Posts tagged "DogPark"

This week's guest columnist is my wife Anna.

There's as wide an array of doggie personalities as human personalities. The dog park taught me that.

It turns out our 9-month-old puppy Pippi's a wimp. At home, she exhibits alpha-dog tendencies such as teasing the cat, attempting to jump up on people and pulling on her leash. But at the dog park I see a different side of her.

In our park visits so far, Pippi's remained silent while many of the other dogs bark, snarl and make a racket. She does not enjoy roughhousing in the midst of a whirling canine cluster. (This is understandable because, as we've seen, it can turn quickly into a fight.)

Instead, Pippi prefers to make friends with a single pooch to engage in nice, one-on-one play at the edge of the field. She prefers dogs her own size or smaller. It was a real hoot to watch leggy Pippi befriend a short and stocky English bulldog who followed her around and whose owner told us had never run for that long or that fast in her life. They were two mismatched peas in a pod.

Pippi keeps a close eye on us as she plays, and we sometimes have to run alongside her to get her in motion. Otherwise, she just hovers around our legs. Unlike at home, she is generous with her toys in the dog park, even when another dog appropriates her red Frisbee. Maybe she just trusts that we'll retrieve it before we all head back home.

All in all, the dog park has helped me see what a peach of a pup we have. She suits us, and to some degree matches our personalities.

Have you learned anything surprising about your dog after observing him or her in a group setting?

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Other than the 1998 Luke Wilson movie, I didn't know much about dog parks before Anna and I got Pippi. I always imagined places where pups smelled each others' butts and guys attempted to pick up chicks. After our experience at one this weekend, however, I realize they can be much more intense.

The park we visited was just off one of New Jersey's godforsaken stretches of highways and Pippi had a great time. She was a little shy around the other dogs at first, but eventually got into the swing of things. I'll talk more about her behavior in a future post about dog parks, but for now I want to focus on a particularly fraught incident.

It began when a youngish guy came into the park with his muscular black pit bull. The pit bull played friendly at first, with dogs including a German shorthaired pointer mix who looked something like Pippi. But after a few minutes the pit bull got snarly and nippy (with the pointer mix in particular) and the dogs had to be broken up. A few minutes later the same thing happened again -- except the pit bull was even more aggressive this time. I couldn't tell if he was just playing or if he was out for blood, but the pointer's owner freaked out.

She split the dogs and began punching the pit bull in the chest and gut. This incensed the pit bull's owner, who began swearing at the other owner and warning her to keep her hands off of his dog. The gathering onlookers insisted that it was time for the pit bull to leave, and so his master angrily put on the leash and took him out of there.

Certainly everyone is responsible for the behavior of his or her dog, and it seems likely that the pit needed a break from the dog-park "fun." But to my mind the pointer's owner ceded the moral high ground when she attacked. The safety of everyone's dogs should be of primary concern, even that of those behaving inappropriately, right? Then again, perhaps the woman's maternal instincts simply took over and she was doing what any protective dog owner would do in that situation. What are your thoughts?

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Cold weather often generates a strange phenomenon in well-trained dogs. Shredded toilet paper appears throughout the house, garbage cans are overturned and special "presents" are left for you to discover. Though there may be other factors contributing to your dog's destructive behavior, cabin fever is often at the root of the problem.

Snowstorms and freezing temperatures may keep you from taking your dog for long walks or trips to the dog park, but there are a variety of ways you can keep your canine physically and mentally active throughout the winter.

Provide Interactive Toys
Most dogs love to eat, so why not use food as a motivation to keep their minds busy? Michelle Douglas, President of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, recommends stuffing your dog's meal in a Kong. "This way, your dog will have to work at getting the food and will burn calories in the process." The Buster Cube and the Dog Tornado are other toys that offer your dog the opportunity to work for their meal.

But the toys don't have to feature food to be fun. The IQube challenges your dog to remove squeaky balls from within a plush puzzle-like cube, and comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate both small and large pooches. Babble Balls are another fun -- and noisy -- option. The balls entice your dog by producing realistic animal noises each time he passes by, tapping into his desire to hunt. If, however, your temples are throbbing at even the thought of wild animal calls, Fetch a Bubble may be a good alternative. This clever machine blows chicken-scented bubbles into the air, sending your dog into a frenzy to catch the delicious floating flavor.

