I’ve had this up in a window for the past three days, every so often throughout the day a take a peek and find myself instantly peaceful watching this Mommy dog and her litter. Zen found in a puppy cam.

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Whenever I am out walking Lola, or even when I’m alone, if I run into another person with a dog the first thing I do is ask if the their dog is friendly. Sometimes I get a straight “yes” or “no” but I often get a more complicated answer.

“He’s great with other dogs but not with people”

or

“She’s great with people but not so much with dogs”.

Not really that surprising right? I know that some dogs are “dog-dogs”, they thrive in dog day care or dog parks and just love to play with a pack. I also know and love “people-dogs”, they are so loyal and affectionate and prefer being part of a human pack than with another canine. Dog day care is a challenge for those folks and dogs who are uncomfortable around dogs. It can be a source of major stress for both the owner and the pet.

At Lola Beans facilities, I imagine seniors coming to safely walk their pets and even folks who do not have dogs of their own, coming and spending time in the company of dogs. Before I had Lola, I had what I called my “rent-a-dog”, Birch. My close friend Terry rescued this yellow lab a few years ago. At the time I lived in small apartment (we affectionately call the shoebox) and I simply didn’t have room for a dog. I got my puppy pleasure from time with Birch. I would take her for walks and to play, it gave her some extra exercise and me some extra soul food.

I’m sure that I am not that original, lots of dog lovers don’t own dogs. Imagine those “people-dogs” who need to be at day care, getting more individualized attention from someone who can really soak it up and enjoy it. What a perfect exchange of energy!

Lola Beans would give the “dog-dogs” on-demand pack time, even pack walks inside the facility on cold or rainy days. It also will serve “dog-people” and “people-dogs” by pairing them up and providing an environment they can be comfortable in. I’d like to provide a path for pets to become therapy dogs and even let them earn their time at the facility by providing therapy to our visitors in need.

This idea is just all kinds of right. Right?

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On the way back from the Bangor, Maine, the other day I decided to take a detour. In the interest of exercise for Lola and adventure for my daughter and I we dumped Interstate 95 and opted for Route 202. A Twitter tip had mentioned swimming holes along that route and man did we find some good spots for puppy swims. The map shows a new Lola Beans favorite, China Lake, China, Maine.

Lola got penty of exercise and we three could have grabbed cones at a cute little snack shack right on the water. Unfortunately it was rainy and a little on the chilly side so we opted for chowder (chowdah!) a little further down the road.

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Last Saturday I needed to go on a road trip. I have family in Oldtown, Maine, and we needed to get some face time with loved ones. I think I’m lucky that Lola travels so well, I don’t need to pack any crates or have special meds for long car trips. The only thing I struggle with is providing her enough exercise to keep the long hours in the car stress free (Oldtown is a bit of a haul).

A road trip with Lola or without Lola differs really only in the extra stops and extra love. I try to build in stops near a park or a lake in the first couple of hours of the trip. That way after the excitement of being in the car has slipped away, we get to play. I like to get her nice and tuckered out then give her a little snack and drink, and we’re good to go for as along as we need.

I wasn’t prepared for the return trip on Monday though and I couldn’t find any dog parks on the maps around where we were staying. On a long shot I tweeted out the call for info on dog parks in my area, not expecting much. Almost immediately I had help, Kelly Cotiaux a.k.a @LadyOTrout responded (thank you!). She didn’t know where I should go but she shared my request with her network and later that day I got a few pointers.

The reason I’m sharing this is because the experience proved two things to me, again.

One: dog-people are a special kind of people, we are naturally inclined to help each other out with out dog needs.

Two: If there were Lola Beans community centers, I would know where to go and I would have had access to park and trail information for outside fun or in the case of rain, as it were, I’d have been able to take Lola there and play with her till she was ready to ride.

Moreover, I could have dropped Lola off at the center for the couple of hours I needed to visit with sick family and she’d would have been able to run and play while I was away. I couldn’t help thinking about all the ways it would help to have Lola Bean community centers available the whole way home.

How much more often would you travel with you dog if you knew there was a Lola Beans community center where you were going?

