It's Summertime and what better time to take our dogs to have some fun in the sun! There are plenty of places to take our furry friends right here in the Bay Area. There are many dog friendly places that include hiking, walking, swimming, and playing.
One of the most popular regional parks to take your dog to is in Castro Valley close to our Groveway and Hill's locations. Lake Chabot is a very large recreational regional park and there are many different sections. There are dirt trails, paved paths, and beautiful scenery at Lake Chabot. The main entry is an ‘on leash’ area where leashes must be worn at all times. A little deeper into the park is an off-leash dog area, where your dogs can have a little extra freedom to roam alongside you.
Shadow Cliff Regional Recreation Area is another place that allows us to take our pups for a nice hike on gravel trails. Accessible to the public for a small fee, it is located in Pleasanton, CA.
Garren Park is another animal-friendly place located in Hayward, where there’s a lot of uphill hiking. There are beautiful views and a country feel due to the cows grazing on the hillsides!
Playtime parks
Earl Warren Park: located in Castro Valley; it’s a beautiful dog park well maintained, with an agility course. It also has separated areas for small dogs and large dogs.
Ohlone Park West: located in Berkeley. This park is a totally fenced in facility with plenty of water facets for our four-legged friends. There are also plenty of doggy bags available for the mess they may leave behind!!
Alameda Dog Exercise Area: located in Alameda, has both a large and small dog areas. It is equipped with grass and dirt area, with plenty of benches.
Drigone Dog Park: Located on Mission Blvd near the Union City/Hayward border. Drigone offers a large bone shaped fenced in play area. They are always well stocked with doggie bags and have fountains and an agility course! There are shaded areas to sit and relax also, as well as a small dog area with its very own agility course.
CAUTION!
One thing to keep an eye out for when walking your dog this summer are foxtails, also known as 'stickers'. Foxtails are the seeded end piece that becomes embedded in fur or skin and use barbs to stay that way. They can and do become lodged in ears, eyes and often in between toes. They travel up the skin causing horrible abscesses, and irritation of the skin, and can migrate in the body causing other health issues as well.
Click here for more information on foxtails!
Look out for our blog on Hikes and Trails in the Pinole Area... click here!