It's a Dog's (Good) Life in SD County

What a good life our San Diego County canines have! Romping at the parks and beaches specifically designated for their off-leash pleasure. Lolling at charming casual cafes that welcome well-mannered, leashed pooches. Meeting other lucky dogs at special events and outings. Bet there’ve been many times when you wished you had it as easy.

To make sure your best pal doesn’t miss the fun, some of our local hotel concierges offered their dog days recommendations.

Jennifer Fine at Hilton Del Mar says she is “all about dogs. I used to have a dog business.” These days, she has a “rottie (Rottweiler) that she takes everywhere. Dog Beach in Del Mar is her choice for rottie romping. For a special breakfast for two, Jennifer and her canine companion go to Pacific Breeze in Del Mar Plaza and sit outside.

“We allow dogs here in our hotel, too,” Jennifer says.  “But not in dining areas.”

Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina is another pet-friendly hotel, and concierge Stacy Levesque says dog guests receive a special amenity. For conference-going guests who don’t want to leave Fido or Fifi alone in the hotel room all day, Stacy gives them the telephone number and website address of Diggity Dogs, a new doggy day camp. (619-702-4090. www.Campdiggitydogs.com) Stacy is dogless, but she enjoys the several dog-friendly eateries in Little Italy, “where people sit outside and their dogs are right there with them.”

Hotel La Jolla at the Shores is another dog-friendly hotel, says concierge Jonathan Barone. He doesn’t have a dog, but recommends the Del Mar dog beach to his clients because “dogs like to experience the beach, too.” After the exercise, Jonathan says he would take a dog to an outdoor café such as Alfonso’s or the Cottage, both in La Jolla.

Marguerite Cruz at Paradise Point Resort & Spa doesn’t have a dog, either, but she knows that will soon change “because the kids want one, so badly.” When the day comes that she and her husband relent, the family will go to either Fiesta Island or Dog Beach in Ocean Beach to play. “The best thing about the OB location is that right up the street is the Ocean Beach Dog Wash, so you don’t even have to put your sandy dog in the car after,” she says. “You can park on the street, go play at the beach for a couple hours, then come back to the dog wash.  I’ve seen those dogs go in wet and sandy and come out looking beautiful.” Marguerite says she will also be a regular visitor to the Pet lovers guide website (www.petloverspublications.com) which “has everything you need to know about having a pet in San Diego.”
 
Mike Denton at Hilton Gaslamp Quarter  sounded a little wistful when he mentioned San Diego Wine and Culinary Institute’s special Wednesday evenings downtown. “I don’t have a dog, but if I did, I would take it to K-9’s -N-Wine on Wednesdays,” he said. The 5:30-8:30 happy hour for dogs and their people is at The San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, (www.SDwineculinary.com) 200 Harbor Drive, on the ground floor of the Harbor Club Towers, directly facing the Convention Center. “It’s really popular with downtown dog owners,” he says, adding that another informal social hour occurs daily around 5 p.m. at the downtown dog park in front of his hotel, corner of 4th & K, “where you’ll see all the upscale local downtown dogs and their owners.”

Hmmm.  Where we can borrow a dog for the evening?