Silly concern but....

waterlily252

DH and I are finalizing our move to Chicago in November. I am super excited because I have been wanting to move to Chicago for a long time now. We have figured out where we are going to live (Lakeview area) and almost have jobs secured...everything is going great.

What is my concern then you ask? Well it has to do with my dog....aka our "daughter"! We have a 2 1/2 yr old boxer that will be coming with us. She is used to living in small apartments but luckily with the great weather here in Southern CA she can get out and enjoy the dog beach / dog park 3-4 times a week. My concern is what we are going to do when it is freezing outside with tons of snow on the ground for the winter! How do we let her run/play without her (& us) freezing to death?

How do other ladies in the Chicago area deal with this issue and their larger dogs? DH thinks I'm crazy to be so worried.....but I am!

Bride7/15/05

I get emails about doggie play dates and there are some indoor "dog parks".  I haven't checked them out in general or if there is a membership fee.  But that might be one thing.  If you both are working is there a way to look into doggie day care.  DH and I have occasionally done that in the past since it allowed our "boy" to play during the day.

ryanserafin

We are in the Lakeview area, too.  We don't have a dog (yet) but they are all over our neighborhood.  There are a few dog parks in Lakeview, you are also close the the Lakeshore running path.  Boxers are one of my favorite breeds, and DH and I would love to have a dog to run with- I do see Boxers out in all weather and on the running trial.  DH is set on a smaller dog, until we have a yard, and I love larger dogs.  So, we'll see what happens.  Either way, I'm not worried about how the dog will fare in Chicago- it really is a very canine friendly city, even for weather sensitive breeds.

There is a doggy day care not far from Lakeview that we looked into based on a Nestie rec.  It's called Stay- you can drop your dog off for the day to play in their huge facility and even watch from your office on a live webcam. 

ryanserafin

By the way- your wedding photos are just beautiful.  I tried on your dress, and it made my top 5 : )  My mom wasn't as sold on it, and in the end we found one that I loved even more.  It looked great on you. 

Also, good for you for training for your first marathon!  DH does Chicago every year- I'm sure I'll never commit to the full marathon, but I love shorter races. 

kleen

Congrats on your move to Chicago! You will love Lakeview -- it is a ton of fun. I don't have a dog but I know a lot of people who bring their dog to the doggie beach -- I forget where it is located but I am sure you can find more info online. Chicago is very dog-friendly so you should be set.

ryanserafin

Oh yeah, I think the doggy beach is at Montrose.  I recall that Allie's DH wrote a cute review of it for yelp that she posted...I think he was yelper of the day or something- or I just pulled that out of my a$$.  You could try paging AllieQBTB if you're interested in the doggy beach info.

relentlesslylyn

I don't have a dog of my own right now (just fostering - see siggy), but for the most part you just bundle up and go!  The only thing is you have to be careful when it gets super super cold, because dogs can get frostbite just like people, so it's not always healthy for them to be outside for too long.  On those days a few very short walks along with plenty of obedience training  at home will probably have to suffice.  But like all the pp said, it's totally doable.  Congrats on the move and GL!

Becky&Paul

Hi there!  I don't have a dog so I am no help, but I wanted to say welcome to Chicago!  My husband grew up in the OC, and this was the first cold place he ever lived, and he is surviving!   I also wanted to say there are quite a few of us on here that are runners.  Ryanserafin and I both just did the "Shamrock Shuffle," an 8K race downtown.  I have only done a half-marathon but I keep considering the Chicago full marathon...we'll see!  You will love Lakeview -- it is a great neighborhood!

AllieQBTB

Hi!  We have an almost 3 year old yellow lab (Carter - I changed my siggy pic just for this post).   He is our "son", so I get how much you care about your pup.

Has your dog ever experienced snow?  Ours loves it, but then again, he isn't a CA transport. Who knows, yours might love it too!  Not sure where exactly you're living in lakeview, but there are several doggy off-leash areas.  You just need a city license and a $5 off-leash tag.  Your vet can give you everything you need, you just then mail it in to the city.  If you need a vet rec check out www.blumvet.com.  We have been very happy with them.

If you're living anywhere near Lake Shore Drive, there are two off-leash dog beaches (Montrose and Belmont).  Montrose is HUGE.  Think 200 dogs on the weekends.  It is SO much fun.  I have tons of pictures I can email you to give you a better idea if you'd like.

When it gets really cold in the winter we take our dog to Stay, like Ryanserafin mentioned (www.staydoghotel.com).  They have a hude indoor space and designated big dog/little dog areas.  Day care there can be purchased for individual sessions or packs of 10, 20, etc.  They also have a really nice boarding facility.  We've left Carter there for a weekend trip before and I don't think he wanted to come home.  They even offer indoor swimming classes for dogs.  So cute.

Feel free to page me with any more questions or you can reach me at alliebeyer@yahoo.com.  Happy moving!