Chicago Dog Walk in Lincoln Park at Belmont Harbor

Rocco and I spent last weekend in Chicago for Mother's Day and we had the chance to meet up with Dolly the Doxie and her mom Sandra for a fun dog walk in Lincoln Park at Belmont Harbor. We're glad we walked the day we did, since the rest of the weekend was cold, windy and rainy. Uck!

Dog Walking in New Places and Dog Walking Essentials

Walking the same routes day after day can get kind of boring. So whenever we have the opportunity, Rocco and I love to explore new places. Rocco gets to take in new sights and smells, and I get to enjoy the new scenery too.

So during our recent trip to Fort Lauderdale, we had some fun walking along the Riverwalk area in the Old Fort Lauderdale Historic District.

There were pretty park areas and a few restaurants that lined the waterway.

We enjoyed watching the big boats, too!

It was pretty walking along the Riverwalk at sunset, a great way to end another sunny Fort Lauderdale day.

Heading to a new place can be a fun outing for both you and your dog. But in the excitement of walking in a new place don't forget these essentials:

• Doggie waste bags.  If you're heading out on a long walk, don't forget to bring extra poop bags.  On occasion you'll find poop bag dispensers in public places, but it's best to be prepared and bring extras.
• Water and a collapsible water bowl.  Bring plenty of water so both you and your dog can stay hydrated, especially if it's warm outside.
• Treats. Long walks provide for a great training opportunity and extra treats can be used to reward good behavior.  Practice healing, sit and stay until you give the release word that it's ok to proceed. This comes in super handy when waiting patiently at a crosswalk. I also play the "look at that game" with Rocco, asking him to look at things that I DON'T want him to react to ... and then I praise him and treat when he quickly and calmly looks back at me. 

What training games do you play when you're out walking your dog? Let us know in the comments below!

The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and My GBGV Life to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

St. James's Park Dog Walk

I snapped this pic during a recent visit to London when I needed yet another dog fix! Here, a woman walks her two dogs at St. James's Park near Buckingham Palace. Dogs are welcome in the Royal Parks with just a few guidelines.

A Dog Walk Through the Newest Piedmont Park Expansion

Rocco, right, and his pal Nicky check out
the newest entrance to  Piedmont Park

Our local city park, Piedmont Park, got even better this past week as the newest section of the park opened, adding 12.5 more acres and an entrance that's easily accessible to my neighborhood.

So naturally, Rocco and I headed off to check out the newest acreage, complete with wooded trails and bridges and paved paths, perfect for all sorts of outdoor adventures! Rocco's Havanese pal Nicky's been staying with us this past week, so Nicky got to come along for the adventure too.

After crossing over the bridge into the park, Rocco and Nicky discovered some new steps up to a wooded trail...

So peaceful, it's hard to believe these trails are right in the middle of Atlanta just a few miles from downtown!

Even though there was lots of shade, remember that dogs can overheat quickly...

Rocco and his pal Nicky take a moment for water break and a rest stop in the shade

... so be sure to play it safe if you're out with your pups this summer:

1. Don't over do it. Take rest stops in the shade often.
2. Bring along plenty of fresh water 
3. Start your walk in the early morning or in the evening during the coolest hours of the day

We started out early and finished our walk through the cool and shady Six Springs Wetland trail, an area that was completely covered in Kudzu and considered unusable just a few years ago. Now look how beautiful it is!

We used the new Instagram video feature to record this video. You can also watch it on Instagram here!

Piedmont Park has come a long way in the last five or so years, and this was just the latest phase in its grand restoration plan. All in all we covered about four miles, a terrific walk to kick off a FitDog Friday!


The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and Peggy's Pet Place to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!) and to help combat pet obesity. Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.

Wordless Wednesday: Me and My Shadow

Head on over to the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday blog hop to see what everyone else is up to!

A Walk Through Lullwater Park

Rushing waters and an old grist mill are just some of the attractions at Lullwater Park

Lullwater Park is one of Atlanta's hidden gems. Located next to Emory's campus, we found it a lovely place for a dog walk with wooded trails, open fields, a lake and streams and all located just minutes from the city of Atlanta.

Rocco and I set out for the walk with one of our favorite Meetup Groups yesterday. Despite a blustery, cold morning, a few hardy souls came out and we enjoyed a terrific walk. Don't laugh Northern pals. It really was freezing here in Atlanta and we even saw a few snow flurries. Oh my!!

I used the Map My Dogwalk app to track our walk (map above). I love using this app for dog walks so you can see how far you go, especially useful when you're walking through parks and on trails. This walk mapped out at about 3 miles, though I forgot to start the app at the beginning of our walk.

We hit the trails and meandered over to Candler Lake.

It's a good spot for reflection and geese watching too!

Along the way we crossed a suspension bridge that rocks gently as you walk across it. It didn't seem to phase Rocco a bit. Could be good training for the agility teeter!

Across the bridge we explored the old grist mill.

Inside the mill, Rocco and some of the other pups posed for pictures!

The park has a main entrance on Clifton Road, and there's also a parking deck near the end of Starvine Way off of Clairmont Road. We started at the Starvine Way entrance and the parking was convenient with easy access to the park. 

If you're near Atlanta, we highly recommend this park for a lovely walk with or without dogs (though with is always better!). I suspect it will be spectacular in the spring!

Meetup for a Dog Walk on Freedom Parkway Trail

Rocco's ready to blaze a trail on our group dog walk Sunday

If you're looking for a fun activity to do with your dog and other dog lovers, check out the dog activity groups on meetup.com. This past weekend, Rocco and I went on our first walk with the Mongrels Mania group.  If you're in the Atlanta area, check them out! They plan lots of fun dog-friendly events.

This particular walk meandered along the Freedom Parkway Trail in Atlanta. We covered about six miles, roundtrip from Candler Park to the Jefferson Street Bridge near downtown Atlanta.

Rocco quickly made friends with the other fur pals in the group.

And he immediately connected with another Havanese!

There are plenty of interesting things to see along the route.

We worked our way over to the Jefferson Street bridge where we enjoyed the view of the Atlanta skyline.

And stopped by the Carter Center on the way back. Rocco enjoys the fountains!

Around the back of the Carter Center we found a beautiful duck pond with a view of the city.

The dogs and people had a terrific time.  To find a dog-friendly Meetup near you, go to meetup.com and search for "dog" or any interest of your choice near your city. You'll find all sorts of activities for all types of dogs.

Do you have a favorite Meetup group?