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.

You can start this Sunday at the W Hotel’s party for dogs cosponsored by Bark Magazine. Come meet the author of “TAILS OF DEVOTION A Look At The Bond Between People And Their Pets” from 4-6 p.m. This is a classy event and fundraiser for Pets Unlimited so please RSVP.

With World Cup just around the corner, there is no reason to leave your dog at home when you head out to watch the game at a pub. While there are many sports bars to choose from, we recommend two dog themed, dog friendly bars – The Dogs Bollix on Clement and Mad Dog in the Fog in the Lower Haight. While neither place exactly caters to canine needs, at least you are not left sitting outside on the cold concrete sidewalk. Only 1 St. Bernard each.

Don’t forget to check out Dog Days at AT&T Park on August 5th. Tickets went on sale last week by calling 415-972-2356 or emailing Scott DiPaolo.

But now dogs in the Bay Area have two, count ‘em, two monthly newspapers catering to their needs. The Woofer Times claims to produce 40,000 free papers per month distributed at over 650 locations in the Bay Area. Fetch the Paper is distributed at 150 locations, primarily in the North Bay. Both papers are great if your Google is broken and you have no other way to find a veterinarian, gourmet pet store or dog walker in your area.

Why two new newspapers for dogs and their people at a time when human newspapers are struggling and consolidating to stay in business? The American Pet Product Manufacturers Association reports that the pet industry has grown from $28.5 billion to $38.4 billion in the last five years – a whopping 35% increase. While the number of dogs and cats is relatively stable, that means consumers are spending more on fancy treats, toys and accessories – yet another indication that dogs are the new children.

If you want to take your child, we mean, faithful companion with you for lunch or a beer on a nice sunny day, may we suggest the Atlas Café on 20th at Alabama in the Mission. They have a great outdoor patio with a separate entrance off of Alabama where canines can hang out, complete with water dish. The patio is attached to a cool coffee shop/bar/café so there are lots of food opportunities. The downside is dogs are not welcome inside, which is sorely tempting given all the great food smells, and the cold concrete patio offers little in the way of creature comfort. 2.5 St. Bernards.

Old Navy has finally realized the errors of its ways and is hoping to find a new dog mascot to fill Magic’s sizeable paws. If your mutt (pure breeds need not apply) has what it takes to saves a sagging discount retailer, you can take him or her to an open casting call at the Marina Green on May 13 from noon to 4 p.m. If you can’t make it to the casting call, you can submit your information online at the Old Navy site.

If you think a cocktail might make your pooch less nervous for his or her big audition, we would recommend you check out Kilowatt on 16th St. near Guerrero. It is hard to visit Kilowatt and not see two or three dogs inside, where there is lots of room to run around and you can sit pretty much anywhere but behind the bar. There is usually a source of water near the entrance but the place is light on snacking opportunities. A great bar for dog socializing and a solid 3 St. Bernards.

The dot on the “i” in this transformation may well be the name of a popular store catering to dogs – Babies on Gough in the Hayes Valley. There are no clothes for children in Babies, only expensive collars, clothes and treats for dogs (and, we think oddly, cats). Babies even hosted a Easter Egg hunt at Hayes Park on Sunday morning just for canines.

If you are looking to take your four-legged Jack or Annie or Maggie or Charlie out for a cocktail, we suggest the appropriately named Dogpatch Saloon on 3rd street at 22nd in Potrero Hill. A large inviting room awaits with plenty of space to roam around and a very friendly staff. Our bartender even had a tattoo of his dog on his arm. Not a lot of food opportunities and no water dish but a very chill vibe (and we like that). A solid 2.5 St. Bernards.

The tradition continues with the 10th Annual Dog Days of Summer on August 5th against the Colorado Rockies. But the competition hardly matters, what does matter is before the game all the dogs get to parade around the entire field – some dogs wear costumes - and nearly all the dogs get a moment of screen time on the huge scoreboard. The will be the first night game (6 p.m. start time) which means no more roasting in the hot sun in the outfield bleachers, which is nice. Special tickets are required so call 415-972-2356 to reserve your seats for this must do event for dogs.

After the game you can check out or next dog friendly bars – the 21st Amendment and Hennessy’s Wine Shop on 2nd near Brannan. The 21st Amendment beer garden is only open on game days but welcomes the canine crowd with a water dish out front and lots of food to beg, we mean, choose from. Hennessy’s, on the other hand, is about as dog friendly as they come with free treats behind the counter, free treats from the deli floor and a nice outdoor patio in back. 21st Amendment gets 2 St. Bernards while Hennessy’s earns 4 St. Bernards, our highest rating. Check it out if you are in the South Park area.

Cama is not one of those bars. It on 16th near Guerrero – nearly next door to Kilowatt which is ground zero for this block of dog friendly bars. We love the soft, comfy couches and beds at Cama which have lots of cushions to move around to build the perfect nest. This place even has a small outdoor patio, which is a handy canine pee spot. No water dish and no food for begging but easily the most comfortable canine seating in town.

Be forewarned, while very dog friendly on weeknights, the bartender says dogs are not welcome on the weekends. We suspect this is because it is overwhelmed by the bridge and tunnel crowd trying to act hip doing the Mission thing and the New York thing, simultaneously. That is fine - we do not like the bridge and tunnel people (unless they have treats) or getting stepped on. 2 St. Bernards.

Finally, those questions will be answered thanks the San Francisco SPCA and its second annual “Dog Day on the Bay” Sunday May 7. The event is a fund raiser for the SPCA and includes a gourmet Sunday champagne brunch for dogs and their guardians with live entertainment, a silent auction and a pet adoption area. This is not an April Fools joke. It is a great cause and you can reserve your spot at Hornblower Cruises.

Image from the SF SPCA

One of the great charms of dog-friendly San Francisco is the numerous places where dogs are allowed off-leash. Legally. The city lists two dozen parks around town. Sadly, there are many places remaining that do not allow dogs, which causes many to be tied up to parking meters and such while their guardians conduct important consumerism.

A fellow named Jon has made it his life’s work to chronicle the dogs of SF that are hitched to things via a leash. He has documented hundreds of examples of animals left stranded on the sidewalk, wondering if and when their meal ticket may reappear and take them home.

If only more businesses could be non-speciesist like our next bar – the 500 Club at 17th and Guerrero. You have to love this part of the Mission. You can’t swing a dead cat over your head and not hit a dog friendly bar. At the 500 Club, while dogs can come in, there really isn’t much for the canine crowd inside – no food, no treats and no water dish. Just a nice warm carpet to sit on and cushy booths to lounge in. Better than being left tied to a light post by a leash, but really only worth 1 St. Bernard.

Image from Dogblog

Is nothing sacred? Canines have very few opportunities to really perform work in this modern society, and now we can’t even pull kegs around in shopping carts?

The teams do stop at many bars along the course and we hope they stopped in our favorite Chinatown dog friendly bar -- Buddha Bar -- a great dive on the corner of Grant and Washington.

Buddha Bar has carpet, which is comfy for lying around on but rarely seen in bars. And they do provide free treats in the form of Shrimp Fries and Funions but did not have a water dish and our Cushing’s disease makes us thirsty all the time. The bar is selectively dog friendly - we kind of had to beg the nice bartender just to come in but she warmed up to us and we were able to explore and meet lots of nice drunk Irish people who just came from some parade. A nice little find and worthy of 2 St. Bernards.

So the next time you hear a New Yorker tell you how much better everything is there than San Francisco (and you are living here because?), ask them if they have a dog. And if their dog is still alive, ask them when was the last time they took their dog wine tasting.

Photo courtesy of Mutt Lynch Winery