Dog Parks
They take some time to get used to but are
great for well-behaved, highly social dogs and their people
MetPet.com Staff Writer
A dog park is usually just a fenced-in area of land where dogs, trained
or not, can legally go off leash. For owners of hyperactive breeds, puppies and rescues they can be
of tremendous benefit. If your dog likes to meet and mingle with
other dogs, chase a tennis ball or Frisbee, a dog park will give him a good outlet for all
that energy.
The best dog parks are large, have a large number of shade
trees, a tap for fresh water, good drainage, tough ground cover, covered garbage
cans, tools and/or bags for removing poop and a rigorous maintenance schedule.
Maintaining a dog park is difficult since the best ones are overused until the
grass is dead. Sometimes parks have to be closed for months to let the
vegetation recover. Other parks just give up and are happy to have very
tough weeds stand in for lawn. Still, other parks give up on vegetation
altogether and use sandy soil instead.
Make sure your dog is park-ready
One thing to remember is that dog parks are
full of strange dogs interacting all in a jumble. In order to avoid problems, you
should not take puppies younger than 4-5 months (check with your vet) who do not have all
their shots, any dog in heat, aggressive dogs, fearful dogs, sick dogs or dogs without
sufficient protection against common diseases and parasites like heartworm.
Be prepared for interesting behavior
There is some interesting behavior (mostly on the part of people) at dog parks.
At one park, a rather small and elderly man appeared with two huge wolves
on leash. The wolves didn't interact with the other dogs but stood in the
center of the park coldly watching all of the activity around them.
Most of us were thinking that he couldn't possibly hold on to the wolves if they
should choose to make a meal of domestic terrier. Completely unconcerned,
he proudly told us that his wolves were so smart they would open the zippers of
pillows with their teeth before they ripped out the stuffing.
Then there was the case of a yellow labrador that would be let
out of the house by his owner, cross the field to the dog park and stand at the
gate waiting to be let in. An hour or so later, he would stand at the gate
waiting to be let out. He would then wander home.
Dog park, what dog park?
First, contact your city's Parks and Recreation Department. They should be
able to tell you where the dog parks are. If there aren't any,
it is fair to ask them why. If there isn't a Dog Park on the agenda, then consider starting a petition to open one.
This would probably entail collecting signatures, attending a Parks and
Recreation Department meeting and maybe going to a City Council meeting.
These are not particularly enjoyable activities. It may
simply be easier to go to a dog park of a neighboring, and much more enlightened
town. It may simply be easier to move.
Starting out slowly
Second, provided you have found one close by,
visit the Dog Park with your dog when you are sure it will not be crowded. Dog
Parks tend
to be most crowded when the weather is nice. They also tend to be crowded after work
on weekdays when it is still light outside and in the afternoon on weekends. If it
is
not crowded, take your dog in and let him run around and get used to the smells of the
park. You can take a Frisbee or tennis ball but you may end up losing one or both of
them to other dogs, at least temporarily.
Page 2
|
