Nellie Monster: A Four Year Retrospective

Enjoy!

Pet-Friendly Music Video for Those Dog Days of Summer!

I’ve already blogged about the awesome dog-friendly beaches in Santa Barbara, California. But sometimes you just have to see it to believe it.

And yes – I’m a huge Weezer fan. This one in particular is like my “power song” – it’s going through my head as I’m fetching that ball that’s just out of reach over the next wave!

Enjoy! And leave me a comment and let me know how you’ve been spending your summer!

4 Million Unadopted Animals are Killed in Shelters Every Year

According to PETA, U.S. animal shelters must put to death nearly 4 million dogs and cats every year because of simple math: too many animals and not enough worthy adoptive homes.

This new pet-friendly video shows a family that learns the hard way that buying an animal from a breeder can add up to killing a homeless animal in an animal shelter.

I know people have different opinions about PETA… and I may be just a dog, but I do know that I was lucky enough to be rescued by Pet Orphans of Southern California and then adopted into a loving family – and I just wish the same for all homeless animals!

Check Out this Video – Dog Defeats Cat at Wii Tennis Battle Royale!

I love this video! Just because I’m a dog, doesn’t mean I can’t get all excited about revolutionary interactive gaming!

Go Wii Dog! Go Wii Dog! Go!

That’s my boy!

My Dog Friendly Hike in Douglas Preserve – Off Leash Trails and Happy Tails!

View From the Top of Dog-Friendly Douglas Preserve

Being a dog in the great outdoors is great. And being an off-leash dog in the great outdoors is even better!

That’s why I love going dog friendly hikes on the Wilcox Trail, which leads up to the Douglas Preserve. This wide open 70-acre park hugs the cliffs above the dog friendly beach at Hendry’s and has spectacular panoramic views. Not to mention, dogs can roam around the trails off leash! Did I mention how much I love being off leash?

There’s tons of interesting wilderness to sniff and explore. And when you get to the top of the coastal bluffs, there’s a doggie water fountain ready to quench your thirst! The walks loops around for about 1 mile and you can enjoy dramatic views from many points along the hike!

Enjoying an Off Leash Hike with My New Friend!

Directions: From U.S. 101 in Santa Barbara, exit on Las Positas Road and follow it 1.5 miles south (toward the ocean) to its terminus at Cliff Drive. Turn right and turn into parking lot of adjacent Arroyo Burro Beach County Park.

You can also follow Cliff Drive east (down-coast) to Mesa Lane and turn right. Just before the lane reaches its end at the Mesa Lane coastal access way, turn right onto Borton. Turn left onto Linda. Street parking is available.

Douglas Preserve: The Great Outdoors is Dog Friendly Again!

Neliie Monster says Take a Hike!

Dog Friendly Sand and Surf at Hendry’s Beach in Santa Barbara

Off Leash at Dog Friendly Hendry's Beach

One of the best places in the world to be a dog is Hendry’s Beach (also known as Arroyo Burro Beach)! That’s because we rule the place and can legally frolic off leash there! Well, at least east of the slough. (Dogs must be on-leash west of the slough.) It’s this magical place where my humans can’t cramp my style!

Imagine a doggie paradise where the sun, sand, surf, smelly seaweed all come together in perfect harmony! Some dogs love chasing the birds but I prefer looking out for dolphins and abandoned picnics! And best of all, Emilia and Nick can do their own thing while I run free.

It can get pretty busy when the weather is nice – which is most days in Santa Barara. I know, I’m a lucky dog.

Also, there’s what looks like a pretty nice restaurant there (not dog friendly) and free parking right off Cliff Drive.

I know Emilia somestimes sneaks off to Hendry’s without me to go to the Boathouse restaurant – she comes home smelling like sunset and Rum Punch.

Dogs rule the beach!

The Inquisitive Canine’s Dog Friendly Training Appoach Helped Me School My Humans

My Inquisitive Canine Graduation (that's Joan on he right!) I was so proud of Nick and Emilia!

I think that “canine obedience” classes has always had a bad rap among us dogs. And finally, it appears that the humans are finally catching on!

Nick and Emilia did their research before signing up for Good Manners classes at a local dog training studio in Ventura. On the Inquisitive Canine website, it said:

We teach more than just canine obedience techniques. We teach canine “parenting” skills—so that you can succeed at raising a healthy and happy dog.

That’s right. I was going to manners classes, but Nick and Emilia were the ones who were going to get schooled!

And so those 6 blissful weeks flew by! We would go to class and dog behavior counselor Joan Mayer would teach my humans rewards based training techniques (give me treats!) that are designed to motivate and encourage me to do the right thing! It was easy. I learned how to walk on leash without pulling and how to greet people nicely. I picked up some cool tricks like spin, roll over, leave it and go to my place! And I got rewarded for all of it. Positive reinforcement – YUMMY!

Poncho ate his diploma at graduation

And the best part of all, my friend Poncho Gonzalez Mayer was in the class with me! We didn’t get to play much but we had fun observing all the humans deep in concentration and we’d sometimes compare treats (he gets leftover Mahi Mahi sometimes!) Poncho is the essence of cool – he even ate his diploma at graduation!

So now that I know good manners, I am going to try to exercise them when I can, but NIck and Emilia have to remember to keep me motivated! They said they feel more confident taking me to more dog-friendly places now that we’ve all gone to school. Yes. I may just be a dog, but I know a couple of clever humans when I see them. They can take me anywhere they want, as long as they remember to bring treats!

This So Cal Pup is Unleashing Her Inner Bark!

Welcome to my blog! I’m Nellie Monster and I live in Santa Barbara, California – a city known for being incredibly pet-friendly and overly accommodating to pet owners. As a result, I get to go to many places with my humans and see and smell so many different things. We go to a nice donut store on the weekends where everyone knows my name! There’s also my favorite dog park and off-leash beach! I can’t wait to tell you all about these dog-friendly places.

So I’m starting this blog because I realize how lucky I am… I know that not all dogs get to tag along with their humans. I mean, most places have a “no dogs allowed” policy! Oh, how I long to go EVERYWHERE! So I’m hoping that other dogs can read about my adventures here and share their experiences with me.