Zen Dog Spotlight: Winston

This week our Zen Dog Spotlight features the sweet, speedy and smart one of a kind mix, Winston! Our team member Tristan, loves his first morning walks with this charming little fellow. Winston has been featured on our Instagram, @dogzenergy, and did we mention he's great in videos! It's all yours Winston! 

State your full name and let us know a bit about your background.

"Winston Brooks. My parents adopted me about 4.5 years ago when I was a little guy. They thought that I was going to be a lab mix, but I am only 30 lbs. Nobody knows for sure what type of dog I am, but I sure am cute and smart."

 What’s your favorite toy and why?

"Shoes are my favorite toys. I like them because they smell like my mom or dad."

 What does your typical day consist of, and what would your ideal day include?

"I usually go on a morning walk with Tristan from DogZenergy. I love going on walks with Tristan, and after my walk, I like to take a nap in front of the door, catching some rays through the window and guarding the house. I follow my little brother and sister around when they are eating snacks, and I love to cuddle with mom or dad at the end of a long day. My ideal day is spent at the beach with my family, chasing balls and running in the waves."

 Who is your best friend and how did you meet?

"My dad is my best friend. I met him on the day that he adopted me, and I love him more and more each day."

 What is the one question you wish your human would stop asking you, and the one question you wish your human would never stop asking you?

"I wish my mom would stop asking me to let her clip my toes or brush my teeth. I wish mom and dad would never stop asking me whether I want a treat. Yes, please!"

If you were going to win an award at the "Oscar Pet Awards" would you want to win it for 1.) Cuteness 2.) Heroism/Courage3.) Sassiness 4) Loyalty 5) Fashionista. Give us a quick example/story of why we should pick you!

"Can I add a category or two? I would win for my smarts and my speed. I have figured out how to open many doors. I get on my hind legs, and push the handle just so until I can get it to open. I’m also the fastest dog at the park ­­throw that ball and watch me go."

Any other insight you would like us to know?

"I am pretty scared of new people, especially ones who come to my house, but even if I bark initially, I am a big softy once I get to know you."

5 Tips for dining with your best friend...err...dog!

Does anyone else feel weird going out in public without their dog? I certainly do! I'm completely codependent. One of my most favorite things to do, especially in La Jolla is to go out to brunch with my mom, Karen, or a bunch of friends. If I can take my dogs along, I'm even happier! Luckily, La Jolla restaurants are extremely dog friendly. The best dog friendly brunch spots in La Jolla are Cody's, Beaumonts, Barbarella's and Prep Kitchen. Not only are these restaurants really cute and really yummy, but they're also extremely dog friendly. Cody's and Barbarella's even have an adorable doggie menu and you can order your pup some hamburger meat, chicken breast or biscuits. All of these restaurants welcome dogs on their patios and even bring a water bowl to your table. To show our gratitude to these restaurants for allowing our furry best friends to dine with us, it's important to make sure that we mind our manners.

Here's 5 tips for having good doggie manners at the table...

1) Make sure that your dog is well trained and comfortable in a restaurant setting. Does your dog know a good down/stay? Will your dog settle and relax under your table for at least an hour? Will your dog ignore other dogs that walk by and not make a commotion? If not, practice at home at the dinner table by teaching your dog to lay under the table in a down/stay while you eat. Remember to release your dog at the end of your meal and reward with a special treat, a toy and/or tons of praise!

2) Always keep your dog leashed and out of other diners' business. The wonderful smells are everywhere in a restaurant and your dog might want to check out the menu for you. Keep your dog close by your side as you head to your table and show off your dog's good manners by asking him to down/stay as soon as you find your spot. Select a table that is well out of the way from other diners and try to keep your dog out of the way of busy servers.

3) Never let your dog eat off of the restaurant's silverware, cups or dishes. That being said, chairs are reserved for human bottoms. Let's keep our dogs at our feet and drinking out of water bowls while at restaurants. At home, share a spoon if you will! ; )

4) Don't tie your dog to a table or a chair, I've seen dogs take off after a pigeon with a chair flying behind them and the chair ended up side swiping a BMW. Don't let that be you and your dog! Tie your dog to an extremely heavy table, to a tree or hand your dog to your friend if you need to leave the table.

5) Enjoy your dog's company and treat your best friend for being awesome. Bring your dog's favorite treats and casually drop a treat between your feet to reinforce your dog's down/stay. If you have a puppy who is new to dining out, bring a bully stick or other chew stick to keep him happily preoccupied while you eat. Otherwise, he might be very tantalized by all the sights and smells going on all around him.

I'm so used to taking my dogs out to restaurants with me that I feel like I'm missing something! Anyone else have any good dining out tips that we need to add? If so, add them in the comments section or on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you and your pup!

Happy training!

Brittany : )