Dogs Rule

Now That’s A West Coast Dog!

Love ‘em to pieces. Dogs are great motivators to get outside and get moving so I’m going to give you the skinny on dog parks on the North Shore, lower mainland and all over B.C. I’m also tell you how to keep your best friend safe with the help of a great North Vancouver company.

Where to take them:

Go to www.pets.ca/dogparks/bc.htm for a listing of all of the off leash dog parks in B.C. Has all of the shore favourites: Ambleside, Cypress falls Park and Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. Seaview Trail in Gleneagles. Panorama Park in Deep Cove, Kings Mill Park at the water, Bridgeman park at the bottom of Brooksbank and Princess Park in North Van. The listings also tell you what amenities are there, users comments and if there’s a good supply of poop bags on hand for your canine partner-in-crime! You can add your own information to this list for any parks you’ve been to in Canada on the website.

I also found great dog park and dog beach etiquette tips at www.petfriendly.ca. Go there and also search for B.C. dog parks, pet travel checklists, and pet travel tips.

Another great site is BCPassport and their list of North Shore Dog Hikes with tons of useful information on the hikes available on the north shore for your dog plus directions how to get there and descriptions of the trails. www.bcpassport.com. Look under things to do in around Vancouver and click on dog hikes.

In my altered abilities post I wrote about Interfit- The Integrated Fitness Society and how amazing they are. A dedicated group of volunteers provide access to the outdoors for the disabled of the North Shore. One of the ways they fundraise is a program called “Sniffing Around Dog Walking”. You donate $ and they walk your dog. Win, win. www.interfit.ca.

Keep them safe:

DOGSAFE- Canine First Aid. A North Vancouver company dedicated to promoting  and training canine first aid and safety awareness for everyone involved with dogs. They do a multitude of courses from a comprehensive 8 hour first aid course (including a 128 page manual) so that you can deal with a sick or injured dog until veterinary care is available to workshops on how to find a lost dog fast and how to address safety needs specific to your puppy. www.dogsafe.ca. Tel: 778-340-0855.