exercising their dogs. Owners benefit by coming home to a calm, relaxed pet and by having a guilt free day while at work.
An article in the online magazine describes the benefits of dog day care this way: "The guiding principle behind dog day care is simple - provide a safe and healthy atmosphere with lots of interaction, both with other dogs and with people. Dogs can participate in group play, gnaw on a favorite toy, hang out with humans in the office, or just lounge on a couch and watch television. The point is that they're not at home by themselves."
Recommendations to Come Soon.
Having a reliable and safe place to board your dog is a must for every pet owner. We recommend the following kennels for a variety of reasons: A Professional and friendly staff, clean and sanitary runs, climate controlled, supervision 24 hours a day, exercise areas for the dogs, and supplemental services such as bathing and grooming.
Recommendations to Come Soon.
We have recommended the following Groomers to our clients and have received nothing but positive feed-back about all of them.
Four Paws Grooming
Owner: Sarah Weyland
2818 North Main St.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
Phone: 925-287-8131
Dog's Best Friend & The Cat's Meow
Owner: Nancy Kallenbach Han
525 San Pablo Ave.
Albany, CA 94706
Phone: 510-526-7762
www.dogsbestfriendcatsmeow.com
Kaycee's Pet & Groom
Owner: Kaycee
710 E. 14th St.
San Leandro, CA
Phone: 510-569-1167
AgilityAgility is an exciting dog sport open to all breeds and sizes of dogs. In agility dogs and handlers maneuver their way through a timed course designed to test their abilities in jumping hurdles, running through tunnels, traversing a teeter, climbing a 6' A-frame, weaving through a line of poles and more.
The following resources can get you started in agility.
The Bay Team
The Bay Team is one of the largest Agility Clubs in the Nation. It started
in the Bay Area in the early 90's and currently has over 200 members.
The club sponsors at least 4 events per year and is a fantastic resource
for agility information. The club's membership reads like the who's who
in agility competition. But you don't have to be one of the best to belong
to this club. They welcome all levels and all breeds of dogs including
All American Breeds (Mixed Breed Dogs). If you are interested in getting
involved in Agility you should join this club.
United States Dog Agility Association
- USDAA
The USDAA introduced agility to the US in 1986. They are the grandfather
of Agility in North America. On their website they claim to be the world's
largest independent authority for sport of dog agility. If you are going
to seriously compete in agility you should join this organization. The
organization allows all breeds including Mixed breeds to compete.
American Kennel
Club (AKC)
The AKC jumped into agility in the late 90's when the sport was really
taking off. Since then they may have over taken USDAA in terms of number
of members and events. AKC has stood fast on it's rule to only allow
Pure-breed dogs to compete but they do have a program that will allow
you to ILP (Indefinite Listing Privilege) a program that allows unregistered
dogs of registrable breeds to compete in AKC Performance and Companion
Events. If you have a pure breed dog they offer many more events in our
local area.
NADAC North American Dog Agility Council
NADAC was founded in 1993 but has remained small in comparison to USDAA
and AKC. It offers a different flavor of agility that is more open to
a wider variety of dogs including mixed breeds. They do not have as many
events in Northern CA as offered by AKC and USDAA. Most people choose
to belong to several organizations and compete for titles in a variety
of formats.
CPE Canine Performance Events
CPE
began in 1998 and is open to both purebred and mixed breed dogs. CPE
offers more games in their competition to foster more fun in competing.
Their philosophy states, "for the dog and handler to have fun while
successfully competing for agility titles as a cohesive unit, achieved
through positive training and teamwork."
Ace Sports, Brisbane & Pacifica,
CA
Freilance Agility,
Martinez, CA
Power Paws,
San Jose, CA
Salinas-Monterey Agility Center,
Salinas, CA
List of Agility Clubs and Schools from Clean Run
The Bay Team has a list of local trainers on their website
IACP (International Association of Canine Professions)
The INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE PROFESSIONALS is an organization established to maintain the highest standards of professional and business practice among canine professionals. Its aim is to provide support and representation for all professional occupations involved with any aspect of canine management, health, training and husbandry.
The INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CANINE PROFESSIONALS commitment is to develop professional recognition, communication, education, understanding and co-operation across the wide diversity of canine expertise and knowledge.
AKC
Quoted from their Mission Statement: "The American Kennel Club
is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its Registry, promoting the
sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function. Founded in
1884, the AKC and its affiliated organizations advocate for the
purebred dog as a family companion, advance canine health and well-being,
work to protect the rights of all dog owners and promote responsible
dog ownership."
Objectives of AKC: "Advance the study, breeding, exhibiting, running and maintenance of purebred dogs."
UKC
Quoted from UKC from About Us. "Established in 1898, the United
Kennel Club is the largest all-breed performance-dog registry in the
world, registering dogs from all 50 states and 25 foreign countries.
More than 60 percent of its 12,000 annually licensed events are tests
of hunting ability, training and instinct. UKC prides itself on its family-oriented,
friendly, educational events. The UKC has supported the "Total Dog" philosophy
through its events and programs for over a century. As a departure from
registries that place emphasis on a dog's looks, UKC events are
designed for dogs that look and perform equally well."
Mix Breed Dogs of America
Quoted from their
home page. "Owners of mixed breeds can enjoy
the thrill of competing for titles in obedience, conformation, tracking
and much more. The Mixed Breed Dog Clubs of America (MBDCA) is a national
registry for mixed breeds, providing many of the same opportunities that
the American Kennel Club (AKC) offers for purebreds. We are not a mixed
bred placement center nor do we provide rescue services..."
AKC
Here you can get information
about competitions in obedience, agility, herding, rally, tracking and
more.
UKC
They list events for Obedience,
Agility and Dog Sports.
Mix Breed Dog Clubs of America (MBDC of America)
This
is a national organization with local chapters that caters to Mixed Breed
Dogs who can't compete in AKC offering them a venue for competing for
titles that are similar to what AKC offers in obedience & rally,
conformation, tracking and much more.
The California MBDC of CA
Holds many local events in the Bay Area.
Northern CA Weimaraner Rescue
German
Shepherd Rescue of Northern California
TikiHut Akita
Rescue
NORCAL Golden Retriever
Rescue 650-615-6810
The Milo Foundation 2060 4th St., San Rafael, CA 94901,
415-454-MILO (6456)
Hopalong Animal Rescue 510-267-1915
Dog Play
Cool Website that has a lot of good dog
info and helpful resources for doing fun things with your dog.
PetPeopleNetwork.com
A new website dedicated
to helping people in the Bay Area find pet services such as Sitters,
Walkers, Trainers, Groomers, Adoption, Communication, Stores, Alternative
Resources and more.
Red
Hound
5523 College Ave.
Oakland, CA 94618
510-428-2785
Wags
and Whiskers
982 B Street
Hayward, CA 94541
510-582-1065
Books and Articles on where to take your dog
If you are really into taking your dog's places and enjoying the company of other dogs and owners then I highly recommend these two books. They are both now into their 5th printing. I keep a copy in my glove compartment of my car.
The
Dog Lover's Companion to the Bay Area by Maria Goodavage
The
Dog Lover's Companion to California by Maria Goodavage
The Dog Lover's Companion
