Saber On The Road

Hi again, Saber here! Last week I shared some pictures from my recent dog park experiences in Portland and Vancouver. Now I'd like to show you some of the other fun stuff I did on my trip with Mom and my Girl.

First, we went to Multnomah Falls, Oregon. Mom has taken me there before, see? Here I am last summer with two of my Boys.

Wasn't I cute back then? I was only 9 months old! This year I am 20 months old. See that bridge way up above the lower falls? Well, here's a picture of me up on that bridge last week.

What a fun little hike! And I got to share an ice cream cone with Mom when we got back down. For some reason Mom got to lick first, and then didn't seem to want anymore after I got my licks in. Oh well!

Next we went to see some sturgeon and trout at a fish hatchery.

"Hey, Mom, look! Someone mixed dinner in a giant water bowl! Yum!"

Thinking....

Right after Mom snapped this picture I flung myself into the retaining pond and almost took Mom with me. It was great fun. I'm not sure why Mom didn't get a picture of me swimming. Maybe next time.

Next we drove through the Columbia River Gorge. It was really pretty but I am prettier. See?



After awhile Mom drove across the river back into Washington around Marysville and we drove up, up, up until we had a gorgeous view. We were really high in this picture and for some reason Mom would not let me get any closer to that cliff behind me with the sheer dropoff. I have no idea why.

Apparently we drove up there because Mom wanted to visit the Stonehenge replica which is a war memorial. Generally I like rocks, but this seemed like overkill.

The best part was being with my Girl. I sure love her.

Travelling is nice, but it sure is great to be home! We have more adventures coming up though. Wait and see!

Saber Tracks!

When I was a wee pup, my Mom knew I was super special. I come from a long line of good sniffers; in fact several of my littermates went to Search and Rescue homes. My sister Jenga is a cadaver dog! Not my cup of tea, unless it is a bacon cadaver, but somebody's got to do it. I have a great nose myself, and my Mom started me tracking with the local dog training club when I was 14 weeks old (in February 2011). My first time out I did two puppy tracks lined with hot dogs (yum!) and kept my nose right to the ground like a good tracking dog. Two weeks later I was at it again and did three longer tracks. Here are some pictures of my Mom and me tracking that day:

Yep, I am a natural.

My third time out, at 4 months old, it was raining and cold and Mom took me out in the middle of nowhere to a hay field. I did a couple of short tracks, then a 60 yard track, then another pretty long one with a 45-degree turn and almost no food or markers. Mom didn't even know where the track was, but I did! I followed them all perfectly right to the end.

I went tracking every weekend for awhile. In May when I was almost 6 months old, I did three 100-yard tracks (one with a turn). Then we did some off-leash SAR work finding people hiding in the desert, and afterwards we went back and ran those three (now aged) tracks again without adding any new bait. I did great! I am so good at finding people and articles. I am pretty proud of myself!

One time in the fall, right after I turned a year old, Mom took me tracking at a local park on the river, which was supremely awesome because the whole field was covered in GOOSE POOP!! YUM!! Of course Mom was rather disgusted and kept telling me to "leave it" but hey how do you expect me to discern between a hot dog and a goose poop snack when I am following a track?? Both are so flavorful. It was rather difficult and frustrating for Mom but I secretly hoped we would keep going back there for tracking practice. Alas, so far we have not. So tragic. What a waste of good goose poop.

So we haven't gone tracking since last fall. There have been tons of rattlesnakes here this spring and Mom was a little nervous about that, so I had to get a rattlesnake vaccine just in case. Mom says we are going to start seriously tracking every week and working towards an AKC TD (Tracking Dog) title as soon as school starts again for the human kids. I can't wait! I will share all of my tracking adventures here on the blog. Maybe if I am lucky we will go back to that park by the river! Mmmmm. ::drool:: Well, a dog can dream!

Saber Reviews the Dakota Memorial Dog Park, Vancouver, WA

Hi again! I am so excited to share this review of my very favorite dog park adventure so far. This time, we visited Dakota Memorial Dog Park in Vancouver, Washington. This dog park is huge! It's a fully fenced 8-acre off leash dog area within Pacific Park, which my Mom says is an awesome human park in itself. But more on the human park later. Here is the double-gated entry to the dog park:

See how nice the fencing is? And the grass is nicely maintained as well as the paved areas. Poop bags, trash bags, wide open space, shade trees, and a great walking path all await you at this park. What more could a dog ask for?

STICKS!!! Trying to figure out how to fetch this one...

"Excuse me Mr. Pit-bull-type Dog, but I am afraid you will lose your balance when I pick up this stick in my mouth, so could you please remove yourself from my stick?"

"What's that?? You want to play?? Sure!"

That was fun. Then it was time for some fetching! Lots of room to run here.

