You remember Millie, my Golden Retriever puppy who’s the smartest, most adorable and fantastic dog in all the world…just like yours, I’m sure.
I got a lot of emails from curious readers asking what it’s like to raise a dog in New York, a city of steel and concrete and glass but not many open spaces. Ah, but I have a secret for you—New York is full of fabulous neighborhood dog runs, special parks where they can run and play and socialize off leash.
In fact, we decided to shoot a video of Millie hanging out at her favorite Manhattan run in trendy west Chelsea and post it here for you to watch. To make it really fun, we shot it on her first birthday and invited all her friends—two- and four-legged.
You’ll meet Ollie, Zeus, Bella, Max, Winky and the whole canine crew. You’ll also meet Millie’s wise trainer, Jane (Kopelman@hotmail.com), her devoted walker and sometimes nanny, Christa, and Millie’s doting mom, my wife, Julee Cruise.
I’ll also share the latest dog run gossip, especially the hot rumor going around about Madonna and her dogs, and introduce you to the incredible diversity of owners and professional walkers (dog walking is a big business in this city—remember, we don’t have backyards and there are more than two million dogs in the five boroughs) who congregate daily. There’s a whole dog run culture here that I’m sure most of you have never seen.
Those of you who have know what I’m talking about. A good Manhattan dog run is a total blast, for humans as well as dogs. So join Millie and me at the Chelsea dog run for a really cool time. You’ll love it.
Oh, and Happy Birthday, darling….
Edward Grinnan is Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of GUIDEPOSTS Publications.