Half the people who ask us about a Northwoods cabin ask about the dog in the same breath, and we get it. A trip is not much of a trip if someone has to stay home. The good news is that both of our places take dogs, and the Northwoods is about as good a place as there is to have one along. Here is everything we tell guests before they load the car.
The policy
Are the cabins dog-friendly?
Yes, with one small step: up to two dogs at either cabin, with prior approval. That is so we know who is coming and can have the place ready. A large crate is available if you would rather not haul your own. Tell us about your dog when you book and that is the whole process.
Both The O.G. on Lake Arbutus and The Grandy Dandy on the Sugar Camp Chain are set up the same way on this. Neither has a fenced yard, so plan on a leash or a long lead rather than letting a dog loose by the water, especially the first evening when everything smells new and interesting.
Out the door
Where do you actually walk a dog here?
You are not hunting for a dog park up here. You are surrounded by the kind of country a dog would design for itself.
Forest roads
The gravel and two-track roads through the Nicolet National Forest are quiet, shaded and long. Pick one, walk until the dog is tired, turn around.
The shoreline
You have lake out the door at both cabins. A slow lap of the shore and the dock, morning and evening, does more for a dog than any drive.
Downtown Eagle River
Sidewalks, storefronts and a lot of people who will want to say hello. Good for a leg-stretch when you are in town anyway.
If you want marked trail rather than forest road, our hiking trails guide covers the local options, and most of them are perfectly good on a leash. In winter the same ground turns into the routes in our snowshoeing guide, though a dog in deep snow will work harder than you expect and tire sooner.
Right now
What changes once it gets cold?
Late fall and early winter are our favorite weeks to have a dog along, and also the weeks that need the most thought. Three things worth planning for.
Ice. As the chain goes over, the shoreline looks solid long before it is. Shelf ice breaks away, current keeps working under the surface where lakes connect, and a dog has no way to read any of it. We keep dogs leashed anywhere near the water until the ice is genuinely established, and off slush and dark patches entirely. Our ice-up guide walks through how the chain actually freezes if you want the longer version.
Paws. Cold, crusted snow and road salt are hard on feet. Paw balm before a walk and a rinse after, plus a quick check between the toes for ice balls, handles almost everything. Booties help if your dog will tolerate them; plenty will not.
Hunters. Once the fall seasons are underway, blaze orange goes on both of you before you step into the woods, and the dog stays leashed and close. Our hunting guide has the background on what is happening out there and when.
Packing
What should you bring?
Beyond the usual food, bowls, meds and tags: a long lead for the shoreline, two old towels for the inevitable muddy or snowy return, a blanket for whichever couch becomes the dog's couch, and a crate if yours sleeps better in one, though we have a large one here. Our seasonal packing guide covers the human half of the list.
Keep tick and flea prevention current well into the fall up here.
Where to stay with a dog
Both cabins welcome up to two dogs with prior approval, and both are open year-round. The O.G. sits on Lake Arbutus with a wrap-around deck and a lakeside firepit; The Grandy Dandy is on the quieter Sugar Camp Chain with a hot tub, a cedar barrel sauna and a private dock. Mention the dog when you book and we will take it from there.
Good to know