LA Dog-Friendly Digs- November 14, 2011- Private Yard

Finding housing in this city with a private yard is next to impossible.  Add to that dog-friendly and you are looking a very few options.  Add to that a budget and you will find yourself in my position 2 years ago.  Nightmare!

However, I got very lucky and found the place of my dreams in a budget I could work with and I am still here over 2 years later.  It took weeks of scouring craigslist and visiting places before I found the right place.

Lucky for you... you have me!  I did a bit of research and found a few options for various budgets/living situations.  A lot of the apartments you will find with private yards are guest houses in the valley, but once in a while you will find something a little different.  Just be patient and flexible...

Pasadena- 1br guest house cottage with fenced yard and hardwood floors- $965

Studio City- 1br second floor guest house with private yard and large kitchen, 1 block from park- $1250

Glendale- 2br rear house with hardwood floors and private fenced yard- $1375

West Hollywood- 1br guest house by The Grove with private yard and utilities/internet included- $1695

Studio City- 1br detached guest house with lofted ceilings and french doors to a private yard with patio- $1700

Pasadena- 3br house in Pasadena's Bungalow Heaven Historical District with fenced yard- $2100

Marina Del Ray- 2br 2.5ba townhouse on the marina with private yard, balcony, and boat slip access - $2150

Ok, so that last one is like my dream apartment but I need a little more money and a job on the Westside to pull that off.  Someday...

As usual, if there is a part of town, budget, or type of apartment you would like me to focus on, please let me know!  Look for our next LA Dog-Friendly Digs post next Sunday.
  

Fun Friday News- November 11, 2011

Happy Friday everyone!  More importantly, Happy Veteran's Day and a big thank you to all of our human and doggy veterans.  I hope that some of you were lucky enough to get today off of work (so jealous!).

Best Friends Animal Society is hosting the first annual National Animal Shelter Check-In Day tomorrow (Saturday November 12) to bring awareness to homeless pets through their Invisible Dogs campaign.  Here's how it works:

1. Go to your local animal shelter
2. Check-in using foursquare on your phone (see website for participating shelters)
3. Take a picture of a dog in need of a home and post it to your Twitter or Facebook account with with hashtag #invisibledogs

As the website says, the campaign is "designed to put shelter dogs in the spotlight so they have the best odds at finding forever homes."  Who can argue with that?

And something else for you to do this weekend... 

Do you have a dog with unusual behavior issues or aggression?  Well you are in luck because auditions for the next season of the Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan are taking place in Glendale on Tuesday (and Woodland Hills on the 27th)!  The show requires a video of your dog's behavior as a part of the submission so take advantage of this rainy weekend to start filming!  See the website for more submission and audition details (and good luck!).
  

Feeling Fat and Lazy BEFORE the Holidays?

We are.  And that is terrifying because the holidays only seem to make it worse (i.e. too much turkey and Christmas cookies).  So why not start off the holiday season in a good routine and use your pup as an excuse to get moving?

While there are a million things to do in this city to get some fresh air and some exercise, I have been craving a good hike now that the weather has cooled down.  I went on Meetup.com to look for a group of dog friendly-hikers and stumbled on a few great groups:

Early Bird Hiking- This group has hikes scheduled for almost every day (both morning and evening), so there is no excuse for not being able to find time!  Many of their hikes are dog-friendly (such as tonight's full moon hike at Beaudry Loop... although RSVP is closed already for this one) so RSVP quickly and snag a spot on the next hike.

Los Angeles Dog Adventurers- For the more adventurous, this group does overnight camping trips, rock climbing outings, and even a few parties!

Singles with Dogs!- Not sure what kinds of fun outings they do... but if you fit both criteria, become a member and find out (and let me know!)!

These are just a few of many Meetup hiking groups, so get off of the couch (Bo- I'm talking to you!) and get moving!  There are also dog-friendly yoga groups and groups that do fun trips/social outings so your options are endless.  Find something that works for you, meet some new people with pups, and get ahead of the holiday season fitness lull.
  

We're Baaaack!

It's truly amazing how you can seemingly blink for a second and suddenly months have passed. It's like I opened my eyes and we are smack in the middle of the season of pumpkins and college football!

     

I know it has been a while... I let life get in the way a bit for the past few months. However, it's time to turn over a new leaf and I have a lot of exciting news to share. As usual, the summer was filled with lots of BBQs, parties, visitors, and fun so the weekends tended to slip away (as they always do I suppose!). In addition, Bo and I were so happy to have Walker move in with us last month... now I am outnumbered by boys! Both Walker and I have gotten new jobs recently and Bo has decided that his new "spot" to hang out is on top of the big pillows on the couch. As you can tell, it has been a time of a lot of change! So we are looking forward to a wonderful holiday season now that we are all settled.

I welcome you back to enjoy more dog-friendly fun with us!  We've missed you.  :)

Sorry for my Absence!

I know I have been MIA for a few weeks but I promise that my insane schedule will clear up this week.  I have lots of fun updates to come!

