Dog Park Behavior: How Tanner's Maturity Plays Out at the Dog Park

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Tanner Fetches As Oliver Cheers Him On

As a youngster, arriving at the dog park was always a similar episode for Tanner--3 victory laps around the perimeter of the 5-acre park was about his usual celebratory action. 


Walking to the park from the parking lot was similarly an exercise in high-energy as I repeatedly gave the message, "We'll get there when you stop pulling." Tanner always led the threesome to the park with extra vigor, excited to run with off leash abandon.


With maturity, Tanner no longer needs to run laps, yet he is still quite competitive about the race, although in shorter spurts. Rarely does another dog beat him to the ball if I bring the "chucker" along. When running with a pack of invigorated dogs, Tanner still keeps up or leads, at least until he feels the need to check in with me--an affectionate behavior that i find endearing.


At this point he is generally ready to spend his park time following me around as I check on Oliver and visit with our acquaintances that are also regulars at this local park.


This past weekend, though, Tanner showed me the Greyhound in him once again. A hound arrived to play--lithe and fast. When he engaged Tanner in a tag game, his owner started throwing a tennis ball for them. Tanner took off from behind like a Corvette on steroids, overtaking the hound in order to bring home the prize. Behind me I heard a "D@*#! That Golden is fast!" I laughed to myself, knowing that this is merely a hint of what he once could do.


"That's okay, Tanner I rather enjoy having you tag along with me as we visit around the park." The new blood, Oliver, is now the one who is tough to keep up with, yet his goal is much different:

"Which human shall I meet next?"

© Carrie Boyko
Oliver Kisses as He Finds Affection
 All Over the Park

Join us again as we participate in the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop. Readers will enjoy finding new blogs and articles from all sorts of pet bloggers. The rules beneath this badge are for bloggers, and have been copied from the site of Life with Dogs on June 21st, just to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. Readers can move on to the listings below. Enjoy!

Link up your pet blog name and URL using the Linky Tool below. You only need to add your link once to be seen on all the Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop Linky Tools for that week. Note that if your blog is not pet related your link will be removed. Also note that only one post per blog is acceptable, and links promoting giveaways that are unrelated to the pet blogger hop will be removed. This is a community building exercise and not a promotional vehicle – please treat it as such.

• Grab the “Saturday Pet Blogger Blog Hop” button above and include it in your Saturday Blog hop post so that your readers will know what is going on. *Note – posting is optional. Feel free to just link and follow.
• Follow your co-hosts listed in the first 3 slots of the Linky Tool.
• Follow as many other blogs on the linky as you’d like.
• Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from the blog hop.
• Follow back when you get a new follower through the Saturday Pet Blogger Hop.
• Make friends and grow. ♥

I love that last rule!

New D.C. Dog Park is On Its Way!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© courtesy Chevy Chase Field Dog Park Group

Pups in our nation's capital should be celebrating in the streets! A group of dog-loving folks, organized by one of All Things Dog Blog's readers, has been raising funds to create the Chevy Chase Dog Park. As they near their goal, a Yappy Hour is planned to celebrate and continue the fundraising. Dog lovers of all kinds are invited to this event to be held Monday, May 9, from 5-7 PM at Pete's APizza, located on the corner of Fessenden St. and Wisconsin Ave. NW. Feel free to bring your fido!


A $10 entrance fee will cover your pizza. Pete's APizza will be donating 25% of all other purchases of food or beverages to the dog park group to help make their goal a reality.


To date, the Chevy Chase Field Dog Park Group has already raised about $10,000 of their $15,000 goal. Much of the funds raised have come from donations from Friendship Animal Hospital, Councilmember Mary Cheh, both ANC3E and ANC3G, and donations from group members. They have worked very hard to get this park completed, and are on the home stretch.


If you're a DC resident, feel free to join in the fun on Monday evening, and don't miss out on your chance to win some really cool prizes such as doggies spas, boarding stays and even great wine from Paul's Liquors. Raffle tickets for the prizes are being sold for $2.

The park is located at Chevy Chase Recreation Center  5500 41st Street, NW  Washington DC 20015 adjacent to Chevy Chase Field.

Thanks to organizer Karla, an All Things Dog Blog reader, for notifying us of this event. You can reach her @  KGutierrez-Pugh@natgeotv.com. We would like to encourage all of our readers to Adopt a Dog Park in your community. You can even stand up and be counted by having your sponsorship shared at our Adopt a Dog Park site. Notify us at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com.  See you at the park!

And as always, don't forget to visit 5 Minutes for Fido, where Tanner and Oliver spout off their opinions and generally offer up silliness.

© courtesy KGP
Chris, Karla and Casey

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Help protect our precious dog parks

© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Dog Park Visits: Learning to Hang with the Ruff Crowd

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Vigorous Play: 
A Common Sight at the Dog Park

Dogs, just like humans, are social beings. They need contact with their own kind. Navigating the social scene of a dog park is a learned-skill. Just like kids who enjoy wrestling, dogs need to learn their boundaries for rough play.

Socializing your dog works best when he has the opportunity to interact with other dogs in an off-leash environment. Their perceptions of one another are different when they are not connected to you by a leash.