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Last year around this time I took the Lola dog to meet my friend Dave Headley in Jaffrey, NH.  Dave is a former colleague, fellow photographer and one of my closest friends.  Dave said knew of a rail trail that he thought would be a great place for a dog walk, and he was hoping to get some puppy photos.  Lucky for me he’s shared them – all the images in this post are courtesy of Dave Headley 2009 and 2010.

Lola wasn’t much of a swimmer last year as you can see in the photo’s – what a difference a year makes!  The three of us repeated the walk last Saturday to enjoy the time and so I could map it for you all.

Summer 2009	Kisses in Jaffrey 2010
Lola really not swimming 2009	Lola at attention 2010
Lola 2009	Lola 2010

Jaffrey is a lovely drive from the Manchester area and I think the trail is worth it, we loved it and if your into Heron’s you’re gonna like here.  It doesn’t really matter the time of day, you’re likely to see at least one along the way.  On the map you’ll notice a spot where we are in the water, right around mile # 2.  The images of Lola swimming were taken here, there is an fairly good sized open area and boat launch.  A great reward for walking and for cool down for the pups. * For the record I’m not sure of the leash law in Jaffrey and Lola and I were off leash in the photo’s but I recommend you check into the leash law of each town before you decide to remove the tether.

Hope you enjoy it, and share your pups pictures with us too on Facebook or Flickr, just tag them #LolaBeans.

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I love cool, earthy, unique things.  I prefer pounded to polished and denim to satin.  I celebrate local every chance I can by buying local food and choosing local businesses over big box stores. If I can’t find what I want locally then I strive to give my business to another small business.  When I find something I like, I share it.

Introducing Fetching tags

These are totally customized pet tags.  Rugged and meant to last a lifetime. They really are charming. I have to admit though they seemed a little pricey for a pet tag BUT I just love’m.  I love that they are created by an artist community and not some big ol’ machine chugging them out.

I think I’m getting one for Lola “elloh-elleh” … what’d'you think?

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It seems so simple, it’s just walking the dog. Lets face it, we don’t all do it, every day. We don’t have 8 glasses of water every day either, that doesn’t make us bad people. So our dogs live with the environment we provide for them. If we are busy, go-go-go’ers, then they are ready-ready-ready to join us. If we feel like walking to the mailbox if far enough, well then they come in and go back to sleep.

Except it’s not that simple. Here’s what we know for certain, we need to be more active. The more active we are the healthier we become. Same holds true for our pups. Sure we can all loaf but the lets talk about what getting really good at loafing has done for us…

Excerpt from
True Fact: Dog-Walking Helps Dogs But Harms Birds published on www.psychologytoday.com

“Because of the obesity epidemic, the beneficial effect of walking dogs on human health has become a hot research topic in anthrozoological circles. I think the jury is still out on whether getting a dog will cause you to lose weight — and more importantly — to keep it off. It is clear, however, that, as a rule, dog walkers get more weekly exercise than non-dog owners. In addition to getting people off their butts and away from their computers and TVs, dog walking facilitates social contacts with other people. This is particularly important in older people who feel isolated.”

It’s made us fat, unhealthy and even more disconnected. It’s not that all our socializing online isn’t great, I’m all for it, but there is something to be known about the exchange of energy between people being physically active together. Isn’t it the act of socializing that makes us not sociopaths?

From the same article:
“Dogs in animal shelters were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The dogs that lucked out were assigned to the Walking Group. They were taken for walks five days a week by volunteer older adults, while the sad sacks in the Control Group sat glumly in their cages. The researchers regularly evaluated the behavior of the dogs in each group and kept track of their ultimate fate.

The results were impressive. During the study, the dogs in the Walking Group became much better behaved and social than the animals in the Control Group. More importantly, 75% of dogs who were taken for walks were adopted into permanent homes compared to only 35% of animals in the Control Group. But the heartbreaker is that 27% of dogs who by sheer random chance found themselves in the Control Group were euthanized while only 9% of their luckier peers were, as they say, “put to sleep.”

We become more empathic and more balanced when we are exercised and social. We appreciate different views and, even gain better appreciation of our own, when we share with people. Think about the pack mentality, it’s the combined energy that makes it strong, people aren’t really that different.

Anyone for a group walk?

