Perth Dog Parks: Jorgensen Park

I have been looking around for new places for us to go now that the beach is not so appealing in winter. I found Jorgensen Park on Weekendnotes.com - we were heading out to the south eastern suburbs of Perth already, so I figured a detour up to Kalamunda on the way back would be just the ticket.

The park used to be a golf course and is located adjacent to Kalamunda National Park. In Australia dogs are not allowed in National Parks, but Jorgensen Park is just as good for a quick hike.

The car park is located on 'Cres Road' so aim for that instead of 'Spring Road' - which is where Google Maps will send you. It is a big park with many trails and one of the very few natural places in the Perth metropolitan area where dogs are allowed off leash.

The rocky trails were a little bit hard on Barbie's feet, but that wasn't a bad thing, we knew that she wouldn't try to do zoomies through the bush with so many rocks around.

As we were walking along, a beautiful Border Collie appeared after running through a thick stand of trees. He had a great time greeting Bender and Barbie, and after probably five minutes he finally seemed to hear his owner, who had been calling him all along. He sprinted back through the bushes to her and Nic had to be quick to call Bender and stop him from following.

They also had fun with a little Cavalier King Charles spaniel and a brown labrador cross looking dog.

Bender and Barbie really liked this park and we will be sure to return there in winter, even though it's quite a drive from our place!

Wordless Wednesday - The Leash Dance (King's Park)

Barbie's Winter Coat - the Foster Dog teaches the House Dog a lesson...

Barbie and Mouse had a great relationship and it was more than I could have hoped for, given that Mouse's trainer did not believe the two 'bitches' would get along. While Barbie showed Mouse the ropes, there was something that Mouse taught Barbie.

When I first got Barbie I bought her a nice soft quilted type coat to wear around the house when it is cold. She was never a huge fan of any kind of clothing and she used to undo the belly strap and wriggle out of it.

Even when we left the dogs in the Paw House kennel through winter while we went to the Tour de France, Barbie refused to wear a coat. The guy at the kennel said she always took them off, and that she preferred to make a nest out of a pile of blankets.

When we had Mouse here, the temperature dropped markedly on a couple of the nights. I pulled Barbie's coat out of the drawer and put it on Mouse. Apparently this was upsetting for Barbie! Mouse could wear her collar, steal her toys, have her bed and her crate, but she wasn't allowed to wear her coat.

Barbie sprinted up to Mouse and nipped at the coat as if she was trying to pull it off her. She then followed Mouse around the house very closely, until Mouse came up on to the couch and sat next to me.

Barbie: Hey! That's mine! Don't you have enough of my things?
Mouse: ...
Me: Be nice, Barbie. Can't you see Mouse is cold?
Mouse: I am little and cold!
Barbie: Hrumph! Maybe I am cold as well, then what happens?
Me: You never liked your coat before. Anyway, Mouse needs it more than you. Mouse is bony and skinny. You have more fat to insulate you.
Barbie: Hmph! That is no way to speak to a lady!!

After Barbie walked off in a huff, she curled up on her bed and did her best to look cold, but she wasn't really.

Tonight Barbie really did look cold, she was curled up in a little ball on the couch and looked a bit sad. I went and got the jacket from the table, and Barbie came sprinting towards me like she does when I pick up her collar and leash. She stood still and let me put it on, and now she is wearing it without any kind of complaint. She looks much more comfortable.

Just a reminder for all my followers, Mouse has a blog at http://mouses-adventures.blogspot.com - head over there for more Mouse goodness. 

Dog Friendly Cafe Review: Botanic Gardens Cafe - Kings Park, Perth

I have to thank Honey and Hsin-Yi for finding this cafe for us. They wrote a blog entry about it well before we got around to visiting. I have been living in Perth for years and they only just moved here, and yet they are finding all these great dog friendly places for us to try.

The Botanic Gardens cafe is located near Fraser's Restaurant on Fraser Avenue. We drove up there at 8.30am and there was plenty of parking, but by the time we left the car park was getting rather full. Before we sat down to breakfast, we took the dogs for a walk around and enjoyed the lovely panoramic views of the Swan River. Bender and Barbie were both very happy to be somewhere new and they got a lot of attention. A group of tourists took photos of them.

As there is a lot of space between the tables there, both Bender and Barbie got to come and try this place out. As it had been raining the night before I bought Barbie a foam camping mat to lie on.

