It’s National Dog Week, so you know we will be out and about with our best friends this week – and well – every week.
National Dog Week was founded in 1948 after WWI by Captain Judy. Captain Judy was a dog advocate who really wanted an entire week to celebrate the glory of service dogs. The National Dog Week holiday has blossomed into a week dedicated to the welfare of dogs – to celebrate the dog community by being responsible dog owners and by helping vulnerable dogs.
If you’re not able to volunteer this week, you should instead take your dog everywhere and support local businesses that allow your best friend to join you.
Because Bendites would agree – there is nothing better than laughing with friends while sipping a cold (or warm) drink, and knowing that your sweet fur babe is laying at your feet enjoying the time with you.
In fact, in Bend, no matter your personality or mood, there is a great local dog-friendly place for you. That’s why we’ve compiled the perfect dog-approved day in Bend to celebrate National Dog Week that also supports local Bend businesses. Don’t forget to pack water for your fur babe too.
Let’s Start With Coffee
Early morning, before heading out for your daily National Dog Week adventure, stop by either Lone Pine or Spoken Moto. They each bring unique experiences and personalities, so it’s easy to find out which best suits you and your pup.
While both open early for coffee, they each start serving alcohol around 11am, so post brunch always works too!
Lone Pine is….refreshing. A small, vertical neon sign draws you in. Behind the door you are met with dark stained wood, cozy seats, geometric lighting fixtures, and live plants.
On nice days, the garage walls lift to reveal a beautifully natural transition to the seating outside. We found the staff to be caring and easy to be around. They even brought a special water dish over for our sweet pup.
Don’t you dare leave without trying their delightful waffles.
Spoken Moto brings a slightly more rural energy. With its modern day outlaw vibe, you’ll find repurposed wood, galvanized metal, soft lighting, and restored vintage bikes. Hand roasted coffee gets your day started while your pup patiently waits for you to get a move on.
Appreciate the slow nostalgia that comes alongside simpler times, sit back and sip that brew knowing your dog would have been asleep at your feet while you did the same thing back in the day.
Mid Day Musings
For that lunch meeting, head over to the Humm Kombucha Taproom. Opening in 2013 as possibly the first Kombucha Taproom in the country, this place is ahead of it’s time.
It has outdoor seating for you and your pup, with open concept and fresh modern decor inside. Try a flight to get to know your favorite flavors, or grab a creamy float to sip on. They offer growlers and cans to go, so grab some to stay hydrated on that afternoon adventure!
If Kombucha isn’t your thing, I bet pizza is!
Swing on over to Crux, where you can dip into a wood-fired pizza while sipping a cold beer from one of their 24+ taps. Craving something else? These fermentation fanatics make Whiskey, Wine, and Cider! Check out the local food trucks while you lounge outside with your very content pup.
Take your dog on the town for National Dog Week
Before dinner, wind down with some Darts and Pool over at Avid Cider. The goldilocks of fermented apples, they pride themselves on not being too dry or too sweet…just right.
With a focus on everything NW, you can feel good knowing their fruit is sustainably and locally sourced. They do have outdoor seating for you and your fur friends, and feature pups on their website as well, making them feel extra welcomed.
Once you are getting hungry and need a little extra entertainment, pack up your pup and head over to the Eastside Worthy Brewing.
With a large outdoor patio, live music, fireside seating, and meals created especially for your pup, they are possibly the most dog friendly of todays options.
You can order a diggy patty or a diggy dog bowl, and feel confident that your pup is getting protein and refreshing veggies for dinner right alongside you.
Get ready to yip and howl with your four legged dancing pal, then wind down with a tour of the Hopservatory to stargaze. Feel good with each pint you order, knowing that a percentage goes to planting trees and to local nonprofits.
Bend is known for kind people, craft brews, and lots of dog-friendly places. Get out there and get to know your community, not only during National Dog Week, but everyday! We’ll be there with wagging tails ready to greet you!
Author: Sarah Woolverton
As Owner and Chef of Wildflower's Kitchen, Sarah is a traveling caterer who has moved 30 times in her 30 years of life. While she has had addresses in five different states and has traveled to five times as many, Sarah has finally found her temporary forever home North of Bend in Terrebonne Oregon. She runs Betty Blue Ranch, where she homes abandoned and abused creatures of feathers and fur. She has worked on several farms across the country, working with large animals and getting her hands dirty gardening. She spent three years living in a van with her husband and fur babes, picking up litter across their adventures. As a Wildkeeper for Keep Nature Wild, she still makes a weekly habit of gathering trash off public lands, with her sweet pup River prancing right along.