Spring arrived over the weekend and the glorious display of cherry blossoms and other early blooms are underway all over Vancouver. A favourite time of year for Vancouverites as the days become a bit longer and dog walking in the the dark starts slipping away. No one said it would be drier, but rain doesn’t drag us down over here on the West Coast.

Tikka and the first day of spring

If your dog isn’t shy around crowds and festivities there are many outdoor festivals celebrating the cherry blossoms coming up. Check out the list at the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival website: http://www.vcbf.ca/

And the not so fun side of Spring, the bugs are back…Not sure if they ever truly go away in this mild climate but they come out in force as it warms up. The mosquitos were on a binge this Saturday during our dog tracking class in Lynn Valley – stopping for longer than 5 seconds quickly turned into a buffet for them. Dogs were oblivious but fleas and ticks will be spiking in numbers soon enough, so keep checking your dogs.

Dog Tracking in Lynn Valley, keeping ahead of the mosquitos.

The best part of this change of season is the patios start opening up on sunny days, allowing us to enjoy a tea or grab some lunch after a walk with Tikka. Although there are lots of establishments around town that allow you to have you dog either at your table or next to you, tied up to a patio fence, I’d love to see a Vancouver that opens this up even more. It’s a dog city with dog needs and having a snack with your canine friend should be more accessible. Stay tuned for upcoming posts on where you can go, I have a few favourites to share when they open up and I can take some photos.

Now spring forth with your pup and capture the start to this season!