The staff were very dog friendly, and most of the other patrons were too. A lady came over specifically to pat Barbie. She was from Melbourne and missing her Whippets at home. She commented about Barbie's small size and said she looked like a Whippet. She enjoyed the attention, though Bender felt that he should be patted and commenced bouncing and squeaking to get her attention.

We decided that whenever people ask how old Bender is they are expecting us to say he is a puppy, so we will tell them that he is two! 

Barbie didn't really lie down on her camping mat much as she was busy investigating her surroundings, and I think she was a bit cold.

Bender was happy to lie down on the pavers, and they are the nice smooth kind, not rocky or pointy. They will be nice and cool on a summer's day in the shade. 

From a human perspective the only drawback of this cafe is that you have to order at the counter, so you need to have someone to baby sit the dogs while you go and do that. It is a very minor quibble though, as at most cafes you still have to go inside and pay at the end of your meal. I just think the idea would be to sit down, get served and pay the waitstaff from your table. When I find a place that does that I can take Barbie out to a cafe on my own. 

The food was very good, the service was quick and the seating area was comfortable, with a great view.

Parking the car might be an issue, as it sometimes is at King's Park later on in the day on a weekend, but all was quiet at 8.30am when we arrived. 

Human score: 9/10

Barbie tells me that from a dog perspective, it's definitely the kind of cafe where you will get attention from other customers, it's probably not the cafe for a dog not so outgoing around people. 

There is a lot of space around the tables and the staff and other customers are friendly. There would be a nice sea breeze blowing through here in summer, though Barbie told me it was a bit cold on a winter morning. She was happy I bought her a mat to lie on but this time she was asking for a coat as well. You can never please some doggies. 

Bender is not fussy and did not really have any criticisms of the cafe. He just wanted more people to talk to him instead of just wanting to talk to Barbie. He still doesn't understand that if he bounces and squeaks a lot of people get a bit intimidated!

Dog score: 9/10

Wordless Wednesday - Friendly bums

Barbie likes to trot along with other dogs in a companionable way - it's not all high speed playing with her.

Barbie and Honey

Barbie and Mouse

First Severe Weather Warning for May 2013

The rain is coming! I expect we will have some red and maroon patches on the radar this evening!

This is an example of the kinds of warnings our Weather Bureau put out when there is a winter storm on the way:

The passage of the strong cold front Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning may cause LOCALISED DANGEROUS GUSTS in excess of 125 kilometres per hour that could cause SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE OR DESTRUCTION TO HOMES AND PROPERTY. Thunderstorms and moderate to heavy falls are also possible.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services advises that people should:

• Store or weigh down loose objects such as outdoor furniture.
• Have an emergency kit with a battery operated radio, torch, spare batteries and first aid kit.
• Ensure pets and animals are in a safe area.
• Move vehicles under cover.
• Boat owners should securely moor their boats.
• Campers should find shelter away from trees, power lines, storm water drains and streams.

When these are issued I am sure glad that my dogs are inside dogs. It means that I don't have to rush home from work in an attempt to beat the storm and let them inside. I don't have to worry about the fences blowing over and the dogs bolting.

We do live in quite a temperate climate here in Perth, and people used to be very blase about these warnings from the Bureau. That was until a so called 'Super Cell' thunderstorm hit Perth in 2011. I was in my CBD office at the time, and we watched out of the windows in wonder as the landscape was quickly obscured by the clouds, heavy rain and massive hail stones pummelled the building. The building got out of it with one cracked window and some minor car park basement flooding. A lot of damage occurred elsewhere though, and the roads were at a standstill as local flooding caused cars to stall. The best news footage from the day was a fellow on a motorcycle, head down, taking the blows from the hail stones on the top of his helmet. His jacket was being pummelled. I bet he was glad for his protective gear that day.

Knowing the dogs were safe inside the house allowed me to stay at work until the worst of the storm had passed.

Every day after we have a storm there is a rush on the 'Lost and Found' pages on Facebook - the vast majority of these dogs find their way home, but there is always a possibility that some won't.

I just hope the habit Australians seem to have of keeping their dogs out in the backyard 24 hours a day is slowly dying out.

And... it worked, Mouse has her very own blog!

I am very happy to announce that Mouse's new family has started blogging about her adventures over at Mouse's House (http://mouses-adventures.blogspot.com.au). Please head on over there and leave a comment in order to welcome them to the blogging world and show them how great us pet bloggers are!

All is Quiet in the House, Nobody is Stirring not even a Mouse...

