Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) puts dog waste in the same category as oil and toxic chemicals? That’s why this past June the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) launched the “Canines for Clean Water” summer movie series—the most enjoyable way to crack down on improperly managed dog poop ever conceived.

Next up? MPRB and Sidewalk Dog are teaming up to host a super fun contest!

We’re looking for ten valid yet funny reasons to pick up after your dog. If you’re among the ten winners, your reason will appear on a poster along with a photo of your dog. (Not just any photo—a Sarah Beth Photography photo!) Posters will be displayed throughout the Minneapolis park system and featured right here on our blog. Plus, all winners will receive cool gear from Stunt Puppy, and the grand prize winner will also receive a $50 gift card to Pampered Pooch Playground.

Enter to win: Email us by 9/30/09 (fall/winter themes welcome). Ten winners will be chosen and notified shortly thereafter.

May the poo be with you (i.e. good luck)!

By Meredeth Barzen

If dogs are man’s best friends, then by the transitive property of celebrity canines, dogs of famous people are famous best friends … or famous best friends are dogs? Hmm, we’ll have to make a flow chart to figure that one out, but in the meantime, we at Sidewalk Dog love to hear your dog stories … favorite parks, best squirrel-chasing grounds, yummiest treats, etc … So thought we’d ask some of the Twin Cities’ best-known dog moms and dads about their best friends. Below are their deepest, darkest dog secrets.

Mary Lucia (Host, 89.3 The Current, Minnesota Public Radio)

Dog’s name: Smudge

Dog’s nicknames: Ladies and gentleman for one night only the incredible Smudgestone!

Breed: Pug/88 year old man

Age: 5

Favorite toy: Anything meant for my cats

Favorite treats: Anything that falls on the floor

Groomer: Keira at Petco in Richfield

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Two inches from my left arm

Favorite dog park: Not a “throw the stick and run” kinda dog

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Gigi’s Café in South Minneapolis

Favorite pet store: Calhoun Pet Supply in South Minneapolis

Childhood dog: Enzo

Dog’s best trick: Somehow convinced my cat Muse to groom her

Dog’s best friend: Anyone who stops to pet her

Dog’s nemesis: Smudge loves everyone.

Sleeps on: Her own bed in my bedroom closet. I now sleep with earplugs as she snores louder than any human being I have ever heard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? My voice is too husky to talk baby talk but sometimes I find myself using an English accent when I speak to her: “Good day, Smudgely.”

Pat Neshek (Minnesota Twins pitcher) and wife Stephanee

Dogs’ names: Juicy & Kirby

Breeds: Juicy is a dachshund mix and Kirby is a chocolate piebald dachshund

Ages: Juicy, 4; Kirby, 2

Favorite toy: Juicy likes any stuffed animal that she can rip open, shred apart, and pull the stuffing out of. Kirby LOVES mini tennis balls with squeakers.

Favorite treats: Juicy likes those chewy doggie pizza treats (but she doesn’t get them much because they are terrible for her!) Kirby loves bananas! He goes crazy and can smell them a mile away … he’s even gotten into the back of the car while we were driving and eaten a whole peel with the banana!

Favorite place to hang out: Bike trails by the Coon Rapids Dam—they love walks!

Favorite dog park: Elm Creek dog park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite dog-friendly store: Eastside Food Co-op

Favorite pet store: Petco

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Dog beach in Fort Myers, Florida

Childhood dog: Stephanee’s family had a golden retriever named Brandy. Growing up, Pat had a cocker spaniel named Tuffy. When Tuffy passed away, the Nesheks adopted Dodger, a Lab/shepherd mix. After 14 great years, Dodger died in his sleep of old age last August.

Best trick: Kirby will roll over for treats—and loves getting treats so much, she will keep rolling over in continuous circles!  Juicy can dance—she can even ”raise the roof” when she gets excited! Both dogs will sit up in a “prairie dog” position, but it isn’t really a trick. They do it whenever they want something.

Dog’s best friend: Kirby and Juicy are best friends. Other than Kirby, Juicy’s best friend is Stephanee’s sister’s Chihuahua Ozzie. They grew up together in Florida. Kirby says his best friend is his daddy.

Sleeps on: Both dogs sleep in the bed with us—under the covers—every night.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time … they are our babies.

Cheryl Kaye (Morning show co-host, 102.9 Lite FM)

Dogs’ names: Ursula and Elwood

Nicknames: Ursie (Ursula) and Smelly (Elwood)

Breeds: Dobermans, both adopted from rescue organizations

Age: Ursula is 14 and Elwood is 8

Favorite toy: Anything fuzzy with stuffing inside—they like to rip them apart. I suspect they pretend they are squirrels!

