Dog Traveller’s Guide to Boston

Ready for some culture my Shih Tzu Suzy and I continued our dog friendly U.S tour with a weeklong fall trip to Boston. Known as the Athens of America and basks in the radiance of 19th-century architecture and history. Its people are its pride with artists, educators, literati, world-renowned academicians and institutions

Stay

First up was the Best Western at 891 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston. They allowed Suzy and took a lot of care in seeing to it that she had a great time. Of course, she was not given the permission to run around in the lobby. I was charged $20 per night and $100 refundable deposit for Suzy. Tip: If you are making an online reservation, then please mention "I am bringing my dog." in the "Additional Comments and Requests" box of online reservation form.

Our main reason for staying here is the shopping. The Prudential Shopping Center is a mile from here and so is the South Bay Shopping Center.

Check-In: 3PM (15:00)

Check-Out: 11AM (11:00)

The other hotel that we tried out was the Nine Zero Hotel at 90 Tremont Street. It is a beautiful place and the staff members are extraordinary. Suzy got a warm welcome and a pet bed, bowls, and a special treat. She was happy and licked everyone she met from the concierge to the bell boy. I even had a "Dog in Room" sign put on my door. No charges for Suzy’s accommodation.

You can check out some other dog friendly hotels in Boston like:

Boston Harbor Hotel: 70 Rowes Wharf

Clarion Collection Bulfinch Hotel: 107 Merrimac Street

Comfort Inn: 900 Morrissey Blvd

Doubletree: 400 Soldiers Field Road

Hyatt Regency Boston: One Ave de Lafayette

Intercontinental Boston: 510 Atlantic Avenue

Eat

Suzy’s second favorite activity in Boston was definitely eating and chomping everything she could lay her paws on. I was told by a fellow traveler on the cruise that I should check Tremont 647 as they allow dogs too. I can still taste the food there. Simply fantastic!

I had to sit with Suzy on the Patio but what Suzy loved was that they had a nice water bowl and a special dog menu ready for her. I went for a Tuna Tartare with black beans, avocado cream and Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Enjoyed the 2002 Camelot Cabernet Sauvignon and went crazy over the Candied Walnut Salad. Of course I was watching my weight!

Play

Harbor Cruise

Suzy’s favorite from our trip to Boston. I got this brilliant idea of taking the Boston Harbor Cruises for a 3-hour Whale Watch. This is probably the first time Suzy has seen so many huge animals. Although she was quite scared initially but soon started to enjoy herself and kept barking in joy every time the whales jumped out of the water. There were more people taking photograph of Suzy that the whales. I paid $35.00 for the trip but Suzy went in for Free!

There are other ferry rides too like the Sunset Cruises, USS Constitution Cruise and Lighthouse Cruises. Most cruises leave daily but you need to check the timings as they change for every season. Children between the age of 4-12yrs are charged $10

Dog Parks

Now that we both had our fill, it was time to burn off some fat. There are some nice small dog parks in Boston. The first one we hit was the Carson Beach between I-93 and William Day Blvd. During off-season, dogs are not allowed and I had to keep Suzy on a leash to get entry. It was a nice experience and Suzy got her paws and coat all wet.

The Carlton Court Dog Park at South End was better and completely fenced. It was great for small dogs. There are poop bags and toys available for dogs coming in to relax and have a good time.

The Peters Park Dog Run at South End is an off-leash dog park and is open from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. But you need to carry the necessary license and vaccination information around as I realized later when I was asked for one by the park security.

Grooming

There are many dog and cat grooming saloons in Boston and I chose Klash services. They have a special $50-package where your dog can get services like ear cleaning, trimming, bath and blow dry. Of course Suzy enjoyed the attention and is in the love with the blower. I guess Suzy was blown away by their services! Klash services also offer allergy control, canine obedience training, Dematting, ear cleaning, foam and wet baths, flea and tick dips and nail clipping.

Shop

I found a great dog boutique called the Polka Dog. You can check their website at http://www.polkadog.com/. They have their own special bakery that serves some of the best dog treats. Secret: I snatched one from Suzy and they were tasty! I picked up a 16 oz. can of peanut butter medley for $10.95. The Peanut Butter Medley includes peanut butter oatmeal crunch, carob chip puppy dough, peanut butter beet jam, peanut butter and cinnamon. It is natural, wheat free and corn free. They have a big can also for $12.95.

At the end, I remember the food and Suzy remembers the whales. She sees one on TV and starts jumping and barking!