LeisurePup
Lindsey Schmidt's dog, Rummy, at Ace Hardware in Alexandria.
Alexandria is one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country.
But even in Alexandria, you can’t take your dog with you everywhere.
That's why Alexandria real estate agent (and dog owner) Lindsey Schmidt launched LeisurePup.com—to help dog owners like herself find more places around town that truly welcome dogs.
Connecting with other dog owners
Schmidt said she initially started LeisurePup about two years ago as a social media platform to connect with other dog owners and share recommendations of places that welcome dogs.
“I started with Twitter and Instagram, and later added Facebook,” she recalled. “I’m always looking for places that I can take my dog, and I thought if I could connect with other dog owners, they could let me know about more places, too.”
Schmidt has taken photos of her beloved dog, Rummy, while out and about at places that were dog-friendly, and shared them on LeisurePup’s social media accounts. (Here are links to visit LeisurePup online, on Twitter, on Instagram and on Facebook.)
Over time, more and more local dog owners started to take notice and share her posts, as well as tweet or message her back with their own recommendations.
“It’s been really fun to see it evolve,” Schmidt said. “And really, it’s selfish, too—I wanted to be able to find more places to take my own dog, and now I’m learning just as much as I’m sharing,” she said.
As LeisurePup’s social media grew in popularity, Schmidt finally decided to move forward with creating a full-blown website, which launched earlier this month.
“It’s a hobby that I just finally pulled the trigger on,” she said.
The website adds many more listings and recommendations, along with helpful search features.
Local businesses: How dog-friendly are they, really?
Schmidt points out, not all businesses are dog-friendly—even the ones that claim to be.
“Unless you’ve actually taken a dog out, and noticed a lot of the problems with certain places, you wouldn’t know,” she said.
For example, Schmidt explained that some restaurants or cafes with outdoor seating may say that they welcome dogs, but when you arrive, you may see that there are only two tables in the whole establishment where you can sit with your dog. Or, a restaurant may have several outdoor tables where they allow dogs to join you, but none of them are covered, so if it’s raining, or particularly hot, there will be no cover or shade for you and your dog.
So, Schmidt started her own rating system to share how dog-friendly a business really is. Instead of five stars, she rates a business out of five “pups”. The more dog-friendly the business is, the more pups they get.
Schmidt cautioned, the rating system has nothing to do with the business itself—for example, with restaurants, it has nothing to do with the cleanliness or attractiveness, or the quality or affordability of the food.
“It’s purely based on how easy is it for you to include your dog,” she explained.
For example, if it’s a retail store, do they allow you to bring your dog inside and actually walk the aisles with you, like Alexandria’s HomeGoods does? Or, if the dog isn’t allowed inside, do they offer a place to tie your dog up by the front door with a bowl of water to drink, or even better, a treat to enjoy, like Old Town’s Enchanted Florist? If it’s a hotel that welcomes dogs, do they add on exorbitant fees for those who actually bring them?
If Schmidt has actually been to the business with her dog, she will add photos and rate the business herself. However, the site also features many more businesses that have been recommended by LeisurePup users and fans as well.
Helpful Search Features
One of the most helpful features of LeisurePup’s brand-new website is the search filters. Whether you just want to get out for a nice window-shopping walk, or you have specific things you need to shop for such as home improvement supplies, running shoes or a birthday gift, LeisurePup.com can recommend Alexandria shops that will allow you to take your furry friend along with you.
Or, if you’re just hankering for a cup of coffee or a lunch out on the town, LeisurePup will let you search cafes and restaurants by various parameters.
“You can search for places where you only want to take your dog inside, for example, if it’s a really hot day, or there’s a chance of rain,” Schmidt explained.
Schmidt says, personally, some of her favorite places in town are ACE Hardware, HomeGoods and the Torpedo Factory.
“The Torpedo Factory is great because it has three levels, which gives Rummy lots of space to walk around indoors, and all the business owners are very friendly to dogs,” she says. “And at HomeGoods, I get to shop for lots of great stuff, and the employees even let her walk up and down all the aisles with me.”
“So those are two of our go-to places when we want to get out of the house, but we don’t necessarily want to be outside all day,” she said. “Especially if it’s raining, or it’s really hot, my dog hates to be outside.”
She adds, ACE Hardware is the perfect place to take a break from errand-running.
“It’s is her absolute favorite place to go. Anytime we go inside she gets really excited, because she knows she gets a treat at the counter,” Schmidt said.
In addition to local shops and restaurants, LeisurePup also includes recommendations for short road trips to area wineries and hotels, as well as larger areas that allow you to run various errands with a dog in tow.
‘Treat Stops’
If you just feel like getting out and about for a walk in town, Schmidt says LeisurePup recommends various walking routes that feature at least a few “treat stops” for your pup—meaning, at certain points along your walk, there will be businesses you can look out for that regularly offer water bowls and treats for your dog to take a little break.
Schmidt says King Street in Old Town is one of her favorite walking routes because there are several dog-friendly businesses along the way, although she admits the busy street can get overwhelming for some dogs. Therefore, she has found several businesses just a block or so off of King that can be perfect to stop by.
“We love stopping at Diva Boutique. They're a block off of King, which gives us a break from the crowd, and they have three levels of air conditioning for Rummy to relax in while I shop,” she shared. “And a block away, Enchanted Florist has treats outside, and that's a nice reward for her patience while I shop.”
“Moving further toward the river, we like to walk down Captain's Row, which is usually shaded, to the Christmas Attic for water for her,” she added.
“These are the kinds of things I am excited to share with others through the website, and I hope to gather more ideas like them.”
Building a Community
Schmidt says what started as a hobby has blossomed into a wonderful community for local dog owners, and she is excited to see that process continue.
One purely fun feature that she has added to the website is the “Lucky Dogs” section, where she features photos of dogs out and about that their owners send to her.
“It’s exciting for people to see their dogs on the site, and it gets the community more involved, and also shows off even more dog-friendly places,” she explained.
As a local real estate agent that is largely based in Alexandria, all this new-found knowledge also allows her to share helpful information about the local area with clients that have dogs who are looking for the best area in which to buy a home.
And, she’s more than happy to share with clients how dog-friendly Alexandria is.
“Alexandria has always been super dog-friendly,” she said. “And for that reason I love supporting local businesses that welcome me and Rummy.”
