Here are some photos of canine fans of The Dog Lover’s Companion to California in some of their favorite California spots. We regret that because of techincal difficulties we have not been able to include more of the photos our readers have sent. Unfortunately we've had to cease uploading photos. But stay tuned for an action-packed replacement to this page in early 2009! (Psst, dogs, if you like movies, you'll love what you'll see. Only you'll see them in black and white. Oh well.)

Daisy Dog loves to go canoeing on the Big River in Mendocino. She gets the easy job, thanks to her lack of opposable thumbs. Afterward she reposes with her people at the nautically themed S.S. Seafoam Lodge. One of her people, Kay Elliott, recently became the series manager for the nationwide line of Dog Lover's Companion books. Jake and I are happy to have such a dog-loving,
hard-paddling editor to help continue to steer the Dog Lover's Companion series through successful waters. (Note to Daisy from Jake: The sophomoric metaphor in the previous sentence was not my idea.)

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Ozzi is a very cool California canine who likes to spend his time reclining in lounge chairs at his favorite vacation spots around the state. In this photo, he's wearing his Doggles on a garden chaise at his cottage at the Carmel River Inn. His personal photographer and chauffeur, Tami Blaj, can be seen in the photo below.

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Tami Blaj, and her dogs Ozzi and Linus, give Crissy Field in San Francisco
12 paws up. "We love this beach, and hope that we can continue to enjoy it off leash!" she says for all three of them.

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You know you're in dog heaven when a restaurant not only allows dogs, but gives dogs their very own menus. At The Forge in the Forest, in Carmel, dogs can order everything from doggy treats to a juicy New York sirloin. In the top photo, Bailey Dog and his person, Melissa (with his other person Chris taking the photo) peruse the pooch menu. In the bottom photo, Bailey digs into his Quarter Hounder, "which they cut into yummy bite-sized pieces and served by the fire place, served with ample biscuits throughout the dinner," writes Melissa.

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Some dogs just get to visit dog-friendly lodgings. This dog owns one. Lucky dog Scooter used to be a guest at lots of dog-friendly accommodations with her people, Nancy and Ed, but now she is an innkeeper of sorts. Nancy, Ed, and Scooter own this lovely vacation beach house on the Russian River, west of Napa, and have outfitted it with people luxuries (including the high-end down bedding you see behind Scooter) and dog-friendly goodies, such as an overstuffed dog bed, and a doggy door leading to the house's private dock. To read more about it, click here.

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San Francisco Giants fan Bella (a former flame of Jake's Airedale predecessor, Joe) and her person, Carol Copsey, enjoy attending the Giants' Dog Days of Summer in August. Dogs get to shake paws with their favorite players and can take part in a costume contest before watching a real-deal major league ballgame from the bleachers. "Bring water! It gets hot," advises Carol, who notes that water - and a doggy wading pool - are available at the event, too.

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Rocky the Wonder Dog (aka Roo), who lives just north of Los Angeles, loves to travel around the Golden State with his chauffeurs, Kim and Mark Coo. Here he is as Batdog in his convertible Batmobile (whose license is DVS DOG) along Monterey County's scenic 17-Mile Drive. "Don't worry," writes Kim. "The car was standing still - you know how windy it can be out there.  When driving though, I promise, he is harnessed in.  I mean, not him driving.......ugg, you know what I mean."

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It's hard to sit still for a photo when you're a dog at the magnificent, watery Mendocino Headlands State Park. But Chico, a dashing blue-eyed boy, managed to rein in his excitment long enough for his person, Angela Gardner, to take this shot.

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