Hello friends,
Welcome to Canine Hotline. Fern speaking! If you’ve made your way here but have not subscribed, allow us to help you with that:
Canine Hotline is a newsletter sharing TOTALLY life-changing, simple, achievable bucket list adventures for dogs (…that are really good for you, too). We’re also an advice hotline. If you need expert dog advice, email info@thecaninehotline.com. We might just answer your question here on Substack!
Now, for your dog’s weekly bucket list adventure…
Your pooch probably had a pretty busy October playing, socializing, modeling Halloween costumes, trying to keep up with the humans. So, don’t forget to schedule some off-leash time. Off-leash time is when your dog gets to explore the world, no human attached. Bette obviously loves walks with me. But she’s on my schedule, of course. She doesn’t get to stop and sniff EVERY dead leaf as inquisitively as she’d like. She doesn’t get to run as fast as she can or let off steam digging fabulous holes. Sometimes, when Bette is walking on a leash, she pulls away from me like an angsty teenager who just! wants! to! smell! fences! and! chase! squirrels!, and I’m lame old mom who just doesn’t understand. She has a point. My inferior nose does not understand the smells (and yes, it’s totally MY fault you miss all of the squirrels, Bette). I want my dog to be curious, to explore the world to her fullest potential. Here are some of our favorite places to go off-leash:
dog parks
If you live near NYC, plan a trip to Central Park off-leash hours. It’s uh-mazing!
off-leash dog-friendly beaches
sniffspot (the AIRBNB of private fenced-in backyards for dogs. Great for dogs who are not trained to be off-leash or have fear and anxiety issues)
Here is an enormous list of dog parks around the US where pups can go off-leash
Join your dog for “off-leash” time…
Okay, my leash does not look exactly like Bette’s leashes. My leash is a flat little rectangle box that beeps and lights up and yesterday kept showing me a video of a panda eating a carrot. But phones ARE a lot like leashes, aren’t they? My phone keeps me attached to other people at all times. When I have my phone on me, I am less focused on what I am doing and way more focused on what everyone else is doing (Are people liking my Insta post? What’s happening with the election? This news is stressful! Wow, how is so and so so successful? I need to be more successful!). My phone even pulls my neck in a certain direction (down!). I need to take little breaks from my leash and look up! I need to remember to be present — to go outside and check out the world. So go on, schedule a little “off-leash” time with your pup this week. Preferably today. After you vote.
Your loyal correspondent,
Fern