I found someone with a Chuck-It and an Australian Shepherd! See that herding breed focus?? We had a blast together! Notice the long winding path beneath the trees behind us. The humans liked that.

I got to run and play with my Girl, too (yes, kids are allowed here!)

There's also fresh clean water for everyone! I loved this fountain. (Mr. Beagle, really. Do you mind?)

Just steps outside the dog park, there is a large, clean human rest room, a big field for kids to play sports in, a huge parking lot, a gigantic pavilion with picnic tables and a really nice playground for the human kids! I got to lie in the shady grass and watch my Girl play for awhile.

Mom and I agree this is the best dog park we have visited yet! We definitely will come back to this one. Next time we will bring a picnic lunch and stay for hours! I can hardly wait!

For more information, directions, and maps for dog parks in the Portland area (including Vancouver), check out this fantastic site: Portland Dog Parks. As you can see, we still have plenty of visiting to do!



Saber Does Portland, OR: Chimney Park Dog Park Review

Here we are at Chimney Park in North Portland, Oregon. This is my second time visiting this park and both times we had lots of fun!

This is a fully fenced dog park that's about five and a half acres of wide open space! It's mostly flat and grassy with a few trees here and there. Don't I look pretty with the blue chicory?

There's a great walking path all around this park and all the people and dogs we met were super nice! There is no water, but there are poop bags and a trash can and lots of shade.

Here you can see how the park is divided into two sections by a section of fence (but no gates). The path goes through the fence opening and you can see the chicory in the distance. There is a grassy field over there, but on this side there is a mown lawn and shade trees, perfect for a game of fetch or some good ol' fashioned sniffing. The whole park is very clean and well maintained.

See how nice and long the walking path is? Great exercise for your human, and the terrain is fairly flat, too.

I had fun at this park and we'll come back someday! However, my Mother made me sit in the patch of pokey ivy just outside the park, which was not fun.

(What is the point of this, Mom? The dog park is over there!)

Coming up next: My favorite dog park adventure of all time!

Saber Does Vancouver, WA: Ross Dog Park Review

It's me, Saber! I'm home from a nice trip down to Oregon with my Mom and my Girl. They had the nerve to leave me at a kennel for a few hours while they went to a concert, can you believe it? I tried to climb the fence to come find them, but the dog-care person stopped me. I was a little offended that my humans went to a dog-free venue, but since they took me to many dog parks and other canine-friendly spots on this trip, I will let it go. This time.

Anyway, Mom took me to this new (to me) dog park in Vancouver, Washington (just across the river from Portland, Oregon) called Ross Park. Check it out, what a hill!

From the top:

The parking lot is down at the bottom of the hill, along with a bulletin board, poop bags, and a trash bin. I got lots of exercise running up and down this steep hill!

This park is about 8 acres and is totally fenced. There wasn't any water, and there weren't a lot of benches (just one on this side of the hill) but there is a nice bark-covered walking path all around the perimeter. Apparently there is a bigger area on the other side of this hill, but we didn't go there this time. There weren't too many people and dogs here so we were a little bored. I did explore, lay in the shade and fetch my Frisbee in the open grassy field for awhile. Lots of space!

I did find one friend about my size to play with!

I'd say this is a good park to go to if you like to run in open spaces or walk around with your human. I wish there were more dogs though! If your human does not like to hike up steep hills, park in the lot on the other side of the park (I think it is at the southwest corner of the park). Next time we come we will explore the other side of the park, which I hear is much larger!

Saber Does Spokane: High Bridge Dog Park Review

Hi there. This is Saber. My Mom has been too busy to update my blog lately, so I thought I'd tell you about my latest adventure: Spokane, Washington!

We drove to Spokane last month for a Lure Coursing trial, which was great fun, but the real highlight of the trip was visiting one of my favorite dog parks: SpokAnimal's High Bridge Dog Park. We've been there many times before, but this time my Mom took some pictures to show you the park (and my beautiful self, of course).

The park is open and flat in the center and is surrounded by lots of trees, foliage, and fields to romp in. Just look at all that space!

The entire area is fenced with chain link and there are plenty of chairs and picnic tables for your humans to lounge on. The big dog area is about 6.5 acres, and the small dog area is about one acre. Big dogs rule!

See that huge hill behind me? There is a trail up and down that hill for you and your human to hike! It's a nice little forest and I loved exploring here.

The best part of going to dog parks is making new friends... especially if they have Chuck-Its! Here I am with a nice male German Shepherd friend I met. Notice our intense focus, unlike the silly Boxer in the foreground.

There was plenty of water at this park, left in jugs next to water bowls. There are also poop bags at the gate, a trash can, and a double-gated entry. The parking lot is close to the entrance, too.

All in all, the High Bridge Dog Park gets two paws up! We'll be back!

Saber at the Riverfront Park big wagon slide, Spokane, WA.