Pampered Paws Upon the Potomac
Alexandria Doesn’t Stop At Yappy Hour and Masseuses for Dogs
By Annie Gowen, Washington Post Staff Writer
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.