Kath's Birthday

We started off the day with our 10K training run, with Quigley tagging along. This time we ran the path from Tualatin Community Park towards Durham City Park. It was a particularly good dog-day, as Quigley got to meet a number of great dogs while we were out there.

For breakfast, we ventured over to the Waffle Window for the tasty treat you see above. Called "The Three Bs", it has Bacon, Brie and Basil on it. Oh so yummy! While we waited, we met a cute older dog named "Mandu" (sp?), and Quigley was quick to try and play. Mandu's human friend was very responsible and checked to make sure that Quigley was vaccinated before letting his dog play, and then happily let the two dogs have a little romp in the parking lot. Mandu had been used to romping around at "Puppy Romp", a supervised Sunday play session for puppies. His owner couldn't recommend it more. We'll be looking into that for Q in the near future.

After breakfast, we walked along Hawthorne. Quigley was greeted by many people, and he did really well, even with younger children. Pictured above is Q waiting for Kath in front of a store on Hawthorne.

During the walk, we ventured down to the Fred Meyer store, and I asked Kath to wait with Quigley outside. Well, I bought her the above flowers.... and when I came out, she told me how allergic she is to them! DOH!

Next, we ventured up to Laurelhurst Park. We walked all long the paths, and enjoyed the park thoroughly. In the above photos, you'll see Quigley watching an older German Shepard from a distance, watching some ducks, and surprisingly, NOT chasing a squirrel! We met a few people, but mostly the park was pretty quiet. We did let Quigley run around a little bit and play fetch, but only with his really long leash on.

On the way home, we decided to stop at Burgerville to try their Rosemary Fries. They satisfied our French-Fry craving nicely, and as an added bonus, they gave Quigley a doggie biscuit!

We decided to work off those fries by taking Q for a walk around Tualatin. During our walk, we encountered even more "wildlife". First was a bunch of ducks at a "DUCK XING". From the picture above, you can see that the "X" is for "HULA HOOP". =) When we got to the Tualatin Commons, Quigley got to meet the kittens you see above. They didn't seem to want to play with Quigley, as they just sat there. =) Maybe another time, we'll be able to introduce you to some real kittens, Q, depending on how well you behave, anyways.

Later that night, Jay stopped by on his way back to Seattle. We all went to dinner for Kath's birthday at Hayden's Lakefront Grill, by the Commons, near where Q met the "kittens". The evening ended nicely with some wine and créme bruleé.

Saturday Market Opening Day

Today was the first day of the Portland Saturday Market. We arrived on scene to find a VERY big crowd on both sides on Naito Parkway at Ankeny St. We parked at the SmartPark nearby, and decided to take Q down the stairs. At first he was hesitant, but he quickly gained confidence and was making his way very easily.

Our first stop was to the information booth to try and locate a food booth with wedgie fries that were so good last season. Sadly, they are no longer at the market. We also checked for a pottery vendor that we'd seen last year. The very helpful attendant recognized who we were talking about, but unfortunately, that vendor was not at the Market at the time. Oh well, maybe next time. =(

As we made our way into the crowd, Quigley was met by a few admirers, including a young couple who have a friend who is also named Quigley. =) As we briefly chatted, Quigley was apparently thirsty, and found some beer that had spilled on the ground. Geez Q, you're too young for that!

My thirst and hunger came reeling back, so we headed towards the full food booth-area. Unsure of what to eat, we decided to brave a single-pass through the area to view our choices. We decided to get some gyros from one of the Greek places, so we made our way back through the crowd to find the end of what was the longest line there! Q was surprisingly calm, and either sat or lay down patiently by us. And he hadn't yet had his lunch! I don't know if he was truly patient or if it was just sensory overload, but he barely barked or caused any nuisance. One girl even commented on how well trained he was....and then the puppy teeth came out. :) That was more like a puppy.

Even with the flow of people in the area, so many people noticed Q and either stopped to pet him or simply said that he was cute. It's amazing how much draw a puppy has, even when lying down in a very crowded area. =) Even with the attention he was getting, and all of the people walking past him, Q was always keen to watch for other dogs. He would get up to try and say "Hi", and on occasion was successful.

Once we got our food, we found an open space on the grass along the park. Once we stopped, Q staked our claim by promptly squatting down and doing his business. Thanks Q. At least nobody would want to encroach on our area after that. =) After we had lunch, we ventured into the fray to do some shopping.

Q followed Kath throughout the market pretty well considering how busy it was. Granted, I did have him on a tight leash, so that may have had something to do with it, but overall he did a good job of following. We stopped at a few locations, and Q did very well, just waiting patiently near the booth entrances with me. Of course, the puppy magnet was still active, and he pulled a few people in to pet him, while others spontaneously said "Cute Puppy" as they walked by. While shopping, we found out about the "Doggie Dash" on May 15. It's a big run/walk that supports the Oregon Humane Society where you can take your dog along and have a great time exercising and socializing. We hope to take part in it this year. Apparently there's also a pancake breakfast included. Bonus! If you're interested in joining our team, let us know. =)

Q was able to meet a few dogs in the more open areas, including a Yorkie and a Husky. The dog he spent the most time with was a little Shih Tzu who's owner was super friendly. They got to play a bit in the park, which Q seemed to really enjoy. It was surprising since he seems to take more interest in the bigger dogs, but I guess it all depends on the dog and owner, really. =)

To end the day, we spent some time walking among and admiring the cherry blossoms. It reminded us of our trip to Japan last year.  With the weather to great, the scenery so beautiful, it was the perfect way to end our day at the market.

