We just got back from a lovely trip to Mendocino, one of our favorite getaways. It’s spectacular, tranquil, soul-refreshing and best of all, extremely dog friendly.

Here’s a short list of the best doggy fun activities on the Mendocino coast according to my dog Vinnie, a Mendocino-lovin’ mutt if ever there were one.

It was tough narrowing down this list. One of the best things about Mendocino County is the rugged unspoiled beauty that’s everywhere. If you’re a nature lover, a stroll down a country lane will likely become a breathtaking hike for you and a delightful adventure for your dog. Secret beaches abound, many restaurants and cafes welcome dogs, and dog-friendly fun lurks round every bend. That said, here’s Vin’s short list in no particular order:

MacKerricher State Park, Cleone. An enormous park right on the coast with dunes, bluffs, beaches, forest and miles of hiking and horse trails, many of which deposit you on a seemingly endless beach that stretches north for miles. Dramatic ocean views and humbling rock formations may inspire you to hike for hours.

Hiking the Mendocino coast

Cowlick’s Handmade Ice Cream, 250 N. Main St., Fort Bragg. A divine local-made ice cream in scrumptious flavors and hefty portions! All dogs get a free dog-size scoop of vanilla!

Mendocino County Botanical Gardens, 18220 North Highway 1, Fort Bragg. These vast gardens are an ever-changing living homage to the diverse flora of Mendocino County. In early spring, towering rhododendrons awe. In summer, the dahlia gardens dazzle. No matter how often you visit, the gardens are always splendid and never the same twice. You can hike though the gardens all the way to coastal bluffs, heavenly ocean views, and whale spouts. Leashed dogs are welcome throughout the gardens and on the trails. The café near the entrance features Cowlick’s Ice Cream and generously dispenses a free vanilla mini-scoop to all doggy visitors.

Mendocino Headlands State Park, Mendocino. Tourists and locals, humans and canines – everyone loves this park. There may be no other park that puts you smack in the middle of two such odd neighbors – the neat fairytale village to the east and ominous rocky arches, crashing waves and the endless Pacific to the west. Miles of trails hug the coastline and are guaranteed to amaze you.

Frankie’s, 44951 Ukiah Street, Mendocino. This cafe has a cute outdoor patio with tables and chairs where humans and dogs can hang out and enjoy fresh organic pizzas, tasty sandwiches, salads, local beers  and wines, and sometimes, live music. They serve Cowlick’s ice cream here too! (Notice a theme here?)

Noyo Beach, at the end of North Harbor Drive, Fort Bragg. Locals call this the dog beach because it’s officially leash-free. It’s not the prettiest beach but it’s easily accessible and big. The dogs don’t care that the sand isn’t white and powdery. They love this beach. Vinnie likes to romp down the length of the beach, then hike north/northwest up and over the hill onto coastal bluffs for open ocean views.

Want to save some money, recycle seemingly useless stuff, and try out your crafty side on your pooch? Here are a few ideas for do-it-yourself dog toys that help the environment and provide easy enrichment and mental stimulation for your furry friend.

As is the case with any pet toy, think of your dog’s safety first. Supervise your dog when he’s playing with toys and regularly inspect them for damage. Discard or recycle toys that are deteriorating so your dog doesn’t accidentally swallow a piece.

Plastic Bottle Treat Toy: Oh the ubiquitous empty plastic water bottle. I know you’ve got some lying around waiting to be recycled. Before you dump them in the recycling bin, let your dog have a go at them. Put a few treats in a 16-ounce or larger size bottle, cap it, then toss it for your dog. He’ll chomp on it, bat it around, and do anything he can to get those treats out. Supervise your dog when he plays with this to prevent choking. Discard the bottle cap as soon as he gets it out.Take the bottle from him when he gets the treats out to prevent any injuries from splinters.

Sock It To Me: Put some dog treats in the toe of a sock and knot the sock on itself close to the toe end. Put that sock inside the toe of another sock and knot the second sock on itself. There you have it – a homemade treat puzzle toy!

Vin plays with homemade cereal box toy

Braided Tug Toy: Got old socks, old towels or old fleece blankets? Any of those can be used to make a strong tug toy. Fleece makes a particularly strong tug toy. Cut three strips of fleece. Each should be 2-3 inches wide and 15-24 inches long depending on the size of your dog. Braid the strips together as tightly as you can and knot the ends securely. You’re ready for endless tug matches with your dog! You can also braid three old sport socks together or lengths of old towels together to make this toy. Soaking the toy in beef or chicken broth (then letting it drying completely) will make the toy even more enticing.

Tennis Ball Fun: Drill a hole in a tennis ball and another on the opposite side. Thread a long piece of thick cotton rope through the holes so the rope goes through the ball. Knot the rope securely close to the ball and knot the other ends of the rope. Fetch or tug anyone?

