Scootering With My Dog

I had SO MUCH fun on my scooter with my dog the other day. Sandy and Sean were off watching a Disc Golf tournament that I couldn't attend (I made a prior commitment at our church), so I had some discretionary time and chose to head to Mission Bay. There were actually 2 scooter - dog adventures: The Running and The Riding. 


First the running: Above, you can see what Fiesta Island looks like. It's an "Island" for recreation in the middle of Mission Bay park but is connected to the mainland by a single road, so technically it's a peninsula. People come to the beach, bring their RVs, barbecue, kayak, jet ski, etc. The southwest side is dedicated as a HUGE off-leash dog park. It's fenced off from the rest of the island on the northeast corner of the dog park. Everything in the area indicated above is a massive off-leash playground for dogs.  Dogs can run free! Those dogs who love the water (mine is NOT one of them) can access the beach and the bay. Others romp through the huge open space that is crisscrossed by dirt paths. Here's a link. I've brought my dog, Selah, here many times, but always on a walk around the paths. This time, I brought my Boardy scooter! We both LOVED it! 


The Boardy is a great scooter to ride on dirt paths and the dog park has lots to spare! Selah ran and ran and ran. Her ears flopping, her tongue hanging out and tail wagging, it was pure joy. Sometimes she ran behind and sometimes she ran up ahead always checking back to make sure I was still coming along. The speed of the scooter was just right. Not too fast, but still a blast to zoom down some of the gentle hills in the park. I'd stop every once in a while and gave Selah a chance to sniff around and explore, then off we were again to another spot on the island! A few times I'd pass other owners who'd comment "That's so cool! Look at her go!" Once, I was approached by an owner who abrasively asked "Has that thing got a motor on it?!", then softened once I showed her that my Boardy was all leg powered. "Oh, okay, that looks like fun!"


After a significant amount of fun and running on Fiesta Island, we headed to another part of Mission Bay. This time, the Boardwalk and other popular spots on the bike path. 


Now the Riding: I have a backpack that is specifically designed to carry a dog. It even has 2 little holes so that she can stick her front paws through them and rest them on my upper back. The brand we have is called the K9 Sports Sack. If you have a dog and a scooter, or bike, etc. you might want to check it out. Here's a link.


When we first got the doggie backpack, Selah was a little unsure and not really thrilled to be put "into" a container and carried around. After some gradual, intentional training (first just walking up and down our neighborhood), she now loves it. It's the perfect solution for times when I move too fast or am in too crowded an area (like a bike path) to let her run free. She very cooperatively gets tucked in and we're good to go!




While she rides, I do all the work and she just chills and enjoys the scenery whiz by. Fortunately, Selah is only 11 pounds so she's not too much of a burden. I wouldn't recommend it with a Great Dane or Mastiff. I'll hear comments as I pass bikers and skaters when they realize that there's a dog back there! 


After a nice long day of running and riding, Selah is pooped! Dog tired. She dozed off as I drove us home, had a nice dinner then snoozed in her beanbag bed, having dog dreams of playing and exploring.



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