Dog Days of Summer In The City

We wear shorts and sleeveless tees when it’s hot, but there’s only so much a dog can do to strip down. My eight-year-old greyhound, Benton, doesn’t know the meaning of the expression, “dog days of summer,” but he knows it’s something people don’t really enjoy—which is puzzling to him since he knows there are plenty of things for dogs to enjoy in the city.

For one thing, we go to J.G. Melon (1291 3rd Ave.) for cheeseburgers, since the fabled burger joint is across the street from where I live. They have outdoor tables and are very dog-friendly, plus the burgers are juicy and the buns aren’t too hard. Benton’s tall enough to eat right off a paper plate on the table, and when he’s lucky, whoever’s sitting next to us gives him some of their cheeseburger, too.

If we’ve had our fill of burgers, we’re off to have a picnic in Central Park. We walk past the boat pond where there’s always a breeze and friendly mallard ducks. Sometimes Benton likes to just stop, twitch his nose and stare into the distance. Squirrels and birds are sometimes running around, but, surprisingly, he’s never interested in them. I like being out there where I’m like a switchboard with all the plugs pulled out: just me and my dog in the park.

We head to what used to be called “Dog Hill” just off East 79th Street and Fifth Avenue. Benton and I brown-bag it—PB&J for me and peanut butter-flavored dog biscuits for Benton—that and the grass.

Lying there is like taking Valium through your skin. Benton lies down beside me, stretches out his long neck and rests his head on my legs. He barks softly, paws the air and his teeth chatter excitedly. I think he’s dreaming of races he used to run in his earlier life as a racing greyhound.

I can’t let him off the leash though, because he’s a sight hound and can see about a half-mile away. If something did catch his eye, he’d be off and running from zero to 45 miles-per-hour in a snap. He’d be in the Bronx before he stopped and realized something was awry.

Next, I’m going to surprise him and take him to The Dog Run, a doggy day care on the Westside (136 9th Ave.). They claim to have the only heated indoor pool for dogs in New York City. It’s 4.5-feet deep and chlorinated at a safe level for dogs. The pool is open to the “public” (people and their dogs) Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 3 for just 20 bucks. And he doesn’t need any special swimming attire. He’ll wear the elegant tiger-print he was bornwith, so I just have to find a suit for me.