A great day at the dog park!

[Duke]

@Tayda_Lenny:

I found a NEW dog park, only about 2 miles from my house! The other one was about 20 minutes away. This one is great! It has some open areas and also a bunch of trees and shrubs and stuff scattered throughout! I had heard there was a dog park opening there a while ago, but I heard a few months ago it was put on hold. I was actually taking Tayda and Lenny to the fenced Tennis courts to work on paying attention to me off leash and I came across it! We were there for 2 whole hours and no one else showed up! So they ran and ran and ran and chased squirrels and I worked on calling them to me when they were occupied. At first, they didn't even hear me - too busy smelling, but after a while they got better and better…. I'm glad no one else showed up. I think we'll go back tomorrow morning! I always feel bad I don't have a fenced yard so they can play free.

Anyway, it was great fun. It's so fun watching them RUN! Now we're back home they are laying around....

OK - I must know where that dog park is. Is it in Canton or Northville? I haven't been to any dog parks, (not very brave). I heard the one on Hines Drive is busy and lots of mosquitoes. I would venture further if not busy and give it a try with my little rascals. Please LMK

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hey Jill,

The dog park is at the northwest corner of Ellsworth and Platt, in Ann Arbor. If you are driving south on Platt and turn right on Ellsworth, you'll see a park on the right hand side with Tennis courts, and baseball courts. If you turn in there, and take a right past the tennis courts, you'll see it right in front of you. I will probably be going there most mornings… let me know if you are going to try to go out there and maybe we can try to meet!

Michelle

[Duke]

Ooo - I did a mapquest and it's way out there for me. 35-40 minute highway drive. It would be fun to meet-up and visit with furkids on a Saturday morning though. I'll PM you to see if we can make a plan. Thanks Michelle!

[Tayda_Lenny]

Wow, so today the adventures of the new dog park continues… We went this morning, we were alone for about 15 minutes and then a male unneutered lab showed up. Lenny was a little snarky with him, but nothing horrible. We only stayed for about 15 minutes after he showed up.

Then tonight we went back. We were alone for about 10 minutes then a female weimareiner showed up. He was nice to her. Some chasing, but no nipping! Then a rotweiler and an Alaskan Malamute (i think) showed up. Then two neufoundlands. Lenny was not a jerk to any of them! I couldnt believe it. When the first dog showed up, we were in the far corner of the park and Lenny ran over there and was alone when the Weim came in. Normally I am there restraining them so that they don't escape when the other dogs come in the door, but this time I couldn't get there quick enough. I wonder if that was part of it? After the first dog came in and he was not snarky with it, I let him run over and greet the other dogs however he liked, and he was nice! Could it be that my restraining him has caused his adverse reaction to all these dogs?

All SEVEN (!) dogs played together harmoniously for about 20 minutes! There was some snarking between a couple of the other dogs, but Lenny and Tayda were totally fine!

Then I saw two pit bulls walking across the parking lot towards the dog park and I decided not to push my luck, so we left. But I leashed them and was leading them out when the pits came in, and they came over to see us, and neither of them snarked!

Im still in shock! And happy.

[Quercus]

<>
Yes, restraining a dog can definitely make them react when he normally wouldn't...but it is a double edged sword, if you aren't sure what your dog will do...you almost have to restrain him in some way...kwim? Glad it worked out! Maybe you are on to something!

[Tayda_Lenny]

… and now I have to bathe them cause they have been slobbered on by all of those huge dogs! I swear they all had waterfalls of saliva coming out of their mouths! I think I take for granted how CLEAN my dogs are... until a bunch of slobbering dogs get near them and they get covered! ha ha ha.

[subaruthie]

I had the exact same experience today at our new dog park in Lansing!!! It must be a great week for dogs in Michigan!

Cooper behaved beautifully for the two hours we spent there. I was expecting a little bit of growling at greetings, but he even met the rotties and pit bulls with no problem. And they were barreling down on him, too!

We walked for a while with a greyhound and her mom. It was beautiful to see them run together! She was the only dog in the park that ran faster than Cooper.

Why are all other dogs so dirty!?!?!?! Cooper dries in mere minutes from a dip in a pond or lake, but he was caked in slobber from the other dogs! And it made him smell like a dog. Yuck!

We're all tuckered out from that adventure!

[Duke]

Very encouraging stories. Must be nice to have some happy and tired Basenjis.

[Capt_Jack_our_Basenji]

Pics Pics Pics!!!

[Tayda_Lenny]

Just thought I'd post some pics from our recent outings to the dog park!

[Tayda_Lenny]

and some more!

[Vanessa]

Those are some great pictures. I love how Basenji's are fearless towards other dogs! They just owned that dog park :):):)

[Andrew]

We have two great parks near us. The closest is wooded & we saw a large copperhead there recently, so we've vetoed it for the summer. I have no problem with a copperhead existing in its natural habitat, but I can see Booger & Lola both walking right up to make friends with a snake with bad consequences. The other is about 15 minutes away, and its a huge open field with a slight hill in the middle & a small wooded area off to the side. You can see the entire park from almost anywhere in it, so you always know where your kids are. Booger knows any growling or snarking or not playing nice means an immediate exit & return home, so he is always on his best behavior. He will run for over two hours & not sit down to rest. We always get comments on his speed… he is amazing to watch. Just put some pictures up in our gallery from the dog park last week (don't know how to post pictures in a thread) We love love love the dog parks!

[Janneke]

What a great story and great pics! It's nice to have a place where your dog(s) can run and play freely!