SFist Barks and Whines: Smiley’s Schooner Salon and Hotel

It makes us sad to think of all the dogs unwalked, unwashed and untrained in San Francisco. We guess this lack of walking, washing and training is because dog guardians just don’t know how to find such a service provider. Lucky for us urbanhound.com, a website that started in New York, has come to the rescue with a San Francisco version. It is a central source of all the same ads that already appear in print in Fetch the Paper and The Woofer Times. But online. With a GUI that screams 1999.

Online dog resources are hardly new to the Bay Area. For years we’ve had the San Francisco Dog Owners Group and a canine focused page at citysearch.com. We have two problems with all of these sites – the content is rather static and they skirt the tough issues, like where are the best dog friendly (and law breaking) bars in and around San Francisco.

We just came back from our 4th of July holiday and there is nothing like the 4th of July parade in Bolinas, home of Smiley’s Schooner Salon and Hotel. To call this place "dog friendly" is like calling the Golden State Warriors "mildly inept". The dogs sometimes outnumber the patrons in this establishment and they don’t have to pay for the cold hot dogs that the bartender offers right out of the cooler. Heck, the whole town loves dogs and the beaches are great. Stinson Beach is for losers and even the outdoors restaurants won’t allow docks on the patio, so if it's the beach you seek this summer, take your pooch to Bolinas (if you can find it – the residents have the most annoying habit of removing the highway signs) and grab a couple drinks at Smiley’s. 4 St. Bernards.

By SFists Stan and Bailey, contributing