Shang - Ruff - La

Last Sunday, the most beautiful day in a long time, we made our first visit to Acton Park. What a great spot for both species - humans and canines. My photographer friend had been strongly encouraging me to visit and boy was he right.

The most friendly and well-behaved dogs were gathered at this slice of heaven.

The labs and retreivers were streaking across the field and launching themselves into the lily pond. Several puppies were being thoroughly examined and exercised - just gentle friendliness.

The herding dogs - Australian shepherds and border collies among others - were vocally objecting to the lack of symmetry of the park's pack. Their protestations were heeded for a few minutes here and there.

Hunter, "a purebred exotic Bahamian kitchen sink dog" the color of a fox, was a particularly popular and joyful creature. The five-plus-year-old pooch and his much-smaller mixed breed sib, Twinkie, were non-stop adventurerers. He has mellowed, according to his owner. In his youth, Hunter was "a surface-to-air missile," causing many a black eye.

Another cutie pie, Scout, was a later arrival. The basset hound/beagle mix was a rescue from Virginia. The Sterling (Mass.) dog shelter takes in dogs from the south regularly. The owner's wife, a vet, first noticed the newest family member when she was participating in a spay and neutering clinic.

What a lucky family and animal to have found each other. Scout was in the shelter for a month unclaimed and has now been in his new home for six months. He had eight wires in his jaw and had seven teeth extracted. Poor thing had clearly been through a lot. What a happy ending. During this day's visit, he was seducing adults and children alike. Giving back for all that he is receiving.

And then there was Nanka, a five-year-old male Keeshond. He had gotten his summer 'do. More of a thinning to show his very light gray undercoat, instead of a dark gray to black-tipped top. His devoted owner keeps this cut from May to October - done every six weeks. Nanka seemed very proud of and comfortable with his look.

When I first saw him, I thought he was a puppy because of his cute almost black baby face (raccoon-like) and lovely disposition. Just a big beautiful fluff ball. It was a breed that I have not commonly seen, but have been exposed to only through televised dog shows.

Keeshonds were bred to be guard dogs on Dutch barges. Nanka's genetics have given him keen ears and the instinct to react swiftly to any noise. But first and foremost his owner said he is just a really good pet.

Chagall and I really enjoyed our outing and look forward to many more.

Cuckoo for Cat Rock

It is a dog walking place ironically named Cat Rock. What a haven for canines and their owners and caretakers.

On any given day small and large packs converge on the idyllic pond equidistantly located among the trails. As you head down the main trail towards the watery target, barking and yelping can clearly be heard in the distance.

My dog, Chagall, ever the aloof mature alpha male - or so he pretends - does not hasten his pace as we round the bend...the beach in our sites. He is not fooling anyone. When we get there and see 20-plus dogs of every shape, size, color and age, all his sophistication is dropped.

Chagall, always the sheriff, is vigilant in his maintenance of order. Good luck on a beautiful summer day at the "beach" with tons of fun-loving "kids", my sweet boy. After futile horizontal pursuit through the water of any derelicts for more than 20 minutes, Chagall succumbed to the allure.

He regrouped and waded so that the cool, clean water gently caressed his underbelly, occasionally splashing onto his back. No actual swimming for my young man. Never has, never will. Ultimately Chagall glides over to the corner near the shore that is somewhat shaded by trees. Other black and/or older dogs join him. The main group, however, pursues ball after ball or stick, scuba dives for rocks or wrestles.

Rental Pet?

Dogs as a rental option. It might be great while the dog is young and healthy but I wonder what the life of the dog will be when it gets old or sick. I love my dog even when he gets sick. I'll be optamistic for now but if a company wants to cut corners, will be at the expense of the dog?

Theo the deaf Pit Bull

deaf dog Theo, originally uploaded by phaird.

I got to meet Theo for the first time today in the Acton Park. When I first saw him he was moving a little slow and I knew he was older but something else too. He was very intent on watching everything and didn't interact much. With all the younger dogs running around and playing, Theo was slowly just making the rounds. I found out from others in the park that Theo was totally deaf. His owner says his sight isn't so good either.

Theo was one of the friendliest dogs I met today though. I would just crouch down and he'd back on in to get his back scratched. I think it's in part of being older and being so hot. Theo was adopted and I asked if he was ever a fighting dog (because of the ears are clipped). She said that he has never shown any signs of aggression.

There are all kinds of dog owners out there. Some want something that they can buy and become an accessory to their life. The other side of that is those who see the individual in a dog that deserves a good home and a real family. Theo is another beautiful example of a rescue dog that has been given a second chance and a comfortable life. I'm not sure what his life was before, just like I don't know what my dog Toby's life was like. All we can do is offer them a good home with lots of love because every dog deserves a good home.

A dog that really cares

Here is a cute story of a dog that nurses a kitten back to health. That's why dogs rule!

twinkie at Acton park

twinkie waiting for treat, originally uploaded by phaird.

Wow, back at Acton park and SO many people were there. 10am on Sunday is the time that every dog owner in the area shows up with at least one dog. Many have more. Like Twinkie and Hunter (brown dog in the background) are with their owner, a regular on Sundays. I was told that as much as 70 dogs have been counted on one Sunday morning.

Some nice things about this park is location, a wide open space, and water to let the dogs swim. The best thing though is that there are lots of regulars who come every week. People really get to know each other and their dogs. One woman I talked to said she's been bringing her dogs to the park for 7 years. That is a real clear sense of community there. Everyone knew everyone, and even the dogs knew each other.

The most amazing thing that happened was when a puppy arrived. A 3 month old lab showed up and everyone, dogs and humans were all excited. But Hunter didn't want the puppy jumping on him so he gave the puppy a scare. The puppy, being a puppy, ran off yelping back to his owner. The amazing thing that happened next was that almost every dog in the park came to the puppy to see what had happened. Like a pack that all knew and cared about each other, they wanted to know what the problem was. After a moment, they were all back to playing and running but that bonding that these dogs have is pretty amazing to me.

Tyson brings neighbors together

Tyson in grass, originally uploaded by phaird.

So I'm getting a little off topic today and not focusing on parks, just dogs. As dog lovers, we all know how important our dog is to our family and how more then ever, dogs are thought of as one of the family. I feel part of that is our greater awareness of life that we have. The reason I think of it today though is because of my father-in-law, Bill and his little rat terrier, Tyson. Bill has loved dogs for a very long time and was looking forward to retiring in a few years to be able to get a dog. His wife (my mother-in-law) Judy didn't really care for dogs. Not until she met our dog Toby. She fell head over heals for our little guy. It didn't take long for them to decide that they wanted one of their own.

Now they have there little boy Tyson. He has brought all kinds of love and adventure to there lives. What he also brought was a sense of community. Since they moved into their house, the hadn't known anyone but there immediate neighbors. After getting Tyson though they have been meeting and becoming friends with people all around the area. As far as Bill and Tyson want to walk they, have met all kinds of people they would never had a chance to meet. All the kids in the area know Tyson and yell out his name when ever they see him. Other dog owners stop and talk. They could spend all day visiting with all these people. People they would never had known had it not been for there pint size little guy. Good boy Tyson.