Favorite treats: Anything remotely edible.

Groomer: Uh, I guess that would be me?

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: My bed.

Favorite dog park: Ursula is a diva around other dogs, so we don’t do the dog park. But they love to go for leashed walks at Central Park in Roseville.

Favorite dog-friendly store: Chuck & Don’s Pet Food Outlet

Favorite pet store: Chuck & Don’s

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: The Gunflint Lodge on the Gunflint trail.

Childhood dog: Ringo, a beagle

Dogs’ best trick: Sleeping

Dogs’ best friend: Elwood adores Ursula. Ursula puts up with Elwood. Typical woman!

Dog’s nemesis: The rabbits in the neighbor’s yard

Sleeps on: Mostly the bed. But they love a good sun nap in the backyard.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Every second of every day: “Ursie bursee, boosie, tootie wootsie.”  “Elwood smellwood, pooper dooper.”  Wow, I can’t go out in public anymore after that admission.

Frank Vascellaro and Ameila Santaniello (Husband-and-wife TV news anchors, WCCO)

Dog’s name: Cleopatra

Dog’s nickname: Cleo

Breed: Hound/boxer mix

Age: 16 and still doing OK

Favorite toy: Too mature for toys, but loves being around our three kids

Favorite treats: Cleo has been exposed to a wide variety of foods and eats darn near everything. About the only thing we found she doesn’t like are beets.

Groomer: Hurray for short hair. All she needs is a little nail clip at home every now and then, but Amelia points out that she sheds.

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: These days, she just wants to be around us at home with a special emphasis on the kitchen.

Favorite dog park: The unofficial dog park bordering Minneapolis, Edina, and St. Louis Park near 40^th St. and France Ave.

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Java Jack’s Coffee Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly store: Settergren Ace Hardware on Penn Ave. and 54^th St. Great people, and the dogs always get a treat.

Favorite pet store: Cleo has never had a bad experience cruising the aisles of Petsmart.

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: We take Cleo with us Up North every weekend.

Childhood dog: Frank had Mickey and Gino and Amelia had Chibi and Poco.

Dog’s best trick: Cleo is super smart. She’s 16 and is too mature to be tricked into performing, but she’s still very aware.

Dog’s best friend: Frank

Dog’s nemesis: Thunder and lightning

Sleeps on: In younger days, she would sleep in our bed and could jump up there. These days, I need to carry her up and down the stairs because she’s old. We bought her a dog bed for the floor about two years ago.

M.A. Rosko (Morning news reporter, FOX 9)

Dogs’ names: Munter and Red

Nicknames: Munter, aka “Private Pinkerton” when she’s on squirrel watch duty, and “Princess Muntavia von Licktenstein” when she’s being a willful, yet beautiful Teutonic princess. Red also goes by “Ass Man,” as he charges at other dogs in a terrifying manner, only to gleefully grab a tantalizing sniff of nether regions.

Breeds: Munter is a silver dappled miniature dachshund; Red, to the best of our knowledge, is a Lab.

Ages: Munter is 9, Red’s about 5.

Favorite toys: Munter loves her threadbare, barely stuffed but still humpable Koala bear. Red goes ape for a peanut butter-stuffed Kong.

Favorite treats: Red eats anything; he’s a Lab. Lately he’s obsessed with picking up mulberries that have fallen off the tree in the backyard. Munter likes “people food,” which I should call “other people food” as other people feed it to her, I do not.

Dogs’ favorite place to hang out: Munter likes to go to live shot story locations with me and bask in attention. Red enjoys the backyard.

Favorite dog park: Airport or Minnehaha Falls

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Café Barbette and Galaxy Drive-In (the newly remodeled “Wagner’s” drive-in, in St. Louis Park—gives free kiddie cones to all dogs.)

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Butter, on 36^th and Grand Ave., bakes its own biscuits

Favorite dog-friendly store: Diamond Lake Hardware

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: I can’t wait for this one! October 8-11, the Gunflint Lodge is hosting “Waggalot,” a dog-friendly celebration. There will be hikes, photography, seminars on training and nutrition, canine massage and more. Join Red, Munter and me up north this fall!

Your childhood dog: My first dog was a terrier named Governor, whom I called Govvy Gee-Gee. As an infant, I ate his dog biscuits out of his Christmas stocking, and whacked him on the head with a (soft) xylophone mallet. God bless that dog.

Best tricks: Red makes bananas disappear. As in, I swear I left some bananas on the counter, now all I can find is a bit of stem on the floor.

Dogs’ best friends: Munter’s best friend is my boyfriend’s yellow Lab Samantha. Red has recently become BFFs with my Fox9 Morning News co-worker Alix Kendall’s new adopted dog, Pax.

