06-11-2023 Capital Style - Flipbook - Page 60
Lisa Fontaine of Annapolis gives her dog Kona a spoonful of maple bacon doggie ice cream at Salty Paws, a shop in Annapolis that specializes in treats for dogs.
PHOTO BY BARBARA HADDOCK TAYLOR
Next time, you can tell your humans to consider
a nylon toy or bone, suitable for puppies to
chew on, or an “enrichment toy” shaped like
a chili pepper, pineapple or eggplant that can
be filled with treats.
Cool down with
a lick of something sweet.
Any pup in need of a pick-me-up would
be remiss in not paying a visit to Salty Paws,
Annapolis’ very own ice cream shop for dogs.
Suzanne Tretowicz opened the store in
2020, after originally launching Salty Paws
in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. “We wanted
a place where people can take their pets and
enjoy experiences like [the ones] they enjoy
themselves,” she said.
At the store, each table is complete with dog
beds so that canines can dine in. From 12 to
16 ice cream flavors made from lactose-free
whole milk and goat’s milk bases are available
at any given time, ranging from peanut butter
to maple bacon. The ice cream is made in-house
and there’s a topping bar, too.
With Tucker, “we would do taste testing,
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| CAPITAL STYLE | Summer 2023
Two dogs splash around in the pool at Dogwood
Acres Pet Retreat in Davidsonville on a sunny
afternoon. PHOTO BY MATTHEW COLE
because the smaller dogs can be a little more
picky,” Tretowicz said. “So we would find
his favorite flavor, we would let him try the
toppings from the topping bar.”
“He could really be spoiled,” she added.
Celebrate by
splashing around.
When your first birthday rolls around,
Tucker, perhaps you’ll want to round up a group
of your closest pals and soak up the last of the
warm weather.
At the Davidsonville branch of Dogwood
Acres Pet Retreat, which specializes in pet
“lodging” (aka overnight boarding) and doggy
day care, canines can rent out an “in-ground,
bone-shaped dog pool,” according to Jill
Schellenschlager, the general manager.
The pool, which is ankle-deep at each end
and hip-deep in the center — on a human, that
is — can be used by day care pups anytime
during the day and by overnight boarders for
an extra fee ($10). It can also be rented out
for two-hour private parties on Saturdays and
Sundays, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. ($400 for up
to 15 dogs, $550 for 16 to 30). One or two
lifeguards, depending on the size of the party,
will monitor play.
When dogs that are familiar with swimming
get a chance to visit, “they’re doing a cannonball
into the pool,” Schellenschlager said. Others
that are newer to the idea “don’t necessarily
have to be full-out swimming, they can just
stand and splash,” she added.
The pool is popular for breed meetups,
among rescue groups and as a birthday party
venue — and stays open as late into the fall as
the weather allows.
