Haute Dog!

Whether you’re a well-heeled purebred, an orphan rescued from a shelter, or a middle class mutt, you’re welcome at both Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom.  That’s right, these two department stores are dog-friendly and not just to our little friends who fit into people’s purses!  They even let big ole clumsy me in!

I’ve visited two of the Neiman Marcus locations so far --  their downtown flagship store and the one at the Shops at Willowbend in Plano – and I’ve been to Nordstrom at the Galleria.  All three trips were very good experiences and the staff and other shoppers didn’t seem to mind that I was enjoying a little retail therapy with them.  I got quite a few pats along the way from admirers and grabbed a little shuteye in the men’s shoe department while my he-human looked for a new pair of wingtips.  The only downside is that most of the malls attached to these stores are not pet-friendly, so you can’t plan to spend an entire day there and it’s definitely not safe to leave us in the car while you shop. 

My she-human did a little research and learned that the Shops at Willowbend in Plano is sort of pet-friendly, but only if you’re little enough to be toted around in a carrier or your human’s arms.  Even then you’re not welcome in their food court. 

Now it’s important that you’re on your best behavior when visiting these stores for many reasons, some of which are: 1) if you behave yourself, there’s probably a treat waiting for you (maybe a new Burberry collar or, in my case, a lovely little liver treat), 2) if you chew on a Jimmy Choo, it could cost your human a lot of bones to pay for the damage, and, most importantly, 3) you don’t want to be “that dog” who peed on the floor near the cosmetics counter and ruined it for everybody.  
So far I’ve been a very good boy on my shopping trips.  Admittedly, I did lose a little control and licked a boot on the sale rack, but I reigned myself in before I snatched a loafer from the display.  Thank goodness we didn’t go to the sock department or I don’t think I would’ve been able to contain myself.

My fashion tips for Spring 2014, you ask?  Well, I think Hushpuppies are going to make a serious comeback and houndstooth prints will be all the rage.


Well, I hope to see you out and about soon.  Just remember, be a good dog citizen so that more stores will start welcoming us in their doors.

As always, my review comes with the caveat that it's a good idea to check with the store first as individual stores may have their own pet policies.


Happy Tails, my friends.  Let's shop until we drop!

Dog Day Afternoon: Romping at Lee Harvey's

During the winter months, you have to take advantage of all of the opportunities you can to be outdoors with your humans.  Since today Dallas is enjoying such gorgeous spring-like weather, the three of us headed to Lee Harvey's near downtown Dallas.  While the surrounding neighborhood near this bar/eatery has seen better days, there was no shortage of people with their pooches sitting in the sunshine at Lee Harvey's.  Best of all, on Sundays they close the gates and the four-legged patrons can run around leash-free.  Woohoo!!!  Freedom!!!

The menu at Lee Harvey's is pretty simple - hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, tacos, salads, and such.  They also have a good selection of beer, but your humans are out of luck if they're in the mood for a wine that's made outside of the DFW area.  They offer the full portfolio of wines from Times Ten Cellars located right here in Big D but that's it.  If your master prefers a cocktail - a Colorado Bulldog, perhaps -- they also have a full bar.

The 1/2 pound burgers my humans ordered appeared to be cooked to perfection and the buns looked very fresh.  Truth be told, I had my eye on the fries and onion rings, but I heard that both were "just okay."  Humans should be warned to keep a close eye on their plates, though, because some of my new canine pals were plotting a theft worthy of the Hamburglar.  In the end, the dogs were not successful with the planned burger heist, but they gave it a good go.

For the canine folk, the menu selection was limited to water and possibly a discarded French fry if you were lucky.  The water was fresh and there was an ample supply for us to quench our thirst while we were running ourselves silly.

             Playing ball with one of my new girlfriends

All in all, I give this place two Paws up.  It's no frills, but it's great to go somewhere where my humans can relax and enjoy a meal while I romp around and socialize with the other patrons both human and canine alike.  And, for a puppy, socializing can be exhausting.

                                           Mid-afternoon Naptime

Happy Tails, my friends.  Until next time.

Ramping Up!

First things first.  Before you can hit the town, it’s important for a large and in charge dog about town to have the right equipment.  In my case, I am extremely heavy and getting bigger by the day, so my humans decided to buy a ramp for the car.  That way, they’re not wrenching their backs trying to lift me into the car and I’m not risking injury to my hips by jumping in and out of it.

Thankfully for my humans, I’ve taken to the ramp quite well.  After bilking them for several treats while pretending I didn’t know what the ramp was for (did they seriously think I didn’t understand?), I have no problem bounding up and down the ramp at will.  I still bribe them for treats on occasion by acting like I’ve forgotten the drill, but who wouldn’t?  When you need a liver treat, you need a liver treat.  It’s as simple as that.

The ramp they selected Mr. Herzher's Smart Ramp: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014AOC68/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I don't know a doggone thing about Mr. Herzher, but he makes a great ramp. It was fairly reasonably-priced, had good online reviews, and will payoff in spades over the years. It’s also quite easy to get in and out of the back of our SUV, which is a plus.  After all, I don’t want to wait for my humans to figure out an awkward, bulky ramp when I’m ready to get out of the car.  I’m ready to go! 

In short, I'm down with the ramp.  It's tried, true and Paw-approved.

Happy Tails, my friends, let’s see where the road takes us!

Allow Myself to Introduce Myself

Hello, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Vinny “The Paw” and I’m a 6-month-old St. Bernard.  In September, I was adopted from St. Cloud Rescue by my humans.  And, as luck would have it, my humans have no intention of keeping me cooped up at home.  No, siree!  They are dedicated to taking me with them to as many places as possible, which has been a learning process for all three of us.  

While my humans certainly aren’t dogging on service animals, their goal is to find the locales that don’t discriminate against the average civilian canine.  In just a few short months, we’ve been quite a few places together.  As I’ve relaxed tableside at some fine dining establishments and perused some local shops, I decided I should make good use of what I learn on my adventures and share my reviews of people, places, and things with my canine friends.

This blog is dedicated to reviewing canine-friendly places in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as well as other cities I may visit in the future (word has it that there might be some road trips to look forward to).  I offer my reviews and suggestions with the caveat that it’s always a good practice to have your humans confirm in advance with the establishment whether dogs are welcome.  And, even if they tell you that our kind isn’t welcome, keep checking.  There’s some exciting stuff going on in the DFW area that could open a lot more doors to us.    

Happy tails, my friends.  Hope to see you out and about very soon!