It’s a ruff life
Why the Oregon Coast is a doggy dream come true
By Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
On the Oregon Coast, the ability to have our canine companions with us most of the time feels like a protected right. Dogs are allowed in most places where they might want to roam, and the few that prohibit pooches have very good reasons for doing so. Many hotels and restaurants also not only allow dogs, but provide them a warm welcome.
Miles of public beaches are an obvious reason to love the coast, though within Oregon State Park boundaries a six-foot or shorter leash is required and there are signs warning you away from critical snowy plover nesting areas from March 15 through Sept. 15.
The state parks website says it best: “Leashing your pet prevents them from tangling with wild animals or other people’s pets, getting lost, ransacking campground garbage, damaging plant life, or being hit by a car. It also avoids a citation!”
Some might think that the beach means there's no need for dog parks on the coast, but fenced parks provide a safe space for dogs with poor recall, and are a great place to burn off energy for pups whose people have limited mobility. The City of Newport parks department maintains two: Wilder Dog Park, in South Beach, is the larger and busier. It has wood chips keeping the mud to a manageable level, agility equipment and even a few hydrants for convenient places to deposit or read pee-mail. The Agate Beach Park, near, you guessed it, Agate Beach, is smaller and less busy so is a better option for reactive dogs or training sessions.
Many eateries allow dogs at outside tables, but passers-by or close traffic can mean a not-so-pleasant experience for you and your pal. The coast has places that go an extra step by serving you on a protected patio, some even with a nice view.
On Newport’s bayfront, the Rogue Ale Public House has a large fenced deck, and the well named Seadogs Restaurant and Lounge has a patio overlooking Yaquina Bay, within earshot of barking sea lions lounging on nearby rocks.
In Lincoln City, the Nelscott Breakfast House has a nice enclosed patio, AKA the “Doggy Deck” and a special K9 menu. Bringfido.com, a great search engine for places where you can… bring Fido, gives it five out of five bones.
If you’re only in the mood for something that can be poured in a glass and it happens to be pouring outside, the Black Squid Beer House, with taps pouring craft beer, mead, cider, wine and kombucha, allows dogs inside. They do have the Calle food cart outside, but eating one of their popular hot dogs might earn you a little judgment from your cool dog.
Sam Weber and Craig Richardson, who have a blog called “Sam and Craig Travel'' first caught my eye on Instagram, where they post photos of going to lots of places with their very pretty dog, Loki. Since they have only recently moved to Newport, I sought their perspective on how dog-friendly the coast is compared to other places like Seattle, from where Sam hails, and Portland, a place Craig has lived in the past.
We met at the Seadogs Cafe, and they introduced me to Loki, a Norwegian elk hound — a breed they were not at all surprised to find I was not familiar with.
“Most people have never heard of them,” Sam said. “So, when people recognize what he is they get super excited.”
Soon, as if the guys had slipped him a ten-spot when I wasn’t looking, bar-back Jason Armitage came out to the deck and said, “Is your dog a Norwegian elk hound?”
After the three men spent a little time gushing about the breed, I asked Jason if the dog-friendly policy, which includes some indoor areas where pups can relax, was the reason he worked at Seadogs.
“It’s not why I started working here but it is why I stay,” he said. “I’m a war vet, so being able to have my dog with me when I need to is pretty important.”
The open deck overlooking the Yaquina Bay at Seadogs is the kind of thing Sam and Craig look for when they want to find a place to eat where Loki can join them.
“If there’s an outdoor patio,” Sam said. “chances are very good that they are dog-friendly.”
When he’s not on a restaurant deck making pretty irresistible “Can I just take a tiny taste, you know, to make sure it’s safe?” eyes, Loki’s happy place, like pretty much every dog ever, is at the beach.
“Dogs are not allowed on any of the beaches in the Seattle area,” Sam said. “But he’s obsessed with them. The first thing he does is go for a sprint, then find the nearest bed of kelp and rip that up. We used to travel for hours to be able to take him to a beach because he loves it so much. The first time we brought him to a beach here, he looked shocked at how short the trip was.”
Even when Loki sprints, though, he is attached to one of his humans.
“We believe that if you can’t control your dog, leash it.” Sam said. “As much as we’d love to let him off, he doesn’t have good recall. It’s part of being a conscientious owner. Like we know he has issues around food aggression, so we are very careful when we bring him to a restaurant that he’s not around other dogs if there is food visible.”
“It’s just like being a good parent,” Craig added. “You need to know your dog's issues and plan for them.”
Though clearly in love with the very sweet Loki, Sam and Craig aren’t unrealistic about his traits.
“Loki is very book smart, but he lacks common sense,” Sam said “That’s another reason we keep him on leash. He’s learns tricks really fast, but then he does things that seem really counter-intuitive, like once we were in the country and he kept trying to get way too close to the hooves of a horse, and we were like, ‘Buddy, do you know how bad that would hurt if he decided to kick you?’”
So far, the family is finding the move to Newport to be very positive.
“People have been pretty great about Loki, so it’s been a nice transition,” Craig said. “The overall culture is just so dog-friendly here.”
Some of the spots they’ve found Loki to be welcomed with open paws include Yachats Brewing, Ultralife Cafe in Newport, Wolf Tree Brewery in South Beach and the Hilltop Cafe in Waldport.
Newly proud papa to Merkel, a coonhound/catahoula mix his family adopted last year, Dave Price has found things like the Chuckit! ball and throwing system indispensable for high-energy dog ownership.
“Suddenly we all have this exoskeleton-like added appendage that takes your typical throw and extends it four times per fling,” he said. “‘Thanks?' respond exhausted pups. They're such a part of beach life you can actually buy them at the Kenny's IGA in Lincoln City. The bright orange balls are easy to spot in the surf, though Merkel has shown time and again that they can be ripped in half far more easily than can be traditional tennis balls. Which also fit neatly into the Chuckit! launcher."
The number of pet friendly hotels is keeping pace with the steady increase in dog ownership, but be warned, always check before booking because many hotels that advertise a pet-friendly policy have a weight limit, which is generally under 25 pounds; so, essentially, a cat. When in doubt, sites like petswelcome.com can help you with your research; they list not only the fee per pet, but weight limits and something I find extremely helpful — the date the policy was last confirmed.
You can tell how much a hotel loves pups by the extras they provide. Salishan Coastal Lodge has organic, locally sourced treats and miles of dog-friendly trails dotted with doggie rest stations on the property. They also have a nightly “Yappy Hour” on the patio that has gourmet bacon-infused water for pups and specialty cocktails for fur parents.
Or to say it in dog: “Blah, blah, blah, blah blah BACON blah blah.”
The best advice from travelers Sam and Craig who, pre-COVID 19, would take at least two major trips a year, is when in doubt, try it out.
“You don’t know if you like something until you try it,” Sam said. “It’s the same thing with the dog; you don’t know what is going to work or not work for them until you try, and you owe it to your dog to try.”