What Do I Need to Know Before Going To a Tallahassee Dog Park
by: Pedro Sempertegui |
| Lately I've been looking into fostering a young dog from a humane society here in Tallahassee. My choice dog would either be a Boxer or an Australian Shepherd due to the great experiences I've had with each breed. I've had a history with Boxers since I grew up with two of them and I've spent some time with an Australian Shepherd when I did some volunteering with an animal shelter back home. His name was Toby (Le Rone). |
My interest in adopting a dog started a few months ago when my friend invited me to a dog park with him. My friend knew that I always wanted to take a dog to a dog park but I didn't have my own. I jumped at the chance because this was the next best thing to getting my own dog. We went to the San Luis Dog Park for a few hours.
The San Luis Dog Park has a nice fenced in area where dogs can be let off their leash and left to run around under the cool shade. |  |
| There is also an “on leash” portion of the park where you can walk your dog along some nature trails. The area is well kept and people generally pick up after their dogs so there aren't many doggie landmines to be fearful of. Going to the park was a great experience and definitely showed me some things about dealing with dogs in a dog park. |
| First of all, before even getting to the park, be sure that your dog is comfortable being around other dogs. Plan a test run and visit the park during an off-peak time so the dog can get accustomed to the surroundings. If your dog is scared then it's going to have a bad time. Some dogs don't take kindly to being around 6+ dogs at once; maybe the dog would rather enjoy walking the trail on a leash. Don't be embarrassed if your dog wants to leave, nobody wants to stick around a bad scene. |
| There are countless benefits of off-leash park areas. Not only do these areas provide your dog with great exercise, it allows the dog to be amongst its brethren. In these parks, dogs are able to be dogs and enjoy the thrill of chasing a chewed up tennis ball while building bonds with their fellow dogsmen. It's a beautiful thing. |
One important thing to remember is that you are responsible for your own dog. If you have a female dog, don't bring it to the park when it's looking for love. It could throw the dog park dynamic into a chaotic mounting fest, and I'm sure that's not the situation neither the owner nor the animal would want to be in. If you have a male dog that's intact, just be aware of its mood changes especially if you see that your dog is getting a little out of control. Don't be afraid to get in there and break up some fights. It's not a bad thing; sometimes they play a little rough and need to be calmed down.
Also, if you see that some other person's dog is getting violent with your dog then try and separate them. If it continues then say something to the owner. By no means should you discipline other people's dogs, especially when your method of discipline involves spanking. Some dog owners treat their pets as their children so to them it could be seen as some random dude hitting their kids. | 
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| Another important aspect of going to a dog park lies with the owner's experience. It's a good idea to be open to making friends with the other owners so you don't have to stand there awkwardly while the pets have all the fun. It's a great way to build up the community of dog owners. A sure fire way to make friends is to bring snacks for humans and animals alike. |
| So if you have a dog, come on out to San Luis Dog Park or check out the dog park at Tom Brown. It has separate areas for large and small dogs. | |
