A Very Random Question: Can Anyone Direct me to a Pebble or Stone Walkway in SF area?

[BeanDip4All]

Sooooo.... not to be totally off the wall here, but I need to find a pebble or stone public walkway in San Francisco or the surrounding area.

As some of you may recall, our dog is currently rehabbing from a freak spinal cord/disk/back injury resulting in total paralysis of his rear limbs. 13k and LOTS of intensive rehab later, he's learning to walk again! It's been a total, arduous and expensive as all hell mega pain in the ass, but we love him and he is a beloved member of our family so it's worth it.

We graduated from the core-strengthening "wobble board" that we built for him a few weeks ago and now need to find a place where he can walk on pebbles.

I can't think of any. You know what I mean? Like, landscapped pebble walkways where the stones are loose- like this:




he's been doing beach walks 1x a week to help with his proprioception, but apparently pebbles are the best because their consistency really helps him relearn balance and figure out where his feet are in space. They also encourage him to pick his feet up higher when he steps so he doesn't drag his toes.

For the life of me, I can't pinpoint a walkway like that exists around San Francisco. google doesn't help either it keeps telling me to go golf in pebble beach :P Anyone help me out?

Considered Japanese tea garden, but they are strict NO DAGS. Same with botanical gardens. Alamo square park? somewhere in the presidio? must be public doubt i could engage in any stealthy poaching with a handicapped dog who can't walk!

Someone please point me in the right direction so I am not hastened to launch an exhaustive first-hand research campaign.

We're located in the Mission, however willing to drive within reason. Hell i already drive his furry ass to Rohnert Park 2x a week for physical therapy in the water treadmill tank so in for a penny in for a pound at this point! and yes if u r wondering how i suddenly can devote days on end to caretaking for a paralyzed woof, i did switch to graveyard shifts on the amber lamps solely so i may devote my days to this kooky stoof.

thank you kindly
love,
beandip and linus

[nufenstein]

Will keep an eye out for this...

[QuikR12]

won't sand work?

[BS720]

I am 95% certain that Foster City dog park has pebbles. I know that's a hike. Also, either Buena Vista or Dolores Park has a swingset that has these.

[BeanDip4All]

won't sand work?

well, sand works for *some* of the stuff he needs to be doing for PT, but the most important parts of it. Pebbles, apparently encourage the highest level of tactile reception between his feet and his brain- so he picks his feet up higher and steps better while walking on pebbles. In sand he just sinks or what have you.

We do walk him in sand 1x a week and walk him in snow 1x a week when up at Tahoe- but finding some pebbles are the most important, at least now.

I am 95% certain that Foster City dog park has pebbles. I know that's a hike. Also, either Buena Vista or Dolores Park has a swingset that has these.

Ooh, swingsets- that's a good idea BS720! Thanks. Hmm, and I'll check out the Foster City dog park. Wouldn't be totally inconvenient- sometimes I work out of an ambulance station in FC. "Hey dispatch, let my paralyzed corgi hang out here while I run calls"

Will also look at BV Park and Dolores- both easy to get to. Thanks!

[El Chupacabra]

Rocky beaches? Or are those too big/uneven rocks, and you need more uniform gravel?

[BeanDip4All]

Rocky beaches? Or are those too big/uneven rocks, and you need more uniform gravel?

well, more like small stones that provide resistance and then kinda sink when stepped on by a dog's paw. i think the reason a rocky beach wouldn't work is because the stones are too big and also pretty firm sand underneath.

:shrug:

i dunno- just doing what his PT is telling us to do. we've been seeing her for 5 weeks and he's gone from hardly walking to being able to walk like a drunken sailor on HIS OWN, so everything she's been doing and has been telling us to do has worked. not about to disregard her advice/instructions at this point!

she has him doing lots of core work, lots of squats, sits/stands, wobble board, doggie crunches and stuff like that. walking on pebbles is one of many things we are assigned to do!!

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

It seems to me with the amount of money and time already invested in that adorable, furry little sausage that the next logical step is to turn part or all of you residence into a Japanese Zen rock garden. Besides helping Linus with his tactile sensation and rehab you would have the added benefit of a calm, relaxing environment between graveyard shifts and an ever evolving work of gravel art.

[Beaver]

$15k so far? Like JJJJS said, what's another few hundred bucks for a truck load of pea gravel dumped in the yard. Buy yourself a slingshot at the same time & start plinking the neighbor hood hipsters.