Dogs’ nemesis: Munter has a prejudice against big fluffy dogs like Huskies. Red wants a piece of my mailman, who happens to be the nicest man in the world.

Sleeps on: Munter likes to change position several times each night, and burrowing under covers is necessary. She has two dog beds (she’s taken over Red’s large bed as well as her own) but  a pile of clothing on the floor will do. Red sleeps wherever Munter has chosen not to.

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? All the time. Even on the air.

Lisa Goodman, Minneapolis City Council Member and key player in getting last year’s doggie dining ordinance passed

Dog’s name: Sadie Rose

Dog’s nickname: Miss Sadie

Breed: Goldendoodle

Age: 4

Favorite toy: Anything soft and stuffed animal-like

Favorite treats: Homemade snicker doodles by Senator Linda Higgins

Groomer: Royal Pet

Dog’s favorite place to hang out: Loring Park dog park or any beach

Favorite dog park: Loring Park

Favorite dog-friendly restaurant: Nick and Eddie or Toast Wine Bar and Cafe

Favorite dog-friendly coffee shop: Cafe Espresso Royale

Favorite dog-friendly store: Corazon

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Favorite dog-friendly vacation: Lake Michigan dog beach on Montrose in Chicago

Dog’s best trick: Shaking hands

Dog’s best friend: Our cat Coco

Dog’s nemesis: University of St. Thomas–Minneapolis Campus plaza and fountain where she has been told not to play in the water.

Sleeps on: Couch

Be honest: Do you ever use baby talk when speaking to your dog? Of course!

Al Franken (Recently seated Senator whose first piece of legislation was the Service Dogs for Veterans Act, which will pair service dogs with veterans who have physical or mental wounds, including PTSD. His dog, Kirby, recently passed away.)

Name: Kirby

Breed: Black Lab

Age: 8

Favorite toy: His favorite game was tug of war, so anything that helped him play that was his favorite toy. Until, of course, it ripped.

Favorite treats: He was a Lab, and Labs eat anything. He didn’t get people food or table scraps (unless he stole them). He got the same kibble every single day—Eukanuba—and every day he ate as if it were the first time he’d ever had it. He absolutely destroyed it.

Favorite dog park: Lake of the Isles Dog Park—right by the soccer field

Favorite pet store: Urbanimal

Childhood dog: There were two—Brownie was a mutt, and Gunther was a dachshund named after Gunther Toody from “Car 54, Where Are You?”

Best trick: He wasn’t a service dog. His best trick was running around in circles chasing his tail whenever I came home. It wasn’t much of a trick, but I liked it.

Dog’s best friend: Me, the kids, Franni, my wife, anyone else

Dog’s nemesis: Franni, only while cooking food he wasn’t going to get to eat

Sleeps: On a chair. It was “his” chair.

What makes the new Sidewalk Dog postcard extra special?

1. It features our new interactive map of dog parks and dog-friendly patios, courtesy of our good friends at Stunt Puppy. Check it out and add (and review!) your own faves here.
2. It was designed by the enormously talented Sarah of Sarah Beth Photography.
3. It stars darling Dachshund Kassi, whose mom is Kari Finkler of Mod-Dog, “modern art for modern pets.” (I recently bought their oh-so-mod Cavalier King Charles Spaniel notecards for a fellow Cav mom.)

Check it out! Isn’t it pretty?

By Meredeth Barzen

File under: ‘Why didn’t someone think of this sooner?’

In a move so natural it was almost inevitable, some very smart people created Now Boarding, the second half of the above equation that’s right next to the MSP Airport’s parking lot and is so swanky, you’ll find yourself asking if they let people stay there as well.

The facility, which is affiliated with the Animal Humane Society, stands apart from other boarding operations for many reasons:

Now Boarding’s pet pool: Club Med for dogs

• There’s a pool. A pool, for Pete’s sake! Add an umbrella drink to the water bowl and your dog’s halfway to Aruba.
• Your pup can choose from any one of 4,000 square feet of irrigated, synthetic K9 grass upon which to do its business.
• They’re a Pethaven foster facility, so in addition to taking care of your lovely animals, they’re providing food, water and shelter to plenty of homeless animals in the area.
• The outdoor/indoor space can be rented out for events, Meet Up groups, or any other pet shenanigans you can cook up.
• You can park there, drop of Spot, and be shuttled to the airport in time to make your flight. The ultimate in handy-dandy!

Want an inside look at Now Boarding’s new digs? Attend Dogs and Drinks “Jump into Spring” event on May 30th. We’ll be there and would love to meet you!