Thanks for sticking with me :)

  

Los Angeles Bans Puppy Mills!

I'm sure you have all been anxiously awaiting the verdict on the motion that Councilman Paul Koretz proposed that bans the commercial breeding of pets, as well as the sale of factory-bred dogs in pet stores.  Well, it is good news all around, as the city council has approved the motion unanimously and has asked the Department of Animal Services to begin drafting a law.

For more info, check out the full story here!

  

Three Dog Bakery #2

I stopped by the Three Dog Bakery today after work to pick up a Jax and Bones rope toy (Daisy the duck) for a puppy friend of mine, as well as a little cheese pizza treat for Bo.  I love this place... so so cute and my toy helped support The Rescue Train!  :)

LA Dog-Friendly Digs- June 11, 2011

When I first moved to LA, I was lucky enough to be able to move in with friends for a few months before committing to a lease.  It gave me the opportunity to figure out where in LA I wanted to live, the kind of budget I could work with, and the type of apartment I preferred.

In my case, I wanted to live alone, stay in the valley close to my job (between Encino and Burbank), and really wanted a place with a small yard/patio with a dog door for Bo.  This meant that my options were limited, especially if I wanted to stay in my budget.  However, I found the perfect place that fit my criteria (1br garden apartment in Burbank with a fenced yard and permission to put in a dog door) for about $50 a month more than I wanted to spend.  Totally worth it and totally doable!

However, I have since taken a slight pay cut to do a new job I love.  While the rent is still doable, I definitely have less wiggle room for other (more fun) things.  But I love my place and don’t want to move… so this whole thing has made me think about what it was like to find an apartment that was Erika- AND Bo-friendly in the first place.  I became something of a Craigslist pro and thought I would share some of my findings with you all in case any of you are in the market for a new place!  You’re welcome.  ;)

On a very tight budget but want to live alone?
Downtown- Studio microloft in the Alexandria- $575
Koreatown- Studio with exposed brick- $695
Long Beach- Studio close to downtown LB- $650 (larger studio is $750)
Burbank- Studio guest house with private entrance and patio- $700


Want to live alone but have a bit of a more generous budget?
Pasadena- 1br guest house with an office and dog door to fenced area- $1050
Encino- Studio guest house with alcove bedroom and private deck- $1100
Hollywood- Large studio with private yard, many upgrades- $1295


Living with a roommate?
Pasadena- 2br bungalow with private yard and shared 1 acre lot- $1300
Sherman Oaks- 2br apt with a pool, fitness center, and free utilities- $1577
Toluca Lake- 2br townhouse with private backyard- $1595
Venice- 2br townhouse 3 blocks from the beach with yard- $2295


Obviously, these are just a handful of examples.  I plan to send out a Dog-Friendly Digs post regularly, so if there is a part of town, budget, or type of apartment you would like me to focus on, please let me know!
  

Fun Friday News- June 10, 2011

Happy Friday all!  I am feeling charitable today so my news for the day supports great causes.

Love wine and dogs (I do!!)?  Well, Silverlake Wine is hosting a tasting to benefit Molly's Mutts and Meows this Saturday from 6-8pm.  It is $30 per person for 4 tastes plus food by Gingergrass, discount on all wine purchases, and a raffle.  Half of the profits go toward helping the rescue find good homes for good mutts!  Check out their Facebook event for more details.



Marina Del Rey's Bark Williams pet spa is offering a $15 bath to support Forte Animal Rescue.  You can buy your tickets online through tomorrow and redeem them in store any time before Wednesday!  The best part? They provide all of the supplies AND clean up after you are done.  Yes, please.

Lastly, I wanted to let everyone know that the Found Animals organization is hosting an Adopt-a-Thon event on Saturday June 18th from 10am-5pm at many locations throughout LA.  There will be discounts on adoption fees so if you are looking for a new member of the family, be sure to check it out!  This might also be a great excuse to check out their new Adopt & Shop store in Lakewood as well...

Money a bit tight these days? Well, the weather should be cooler this weekend- perfect for a (free!) hike with the pup or a trip to the dog park! Have a great weekend!
  

Fat Dog- West Hollywood

I finally got a chance to stop by the Fat Dog in West Hollywood this weekend to have a mid-afternoon snack (and a puppy-themed cocktail of course!) on their dog-friendly patio.  When we arrived, there were already two pups on the patio but there was plenty of space for us to grab a nice table in the corner where Bo had lots of room to hang out.  In fact, Bo even claimed his own chair at the table...

Walker and I split the Jalapeno Mac and Cheese and the crab/hollandaise potato skins… delicious!  I also had the “Well Groomed” cocktail (Pimm's, Ginger Beer, Lemonade, and Cucumber) which was equally as yummy! J

 

All-in-all this is the PERFECT place to have a nice lunch or a cocktail with friends and bring your pup.  Not sure how crowded it gets at night so you may want to go sans-dog to find out first and enjoy the inside of the restaurant for dinner, which comes complete with dog paintings on the walls!  Anyone gone here for dinner and can shed some light?  I may just have to go back and find out myself…!