Books on Dogs & Walks

The Dog Lover's Companion to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion Guides)

"Offering the inside scoop on where dogs are welcome, this special breed of guidebook is perfect for travelers and residents who don't want to leave their canine pals behind. Now in its second edition, this illustrated guide provides maps with updated and expanded listings on all the best spots for "ruffing" it with your dog, including new restaurants, hotels, and off-leash parks. Also featured is the popular hydrant-to-hydrant tour of the Washington Mall, day trips out of the city, and visits to festivals, fairs, and exhibitions." --Amazon book description


Doggin' The Mid-Atlantic: 400 Tail Friendly Parks To Hike With Your Dog In New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Northern Virginia

"If you walk just 20 minutes a day, you will have walked far enough in your dog's lifetime to cross the United States! With all that walking ahead for you and your dog, aren't you ready for a new place to hike? The Middle Atlantic states are a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive in the region you can hike on sand trails, climb mountains that leave your dog panting, walk on some of the most historic grounds in America, explore the estates of America's wealthiest families or circle lakes for miles and never lose sight of the water. This new book describes and rates 400 Middle Atlantic parks that welcome dogs. Each park has been asssigned a trail-tested rating of between 1 and 4 paws. Also included are listings of over 300 dog-friendly campgrounds, those parks that don't welcome dogs, beach rules for dogs in the Mid-Atlantic... ...and much more. So grab that leash and hit the trail!" --Amazon book description


A Bark In The Park: The 50 Best Places To Hike With Your Dog In The Baltimore Region

"In and around Charm City can indeed be a magical place for canine hikers. Whether it's a game of fetch on the grassy lawn of historic Fort McHenry or a wilderness hike through the Hemlock Gorge in Baltimore County, there are great walks waiting for you and your dog in the five-county Baltimore area. A Bark In The Park: The 50 Best Places To Hike With Your Dog In The Baltimore Region ranks the top 50 such places with your best friend in mind. Also reviewed are another 37 parks all located within a half-hour drive of the I-695 Beltway. Includes a listing of all area dogparks, Atlantic beach regulations for dogs, a list of parks that do not allow dogs, 13 Cool Things To See On Baltimore Trails, 10 Best Places To Hike For Less Than An Hour With Your Dog, low impact hiking, trail etiquette and much more. Fully indexed; illustrated with original drawings by Andrew Chesworth." --Amazon book description

More Books on Area Dog Walks

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Cool Walks to Share With a Dog

The Columbia Dog Talk web pages provide details and descriptions of great walks and dog-friendly establishments in and near Columbia and Howard County.

The "Great Places to Walk" page provides a list of walks with links for more details about each walk. Individual walk descriptions give details about length, ease, trail quality, shade, views, etc., as well as driving directions and trail maps.

The pages are continually being updated with new entries and should be checked often.

Dog-Friendly Eateries & Shops

The Columbia Dog Talk web pages feature details and descriptions of great walks and dog-friendly establishments in and near Columbia and Howard County.

The "Eateries and Shops" page is an ever-growing list of dog-friendly restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, ice cream shops, and other shops.

The pages are continually being updated with new entries.

Columbia Walk 'n' Wag Dog Group

Columbia Dogs-on-the-Go is for "dog lovers who enjoy exploring the many outdoor walks in Howard County."

The group's main activities are easy walks--about 2 miles round-trip. Whenever possible, they try to work in a local dog-friendly bakery ("Paws-n-Pastries"!) , ice cream shop, cafe, or pub. As the group grows, they are planning to add on other activities such as trips to off-leash parks and dog beaches, and easy trails outside the county.

All walks are free, and all dogs are welcome, large and small.

For more information about the group, a schedule of upcoming activities, and members' comments, check out Columbia Dogs-on-the-Go.

Starting out . . .

OK. This is my first-ever blog entry and I hope to learn as I go along. I'm excited about exploring my surroundings a bit more. We've lived here for over 25 years and I think we were pretty active way back when. But then I think it got easy to settle into a little rut and forget about all the nice places to walk. Even the dogs started looking a little bored with the same old neighborhood walk.

I started the Columbia Dog Meetup and that's been a lot of fun. So I'm hoping to find more walks to schedule for the group and maybe discover some "best kept secrets" for new walks. Also, my eyes are wide open now, scanning the area for dog-friendly places to visit to get a bite to eat, a cup of coffee, lunch, or glass of wine or beer. I'm really excited about the Pub Dog that opened up on Dobbin Road and is building an outdoor patio so patrons can bring their dogs. Nothing like belting down a cold one with the pooch. They say they are adding an awning and having some custom-built tables made for the patio, and as soon as that happens, they will be open for outdoor business. Sounds like they're hopeful about May, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.