Sacramento’s moderate climate is perfect for a fun-filled day with the family – including the family dog. We’ve put together a list of five ways to enjoy California’s capital city with your dog.

Photo by Peaceful Pets Petsitting

1. Take your four-legged friend to a Sacramento dog park

Is your dog’s pent-up energy distracting you from other pursuits? Dogs can run it off at any of 11 fenced dog parks in the Sacramento area. The two closest to Downtown Sacramento are Sutter’s Landing Dog Park at 20 28th St. and Partner Park on Land Park Drive at Fruitridge Road. Remember to bring your own pickup bags.

2. Walk ’n’ wag in the jewel of the valley

Sacramento’s leafy parks beg exploring with your best friend. The jewel in the crown is the American River Parkway, a greenbelt and 32-mile paved multiuse trail with many access points between the Old Sacramento historic district on one end and Old Town Folsom on the other. You could also paw your way over to William Land Park, a 166-acre preserve about a mile south of Downtown Sacramento. Capitol Park around the State Capitol at 10th and Capitol Mall is dog-friendly, as is local favorite McKinley Park, at 3330 McKinley Blvd.

3. Lay your head

Sacramento’s dog-friendly hotels include the Hyatt Regency, situated on a sprawling 19-acre campus offering plenty of room for a walk; the Best Western Sandman; La Quinta; Hilton Sacramento near Downtown and the Sheraton Grand in the heart of the convention district.

4. Chow down

Many Sacramento restaurants allow four-legged companions to join their uprights in dining outdoors – and in Sacramento, a moderate climate means patio dining is available about nine months per year. Café Bernardo and Capitol Garage in the thriving Midtown district are two local favorites. When it comes to local craft brews, Track 7 Brewing Company, a bare-bones but welcoming establishment near Sacramento City College, is the place to go no matter what the weather.

5. Doggy Dash

The biggest canine-centric event of the year in Sacramento is the Doggy Dash sponsored by the Sacramento SPCA. Held on the second Saturday in June at William Land Park, it’s a dog-meet-dog event with more activities than you can shake a stick at, and it attracts more than 5,000 dog enthusiasts each year. Can’t make it? Show your support any time by shopping at the SPCA Thrift Store at 1517 E St. in Downtown Sacramento.

For more tips on things to do with your dog in and around the Sacramento area, check out www.dogtrekker.com, a website devoted to dog-related fun in Northern California.