One basic premise to remember is that a proper ‘hello’ between canines is considered good manners. This classic butt sniff helps dogs gather information about one another, as well as give permission to greet. It lays the groundwork for a face-to-face hello.

Learning to interact with a group of dogs is a skill best acquired in smaller groups, at first. You may wish to choose slower dog park times—weekdays—to offer your pup a chance to work on his skills and build up to the frenzy that is Saturday afternoon at the dog park. Another option is to locate the smallest park in your area, where groups may be less over-whelming.

© Carrie Boyko
Tight Fit!

One of my favorite parks in our area is a less-popular destination because of its small size. The watering hole at this park is often busy with pooches that enjoy a dip in the kiddie pool for some water playtime. This is a fun way to gain social confidence.

I do have some suggestions on what not to do while socializing your dog at the dog park:

1.     Toys may not play out well in your socialization efforts, so leave these at home. As a general rule, toys focus the dog on the plaything, rather than on the other dogs.

2.     The same goes for treats. Better to do your training at home, and use the park as a place to focus on building social skills.

3.     Skip the stick play. Even a friendly game of tug can turn bad when one dog re-grips, only to catch the lip of the other. Take sticks away from your dog and discourage playing with such debris.

4.     Abandoned toys in the dog park may be claimed by a new dog. While your dog is gaining confidence in his place as a part of this group, it is best he not have a negative experience. Prevent potential problems by removing these temptations.

A couple of notes:

Socializing a puppy from an early age is the ideal way to ensure the best result. However, even this perfect beginning is not completely fool-proof. If your pup is anxious, fearful, or aggressive at a young age, you need help, and quick. Turning Fido around before his problems become major issues, is critical. Seek the help of a qualified trainer or dog behavior specialist if your pooch displays these unwanted behaviors at any age.

In order to be socially accepted, your dog does not need to be the life of the party. In fact, an aloof dog that will allow a social sniff without a negative reaction may still never enjoy frolicking with other pups. Some dogs are simply loners, just as some people are. This is fine, if it works for your dog.

Remember, keeping it light and fun is your goal. Leave the park on a high note, after a particularly enjoyable romp. Return often and watch your dog blossom. 

Visit Adopt a Dog Park

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© Carrie Boyko, all rights reserved

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Pet Friendly Beaches: The Problem, the Solution, the Locater

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Where are all the Dogs?

Despite the fact that I live in warm, sunny Florida, a state that boasts 1200 miles of waterfront coastline, Florida does not have the most dog-friendly beaches in the union. Far from it! 


I let my fingers do the walking at Bing.com and found a surprisingly low 29 dog-friendly beaches in Florida, many of which are fresh water beaches found on lake fronts. That's an average of one beach to every 41 miles of coastline, if you don't tally up the lake fronts in the math. Sad.


And it gets worse. Many of these beaches are called dog-friendly, but their rules state your dog must remain on-leash. That fetch game is going to be pretty lame. Ditto on the swimming and Frisbee.


As I thought back on the movie Milo and Me, I couldn't help but remember that scene where Milo had a bit too much salt water to drink. Okay, so I get the problem. What I don't get is why we can't fix it. 


What can we do to get more off-leash beaches for our dogs and us to enjoy a Frisbee game, some Fetch practice, or a good ole romp in the rushing water? We can take responsibility for our dog. That means training, socialization, carrying a poop bag, and learning to be a proper leader, not just a gushy puppy lover who knows nothing about what we're doing. 


I know we all mean well. But we have to realize that together, collectively, the owners are the reason for a shortage of dog-friendly venues of all kinds--parks, beaches, hotels, outdoor restaurants , shopping--all the places that we'd like to take Fido, if only we were permitted to.


I get agitated sometimes when I feel my dogs are slighted. There was never a shortage of parks for my children, and they were not nearly as well behaved as my dogs are. Go figure. 


Okay, enough ranting from me. Let's get to the resource I sat down to bring you: 

A locater for dog-friendly beaches--just click your State and go at:

Pet Friendly Travel.com

Yes, it includes lake front beaches. Yes, it includes beaches that require your dog to be on a leash. But at least there is a resource, and at least there are some beaches where Fido can run free. Find them. Thank the providers. Take responsibility for your dog. You may even have to bring your own poop bag or water. Let's set the example to be emulated all over the country:

Dog Lovers Take Care of Their Venues

Only when we do this, will we earn the right to demand our share of tax dollars for parks that our dogs can run free in. 

Got an opinion? Of course you do! But more than that, we need your ideas. What else can we do to help get more dog parks and dog beaches? Visit Adopt a Dog Park. Leave a comment below, send a Tweet, or get into the conversation at my Facebook page. Let's figure this out!

Every interaction with regard to this post will enter you in a dog lover's giveaway--3 prizes. It will be your choice: a dog toy for your beloved Fido (suitable for small or large dogs) or a copy of Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul (suitable for small or large owners). Have a bowl now--leave a comment. Be sure to stop in and thank our hosts for this great hopping fun time: Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers, and Confessions of the Plume.

Hop On!

Check out my latest guest post at FIDO Friendly: Dog Park Safety Guidelines for Owners and their Dogs.