Dog park drama

Toby hiding under the car, originally uploaded by phaird.

There was much drama at the park this weekend. Well, as much as Toby can create. The week before, Toby got into a dominance match with a much larger dog. For some reason these two really want to put each other in their places. The problem for Toby is that the other dog is MUCH bigger. Poor Toby got nipped on the side of his face because, like a good terrier, he didn’t ever back down.

After that Toby just said “lets go!” and ran out to the parking lot till I followed. I found him just hiding under a car panting. I didn’t really know the extent of how shook up he was till after I got him home and found the bite. Toby stayed by my side the whole rest of the day. He normally wants to be around but Sunday, he never left my side, even when I was down in my basement office.

There is a unique energy when 2 dogs go at it. When that happens the whole park, people and dogs descend on the action. It takes some shouting and pushing to get the action to stop and just like that; it’s over.

I’m not going to the park this next weekend. It’s my son’s second birthday weekend so we’re going out to celebrate. I’ll find something new to write about though. There is always something going on in the world of dog parks.

Rest in peace Fenway

Fenway, originally uploaded by phaird.

I'm sadden to find out that Fenway, a beagle mix, who I've known since I first started coming to the Acton park has died. His owner sent out a email saying that there was some accident while they were at their vacation home. Fenway was a active fun loving dog who's family loved him very much. It must be extremely difficult to deal with such a sudden loss.

Scout, their other beagle mix, must be feeling pretty lost without his best friend right now. They were perfect for each other because for as high strung as Fenway could be, Scout is equally relaxed. I rarely saw one without the other.

I will miss seeing Fenway dragging his owner down the road on his roller blades who is barely holding on. My heart and sympathy goes out to Fenway's entire family at this difficult time.

A hot August day

close to home, originally uploaded by phaird.

Another week at the park with lots of the regulars. My official summer is coming to an end quickly but at least I always have the park to come to. It was another busy Sunday and everyone stayed close to the water.

In the photo, the dog by his owners legs just got a grooming which normally means, jump into the nearest mud hole and rub down on something gross. His dogs were being good and staying close to home. He also had a bag of treats for training.

Some people have said that bringing food to the dog park is a really bad idea but I'm not really against it. If socializing is part of the training, then treats are a good reward. I agree that it can get overwhelming quickly but, at least at this park, I've never really seen any problems. What is important is to be aware that you have treats and be sparing on giving them out. If you forget about them, a sneaky dog could put a hole in your pocket without you ever noticing.

Back at the park

Sunday dog day in Acton, originally uploaded by phaird.

Sunday was another nice weekend day. It was good to be back at the park, taking pictures and tossing the ball for Toby. Toby was even excited about being back in the park after 3 weeks. He got into a little scuffle but it was good for him to be put in his place. He really needed to be shown how big he is (or isn't).

Because Toby has been having issues with other dogs, We've been coming early, around 9:30 instead of 10. Some days, we are the first ones their and other days, like this week, it was already already busy. By the time we left around 10:30 there was another large group of people coming.

I talked with a guy who had his 2 goldens with him. He says he's been coming to this park for over 10 years. It's a trek for him to get to Acton but this park is the best thing for his dogs. I wonder how far people go to bring their dog(s) to a dog friendly park?

Back home in MA

I'm back from my vacation and almost caught up with everything that was put on hold while I was away. For my trip around the south and back up north, I found dog friendly stores and places everywhere I went. It is a good feeling to know that even places that don't have too many places to eat while on the road, there is still places for dogs.

Every rest stop on the road had a place just for pets. They were all well maintained too. Some even had fenced in areas so you could let your dog off leash and stretch their legs. There were lots of small town pet stores and friendly pet owners. I did see one stray dog in SC but over all, every dog I saw was well taken care of. I know there are different ideas of what it means to keep a dog, especially down south. I did see a few dogs chained to a dog house on a small cement patch around a lot of grass but I was just driving by so I don't know for sure if that is a bad thing or not. For some it is but I hope not all.

I'll be back at the park tomorrow and am really looking forward to it. Toby is liking having us back and with my wife (a teacher) still off for the summer, he's getting lots of attention at home.

Dogwood Park, Knoxville TN

German shepherd, originally uploaded by phaird.

Well, I'm on my road trip and as promised, I'm stopping at every dog park I can find. A reader mentioned some dog parks in Knoxville and I was able to find Dogwood Park. It's a nice fenced in park that has the double gate to get in and out without loosing your dogs. Lots of people were there the day we went by. I got to talk to a nice lady who had 2 beautiful german shepherds. One she was training to be a service dog. The other she said was to scattered. He just couldn't focus.

There were quite a few dogs there but most were lounging in the shade with their owners. I think there were a lot of regulars. Many showed up with their folding chairs and just sat in the shade and let their dogs play. Some of the dogs were just hanging out. Others were looking for other dogs to chase.

I have to remember to bring my note pad with me when I go. I didn't write the names down of the dogs I met or the other park she mentioned. There is another park that isn't officially a dog park but a lot of people bring their dogs there. It is open and dogs are often running around she said. I can't remember where though.

This park is nice because it is right next to a long walking path, open fields, children playgrounds (where my son and wife went) and even frisbee golf. What is better then that.

I'm going to be heading to SC next and near Pickens County so if you know any place around there, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to stop by.

Anna - the sled dog reject

anna, originally uploaded by phaird.

Anna has become one of the regulars at the park over the past few months. She is only about a year and loves her time at the park. This weekend, her owner was talking about how she came about getting her. She was bread to be a sled dog but ended up not making the cut because she likes people more then dogs so she got to be adopted instead. She is also a little on the small size but she still has lots of energy. I often see her running with other dogs or just on her own. She'll jump in the water then through the bushes, picking up all kinds of stuff in her coat. Anna Really does love people though. She has gotten to know many of the regulars and will come up to get some attention when she can. Her owner takes good care of her to make sure she does become better socialized with other dogs.