A Fascination with Dog Parks

I have a confession to make. I used to go to dog parks solely for Cabana's benefit, so she could romp and play with other dogs and get exercise. Now, though, I have to admit that I go to dog parks for myself, too. It's weird because I'm NOT extroverted. I eschew parties and other social functions. If I feel obligated to attend one, I am often the first to leave.

But there's a "social crapshoot" fascination that I've acquired about dog parks (must be my sociology background creeping back in). You just never know who's going to be there on a given day or time, what kind of dogs Cabana will get to play with, what crazy owners I'll come across, and on occasion, what nice people I will make friends with.

Last week, Cabana and I met this 3-legged dog. He lost his leg to cancer two months ago, but he was still very spry and loved to play and run. His owner said it is a testament to how dogs live in the moment and that he doesn't really seem to miss his leg at all.

He wanted to get frisky with this female pit bull. But who could blame him, since the female pit bull was in full-blown heat! Her owner knowingly brought her to the dog park anyway--talk about a boneheaded thing to do. As a couple other dogs started to arrive, Cabana and I made a hasty retreat, knowing that no good could come from the situation. We've been fortunate not to have any bad incidents at dog parks, but I've also learned that it helps to be proactive and leave when trouble seems to be unavoidable.

With the warmer weather (although this morning was a super chilly exception), more and more people are coming to our neighborhood dog park. There was a nice crowd there this morning. It has been a great change for Cabana, since we started going to dog parks in winter, when we were lucky if there was even one other dog there to play with.

Talk about fascinating--look at this big guy! I don't know what kind of dog he is, but his head looks like St. Bernard? No guesses about his body. When he runs, he looks like he's moving in slow motion.

He doesn't run that often, preferring a slow "gentle giant" type gait. But Cabana got him romping a bit this morning. That must be why she has that huge "sparkle" in her eye!