In Flagstaff, people are required to have dogs. Ok, probably not – but there may be some kind of municipal requirement for people to be genuinely fond of dogs.  And that’s great news for everyone  who wants to escape the Phoenix heat with their best buddies. (And even though, it is a beautiful morning right now – we all know it’s going to be miserable by this afternoon)

True story: a friend’s big black mixed-breed dog was sitting out front of Macy’s coffeehouse in down Flag. A guy walks up, bends downs and sticks his face right up to the dog’s face. The dog responded by licking the guy’s face like a mother attacking a toddler with a washcloth. The guy stands up, says thank you and hits the road.

People in Flag love dogs. They leave water bowls in front of their businesses for them and there are plenty of dog-friendly places in Flagstaff to hang out like:

• Bookman’s: 1520 S Riordan Ranch St.
• Camping World -9147 W H 66  Bellemont
•  Late for the Train -107 N San Francisco St.
• Diablo Burger: 120 N Leroux St #112
• Flagstaff Brewing Co: 16 E. Route 66
• Macy’s European Coffeehouse -14 S Beaver St.
• New Jersey Pizza Company -2224 E Cedar Ave.
• NiMarcos Pizza: 101 S. Beaver St.

And there’s plenty of places to stay with your dog. Flagstaff has a wide variety of chain hotels, including La Quinta, which is well known for being pet friendly. If you want to go local, try the Arizona Mountain Inn.

Yes, there are places to hang out and to stay but the best thing about Flagstaff may be the abundant hiking trails up north that will welcome your dog. Check out the Flagstaff Nordic Center, a cross country ski center with nearly 25 miles of non-repetitive trails. Owners and their leashed dogs can wind through some of the largest Ponderosa pine stands in the state.

There’s also dog parks in the Flagstaff area including:

• Bushmaster Dog Park -3150 N. Alta Vista
• Thorpe Park Bark Park -600 N. Thorpe Road

And don’t forget the guy at Macy’s – he’ll welcome your dog with open arms.

Having a Beagle, I have learned, means never leaving any food unguarded. Pizza sauce. Salmon. Udon noodles. Walnuts. Brown sugar. Pasta salad — all have been scarfed down by the little hound.

So when I went through this slideshow of foods dogs should never, ever eat, I wasn’t suprised that she has sampled at least seven of the 17 bad foods. Bad dog. Bad person in the house. What can I say? We are both learning.

Some of the foods on the list were suprising: avocados and macademia nuts. Who knew? Some weren’t so shocking. Turns out Red Bull is bad for a dog. Really? Just amazing. Red Bull — who in their right mind gives their dog Red Bull?

So how many of the forbidden foods has your dog sampled?

Right now, I’m headed to the kitchen — it’s time to check the locks on the pantry doors one more time.

Thanks to Wendy and Kikque (sp?) for alerting us to this

This post is waaaay overdue- can I blame the Phoenix heat?

The record-breaking heat here has made it tough for dogs and the people who love them. That’s why Glendale’s Dog Days of Summer event held last Saturday was such a pleasure.

Organizers realized that people and their dogs are up early this time of year and held the benefit from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. It was terrific timing and people showed up even earlier than the 7 a.m. start time.

The whole thing benefitted Sun Valley Animal Shelter — there were free dog treats, parades, booths. Most importantly it was held in the grassy Murphy Park with plenty of shade. It was terrific to see dogs have a chance to do something other than sleep and sweat; it was equally terrific to see their people swap dog stories with others and make new human and canine friends.

What a great event — it’s weird that I am saying this — but can’t wait for next summer and the chance to do it again.

Looking for something else to do with your dog during the hottest days of summer? Check out Bark in the Park Aug. 26

With all the recent storm activity in metro Phoenix, Happy Dog Phoenix thought
it would be a good idea to ask an expert about how the monsoons can affect your dog.

We turned to Dr. Billy Griswold, co-owner of Priority Pet Hospital in Gilbert, AZ. Priority Pet Hospital serves the East Valley and they are great providing low-stress preventive, medical, surgical and dental care for dogs and cats.