Here at Paw Nation, we know that every pet has a story, and it's usually a story their owners just love to tell. So we decided to hit the streets to ask pets (and their owners) about everything from how they were adopted to what was the naughtiest thing they've ever done. It's our new weekly series, "Pet on the Street." We hope you love it. And be sure to let us know what questions you would like us to ask and what cites we should visit!

PRODUCTION PLAYER! DO NOT DELETE.

Nearly every dog owner will tell you that their pet gives them unconditional love. But in some cases, dogs also help their owners find unconditional love. The scene for this canine-inspired matchmaking? That playground for schnauzers and singles alike: the local dog park.

According to Mary Lee Nitschke, a Linfield College psychology professor who specializes in human-animal bonds, pets naturally increase your odds of meeting people. This makes the dog park a particularly fitting setting for romance -- and not just around Valentine's Day. "Someone walking a dog is more likely to have opportunities for social interaction," says Nitschke. "Pets attract comments, and that opens the door for conversation."

Andrew Seidenfeld took advantage of that open door 10 years ago, when he met the woman who would become his wife at the dog park near his home in Lincoln Park, New Jersey.

"I met my wife at the park down the street," Seidenfeld tells Paw Nation. "I would walk my dog, and frequently I'd see this beautiful woman, also walking her dog. Finally I got up the nerve to talk to her by asking if her dog was friendly."

The dog's lovely owner, it turns out, was also friendly. "We went out for three years and got married," says Seidenfeld. Though the pooches that brought them together have since passed away, the couple (now married seven years) still has four cats.

Heidi Weber of Saratoga Springs, New York, never imagined she'd meet her future-husband through her beloved mutt, Nelson. In fact, she got a dog because she was tired of the dating game and wanted a loyal companion. But a late morning visit to a Schenectady, New York, dog park in May 2007 eased her back onto the playing field.

"I'm not sure how long I was at the park, but at one point, in strolled a cute guy and his handsome dog, Hunter, half Lab/half Plotthound," Weber tells Paw Nation. "Our dogs hit it off right away and began playing together. Pete and I struck up a conversation and I learned he was in the Navy and had just returned from Italy."

Weber worked up the courage to suggest they get coffee sometime. Pete called her the next day.

"We began dating, and we often took our dogs to a park in Albany, followed by cocktails at various pet-friendly establishments," says Weber. "We went on picnics and hikes.

"Five months later, he and Hunter moved in with me, Nelson and my cat, Misty. We got engaged on Christmas Eve and married October 12, 2008," says Weber, pictured above with Pete and their dogs on their wedding day. "Our dogs served as our ring bearers. It wouldn't have been right if we didn't include them."

The story doesn't end there, though -- they're expecting a baby next month, and Weber says, "[We] fully expect our daughter to be a dog lover, too!"

Alison Larkins of Gainesville, Florida, met her current beau, Dave, over nine years ago, but it wasn't exactly love at first sight. "I was introduced to him by a neighbor, but we didn't really 'meet,'" she tells Paw Nation. "Then, we were in our apartment complex's makeshift dog park. He was playing with Guinness (his chocolate Lab), and I was bringing my dog out, and we just started talking. He invited me bowling, and I went!" Alison, Dave and Guinness (pictured left) are all still happily together.

Even if they've met elsewhere, some pet lovers find that the dog park makes for an ideal first date. Hilary Reiter of Park City, Utah, connected with a recent date online, but decided to meet him for the first time at the local dog park. "He had three dogs and I have two, so it seemed like a logical place to meet and not much of a time commitment," Reiter tells Paw Nation. "A love of dogs provides a right-off-the-bat commonality, and watching them wrestle and chase each other tends to stimulate conversation."

Meeting at the dog park can also lessen the awkwardness of that moment when potential dates discover there's not much chemistry between them. "It's a good distraction if you're not digging the person," says Reiter. "Plus, if your dogs don't like your date (or vice versa) or the dogs don't like each other, you know it's not going to work out!"

The problems arise when a dog park romance fizzles, but both owners still want to bring their dogs to the park, says Paw Nation contributor Rose Martelli who met her (now ex-) boyfriend at her neighborhood's unofficial dog park.

