All Things Dog Blog

Love your Dog Park?You Can Help Save it!

Posted: 15 Jan 2011 02:33 AM PST

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

What's happening with dog parks in your area? Although my meager efforts to monitor things is clearly not thorough, I can't help but notice news flashes about the occasional dog park that is closed due to lack of funding for maintenance. I know if it is happening here, it is likely occurring in other areas as well. Times are tough for cities, with tax revenue lagging behind previous years; this means non-essential services have to be cut. Dog parks are sometimes first on the ax list.

Worse yet, some communities don't have a dog park at all, and have no hopes of getting one during these challenging economic times. My mother's town has only a paid membership dog park, although it is a nice one. Thankfully she enjoys her membership several times a week to keep her little Jacque well socialized and exercised.

So, perhaps you're asking yourself what you can do about this. I've made a small effort to get something going here--awareness. If you're concerned about the fate of your own dog park and don't want to risk losing it, you can adopt it. Here's how:

Let your city know you'll be walking the park each week, picking up trash and missed landmines in an effort to assist with the upkeep.
Tell them how important your park is to you and your fellow dog lovers, and their dogs. Ask if your park is at risk.
Encourage others to keep up their end of the bargain by following the park rules and cleaning up after their own dog.
Finally, if you learn that there may be trouble brewing, be proactive. Rally a group of regular park-goers to help with maintenance throughout the week.

One more thing--by following up with regular training and good leadership, we can all bring a better-behaved dog to the park. Why is this important? Because a dog with issues may be a ticking time bomb at a dog park. Be sure your dog is ready before bringing him into a busy, high-spirited play group. If your dog needs socializing and has shown any signs of anxiety in groups, start small and work up gradually to larger groups of dogs. Choose off days and times in the beginning, so your dog can learn the ropes and practice his social skills without being overwhelmed.

Finally, I'll be happy to include you or your dog, as the sponsor of your local dog park, on my Adopt a Dog Park site. Send me your name or your dog's name, along with a photo of Fido if you like, and I'll post them on the site. My email address is LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. Check it out and join the fun; dog parks are a great way to meet other dog lovers, while your dog enjoys the social exercise and playtime he craves.

Before I go, there's one more piece of business. Be sure to stop by Btc4Animals to thank them for sponsoring this Blog the Change day. You'll find links to loads of other causes that may pull your heartstrings. Check 'em out and pick one to get involved in; it's great karma. See you at the park!

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Exercising Fido When You Can't Join In

Posted: 15 Jan 2011 02:00 AM PST

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Home from vacation, I'm grappling with more than just jet lag. After a minor scuffle with a scooter turned into more than just minor, I find myself stitched up, swollen, sore and worse yet--unable to walk the dogs. Ugh!

So here I am, gimpy and unable to do the one thing I talk about the most on this site--exercise my dog. It's time to get creative and use my mind to wear out Tanner and Oliver. Here's the plan. If you can add anything, please leave a comment or join in the conversation on our Facebook page. I'd love your help!

Start the day with a treat dispensing toy to make mealtime last longer
Laser tag mid morning
Fetch with soft toys at mid-day
Mind stimulating puzzle toys on and off throughout the afternoon
Practice the Call command on and off all day
Train the Stay command in various locations as I get up and move
Serve dinner in a scatter, giving each dog a room to play "go seek your food."

Too bad I can't train Tanner to bring me a drink from the kitchen. Better yet, I'd really like to get him to take Oliver on a walk around the yard. Tanner knows the boundaries and won't leave them, but Oliver always goes outside on a leash because of birds of prey in our area. Tethered to Tanner by a leash, Oliver would be quite safe from predators. Is there anyone out there that has tried something like this? What an interesting skill for a dog to learn. Maybe it's time to call on our trainers, huh?