Here’s what Dr. Griswold said:

“Blowing dust causes many of the same problems in dogs as it does in people. Fortunately, asthma is pretty uncommon in dogs, but dust can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract, leading to coughing, sneezing, and eye discharge.

Winds distribute airborne pollen and other allergens greater distances during dust storms, too, so pets with seasonal allergies can have more severe symptoms during the monsoon season in Arizona.

The biggest threat from Arizona’s dust storms, though, is Valley Fever. The microscopic spores of the soil fungus known as Coccidioides immitis are blown far and wide during dust storms. Once inhaled, they enter the lungs of dogs, people, and many other animals.

If the host’s immune system doesn’t respond swiftly, infection results—about four out of every 100 dogs in Maricopa and Pima counties gets sick each year.  Most veterinarians in Arizona see an uptick of new Valley Fever infections during and shortly after our monsoon season.

Classic signs of Valley Fever include a lack of energy, decreased appetite, and weight loss. Cough and fever can be seen as well. Less-commonly, Valley Fever can invade the bone (causing a limp or other signs of bone pain) or the brain (resulting in seizures).

Unfortunately, efforts to create a Valley Fever vaccine for dogs haven’t been successful. The best prevention is avoidance. Digging, sniffing rodent burrows and other desert holes, and an outdoor lifestyle all increase a dog’s risk of exposure to Valley Fever.

Want to know more about Valley Fever? Priority Pet Hospital’s blog has the answers for you.

The monsoons have brought some cooler temps to metro Phoenix but with a price: higher humidity.

Neither The Beagle or I are digging it. Give me 110 degrees – it’s a more straightforward adversary. Humidity is sneakier; you don’t know you are in trouble until you’ve sweated through your shirt – and then you are halfway to heat stroke.

What to do?

When all else fails, think treats. From Holly at Happy Tail Barkery, I got this nifty ice-cube tray that I freeze low-sodium chicken boullion into bone-shaped cubes. This has come in handy because you don’t want to confuse the “special’’ ice cubes with regular ice cubes. Trust me, I ruined my OJ one morning this way.

You can also freeze a chunk of banana, carrot, cheese or hot dog. Keep the chunks small. Vets frown on giving dogs ice cubes because they can crack their teeth on them; the same goes for other frozen treats.

And when all else fails, resort to the Kong. Stuff that sucker with peanut butter or yogurt and freeze it. Again, learn from my mistakes, wait until evening and give your dog this delicacy outside. When it starts melting, this treat can leave a slimy trail of yogurt and dog drool through your house.

Stay cool!

Sure sign that the summer heat is getting to me: I started wondering about the origin of the American classic: The Dogs Playing Poker print.

Turns out the icon has an interesting backstory. The man who designed the seminal print of canines gathered for a night of gaming and cigar smoking is the same guy who came up with the idea of painted displays such as headless musclemen and bathing beauties that you can put your face in for a photo. Who knew?

Some people go through their entire lives and never have an idea that affects the course of humankind and this guy had two gems, two!

In 1903, C. M. Coolidge, a jack of all trades, was commissioned by Brown & Bigelow to advertise cigars in a series of 16 paintings of dogs in human like scenarios; nine of them involved playing poker. Brown & Bigelow knew a good thing when they saw; they distributed hundreds of thousand copies of the paintings and helped etch them into American subconscious.

Art critics of course are befuddled by this. They say the prints are nothing more than paint-by-number water colors and velvet Elvis — the artistic equivalent of processed American cheese.

But is it that hard to see why the paintings have endured? They feature dogs for God’s sake, dogs enjoying themselves and for many of us, it just seems comforting that our best friend is holding aces and eights. There’s nothing abstract, no big concepts here. Perhaps we imagine ourselves at that table, in that cozy den, drinking, smoking the night away.  Perhaps we fantasize about how our own House Hound would be at the table. Does the Family Dog have a poker face? Isn’t that what art is supposed to do — get our imaginations going?

Turns out someone likes the paintings. In 2005, originals of “A Bold Bluff’’ and “Waterloo’’were auctioned as a pair to an undisclosed buyer for $590,400.

