Twilight Yappy Hour

Now that it’s getting warmer outside, I’ve had more opportunities to venture out and explore the neighborhood. Recently I stumbled upon one of my favorite new spots, and it happened entirely by accident.

Remember the pedestrian bridge and the East River walk I told you about? One warm weekend afternoon, Mom decided we should walk along the river as far as we could, and just see where it takes us. We walked almost twenty blocks and we were about to turn around and head for home. Thank goodness we decided to walk just a bit farther, and that’s when we found it.

A dog park! And it’s much bigger and flatter than the one at Carl Schurz Park, so there’s even more room for high-speed chases, or just running in circles by yourself because you are so excited you don’t know what else to do.

It’s practically nestled under the Queensboro Bridge, and you can watch the red tram carry people over the East River to and from Roosevelt Island.

The best time to hit this dog park is Yappy Hour, which is in the early evening when our people get home from work. After being cooped up all day, sometimes things get a little weird, so you have to keep your wits about you.

In addition to lots of friendly outgoing dogs and a lovely view of the river, there’s also some original urban artwork to enjoy. Mom says it’s called “graffiti” and she doesn’t seem very impressed with it. I hope that city life isn’t making her too jaded! There are new surprises around every corner here in New York, and I never want to stop exploring.

Uptown Dog is back in action!

Hi everyone, I’m so happy to be back on the blog! I’m sorry for leaving you all hanging for a few weeks. My mom was very busy studying for a test called the “bar exam.” It’s some kind of torturous ritual they make all lawyers go through to make sure they were paying attention in school. Mom monopolized the computer while she was studying, leaving me no time to work on my blog posts. I really need to get my own equipment.

As you can see, I tried convincing her to take a break. She would have none of it.

Even my adorable antics didn’t work to distract her.

I tried to stay up late so I could use the computer when she was done for the night. It was a good idea in theory, but in practice….sleep consistently got the better of me. Dogs were not meant to be nocturnal.

Anyhow, I’m back and ready for my first spring in New York City. Life just keeps getting better. Thanks for sticking with me!

Dream Kitchen

The kitchen has always been one of my favorite rooms, because that’s where tasty morsels rain from the sky. Our New York kitchen can be a treacherous place, though. One person can fit inside just fine. One person plus a dog is pushing it. Two people? Definitely not. So when I’m waiting patiently for my tasty morsels, Mom is constantly tripping over me. Ouch!

Here I am waiting for a chicken sausage pizza to come out of the oven. As you can see, our kitchen is on the small side. Or as a real estate agent would say, it is “cozy” and “intimate.”

For our next place, I’m envisioning a kitchen kinda like this. I can just kick back, relax and let the tasty morsels come to me. I think Mom would like it too, because she wouldn’t trip over me all the time!

(Image via Dogasaur)

Down by the River

When we moved to New York in November, the pedestrian bridge down the street was under construction. We passed it every day on the way to the park, and I couldn’t wait to see where the bridge would lead. Last week, finally, the bridge opened! I practically dragged Mom down the block to check it out.

The bridge takes us over FDR Drive, a very busy highway where cars can travel north and south along the East River. It’s a strange feeling to feel and hear the cars moving beneath my paws at 40 miles per hour. At first it scared me a little, but now I think it’s exciting.

On the other side, there’s a lookout where you can get a bird’s eye view of the river before descending to street level again. It’s a great spot to watch boats going by.

Walking along the river, we can see Roosevelt Island to the east and the Queensboro bridge to the south. So far we’ve walked about 10 blocks south before turning around and heading home. Mom says that when it’s warmer outside, one day we can see how far the path goes!

Christmas Trees, Again

We went for a walk in the park, and you will not believe what I found there: All of the Christmas trees from our neighborhood! I missed seeing the trees decorating the street, and I certainly never expected to see them again. This was a very welcome surprise.

I didn’t recognize the trees at first because they look a little different. I was sniffing the ground like crazy, trying to figure out where this familiar smell came from. Mom explained that Santa must have picked up the trees from the street and turned them into “potpourri” to make the park smell good. It’s true – the park smells like one giant Christmas tree. Mom and I both loved it!

After spending some quality time reveling in the scent of my beloved Christmas trees, we went for a romp in the dog park.

