One of our Ballard Blog readers weighs in with some dog park comments:
Some dog owners think that dog parks and particularly Golden Gardens Dog Park is nasty.
The dust raised on the dry summer days may not be all that hygienic. The mud after a rain bring joy to a dog and those that don’t like to wipe their dogs down before returning home don’t often return to the park.
The complaints about aggressive dogs and owners who lack any responsibility for their dog or dogs seem to create upsets with some dog owners who would rather take their dog to the Golden Gardens beach area desite the legal restrictions and fines.
Some dog owners are trying to get a bit of Golden Gardens beach area set aside for another dog park. If successful will this park too become unexceptable by those who are not happy with our present park?
Others, including myself think that the Golden Gardens Dog Park is just great. We enjoy the people there as well as the dogs. Dog people are as diverse as their dogs. And many dog people have more in common than just having a dog. We have made many friends with other dog lovers at Golden Gardens Dog Park.
In the past two years we have only encountered a few aggressive dogs who have quickly been taken from the park if their owners see their dogs heating up. Those owners who feel they can come and read a book and ignore their dog don’t stay long and are reminded to pick up after their dog.
Most dogs are boistress, active and happy to run free regardless of their owners feelings about the subject. Our dogs have never come home with a flea or had an upset from playing at the park. Their immune systems are probably higher than a housebound dog’s.
Although some dogs are just not a good candidate for dog parks, most would be if their owners were more forgiving of rough-housing , dirt, mud and occasional fights, which by the way are almost always broken up before they become serious. Of course taking a known aggressive dog to any dog park is not advised. We as dog owners are responsible for any damage our dogs might do.
Watching dogs interact is amazing. Socialized dogs are much more humane than we are as a rule. Getting to know more about your dog and its interation with other people and dogs is a great benefit.
I do take pictures of the dogs at Golden Gardens Dog Park and put them up on the website http://atthedogpark.info. This site is not for profit but for fun.
Marj
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