Sounds like a winning hand.

It’s 112 in Phoenix today.

Is there water in the dog bowl?

And speaking of the dog bowl, how clean is that sucker? If you have a Beagle, chances are the food bowl is immaculate. That’s because she eats the kibble before it has a chance to land and dirty the bowl.

The water bowl is a different story, however. The Beagle has a nice sturdy stainless steel model.  To clean it, I use a combination of dishwashing soap and Clorox beach. I do this daily and feel little OCD about it but that bowl can get pretty disgusting pretty fast. 

Keeping the dog’s water bowl clean is critical since it can harbor fungus and bacteria that can cause your poochie to become sick or stop drinking, which leads to dehydration. If your dog is using the toilet bowl as a makeshift water bowl, it’s time to clean the water bowl immediately!

If your dog uses a hanging water bottle on a crate or kennel, buy a bottle brush to give the inside a good scrub. And don’t forget to wash the collapsible water bowl that you use on the hiking trail. It also can get kinda stinky really fast.

See you at the wash basin!

Is there any place friendlier than Prescott?

There’s its lovely town square, its Victorian homes, its cool summertime temps, the smell of the nearby forests and all about two hours drive from Phoenix.

And Prescott is a super dog friendly town as well.

Even The Hassayampa, the grand dame of hotels in Prescott, is dog friendly. As is the ultra hip Prescott Motor Lodge.

Or if you are wanting to build up your frequent-stayer miles, there are a number of dog-friendly chains that have hotels/motels in Prescott including the Best Western Prescottonian.

For people who have larger dogs who are going to need more leg room and chances to run, check out some of the cabin rentals in the area. The Log Cabins at Juniper Well Ranch are within shouting distance of the Prescott National Forest. Be careful, however, don’t let your dog off leash in the area – there’s wildlife nearby including coyotes and bobcats.

Prescott is a great town to walk in. There are shops and galleries (which are mostly dog friendly) around the town square and from there, it is easy to walk up the hill to see some graceful restored Victorian homes.

You are going to get an appetite. Two of the best dog-friendly restaurants in the area are Firehouse Kitchen and the Azul Gato (yummy tapas and sangria on the patio).

Your dog is also going to get an appetite. Whiskers Barkery  in downtown Prescott is the place to pick up treats for your pooch. They will also babysit your dog. And if you are there on the fourth Friday, check out their “Yappy Hour’’, which offers free treats for you and the dog.

For a calendar of dog-related events, go to The Prescott Dog.

See, I told you Prescott is a terrifically friendly place.

Thanks to Janene Bray, owner of Prescott’s own Woofles Dog Treats, for her suggestions

Thanks to all of your support, Happy Dog Phoenix is now on our second edition of providing all kinds of valuable info about having a down in the metro Phoenix area!

And thanks to you, we just sent a check to Phoenix Animal Care Coalition 911 for $500.

Half of Happy Dog Phoenix’s proceeds go to PAC911’s Emergency Medical Funds, which helps pay for the costs of dogs’ medical care so they can be adopted more easily.

It’s a wonderful cause and you are wonderful people for supporting it!

For me, one of the best things about writing Happy Dog Phoenix has been getting to know Valley small business owners and work with Local First Arizona.

You walk into a store with a book you have written, not knowing what kind of reaction you are going to get to with your sales pitch. And for the most part, the store owners I’ve met have been just great: smart, supportive people who are sincerely interested in giving another businessperson a chance.  Sometimes their budgets aren’t large but they are willing to talk with you, give you some advice and sometimes a break.

For anyone out there who has a dream of creating something, chances are you are going to be selling it to a mom-and-pop operation rather than a corporation. So it’s in your best interests to go local.

From July 1 through July 7, Local First Arizona is making it cheaper for you to support the home team: They have arranged for you to get a 20-percent discount at 197 Arizona-owned businesses. So if you have been thinking about checking out that new boutique, bookstore or bakery, this is your chance. And if you have been thinking about buying the perfect guide for living with a dog in Phoenix, act now!