At the beginning, the connection was strong. "Our dogs got along famously," she says. Fast-forward three years to the break-up, which drove Martelli into avoiding the park she used to frequent with her pooch. "My entire life revolved around not running into him with his dog," Martelli recalls. "Not only did we have the dog park at the end of the block, but our street had one of those grassy islands in the middle where we used to play fetch with the dogs, so I'd actually spy outside my window every time I wanted to go out to make sure he wasn't already on the island.

"My dog couldn't understand why our walks navigated away from the dog park. After about a month, I decided it was easier to move all the way across town, so I did."

For those couples whose relationships are going strong however, the shared experiences and relaxed happiness of the dog park can make it the perfect place to take the relationship to the next level. Last August, Grace Cleaves was at a Portland, Maine dog park with her boyfriend, Mike, and Jake, "the lover-boy Lab mix" that they had adopted in April. The couple (pictured left), met a few years ago on Craigslist.

"I had just made the requisite poop pick-up," Cleaves recalls, "when Mike dropped to his knee and asked me to marry him. Doggie detritus in hand, I said yes. The wedding is May 23rd."

Dog parks are an incredible resource for dog owners and animal lovers. For city dwellers, dog parks provide a rare space where dogs can run free. Even suburban and country dogs love dog parks for the ever-so-important socialization opportunities that they provide. New dog owners, long-time dog owners, and dog owners' associations find dog parks to be an oasis in which to commune. Many even hold events at these parks, adding to their fun.

By sniffing out specifications and reviews, we've compiled a list of the top dog parks in the five largest U.S. cities.

New York, N.Y.
1. Carl Shurz Park Dog Run, on the Upper East Side, is a picturesque park with a small-dog run.
2. Fort Tryon Park Sir William's Run, in Washington Heights, sports grass areas (a rarity in most city dog runs).
3. St. Nick's Dog Run, in Harlem, features the largest run in NYC and an active community.

Los Angeles, Calif.
1. Runyon Canyon Park, in Los Angeles proper, is great for hiking too.
2. Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park, in Encino, boasts five acres of fun.
3. Dog Beach Zone, in Long Beach, is a very popular destination that even hosts interfaith blessings of animals.

Have you ever taken your dog to a dog park? If so, chances are good you've encountered a situation that was less than desirable. Perhaps your dog picked a fight, or maybe another dog became fixated on yours and interfered with his ability to play freely.

Cheryl S. Smith, the author of the book "Visiting the Dog Park: Having Fun, Staying Safe," has a lot to say on the subject. She took a few minutes to chat with Paw Nation.

Did a specific experience lead you to write this book?
Two things led to this book. First, having a new dog park nearby and watching (from outside the fence) the interactions there, it was obvious that people just didn't understand what was going on with the dogs. Second, the increasing push for more dog parks. If this is going to become a common feature of parks, then people really need to understand the pros and cons.

What is the most common mistake people make when taking their dog to the dog park?
The most common mistake is assuming that everything will be fine, that all dogs just naturally get along with each other. We don't assume that every human will play well with every other human, and we shouldn't put that expectation on our dogs.

Could you share some of your favorite pieces of advice for a successful dog park visit?
For a successful dog park visit, people should know their own dog first. If he or she is a bit insecure, plan to visit the park when it isn't too crowded. Always keep an eye on your dog to be sure things are going well, and be willing to change your plans accordingly. If your dog is running away from other dogs and isn't having fun, then leave the park and go for a walk instead. On the other hand, if your dog is having a blast, stay longer.

It's not often that being a responsible pet owner is profitable, but some dog owners in Ithaca, N.Y. have found a way to make that happen (and clean up their dog park in the process).

The Tompkins County Dog Owner Group has teamed up with Cayuga Compost to find a useful solution for all the poo left behind in the city's dog park, reports the Associated Press. Considering some 50,000 dogs visit the park throughout the year (leaving about 1,000 pounds of waste monthly), it only made sense that the group not only wanted to find the best way to rid the park of the waste, but make money doing it.

Leon Kochian, a spokesman for TC DOG (the not-for-profit volunteer group involved in funding the project), biology professor at Cornell University and owner of a yellow Labrador retriever, told the Associated Press, "There was a large Dumpster at the park, and it was just always overflowing with plastic bags of dog poop. The amount was unbelievable."

So sure, it makes sense to compost the doggy doo. But why hasn't this been done before? The Associated Press reports that, according to an assistant program director for the U.S. Composting Council, dog and cat waste isn't suitable to use for vegetable gardens and topsoil because of parasites and pathogens.