Over the past 18 months I have been using secure dog parks to exercise my dogs and help others whilst training them. It has been so helpful to have a field where I can let my dogs run free and enjoy themselves.
However I am saddened to read on a daily basis that there is a threat for them to close as people are not clearing up after their dogs. Why aren’t they? Do they not clear up anyway or have they just become lazy?
When you go to visit one of these fields it is like taking your dog to the library. They have so many exciting messages to sniff at. To begin with it can be quite overwhelming, so many dogs dont fully relax but after a while they do and then enjoy their visit. Some dogs however, are full of themselves and are marking all over the field. This is when I think, owners miss clearing up. No excuse really but may be a reason. I just hope that it is not because they are not paying attention to their dogs.
This is your chance to be with your dog and relax and play with them. Yes I used to take a coffee with me, but I would be walking with my dog and immediately cleared up when needed. sadly many times this also involved picking up after other dogs too. :-(
At many of these play parks, there is lots of equipment and things to do. But unless you show our dog how to use them, they wont know and will probably ignore them. So if there is a set of jumps, why not put the bar very low and show your pup how to jump on your command over the jump - I always tell my dogs what they are doing - such as “jump”. “Tunnel”. “Up - to climb over a structure” and so on. Once they have got the idea, you will see them do it on their own. In fact Barney, used to do the circuit at the Paw Paddock just to find the seesaw- he would find his balance and then allow it to drop down and go round to the beginning again. All because I spent time showing him how it worked.
So much fun can be had at these places, so do have a go and watch your dog enjoy themselves but also keep watching and clear up as you go. Make sure we can keep these play places safe for everyone to enjoy.
#thewalkaboutway #pawpaddock #playtimefordogs #securedogparks #cleanupafteryourdog