It's fall. And we needed something different, a change of scenery.
So I took Cowboy and Tess down to the Huntington Dog Beach today. Previous generations of my various dogs have gone there through the years, but so far these 2 had not been to the ocean -- so I figured it was time.
We all had a great afternoon, I love walking along the beach in November. The temperatures were in the low 60s but it was sunny (of course, this is L.A. after all).
The down side? All those quarters you need to feed the meters when you park.
But it's well worth it.
Tess, who has lately become obsessed with watching the ground for whatever movement she can spot (bugs and whatnot), was thrilled when she'd see the fleeting shadows of the seagulls flying overhead. So she spent a lot of her time, well, watching for -- and chasing -- shadows.
She's even taken to lifting one foreleg up, just like those pointer breeds.
My dogs didn't really plunge into the surf (in my experience, it usually takes 2-3 visits to the beach before they start doing that).
But here's Tess checking it all out at the left.
Cowboy? I figured he might just be spooked by it all. I mean, he's been known to get all skittish when we so much as walk by the Port of L.A. choreographed fountains.
But he did good, although he still is not great about coming when called (remember, he came in 3rd in his obedience class, compared to Tess' 1st place finish). So we have some more work to do there. I'm way too attached now to let him wander into harm's way.
The dog beach was started by a guy I used to know at the Long Beach Dog Park back in the days when I lived over there.
It's been a smashing success, and relies on donations. It's a mile-long stretch of beach just beyond Bolsa Chica off of Pacific Coast Highway.
As you're driving (south) on PCH just past Seal Beach, look toward the ocean and at some point you'll see the dogs all romping below. Surfers and dogs amicably share the territory.
Leashed.
This was after Cowboy insisted on testing the limits and wandering off too far.
I guess we all know that feeling.
Leashes are sometimes good for all of us, no?
Tess gravitated toward anyone she saw with a ball thrower since I hadn't brought ours. (She's at the right, pretty much harassing this guy and his dog who are trying to play.)
So check it out next time you have a free afternoon and want to breathe some fresh, ocean air.
We all came home happy, sandy and, yeah, a little wet.
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn has shared her homes with a succession of wonderful, funny, and occasionally difficult canines -- Muffin, Fritz, Ellie, Mercy, Pilgrim and now Cowboy, an Australian shepherd-border collie, and Tess, a border collie. From strong-willed terriers to weirdly obsessed Australian shepherds, they've invaded her world with boundless energy, wet noses, muddy paws and soggy tennis balls. But they've really brought so much more than that -- like laughter and joy, some unexpected life lessons, and more than a few tears along the way.
Josh Grossberg grew up with the usual array of animals: goldfish, dogs, hamsters, parakeets and turtles. He now owns the loudest dog in the South Bay(Video: Rocket the Dog) and is the least popular person on his block. He spends his free time in dog parks, pet shops and always has an extra plastic bag in his pocket just in case. He also has a cat.
You're right, people are very friendly out there -- I stopped and chatted with a number of other dog owners during our visit yesterday. And such a fun variety of dogs -- there were Jack Russells, a pair of wolf hybrids (who seemed very calm and domesticated), German shepherds and a beautiful red labradoodle named Finn. I have more photos I took of some of the other dogs there yesterday that I'll try to post later this week, but I was using my phone camera and since it doesn't have a zoom, it was hard to get a lot of decent shots.
We love this dog beach! It's a beautiful setting and the people we've met are really friendly!