Ballard!

After spending the Saturday in Seattle, I took our barker to Ballard where Kath was visiting our friends LeAnne and Rex. Quigley got to run around like he does in our house, but this time with the luxury of a backyard and patio. He surprised (and scared) me when he jumped from the bench on the patio onto the grass. He'd never been able to jump like that with us, and so I didn't know if he could make it. It was no sweat to him, and he landed it like a champ. If only we had a backyard that he could run around like that in. Oh well, at least with him running around our first floor, he doesn't have to get wet and/or dirty. =)

We had our 2nd 10K training session with LeAnne and Rex that day. Instead of 2 and 5 minute intervals (run/walk), it was 3/4 (run/walk). Q, however, had his own pace in mind. Parts of his pace involved weight-training for myself and resting periods for him.

After our run/walk, we decided it was time to chow down. We went to downtown Ballard to Zak's for some burgers and shakes. Q waited patiently outside with Kath, while we placed our order and then waited for the food to come out. He did very well meeting people and dogs during the wait. Once we got our food, we went to the park next to the Ballard Library. There were plenty of kids, younger and older, and some other dogs there. Once again, he did very well, even some skateboarders came by, he didn't seem fazed, unlike his usual scared-self around skateboarders.

Our final Ballard destination was All The Best Pet Care. This was an awesome pet store with very friendly people working there. I was interested in getting a toy called a "Bob-A-Lot", which is a wobbly, treat-dispensing toy, with the same effect as a Buster Cube. Q wasn't so successful with the Buster Cube (it's just too big right now), and I had no idea if Q would want to play with the Bob-A-Lot, so I wasn't sure if I should purchase it. Well, the pet store had the best thing ever... a toy testing area where your pup can demo various toys sold in the store! We tried to see if Q had interest in some toy, which he kinda did, but when it came to the Bob-A-Lot, it seemed to keep him interested, so that sold me on it. =) Q even met some more dogs while playing around. He tried to play-bite at an older dog, but didn't get too aggressive. He also tried to share the Bob-A-Lot with a more aggressive Golden Lab puppy, who barked, growled, and bit at him. I was happy about that encounter though. He backed away at the right times, but he stood his ground so that he could play with the toy as well.

That last stop was a great way to end our day in Ballard. Q got his new toy, and they actually gave us some different samples of pet food that we could try with it. We walked back to our cars, said our byes to LeAnne and Rex, and then made our way home. What an eventful weekend, Quigley. =)

Seattle!

This weekend, Quigley visited Uncle Jay in Seattle.  After feeding Q a relatively late lunch, his stay started off with a nice long walk with some good hills.  First stop, of course was to go to the bathroom outside Uncle Jay's apartment.  After that, Uncle Jay and I searched for our lunch location.  During our "hunting adventure",.Quigley met a beagle, a mixed-breed with Whippet and Schnauzer, a really fluffy Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and a few other dogs.  After passing various locations, carrying Q when he didn't want to walk, and meeting many people who melt at the sight of a puppy, we ended up at Dick's Drive-In for some burgers, fries and shakes.

Uncle Jay and I walked Quigley down the street to Cal Anderson Park, and found a bench by the water feature there.  Q waited fairly patiently while we ate our lunch, and he met a few more dogs, including what appeared to be a Bernese Mountain Dog.  After the Bernese Mountain Dog said "Bye," to Q, it went to the water feature and waded for a few seconds.  Another interesting thing that was in the water was a photographer and the model he was photographing.  It's crazy what some people do, as it wasn't warm or sunny, and that water must've been cold.

After we ate, we ventured further into the park.  I put Q on his long leash, and found an open concrete area to try and get him to play fetch.  Well, there was too much seeds and bark on the ground, that he had very little interest in his ball.  We moved further in, and found a empty basketball court.  We threw around his floating Kong, since it had a rope.  Now he was playing fetch... sorta.  It was more of run after after the Kong with Uncle Jay holding the leash, run past the kong and turn around to get it, then maybe run back to Dad, and if so, past him.  Silly dog.  Silly, Silly Dog.  Q met a few more dogs, including a 14-year old Golden Retriever / Australian Shepherd mix, and a 12-year old dog before we finally made it home for his afternoon nap.

