Your dog needs exercise and his favourite place to run is likely in the woods.

If you are in Vancouver, it might be Pacific Spirit Park, or maybe your pup has been fortunate enough to spend a few night with us at the Bowen Island Dog Ranch. Because we have many deer on the island, we are well versed in TICK language, though we are fortunate as the deer don’t come near our property with all the dogs around! Here are a few pointers to help you become as ‘in the know’ as we are.

1) After a lovely long walk through long grass, or through the trees at the park, be sure to look him over fully. Feel around the neck, the ears, and flanks, and give him a thorough once over with your hands. He’ll feel loved, and you’ll feel relieved!

Owner of the Dog Ranch is Karen Munro at the far right standing with the ladies from LUSH cosmetics who volunteer their time with APFA.

Photograph by: Debra Stringfellow

It’s not always easy co-existing with wildlife on this island, but it’s definitely an aspect of rural living that most locals appreciate and respect. Being able to witness a family of beavers, our national symbol, swimming along the shorelines of the lagoon is a rare treat for most. It’s unfortunate but these large nocturnal, semi-aquatic animals do have a reputation for being destructive. They chew down trees and dam brooks and streams.

Dog owners know their fluffy bundles of joy deserve the best. In the world of Vancouver dog boarding, that means trusting the experts at the Bowen Island Dog Ranch to look out for fido, whether its for a day or a week.

Recently, the impressive work of Bowen Island Dog Ranch was featured in the Bowen Island Undercurrent business section. The Bowen Island Undercurrent reports on news, arts and culture from Bowen Island and the city of Vancouver, and the article highlights the “canine care dream team” and the unique dog boarding experience your pooch will get when they stay at the ranch.

As the Undercurrent explains, the Bowen Island Dog Ranch is not your typical doggy daycare, with carefully selected handlers, trainers and groomers on staff, and a specially-designed dog-friendly terrain to keep your fur pup happy and active during their stay. Not only does the ranch have acres of securely-fenced land for the dogs to romp in, but it also provided a warm and cozy indoor space for those much-needed naps.

This is a letter from one of our clients to The Editor of “The Undercurrent” November 26th, 2010, The local Bowen Island newspaper.

Our beloved Riley, an 11-year-old pit bull-pointer cross, was terrified by repeated piercing whistles from our smoke detector during the power interruptions last Saturday evening. In his fright, he bolted and disappeared into the steep terrain surrounding our home in the Valhalla area. We were frantic when he hadn’t returned by midnight, with the temperature rapidly dropping.

After a sleepless night, we rose before dawn to find our old boy still missing. We criss-crossed the rugged hillside in semi-darkness, calling until we were hoarse, picturing Riley caught in a hole, with a broken leg, slowly freezing.

Kat and Cam of Turtlebox Productions here on Bowen Island shot and produced this great video of their dog “Indy” dreaming of being at the Dog Ranch.

They approached us with this great idea of shooting the Dog Ranch from a dogs view point and we spent a day with Kat and Cam and their upside-down camera following all the dogs here for the day. It seemed like a great opportunity to show what the Dog Ranch is all about. So fun!