Stuffed Stuff: If your dog’s like mine, it doesn’t take him long to practice his dissecting skills on new stuffed animals. One minute he’s racing around with the stuffed animal in his mouth, and the next, our living room’s a mess of stuffing and the poor teddy bear is decapitated. Save the stuffing and the squeaker, if it still works. Stuff an old sock with stuffing and squeaker, sew up the end, and your dog’s got a brand new stuffed toy. Instead of using actual stuffing, you can stuff the sock with the other old socks or leftover fabric. If you’re feeling extra creative, stuff scraps of fabric with the stuffing and squeaker and sew it up in interesting shapes. You can also restuff kids’ old stuffed animals. Remove plastic eyes, noses and other pieces that could be a choking hazard. Keep an eye on your dog whenever he plays with any squeaky toy and take the squeaker away from him as soon as he’s removed it from the toy.

Rover Recycles: take an empty cardboard box. Cereal boxes and egg cartons work well for this. Put a few treats inside, then tape the box closed with masking tape. You can also put food-stuffed Kongs in the box before you tape it up. Give the sealed box to your dog and watch him tear it open with gusto to get at the treats. When he’s finished, your box is already shredded/broken down and will take up a lot less room in your recycling container.

Got other ideas for homemade dog toys? Please share them in a comment.

What do good manners and playing with your food have to do with one another?

Everything . . . if you’re a dog!

One of the best and easiest things you can do to enrich your dog’s life and lay a foundation for polite dog behavior is encourage him to play with his food. Food puzzle toys abound – nifty contraptions into which you stuff food or treats, and give to your dog to “solve” so he can eat what’s inside.

Kong, Tricky Treat Ball, Tug A Jug (L-R)

He might have to chew on the toy to get the food out (as in the case of Kongs and Busy Buddy toys); nose, bat and roll the toy around to get at the yummies inside (e.g., Buster Cubes, Tricky Treat Balls); manipulate puzzle pieces (Nina Ottoson’s interactive toys); or come up with a combination of moves to work the puzzle (e.g., Tug a Jug). The point is he’ll need to use his brain and sometimes his brawn to devise a winning strategy.

Feeding your dog from food puzzle toys has many advantages over bowl feeding. Working food puzzle toys:

• Is fun! Not every food puzzle toy is a hit with every dog, but with the wide variety of available toys there are sure to be a couple that get your dog’s groove on.
• Helps dogs eat more slowly than if they were gulping food from a bowl. Eating more slowly helps avoid bloat, a serious and often fatal ailment.
• Staves off boredom. Boredom breeds undesirable behavior like excessive barking, fence fighting and destructive chewing. Besides, living in a perpetually or mostly bored state must be a serious drag for a dog. Food puzzle toys gives dogs mini mental workouts and are a good antidote to boredom.
• Burns doggy energy. Don’t you wish you had your dog’s energy? Without daily outlets for that energy, dogs find other things to do with it. All too often, those things are activities humans don’t appreciate. Interactive toys provide outlets for some of dogs’ mental and physical energy.
• Satisfies the urge and need to chew. Many interactive toys require chewing action to get the food out. Chewing keeps teeth, gums and jaw muscles healthy and is a natural behavior that many dogs really love, especially pups and adolescents. Directing dogs towards acceptable chewies – like food puzzle toys – is essential when teaching dogs to keep their teeth off of your stuff.

If your dog is already a food puzzle wiz, mix up the types of puzzle toys he plays with. Some puzzle toys (like Kongs) can be frozen after stuffing to make solving them tougher for dogs ready for more of a challenge.

Get creative with food stuffings. You can layer different ingredients; alternate wet food with dry; mix wet food with dry dog food before stuffing the toy; or mix an extra special treat with the rest of the food (like the prize in the cereal box).

Does your dog have a favorite food puzzle toy? Do you have a favorite “recipe” for food puzzle toy stuffings? Please feel free to share in a comment.

This post isn’t about behavior or training but it does celebrate pets and our relationships with them. I couldn’t resist writing about a fabulous pet-related gift I gave my husband for Christmas.

Laura K. Johnston who lives here in San Francisco, is a fabulous artist who paints original watercolor portraits of pets. I asked Laura to paint a portrait of Vinnie as a Christmas gift for my husband, or “He-Who-Is-Notoriously-Hard-To-Shop-For.”

The painting is spectacular. My husband is thrilled and so am I. Not only did Laura create a stunningly life-like portrait of Vinnie, she brilliantly captured his real essence, his very “Vinnie-ness.” The bright spark in his eyes, his curiosity, zest for life, playfulness, sweetness and yes, the light of mischief that lurks just beneath his surface…all these qualities shine from her painting.

Here’s a photo of the painting, though I must add that it doesn’t begin to do justice to the actual painting:

Laura’s love of animals is clear in her art. She’s easy to work with, professional, works quickly and for an extremely reasonable price. If you’ve ever considered having your pet’s portrait painted, I recommend Laura highly and heartily. A pet portrait by Laura is a one-of-a-kind extraordinary gift for a pet lover – a gorgeous lasting portrait of a pet in all his/her glory.

You can see more of Laura’s art and contact her about painting your pet at www.laurajohnston.net.