By Meredeth Barzen

Note: Be sure to let your fellow readers in on your favorite area dog parks in the comments section below. Better yet, go one further: We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stunt Puppy to create this super-snazzy interactive map of our choice dog spots in the area. Check it out and add (and review!) your own faves here.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that dogs just want to have fun. Yes, after months of standing on his hind legs to get a good look out of the window at the squirrels and birds roaming where they please, the sweet taste of freedom is on your dog’s lips. Now that spring is here, he dreams of that promised land where he can romp off-leash, sniff his salutations with other dogs and chase whatever catches his eye. That land of milk and honey, that utopia incarnate: The Dog Park. Here are a few of our favorites around the Twin Cities metro area–both urban and suburban–where you and your puppy pals can run free as a bird.

1. Minnehaha (South Minneapolis)- Long touted as the Taj Majal of Metro dog parks, Minnehaha reigns as King for good reason: Scenic trails? Check. River access and a big beach? Check. 4.3+ acres of romping room? Check. By the way, your dog’s in the car right now, ready to go.

2. Alimagnet (Burnsville) – Burnsville’s fanciest (and hardest to pronounce) park has luxuries to spare: A dog-washing station for your muddy buddies, a pond, a weather shelter, night lights and a special-needs dog run. Dog Fancy Magazine recently voted it the third best dog park in the country, for what it’s worth.

3. Dog Grounds (Downtown Minneapolis) – Urban dogs will relish the chance to let loose in one of these three new downtown off-leash play areas, with locations in Loring Park, the North Loop and Elliot Park.

4. Woodbury Dog Park (Woodbury) – East Side dogs can get a good runaround at this park, complete with a watering station, picinc tables, walking trails and 70 acres of doggie dominion.

5. Lake Minnewashta (Chanhassen) – With a water fountain, wooded walking trails and a fenced pond, this brand-new park is the spot to be for doggies from the western suburbs.

6. Crow-Hassan Park Reserve (Hanover) – For dogs who are used to wide-open spaces, Crow Hassan offers space–to the tune of 40 acres, that is. Dogs can swim in the Crow River or frolic in the forest at this underused (until now!) park.

7. Battle Creek (St. Paul) – Another choice park, with ponds to explore and plenty of walking trails. Bonus: The park is squeaky clean after an Earth Day community clean-up project in April.

8. Elm Creek Reserve (Maple Grove, Champlin and Dayton) – This park–so big, it straddles three towns–is a great choice for dogs that would rather walk with their owners than play with other dogs. And, it’s got trails, a field, a pond, a hill and some picnic tables for good measure.

9. Cleary Lake (Prior Lake) – For the wandering types, Cleary Lake has tons of twisty-turny trails, with strategically placed benches throughout. You can play fetch with your dog’s favorite ball in the meadow, or let your dog take a swim in the fenced pond–or not: It’s your perogative!

Other parks to check out with your dog:

• Carver Park Reserve (Victoria)

• Egan Park (Plymouth)

• Otter Lake (White Bear Township)

• Bloomington (Bloomington)

• Kaposia Landing (South St. Paul)

• Arlington/Arkwright Park (St. Paul)

• Woodview (Roseville)

• Rice Creek (Shoreview)

• Dakota Woods (Coates)

• Lake of the Isles (Minneapolis)

• Airport Dog Park (Richfield)

• Staring Lake Park (Eden Prairie)

• Van Valkenburg (Edina)

• Trackside Park (Coon Rapids)

Be smart! Bone up on your dog park’s rules regarding permits, licenses, and regulations before you go so you don’t end up with an Irish Wolfhound-sized fine. And be sure to let your fellow readers in on your favorite area dog parks in the comments section below. Better yet, go one further: We’ve teamed up with our friends at Stunt Puppy to create this super-snazzy interactive map of our choice dog spots in the area. Check it out and add (and review!) your own faves here.

In May, our newsletter and blog will feature Dog-friendly Dining and Dog Parks. Hurry! Subscribe at http://SidewalkDog.com/subscribe.

If you’re looking for great hiking while Fall is
in full swing, check out my new favorite off leash dog park, Otter Lake Park near White Bear Lake Township located Northwest of St. Paul.

Well worth the drive, this place requires NO fees or special licenses. Just show up and enjoy the hilly landscape overlooking majestic marsh lands. All in all, it’s 10 acres of fun!

The park is maintained by Ramsey County so check out the Ramsey County Off Leash Parks home page and brochure with maps and information.

I wish you could have seen Indie bounding around and chasing her friend Sara, a chocolate lab who was enjoying the day with her dog parents and my friends, Rosemary and Mark Senjem, inventors of the Dugen Clip leash.

Get out there and enjoy!