It is amazing how quiet things are now that both of the fosters are gone. Now I have my four well mannered and compliant pets lounging around the living room. No one is sneaking into the bedrooms to steal socks. No one is jumping up and down on the couch as if it is a trampoline. No one is parading around, tail in the air, begging for my attention.

The first evening I got home from work after Mouse left us, Barbie went outside and searched the yard for her. She certainly likes being around her own kind and we will definitely be fostering more Greyhounds in the future, just for her. 

Bender also misses having someone to play tug of war with. At least Mouse tried to play tug of war. Barbie just runs around and does zoomies - she knows that is a game she can win. 

I sent a text to Mouse's new mumma, checking on how she is going. She is settling in well and her new little brother is apparently being nice. Mouse gets to sleep in human beds and is being totally spoiled with the sounds of things. 

I also got a brief update on Bumblebee - he is doing fine in his new home, and his new dad built him a HUGE scratching post which he loves to laze around on top of. King Bumblebee. That sounds about right. 

Whilst saying goodbye is hard, it is all worth it knowing that we helped these two lovely animals get awesome homes.

I would have loved to have kept Mouse, but it would be selfish of me to try and keep all the awesome dogs I come across. I mean really, I have Bender and Barbie already, there is only so much doggie awesomeness that can fit into one house. 

Wordless Wednesday - Cheeky Mouse

Mouse went to her forever home last night after finally having her stitches out and getting the all clear from the Vet after her spey operation.

The house is so quiet and calm without her wiggling, bouncing and bashing everything with her tail in the morning. Bender and Barbie seem so subdued in comparison. I am going to miss her a lot.

Good luck, sweet cheeky minx!

Barbie's new Career in food reviews starts at Lush

This weekend we visited a cute little cafe called Lush at 144 Scarborough Beach Road in Mt Hawthorn. We chose Lush because it was on a list of 'dog friendly' cafes I found on Facebook. Mt Hawthorn is quite a built up little down centre, and when we first drove past the cafe we only saw a couple of tables out the front, but when we stopped we found a little alleyway that led around back to the courtyard.

photo borrowed from the Lush website

When we entered there were a few concrete steps to get up to the courtyard level. Barbie hesitated, but I got her to come up the steps, then she was barked at by two small white fluffies under the nearest table. Barbie took it in her stride and we sat as far as possible away from the fluffies.

As per usual I heard a lot of people in the cafe whisper 'it's a greyhound'. It seems to happen whenever we go somewhere new.

The courtyard is enclosed by walls. They have garden beds along each wall, but the one on our side of the courtyard was very narrow and there wasn't anything growing in it but dirt. The rest of the area was paved. There was a big shade sail over the top to keep the area nice and cool.

Barbie did not want to lie down on the pavers. Fair enough, we learned our first lesson, always bring along a blankie or bed. She decided to lie in the dirt garden bed and it took a little bit of manoeuvring on her part as it was so small.  She was very well behaved and I just kept her leash under my chair leg.

From a human perspective the food was great. We ordered the breakfast stack, and I got a coffee. The stack was much better than the one I get sometimes at Milk'd in Maylands as the bread on the bottom was edible. At Maylands it's often toasted to the point that it is hard as a rock. The coffee was good and the service was efficient. Prices were reasonable for Perth. The chairs were comfortable, and surprisingly, because the paving was fairly steeply sloped, the table was not wobbly!

I saved a little bit of bacon for Barbie and gave it to her at the end as a reward for being such a good girl.

Overall human score: 8/10

Barbie says:

The courtyard of this cafe was shady and cool, but the waitress humans tried their best to ignore me and they certainly didn't offer to bring a water bowl or anything like that. As there was no lawn, and the humans forgot to bring my bed, I had to make myself comfortable in a very small patch of sand, but once I was comfortable there it was OK. The humans lose points here for not bringing my bed!

It was a huge positive to be tucked away in a nice quiet courtyard away from traffic and in the shade.

I didn't like the rude little doggies much. I did not react when they said rude things to me, but I wonder what would happen if I carried on like that in public.

Overall dog score: 7/10

Tip for improvement: it would have been nice if the waitresses offered me a water bowl. I couldn't use the communal one as that was too close to the rude doggies.

If any of our local readers has a dog-friendly cafe or pub they would like us to review, let us know! After we have done a few we will make a reviews page so you can find them all in one place when your humans are planning breakfast.