I also got to say hello to some seagulls. Even though we aren’t near the beach, we have seagulls near our apartment because the East River has salt water from the Atlantic Ocean. I never expected to find wildlife in New York!

As you can see, the snow we got last weekend is long gone. On this particular day, it was 45 degrees, and it almost felt like spring. Even though I love the snow, I am excited to see what the park looks like in full bloom.

Snow!

On Saturday, I finally saw some snow for the first time this winter! We only got about three inches, and it’s already melted by now, but it made for a couple of great visits to the park.

I love barreling through the snow so it sprays out everywhere. I feel like a jet flying through the clouds.

We met a lab named Paprika who let me play fetch with her. (My parents forgot the tennis ball – way to go guys!)

The soft snow felt so good under my paws instead of concrete. And the city looks so much prettier with a dusting of powder, don’t you think?

I hope it snows one more time before spring arrives. Today it’s sunny and temps are in the 50s – it barely feels like winter anymore!

Paws to the Pavement Goes to Japan

Our second installment of Paws to the Pavement takes us all the way to Japan to visit with a spirited Welsh Corgi who seems to love workin’ it for the camera. Make sure to visit the photographer’s Flickr photostream for even more pictures!

(Source – Moaan on Flickr)

Who’s Walking Who?

In New York, it seems like people are always in a hurry. Everyone walks at a brisk pace and cars are constantly honking at each other. New Yorkers especially hate waiting to cross the street. They’ll take a few steps into the street while they wait for the traffic signal to change, so that as soon as it turns green, they can rush across and make up for lost time.

Even though I’m just a little guy, I have no trouble keeping up with these crazy New Yorkers. In fact, I kind of enjoy this fast-paced lifestyle. I’ve always been the type of dog who can’t wait to see what’s around the corner. There are so many interesting smells out there in the world, and not nearly enough time to take them all in!

Mom and Dad, on the other hand, have always been slowpokes. That’s why I have taken it upon myself to hold onto the leash when we’re out for a walk to make sure they are still back there. When they need to speed up, I let them know by giving the leash a little tug, or waving the leash with my snout.

This is me waiting patiently for our walk to commence:

This is me after waiting for Mom to put on her hat….gloves….scarf….wait, you’re asking me where your cell phone is? Like I have a clue? Let’s get going already!

People on the street seem to think this is pretty funny. It’s not unusual to hear someone shout, “Who’s walking who?!” when we are out and about. They are just trying to humor my Mom – at this point, it’s obvious that I’m the one in charge of these walks.

An Oscar for Uggie?

If you paid attention to any of the Golden Globes chatter last night, you probably already know that a wiry-haired Jack Russell terrier stole the show! Uggie is one of the stars of “The Artist,” a black-and-white silent film that took home the Golden Globe for best picture, comedy or musical.

Uggie worked the red carpet like a true professional. But Uggie’s star power comes from the fact that he is relatively untrained compared to other movie dogs. While most movie dogs have 100 tricks in their repertoire, Uggie only has 20. Apparently one of them is playing dead, a trick Uggie busted out on the Golden Globes stage while the cast of “The Artist” was accepting their award.

It’s no wonder that Uggie is generating a lot of Oscar buzz, despite the Academy’s rule that limits the awards to humans. Uptown Dog is throwing his weight (all 22 lbs!) behind the campaign to “Consider Uggie” for an Oscar. I can relate to him because he loves hot dogs, just like me! The human star of “The Artist,” Jean Dujardin, carried them around during filming to maintain Uggie’s affections.

Uggie became a star somewhat by accident. His original owners almost sent him to the pound after he bit their goat. That’s when his current owner and trainer, Omar von Muller, swooped in and adopted Uggie. Biting that goat was the best decision he ever made. Uggie, maybe you should send that goat a gift basket!

(Photos via Huffington Post and Washington Post)

Paws to the Pavement: A Run in Central Park

Welcome to Uptown Dog’s latest project – the “Paws to the Pavement” photography feature! I love browsing Flickr and Instagram to see how other city dogs are making the most of life in an urban environment. So I decided, why not share these great pictures on my blog? 

I want to start out “Paws to the Pavement” with a dog who lives right here in New York City. Check out these shots of Maverick, a pit bull, exploring Central Park. Maybe I’ll see you there sometime, Maverick…if I can catch up with you!

(Source – Shahab Ghalambor on Flickr)