Dog Park

OK, I know some of you have had to hear me ramble about the dog park, which really just says I need to get a life. So, let me explain: Elbert is a great dog, his downfalls are a) he is huge b) he is a young lab. I had quit taking him on a weekly romp at the dog park because we had Putter for a while, Putter was a wonderful way to control and direct Elbert's extra energy, unfortunately that didn't count enough in my book after cleaning up the presents left on the floor from him. So, now that Putter is gone, I have been trying to take Elbert to the dog park on Sunday afternoons. It is kind of nice because Tom is home to watch the kids, so I get out of the house and get some quiet time in which I am not rushing through the grocery, or doing something else 'house' related.

The dog park normally is a rewarding experience. Elbert gets to run and run and play and I get either some quiet time or some adult conversation, depending if there are other dogs there or not. Normally the people are all dog people, most are considered "regulars" and "know" each other from the dog park. Occasionally you get Joe Idiot who decides to bring their dog and that is when it gets annoying and sometimes just plain dangerous.

This afternoon Elbert and I pulled up around 3pm and there was no one else there. So, I just got out, made myself comfy with a magazine at a picnic table and let Elbert do this thing. After a while, a few "regulars" started to straggle in which was nice, gave Elbert someone to play with and burn off some energy. Most of the "regulars" know that the dogs humping is just something they do to work things out, their barking and growling at first is just their way of saying "I am in charge here, we can play but know that I am better than you" and then they run and play and have fun. Elbert is always a sissy and very submissive so I never have to worry about him. Then, after a while, in walks a family with three kids and a clearly unsocialized dog. My kids know, if on the rare occasion they go with me to the dog park, that it is a DOG park and if there are dogs other than Elbert, they are to sit on the picnic table and just be bored, they don't interact with the other dogs, they don't run and play with them or with Elbert and it is boring, so they don't like to go. Everyone also knows when you go to the dog park, you take your dog off leash before entering the second gate, because if the dog is connected to you by leash, that tells the dog that they are to protect you and guard you and be "on duty" and it causes resource guarding. So, this family walks in with a gomer of a boy, about 12 years old, a girl about 10 and then a little one about 2 1/2 who, coincidentally, was afraid of dogs. They leave their dog on the leash and then get all freaked out when she growled at Elbert when he said "hi" and sniffed her butt. This went on as each of the dogs approached to introduce themselves to their dog, and the little girl freaked out when a husky jumped up on the table to say hi. So, then the gomer of a boy decided he was going to "walk" his dog around the parameters of the dog park, on leash, to get her away from the other dogs. Dog people who are reading this, know what a brilliant idea this is. As he is walking, the dog stops to growl at other dogs, because as she sees it, she is protecting her kid. Finally one of the "regulars", tells the family/kid that the dog needs to be taken off the leash or she is going to cause a fight, points to the rule board where it states that all dogs are to be off leash.

Elbert and I finally left. It was just getting ridiculous. If you are going to take your dog to the dog park, let her be a dog! You wouldn't take your kid to the kid park and make them sit on your lap the whole time?