Pampered Paws Upon the Potomac

Alexandria Doesn't Stop At Yappy Hour and Masseuses for Dogs

Aboard a vessel of the Potomac Riverboat Co., Julie Garcia and Danny Garcia keep a grip on their pet, Koda, while another canine, Carley, right, surveys the scene along the river. (Photos By Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post)

One recent balmy evening in Alexandria, the dogs -- pugs, Labs, golden retrievers, poodles -- led their owners down a gangplank to board a boat for their moonlit cruise on the Potomac.

Some had started at Yappy Hour at the Barkley Square Gourmet Dog Bakery & Boutique next door and still had wet whiskers from bobbing for hot dogs. Flashbulbs popped; one of the doggie "dads" clutched a video camera to record the moment.

This was Alexandria, after all, otherwise known as Dog Town, home to some of the most cosseted pups in the region. The city's got three pet biscuit bakeries and two doggie happy hours and a dog masseuse who does house calls. It's the kind of place where, when the health inspector decided to crack down on al fresco doggie dining a few years back, dog owners marched to City Hall -- and won.

"Being out on the water is refreshing, and people love their dogs," said Charlotte Hall, vice president of the Potomac Riverboat Co. "They would do anything for them."

This summer, more than 50 dogs and their owners routinely showed up for the company's monthly cruises for pooches, where anybody with $11 and a non-retractable leash -- better to avoid the Dog Overboard incident -- could take in moonlight and a glowing view of the monuments with their pet from the comfort of a double-decker charter boat, complete with two restrooms and a wet bar.

The last cruises of the season are tonight, but Hall said the trips have been so popular the company plans to expand them next year to two to three nights a week.

Aboard, the air was redolent of wet fur.

"This is hilarious," said Elizabeth Gaskins, 27, an Alexandria resident and trade association employee, as the boat motored out over cool water.

"Can you see?" she asked her golden retriever, Davis, as he panted over the rail. "He's a little spoiled, yeah. I mean, he's on a dog cruise! . . . He has a good life, but he doesn't have everything. We don't do, what do you call it, doggie spas?"

Nationally, pet ownership has exploded in the last two decades and Americans spend more than $38 billion a year on their pets, including designer leashes and gourmet treats, according to one industry estimate. But even amid that craze, Alexandria is unusually dog-devoted, its officials say.

Those seeking to understand Alexandria's over-the-top dog craze -- which often prompts child advocates to note indignantly that dogs live better than some kids in this city -- demographics help. A third of the highly educated and affluent population is adults ages 24 to 39, according to 2005 U.S. Census estimates. Many are single and, city parks staff workers say, more likely to own dogs. Along with neighboring Arlington County, the city has the lowest percentage of children younger than 14 in the region.

Alexandria has responded to this demographic shift in a variety of ways; it has 17 dog parks, far more than most other suburban jurisdictions.