Say No To Dog Parks......
Say No To Dog Parks…..
We’ve all been there before… Watching our dog run aimlessly towards the fence as if he/she were going to barrel through & then all of a sudden they cut sharp left towards the community water bowl. Barely slowing down, we watch our dog take a quick lick of the H20 & speed back over to us just to start again.
Did you notice any details that I left out of the intro? Well what I most likely left out is the portion of that experience we all dread. I should have explained why our dog is running aimlessly. Most likely the conclusion is that a wild pack of dogs is chasing after ours. We’ve conditioned our minds to think they are simply having fun & we assume this is normal behavior for dogs. In this post I’m going to explain only two reasons why I personally do not like dog parks & why you should consider some of these points as well.
We closed the car door and began our approach to the dual entry gates of the West End Nashville dog park. Taking a sip of my generic gas station coffee, I counted in the corner of my eye the number of dogs who must have heard the bang of the door close. These curious creatures were now lining up along the fence line, drooling & impatiently anticipating our entry into the West End Dog Park. I knew in my head this was a bad idea, but I had a busy week & hadn’t gotten a chance to take my pup out for a “spin” since the weekend. My solution was bringing my dog to the West End Dog Park. Why you ask? Well mainly because I was lazy & I wanted to read through my emails while Fido ran for his life from the terrorist neighbor dogs (not really, I pay attention to my dog).
The last sentence of the above paragraph is one of the main reasons I dislike dog parks…
Reason #1:
Dog owners simply do not pay attention to what their dogs are doing. They are too focused on scrolling through Brad or Sarah’s Instagram to see if he/she posted a picture of the meal from last evening. Well unfortunately while these dog owners are focusing on being keyboard warriors their dog is getting the shit beat out of him by a pack of 70 pound dogs or their dog is the acting bully. We ALL know the acting bully owners. They slowly come prancing up as if they were in Sound of Music & immediately accuse the closest person in sight. “My dog isn’t aggressive, why would you let your dog do that?” asks the bully owner. Everybody starts pointing fingers & now somebodies dog is injured.
You can’t expect ALL dogs to be shoved into a room & think that they will all become lovey dovey. Imagine sticking 20 people with different political views, ages, sizes, ethnicities & personal beliefs into a small room & forcing them to “hang out.” I guarantee you there will be tension at some point or another. Sure the first time you may get off scotch free but the next time you won’t be so lucky. Next time you decide to take your dog to a dog park, just remember to pay attention to your dog & other peoples dogs. If you see another dog behaving badly, don’t be afraid to say something to the clueless owner. If they fire back, then decide whether or not it’s worth your dogs safety & your sanity to stay.
Reason #2
Imagine sitting at a smokey dive bar on Broadway, listening to Free Bird & Wagon Wheel on repeat. Now that you’re cringing in emotional pain….Imagine ordering a beer & the bartender grabs the half empty, unattended beer & hands it to you. Disgusting right, well in my mind, dog parks are even worse. Community dog bowls that haven’t been washed or disinfected since the stone ages & although you bring your fancy portable bowl, it’s still inevitable that your dog will take a curious lick from the fountain of youth. A large portion dog diseases are spread through the air & sharing bacteria filled bowls like those at dog parks.
Now that you’re completely grossed out from the water, imagine how disgusting the actual ground is inside the dog park. Sure Linda carries her cute leash attachment & picks up after her dog but you know we are all guilty of the double take, clear & distance. The double take, clear & distance is the method used by most people at the dog park. They see their dog taking a poop next to the community water bowl, so they double take… Nobodies looking… you’re clear. Now get the hell out of there so nobody associates you with the fly covered poop next to the watering station. Imagine that 50 dogs trample in all the dog poo that’s not picked up & now it becomes a part of the soil. Now imagine how many dogs run through that soil daily & now yours runs through it & carries a piece of the dog park with him on his paws all the way home. Not only did your dog carry all that bacteria on his paws, now he’s exposed any other dogs, cats or children to the bacteria.
I’m not telling you NOT to go to a dog park EVER nor am I saying that my personal reasons should be your reasons. I’m simply ranting in an attempt to create a dog park discussion. Maybe a dog park movement. The idea behind the dog park is wonderful & I believe it can be a great experience for all, but unfortunately the bad apple can create the negative experience for all of us. Just remember that if you do attend a dog park to pay attention to your dog & other dogs as well. If your questionable on a certain dogs behavior then just take yourself & your dog out of the equation. Pick up your dogs waste, bring a clean water bowl & wash your hands! :))))
-Michael-
customk9companion@gmail.com
