Chicago’s Most Valuable Real Estate

Chicago’s most valuable real estate is it’s Lakefront.  I am so happy that the early settlers & developers of Chicago had the foresight and vision to protect the most precious and irreplaceable real estate, the lake front.

One of Chicago’s official dog parks is Montrose Beach Dog Park, see video to appreciate how dogs and dog owners enjoy a sunny summer afternoon.

A volunteer group known as Mondog, has been very instrumental in helping to keep the beach clean,  safe and user friendly.  This past Saturday, 6/5/2010 they did a fund raiser/bake sale to collect some money to help with the upkeep and continued improvement of the dog park.  Next Saturday, 6/19/2010 there is a volunteer clean up secheuled from 9am to 12pm at Montrose Beach.  Again coordinated with the efforts of the Mondog.org group.  They could certainly use your help so if you enjoy the beach with your pooch, might be a good idea to give a helping hand, contribute to community and the facility you use.   If you don’t have a dog, I suggest you adopt one from a local shelter or just come out to help MonDog clean up our area known as Chicago’s Montrose Dog Beach.  Free Parking.

Chicago Real Estate Going To The Dogs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As reported by Leslie Mann in a recent Tribune article http://tiny.cc/07ml1 many Chicago Buildings are going out of their way to put “friendly” into pet-friendly living.  Most estimates have the percentage of pet households in the United States at 60%+, that equals a lot of people and a lot of pets.  As a country, we spend $45 billion a year on our animals and that number is expected to rise by 5 percent this year, according to Fast Company magazine. It’s become a common site to see a large van wrapped in pet aimed advertisements parked in front of condo buildings to pick up and entertain our pouches while we’re gone for the day and to return them at the end of the day. Dog care has become big business in Chicago.  Some trainers are now specializing in working with specific behavioral problems and will come to your home to help with what ever the issue may be. Dog trainer Fran Barry of gofidogoodfido.com says that business is good due in part to the large number of households with dogs. She goes on to say that although people tend to treat their pets like children, dog owners don’t understand that a dog’s thinking processes are drastically different than humans however most dog’s behavior problems can be resolved with the help of a professional trainer.

Retractable Leash—A Cautionary Tale

by Marianne Sackett
Trainers have long argued against retractable leashes because they teach dogs to pull on the lead instead of walking next to you. Vets don’t like them because when you are distracted (perhaps picking up after your dog) you can easily find the dog in the street chasing a squirrel and subsequently getting hit by a car. There are some that argue that their dogs are little and/or it gives them freedom when playing to run around the dog park or other area without being off the leash. I’ve even heard some say that injuries occurred because people weren’t using the leash properly.

Here’s my experience. You decide if you, your children, or your dog is worth using the leash.

It was a friendly interaction between 2 dogs, both under 20#s. Matilda and Dottie were running playfully in front of my home. Matilda was wearing a regular leash, Dottie, a retractable. After we detangled the dogs a number of times, the accident happened: Matilda ran behind my 11 year old son, Dottie followed her. The retractable leash was like a razor cutting the back of my son’s leg right at the spot where your leg bends. The wound was about 1/8″ deep and 6″ long. It wasn’t the type of injury that could be stitched or glued. There wasn’t too much that could be done except keep it clean and immobile since normal walking would cause the wound to open again. It took several weeks to heal.

About a month later, we encountered a young couple walking their small dog with a retractable leash. We kept walking backwards as they approached. They assured us that the dog was friendly. My son said, “We’re not afraid of your dog, we’re afraid of the leash. Those things are dangerous.” They both rolled their eyes and kept walking.

Seeing the damage the leash could do just running against the skin I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if it wrapped itself around any part of my son or either dog for that matter. There are decapitation warnings on the leash for a reason. Here’s a Consumer Reports story about said leash http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/03/retractable-leashes-pose-problems-for-people-and-their-pets.html.

Even if you don’t use the leash beware of encounters with dogs who do.

Welcome To Dog-Friendly Chicago

by Fran Berry

Chicago is known by many names: The Windy City, the City of Big Shoulders, and the Second City, but did you know that Chicago is fast becoming the Dog-Friendly City too? Even the city’s auto sticker for 2009-2010 has a Yellow Labrador Retriever carrying the city flag in his mouth!

Walk up and down the city sidewalks in Chicago and you’ll find dozens of restaurants that proudly display signs that read “Dogs welcome on the patio.” Many retail establishments allow fido to accompany their owners and you’ll typically find water bowls and treats at the entry way. Want to take a tour of the Chicago River? From July through September, the Mercury Cruiseline Company has a special Canine Cruise at 10:00 Sunday mornings where you can enjoy a scenic boat ride of the city’s wonderful architecture, while the 4-legged one enjoys a tasty biscuit provided by dog-loving docents! If baseball is your thing, Chicago boasts two teams and in April the Chicago White Sox have a Dog Day where you and your fido can share a bleacher seat, while enjoying a brat and a beer!

