Breed Bias

Before I actually owned a dog, and before I started coming to the dog park, I had very definite ideas of what dogs I liked and which I didn't. I loved golden retrievers and labs-- who doesn't?  Bichons, if they didn't bark too much, were cute little fluff balls.  Cocker spaniels-- and springer spaniels-- were cute and fun.  And of course anything out of Disney Central Casting-- in other words, anything of undetermined heritage and looking like a loveable moppet-- was a something I had to stop and pat.  Basically I was a sucker for anything with long fur and liquid eyes, and breeds that wag their tails a lot.

Then there were the dogs I didn't like.  I didn't like small dogs like Chihuahas and poodles.  They yap.  And they bite.  Pugs and chows were ugly.  German shepherds, Doberman, and rottweilers were vicious.  And of course pit bulls were pure evil.

How tastes have changed.

Dog Park Mornings, Part II

The dog park is a different place at different times of day. The most social time is after 5:00 p.m., when people come in after work and decompress in the fresh air and relaxed atmosphere.  7:00 a.m. has a completely different feel; the people there at them time are the organized, efficient types who are taking care of their pet-ownership responsibilities before heading to their job responsibilities.  I one got there at 8:15 to find a good number of people and dogs running around.  Then, around 8:30, it started emptying out, and by 9:00 Our Best Friend and I were all alone. 

Thus the early morning crowd is more "businesslike" somehow.  They are there to excercise their dog before they go off to earn kibble  for the food bowl. They may nod and smile, but there's less casual chatter and socializing.

Dog Park Mornings

We've had a horrible wave of weather the past few weeks; two weeks ago, the heat was in the 90s and even went over 100.  When it gets that hot, heat stroke for both dog and man becomes a concern, and dog park visits dwindle to nothing.

However, if the planets align and I get more than two hours sleep the night before, I might drag my carcass out of bed around 7:00 or 7:30 and take Our Best Friend for a walk before the heat gets too deadly. (Also, before the Spouse and Three Dependents are awake and wanting me.) One morning I arrived at the park at 6:58 a.m., which is almost as astonishing as the sun rising in the west. At first I thought we had the place to ourselves, but then I saw a few people at the other end sitting in the shade to avoid the steadily-climbing heat.

Dog Friends

Human friends are almost a bonus at the dog park.  It's really the canine companionship that draws people. I know a few teens who hang out there because they don't have a dog of their own, and they crave the kind of affection only dogs can give. I find that I often ignore my own dog in order to make a new four-legged friend.