Dog Friendly Places in Davao

At Davao Memorial Park. 

I know I said that my first few posts will be about Gringa's first years with us but today I thought let's have a short commercial break.

It's going to be a long weekend for most of us starting today November 1 and I bet it won't be long until you feel some cabin fever. And having dogs even poses more anxiety because let's face it, there are aren't a lot of pet friendly places in the Philippines -- what more here in Davao?! But in our first two years of living here, we managed to find a few choice places where you can have some fun with your furbabies. 

Ironically, the best place to bring your dog to here in Davao is the Memorial Park (the Davao memorial park in Matina particularly). Going there today though would be a BAD idea. But any day of the year except on All Soul's Day and All Saint's Day, the memorial park is the number one choice where you can frolick with your pooches. So put that in mind.

Since the memorial park is out of the question for the long weekend ahead, we suggest these other places.

Resting on the giant slate letters
"Land of Promise" at Gap Farm

In the city proper, your two best options are Gap Farm along Garcia Highway, and Matina Town Square. And in Samal Island, we can vouch for Villa Amparo beach garden resort for being pet friendly.

We always heed the advice of our good friend LESTRE ZAPANTA, the Pinoy Dog Whisperer about exhausting Gringa's pent up energy. He says that dogs become hyperactive and eventually turn unruly and disobedient mostly because of pent-up energy. In short, we have to exhaust a dog's energy for us to be able to control it, and in so doing be able to train it. 

Gap Farm is a nice place to go to especially if you have small hyperactive dogs because  of the unlimited space. We take our dogs to the "Land of Promise" slope and play catch and run with them. After an hour of running up and down the hill, our hyperactive princess (and mommy too) is now literally "dog-tired" and ready to go home. We really notice a change in her behavior after she has exhausted all her pent up energy. She doesn't get irritated with kids any more and to make her listen and follow us become easier.

We really recommend Gap Farm if you want to spend some quality time with your pets outside your home. There is an entrance fee for humans though (about 30 pesos I think) but dogs are free!

Playing with Gringa's favorite toy at
Matina Town Square.

So what you can do after the Gap Farm trip is to bring your furbabies to Matina Town Square. We can assume that your dogs are probably more behaved at this point after their physical activity. This time, you can just do a more relaxing bonding activity with them.

The small park at the back part of the MTS is an ideal place for dogs to stroll in. You can even have some Halo-Halo and sit at the benches, and have a photo taken. A park bench. A dog. A book -- now that's a movie poster right there! 

And finally, if you want to bring your fido to the beach, we highly recommend Villa Amparo beach resort in Samal Island. The amenities are clean. The rates are fair. And best of all your furbaby is welcome here! There's another resort in Tugbok called Gumamela Caverock  resort which also declares itself pet friendly. The only downside is you have to pass through a looong stretch of "rocky" dirt road going there. But hey, if you've got a 4x4 SUV the trip won't be much of a hassle I guess. 

It's pretty hard to find a pet friendly place here in Davao. I heard that SM Lanang declares itself "pet friendly". The fine print: you are only allowed to bring your dog if you carry it. Good luck to owners of Retrievers, GSDs, Huskies, and all the big working dogs. 

Daddy's drooling darlings

The thing is you can't call your establishment "pet friendly" if you cannot even allow the dogs to walk. Of course, I understand that there are a lot of breakable items inside the mall. A responsible dog owner should never really risk that. But I suggest that SM actually designates an area where pet parents can bring their dogs WITHOUT HAVING TO CARRY THEM. Say an indoor park, or an al fresco area with benches. 

I actually understand why it's not easy for commercial establishments to allow dogs into their premises. This is because there are still a lot of IRRESPONSIBLE pet owners out there. What does responsible pet ownership mean? 

Responsible pet owners are conscientious enough to scoop up their dogs' poop. Responsible pet owners know the value of training their dogs -- NOT JUST TO DO TRICKS -- but to potty train and socialize with other dogs and humans as well. And most of all responsible pet owners regularly bring their dogs to licensed veterinarians for proper vaccinations, check-ups, and laboratory tests if suspicious symptoms have been persisting. Responsible pet owners do not wait until their dog is about to die before they bring it to the doctor, or worse ask questions like this ONLINE, "Dadalhin ko na ba dog ko sa vet? Nagsusuka kasi and nagtatae ng dugo!"  

Gusto ko talaga batukan ang mga taong ganyan not only because they're irresponsible but for SHEER STUPIDITY and ZERO COMMON SENSE. 

portable water bottle for dogs

Spending time outdoors with your pets is a wonderful experince. Just remember the essentials that you must have with you to ensure a safe and stress-free trip:

1. WATER. Bring a portable dog water bottle or a regular small bowl will do.

2. TISSUE or Wet Wipes for your dog's butt in case they poop, and for their dirty paws. (This is very important especially if you have lap dogs. You want them clean when they're on your laps, don't you?)

3. PLASTIC or PAPER BAGS for your dog's poop.

4. TREATS or TOYS. You need this to keep their concentration on you and not be distracted with other people and things around. 

Do you know some other dog friendly places here in Davao? Share some info, will 'ya? Have a safe and wonderful long weekend everyone!

--Mommy Jill--