Later that evening, after feeding Q his dinner, we took him for a nice long walk.  We started off walking a loop at Freeway Park.  From there we decided to look for our dinner, so we walked down to Pike's Place.  Since it was late, it turned out that nothing was open, so we headed back to Jay's apartment.  On our way, we passed by the newly opened "Biscuit Bitch", which serves late night biscuits and gravy.  While it sounded good, it wasn't exactly what we wanted for a late dinner, and we didn't want to have to wait another 10 minutes for it to open (10pm).  While we made our way back towards Jay's place, we crossed a busy intersection.  Then, all of a sudden, I felt a jolt on the leash.  I looked back to see Quigley squatting to pee in the middle of the crosswalk!  Poor guy, I had to pull him to get out of the street, and you could tell he just couldn't hold it any longer.  =(  Q, you need to give me some warning when we're walking, kinda like you do at home or in your crate.  You did so well inside Uncle Jay's apartment, now we just have to figure each other out when we're out and about.

Tin Shed Cafe

We had to head into Portland today to redeem some of our ticket vouchers for the Portland International Film Festival.  Since we hardly head into town these days, we decided to take Quigley to the Tin Shed Cafe (http://tinshedgardencafe.com/) on NE Alberta.  I'd read that this place was dog-friendly from PortlandPooch.com.

We arrived there, and entered into their "garden" area which was a nice, cozy, and warm seating area.  We got to sit right next to the fireplace, which was a plus, especially for Kath. =)  There was another cute dog there who was older and didn't really want to play with Q.  Quigley of course was insistent on trying to get her to play, or at least to say "hi".  Eventually though, she did come around, but we think it was more because we were hand-feeding Quigley, hehe.  Overall, Q was well behaved, even though he barked a bit.

As far as dinner went, it was delicious.  I had the "Salmon & Spice" sandwich, which had a tasty, perfectly cooked salmon fillet with a tasty chipotle sauce.  Kath had the "Peter Piper Picked a Pesto", which was a tasty pasta with pesto sauce and mushrooms.  (More complete descriptions are on the restaurant website.)  Anyways, the food was great, the atmosphere was great, and being dog-friendly is a definitely a plus.  We can't wait to go back again!

First Day of School

Quigley started Puppy Training Class last night (Monday, 2/22) at PetSmart.  Q had quite a few classmates, most of whom were purebreed dogs from breeders. They were all so cute. Quigley seemed to like Ripley, an American Bulldog, as they greeted each other when we were leaving, and also while we shopped the store after class.  Naturally, Quigley was his usual loudmouth self.  Marj, the trainer, had to give him a Bully Stick to get him to stop barking.  Even though we didn't do a whole lot on the first day, that little bit seemed to help quite a bit, as we got a few great tips, and a new angle on various things that we'd read about in the past.  We really look forward to the next seven classes.  Good boy, Quigley, Good Boy.

Dog's First Day at the Beach

On Friday, Quigley had received his 3rd shot for Distemper, and also his Rabies shot.  With the great weather, and Q fully immunized, we decided to take Quigley to the beach on Saturday.  We picked up Uncle Jojo in Corvallis and then headed over towards Newport, and then up to Lincoln City.

The first stop in our itinerary was Beach Dog Cafe on the South side of town.  It's a cute little place with limited seating, but apparently it gets pretty busy, so we expected a wait.  We couldn't have arrived at a more perfect time.  We parked right in front of the place, got there just in time to beat a rush of people, and were able to seat ourselves at their only outside table so that Q could sit with us.  We had the stuffed french toast and the Coney Dog.  Mmm, mmm, good!  In all the times we've been to Lincoln City, why hadn't we discovered this place sooner? 

Another thing that brought a smile to our faces, was the cutest little boy that Sonja, one of the owners, brought out to say hi to Quigley and a pit bull who had arrived not long after. He was sooooo happy to see the dogs. You had to see the smile on his face, it was truly infectious.

You can tell that they are very dog friendly there, as the walls are decorated with pictures of their patrons' dogs.  (Picture of Quigley, pending, hehe)  They also offered Quigley a delicious treat that we found out was available at Paws On The Sand, located on the North side of town..

Naturally, our next stop became Paws On The Sand, which was a great little pet store with very friendly people.  We picked up a floating Kong on a rope, and a bag of the Darford holistic dog treats that Q had tried earlier.  The people there absolutely loved Q, and gave him some more cute little treats.

After that, we made our way towards the beach, and introduced Q to sand.  I'm not sure what he thought of it at first since he kept falling and shoving his face in it, getting covered in sand.  It was so cute.  Once he got to the harder, wet sand, walking became much easier.  We let him sorta play fetch with his new frisbee (run after it and try to pick it up), chase after us, say hi to more people and dogs.  We also did a little bit of training, doing sit-stay, come, and lie down, which he did pretty well for being in a new environment with so many new things all around.

After playing at the beach for a few hours, we drove south to Newport for dinner.  We went to the Chowder Bowl at Nye Beach.  While we waited for our food outside, Quigley met even more people, including some kids.  He did fairly well with all the new people, even the kids, though he did jump up a few times, and nipped a little when he shouldn't have.  Overall, though, he did a good job.

After dinner we finally made the long trip back to Corvallis to drop off Uncle Jojo and then bring our fun day to a close.  It was a great trip for the four of us.  Quigley seemed to have a blast exploring his new play area and meeting all the friendly people and dogs.  The coast will definitely be a destination for us when the weather is nice again. =)