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I live down the road from full assisted and semi-assisted senior living facilities and I have been fortunate to meet some really great people out walking dogs. Last winter, I couldn’t help thinking about how much of a challenge the weather must be for so many of them. I would get so nervous thinking about how slippy the roads were and how drastic the consequence of a fall could be for both the walker and the walkee. I started wishing there was a way they could have “assistance” when walking their dogs.

I mean the exercise part is a perfect remedy for both the senior and their pet so any help in assuring that activity takes place in a safe way is just awesome. I imagined myself twice my age and thought about how I might feel knowing I couldn’t really properly exercise my pet. How frustrated and sad I would feel if I knew my legs wouldn’t go as far and as fast as my dog really needed to go to be properly exercised.

At Lola Beans facilities we’ll have walking assistants, so if once around the track is “good for you”, then the assistant takes your pet for four more loops, ensuring both owner and pet are properly exercised. This works not only for seniors but for folks with injuries. Those of us who are needing to be active but maybe at a modified pace and distance level for some period of time. It prevents the build up of excess energy in the pet which makes the handling at home difficult and wreaks havoc on our conscience when we are already physically struggling. Walking is so important, I want to ensure we can all get the benefits, all of the time.

The idea just keeps poking at me and the spark is starting to burn.

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As I find great Dog-Tweeps, I’ll pass them along.   If you find follow worthy folks please pass them along too!

All places “dog friendly”, videos, and more. Definitely a Dog-People site and worthy Tweeple

Name Dog Travel Network @DogTravelNet
Location Everywhere dogs are welcome!
Web www.dogtravelnetwork.com
Bio We are the Dog Friendly Place to Be! Check out the coolest travel Videos, Businesses, Products, Events and News about dog friendly places. Get our newsletter!
1,848 Following 6,888 Followers 162 Listed

Name Dog Care Central @DogCareCentral
Location Dog World
Bio One-stop resource on tips and advice on how to take care of your dog.
1,543 Following 2,892 Followers 59 Listed

Name Dog Living Magazine @DOGliving
Web www.doglivingmagazine.com
Bio It’s witty, it’s fun, it’s stylish and it speaks to those who are passionate about their dogs and the lifestyle they lead
496 Following 6,575 Followers 240 Listed

Great video on the site, very well produced, totally made me weepy realizing these people are probably the reason I have Lola. She was brought up to New Hampshire from Alabama. Excellent content and regular updates on Twitter too.

Name Dog Files @dogfiles
Location NY/NJ
Web www.thedogfiles.com
Bio Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Dogs And The People Who Love Them.
4,716 Following 6,849 Followers 207 Listed

Our namesake… who knew there were so many Lola’s?

Name Lola the Eco-Dog @LolaBarks
Location All parks, paths and woods!
Web lolaecodog.com
Bio Woof! I am a dog named Lola. I dish out a Bark-tastic doggy advice column, the latest doggy news, the latest greatest doggy product reviews & host giveaways
3,387 Following 5,830 Followers 150 Listed

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I met @MightyQuinn54 on Twitter today, he’s a dog.  Not just any dog, he is Randy Pierce’s Guide Dog.  Who’s Randy Pierce? A real life hero and inspiration.

My friends at 2020 Vision Quest, a nonprofit organization sponsored by the New Hampshire Association for the Blind, made the introduction for me and “wow!” is all I say, and thank you for bringing these spirits into my consciousness.

Take a gander at this excerpt from from Zip Dog Blog (2.0), written by Randy in the voice of his Guide Quinn.

“Saturday July 3 was my relax day and so we only took a ride out to the trailhead for Rippley Falls where I had to Guide dad up a stretch of narrow ledge to a river gorge with a very tough descent. There he tossed on his new TevaItunda Water shoes and waded into the stream without me. I looked on disapprovingly as he appreciated the work of hiking with his pack full and testing the weight. It was over 40 pounds and probably closer to 50 but we’d worked pretty well up through the trail. Even I will admit it was pleasant enough for 100 foot water hurling itself down the mountainside at unsuspecting dogs!” Read the full post it’s amazing!

2020 Vision Quest’s mission is to inspire people to reach beyond challenges and achieve goals.  This is an organization that leads by example, working hard and sharing successes; funding the amazing programs of the Guiding Eyes for the Blind and the New Hampshire Association for the Blind.  I hope you’ll keep them in mind when you can afford to give and moreover when you feel like the world is coming down on you – think of Randy and Quinn and begin again.

