National Post Article

A new Humble Howard commentary has hit the National Post.

Read "Exactly who is walking who?". Ah heck, we'll save you a click and throw the entire thing right here.

If you've ever been in the Beaches on the weekend, you'd think dogs were mandatory. The young couple, the stroller, the latte and the mutt. I used to think it'd be a good business to open up "Rent-A-Dog" for those Beach people who didn't want to look out of place.

According to the City of Toronto's Web site, the city is home to "more than 60,000" dogs. That's a lot of leashes, leads, muzzles and poop.

Add one more to the list.

My family recently became the proud owners of a four-pound Mi-Ki puppy named Tucker. He's a cross between a Papillion and Maltese and a bunch of other small breeds and is about the size of a big slipper with fur.

He's the result of a concentrated, two-year campaign of begging on the part of my two daughters and I. My wife didn't want a dog -- too much trouble, aggravation and grief. Now she's the one rolling around on the floor with him cooing "Who loves their momma? Who's momma's little boy?"

So far, our dog is getting enough exercise running from his bed to the couch and back but at some point I know a dog park is in our future. But which one to choose?

Google "Dog Parks": From High Park to Riverdale's Withrow Park, there are dozens in Toronto, and those are just the "leash-free" ones. There's a real leash-free movement afoot or apaw (sorry).

Search "Dog Parks in Ontario" and you can run Rover anywhere from Ajax to Waterloo.

In Oakville, where I live, there doesn't seem to be any shortage, but you have to know what you're doing.

You just can't show up any old time and toss your leash.

For instance, there's The Abbey Oaks Off Leash Park at Dundas and Neyagawa. The description reads "hours from sunrise to sunset ... fenced, tables, parking and poop bag dispensers!"

Poop bag dispensers on site ... nice touch Oakville dog-peeps! (The richer Oakvillians just have their butlers pick up the doo doo.)

Another park is more to the point. "Yes benches, yes poop, yes parking."

People with dogs are busy and we need to know if our parks have the essentials. Now if they just included a beer keg and a big screen TV I'd move in.

I suspect that's next.

In Toronto, you can already find doggie day care, dog walkers, grooming of course, not to mention dog taxi service, a dog spa, doggy birthday parties and something I came across called self-serve dog wash! What the hell? I'm guessing that's a deal where you take your dog out of your house to some remote location to bathe it so you don't have to mess up your own shack washing the dog.

Question: Are cat people having birthday parties for their "babies?"

I'd like to debate that with you but I've got to go ... my family and I are booked into something called "Puppy Kindergarten."

I wish I were kidding.