Bend seems to make regular appearances on the various top ten lists of outdoor playgrounds. Local breweries regularly bring home top honors at leading beer festivals. And now the city has another feather for its cap. Dog Fancy Magazine just named Bend “Dog Town USA.”

David Nogueras / OPBCathy White and her English Cocker Spaniel, Baxter.

Publishers of Dog Fancy say about 260,000 people pick up a copy of their magazine each month. Wildland firefighter Keith Reid not one of those people. But he says he doesn’t have to read Dog Fancy to know Bend is a great place to have a dog. He’s got a big yard with a fence where he likes to play catch with his 7-year-old pit/lab mix. That dog’s name is Tavius.

Molly Shea and dog Jiva at Tumalo.

“Short for Octavius Jowlichi the third,” says Reid.

And for an active dog like Tavius, Reid says there’s never a shortage of things to do here.

“Swimming on the river, out hiking in the woods, chasing the frisbee in the park. It’s a great place to be for a dog, I think.”

But it takes more than pretty scenery to land the title of Dogtown USA. You also need a bone or two to throw to your more cosmopolitan canines.

Lynne Braillard’s dog Gitsy loves the Deschutes River and jet skiing on many Cascade lakes.

Downtown, I meet Cathy White walking her dog Baxter. He’s a purebred English Cocker Spaniel puppy. She says people love seeing dogs downtown, which is good thing considering Baxter’s aspirations.

“He is going to be a show dog with novice owners. Bark. What’s he saying? He’s saying hurry up mom, I’ve had enough of this,” says White.

Bend resident Glen Goland shared this photo of his dog Kingsley floating the Deschutes river on a $10 inflatable mattress.

Baxter apparently has places to go. For dogs visiting from out of town, the magazine mentions a boutique hotel — the Oxford — that has set aside an entire floor for guests traveling with pets.

Do you have a favorite furry friend? Email us a photo of you and your dog in Bend.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.