One of Chicago’s best-kept secrets is the W Hotel, located at 644 Lake Shore Drive. Not only does this boutique hotel allow dogs in the guests rooms, but you can also sip a cocktail and dine in the bar lounge with Fido by your side; they’ll even provide him with a bowl of kibble if he’s hungry!

In addition, Chicago boasts acres of beautiful dog-friendly parks, beaches, attractions, and yearly events. To check out the growing list of Chicago’s dog-friendly places click: www.dogfriendly.com

If you and your dog like the social scene, our Tails Magazine www.tailsinc.com is available at various locations around the city. Pick up a copy or view it on-line to find up to the minute dog-events, ‘yappy-hour’ locations, pet boutiques, veterinarians and informative articles to help keep your pet happy and safe, especially during our unpredictable weather conditions!

And what dog friendly city would be without its dog-friendly guidebook? Just click on www.chicityclerk.com/licenses/dogs.html where you will find answers your dog questions, learn how to register your dog for his license and dog park tag, where you can have him ‘fixed’ and even what to do if he’s lost.

Chicago is a great city that we hope you and your dog-pal will have many enjoyable times exploring. And if you discover something that we haven’t covered, we’d love for you to share it here for other Chicago dog- eccentrics!

By the way-Our friendly Chicago in-home dog trainer is only a click away if you have any questions about your dog’s behavior or would like help getting him adjusted to his new home. www.gofidogoodfido.com

Lake Shore East Dog Park, Chicago

(West of Lake Shore Drive, south of Wacker Drive, and North of Randolph Street.)
Chicago, IL 60611

Lake Shore East Dog Park serves the residents of the New East Side of Chicago and is one of the nicer dog parks I have visited. Picturesque and just a great place to hang, it is like an island in the middle of skyscrapers and has a pleasant relaxing feel, kinda nice to sit out in the open in a beautiful park and enjoy to greenery and landscaping.

It rates a “4 Paw” signature by me. The dog park part of the park is relatively small, but then I have a big dog….

Margate Park

4921 Marine Drive, Chicago

This is one of the nicest Dog Parks I have visited, have visited 12 so far & have 3 to go before I will have visited all 15 of the City of Chicago Park District Dog Parks.
Margate Park, AKA PupTown has a tree protected by a circular fence that allows for a wide circular path should your dog want to run in circles chasing or being chased. They also just planted a River Birch in a corner of the park, one of my favorite trees.
A weather protected bulletin board shares information about requirements to be in the park as well as signs to watch for in the dog interaction. Nice surface with adequate gravel areas for our pups. Overall this has been one of the cleanest and most cared for City of Chicago Dog Parks I have visited. This gets a four paw rating from Tucker.
There is a volunteer organization that meets and cares for this park and it shows, this should be a model for the other 14 Dog Parks in Chicago.

Montrose Beach Dog Park

Challenger Park, Chicago Dog Park

Coliseum Park, Chicago Dog Park

Grant Park Dog Park aka Grant Bark Park

Chicago Park District Dog Park is located west of Columbus Drive, east of the railroad tracks and about 900 south, just south of the tennis courts. One entrance is on the south; near the 11th St. Bridge to Michigan Ave., the other entrance is on the east side just south of the tennis courts.

Grant Bark Park is clean, well kept and larger than many of the other Dog Parks in Chicago. It has been described in a review as the “Mercedes Benz” of Dog Parks. There is a volunteer organization known as www.southloopdogpac.org that oversees this park as well as the other South Loop Dog Park located at 14th and Wabash, Coliseum Park. This group not only maintains two dog parks in the South Loop, they also publish a monthly on-line publication – Fetch. All the reviews I could find about this park were overwhelmingly positive. Dog owners come from quite a distance because this Dog Park is huge, friendly, well maintained and just a great place to hang out with your dog. Of course this Dog Park has all the amenities one would expect, a large part of the park is paved for all the running, double entry gate, a water fountain for dogs large and small, a shaded tree area, bags to pick up after your pooch, benches for the humans, and last but not least a large gravel area for the dogs to do their thing.

Thanks to all the people that have and are volunteering their time and resources to help dog owners and non-dog owners enjoy this area and the wonderful Park District Dog Park known as Grant Bark Park. Chicago, a city with the greatest dog parks in the world.

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