Dog Parks for You and Your Dogs

Dog parks are not only for dogs, their owners can
have a good time at them as well, but they need
to be careful and watch their dogs above all
else. Many dog parks have walking trails for
both dogs and their owners or the dogs could run
freely, off-leash if they are well trained.

As soon as a dog and her owner arrive at the dog
park, the owner should locate the pet waste
stations because it is necessary for the parks
sanitary conditions to pick up after your dog.
The pet waste stations typically have a roll or
two of small plastic trash bags to pick up the
dog-doo without having to touch it with a bare
hand. Then there are plenty of trash cans and
some of the newer waste stations offer
sanitizing gels for fresh hands.

Some of the smaller dog parks ask that their
visitors come prepared and only offer the dog
waste receptacles for dumping the piles. They do
not provide a way of picking up after your dog.
There are several leashes that have a small
plastic bag dispenser attached to the handle and
this way the clean up material is already in the
palm of your hand and it is a quick and easy
job.

Once cleanup is no longer an issue, a dog owner
and their dog should go off and have some fun at
the dog park. If a dog is well trained and well
behaved around other dogs, then it could be let
off-leash to play with other dogs. If a dog is
aggressive towards bigger, smaller, older or any
number of different types of dogs, then it should
stay on a leash. You might try a long line which
is anywhere from a 15 foot leash to a 50 foot
nylon leash. Choose something around the 20 foot
range. This allows the owner to hold some if not
most of the leash in her hand and the dog to
explore more than a traditional four or six foot
leash.

A long line or long leash is an excellent way to
help your dog become used to a new situation such
as the dog park. Some of the dog parks have
things for the dog and owner to do together such
as run an agility course with various pieces of
dog park equipment. This could be anything from
a dog walk, much like a gymnast's balance beam
only wider and with a small board at each end so
that the dog could walk up and down to the
'beam'.

For your dog's safety, do not bring toys to the
dog park. She may not want to share her toys
with the other dogs and this could cause a lot
of problems. One activity style toy may be
alright such as a fetch for the pond or lake or
Frisbee. But these should be kept to a minimum
and if other dogs become interested in playing
too put the toy away. Dog fights are scary for
you and the dogs so try to avoid them at all
costs.

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Author Michelle Lee is product manager for
outdoor park and recreation site solution,
TerraBound Solutions. Visit us at
http://www.terraboundsolutions.com

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