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I don’t know when the I first articulated the idea for what I call “Lola Beans – Dog-People Community Centers” but it wasn’t long after Lola and I rescued each other. Shortly after Lola came into my life, I quickly understood there was a pattern of civil unrest in my home on the days Lola did not get walked. I live in New England and so the weather can be a real challenge, some days its just too wet, too cold, or too hot to walk. This Spring has been killer on my allergies, some days being outdoors feels like an assault on my face and I just can’t hack it. On those days Lola would be into everything, constantly wanting to “go – out”, chewing things that are not meant for puppies, perpetually wanting interaction and play time. She became a real high demand dog which made everyone and everything else in house a greater challenge than it already was. I found myself wishing for a place I could take her that was indoors, so no matter what the weather, we could get in our walk – for both of our sakes.

The things is there isn’t anyplace I can play with my dog and other dogs without going to a public, outdoor, dog park and I’ll admit I sometimes get a little sketched out going to public dog parks because I’ve been in situations where the owners cannot really can control their pets. Doggy daycare is alright for the days I need to be away or just want to give Lola a little more social activity but it’s not what I want. I can’t stay there and be with Lola there. I want someplace I can enjoy her, develop our relationship, and play. There isn’t anyplace I can be with my dog in and environmentally controlled atmosphere. I started to talking to other dog-people about it and put out this survey to figure out if I was some kind of weirdo or if other dog-people wanted the same kind of remedy. Turns out, I’m not that weird. That’s the spark for Lola Beans.

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Tell me who you thinkshould be showcased as a LolaBeans’ dog-person.

I’ll do the rest.

Want to be more private about your suggestion, shoot me an email and we’ll chat away from all these eyes.

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Last week Lola and I attended Bark for the Cure, a fundraising campaign organized by the American Cancer Society. Our goal was to raise $100 in 24 hours and we surpassed that nearly doubling the gift (thanks to all our supporters!!).

The best part was being able to meet so many other dog-poeple and enjoy a walk along the rail trail at Lake Massabesic. It was a first time visit there for Lola and I. Wide trails with partial coverage, might be hot on a summer day but surely lovely for an evening stroll. I bought one of those clip-on bug repellents and hooked it to my pack (always bring my puppy pack every trip), I was glad to have it.

The trail was enjoyable but a huge bummer that we can’t swim in the lovely lake. I’m looking forward to a return trip this winter, I’ll bet the iced over lake is a blast.

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Color me surprised whenever I realized how much work has been done to improve the Rail Trail in Manchester, NH. Starting from the condos behind Fischer Cats Stadium or from the parking lot just under the foot bridge on Second Street is this great walk. I encourage you to have your dog leashed as you will cross a couple of streets on the west side and the trail is frequented by bicyclists many of whom are munchkins. Even on hot days this walk is a good one because it is mostly shaded and offers a few spots to take dip with the dog. You’ll notice on the map where Lola and I have ventured for a swim. Be safe, enjoy.

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Lola and I discovered that the Rail Trial we walk from Manchester, east-side over to the west-side, actually goes all the way to Glen Lake in Goffstown. I wasn’t sure how far it went and didn’t want to worry about circling back, so one day a week or so ago I had my daughter drop us off at the top of Precourt Street in Manchester (indicated by the green pin on the map) and told her I’d call for a ride when we were done walking.

We trekked along finding some really great places for both of us to swim in the Piscataquog River. The water is in pretty good shape all along the river but the more north you go the better it gets. You can see in the map the places we went to the water. Most of the trail is heavily canopied so we stayed pretty cool given the temps were in the 90′s that day. Once we’d passed behind the Women’s Correctional Facility in Goffstown the trail was completely exposed, no shade insight and we were moving away from the water for a mile or so. I decided to circle back and I am so glad we did. I found an absolutely gorgeous swimming hole. These shots don’t do it justice.

Chey gave us a call at around 12:15 pm and so I checked the RunKeeper map to see how far we’d come and we decided to have her pick us up at the 114 junction (indicated by the red pin).

I haven’t yet made it from the start to the end yet but I’d like to try. I’m planning another attempt in a couple of weeks, if the weather cooperates and gives us a cooler day. Let me know if you’d like to join us.

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