Build it and they will come

[Rachel]

It was just a small column in yesterday's newpaper....*Dog park opens Saturday*, but I was so excited I couldn't stand it. The location is less than 15 minutes from where we live and easy to get to. The park district of our neighboring city has finally developed the much talked about dog park. The article went on to say the fenced park was 3/4 acre (seems to be on the small side) and open from dawn to 9:00 pm. I wanted to be one of the first ones there but a heavy rain last night dampened my spirits too. I didn't know if my prissy ones would balk at the wet grass. But at 6:30 am I got excited again and we packed up our stuff and off we went. The directions on the exact location were a bit obscure, but we did find and pulled into an empty parking lot . How could this be? It was 7:00 am now and dawn and broken a long time ago. Well, so be it, if we were the ones to break in the dog park, we would do it all by ourselves.

[Rachel]

So it was just Hannah and Tucker all by themselves, but rip and run they did. Thankfully some tiny birds came by to dive bomb them and Tucker thought it was a world of fun to chase after them. Nobody minded the wet grass and I think we all got our exercise for the day. After about a half an hour, Hannah went and stood by the gate where we came in. We figured she was ready to call it quits, so we all headed for the car. So thank you, St. Charles Park District....you built it...and we came. The next time we hope to meet some DOGS!

[Rachel]

These are the rules

[lizbud]

Rachel,

Thats so great to have the dog park so close to your house.
I love the pic of Hannah in the lead, with Tucker(ears flapping)
right behind her. Other folks who got up later than you
guys were probably waiting for the grass to dry.LOL. I'm glad
they had a good time. Hannah & Tucker will certainly want to
go back to THEIR park.

[binka_nugget]

glad you guys had a good time and I loved the pics! You're so lucky to have a fenced park in your area...there aren't any around for me to walk to..since I can't drive yet. The closest "dog park" isn't fenced and I'm definately not ready to let kai off leash.

[lovemyshiba]

Yay!!!
Hannah and Tucker were the first ones to christen the new dog park!!!!!!
I wish we would have one--hopefully there will be one here in the future!!!!!

[anna_66]

Looks like fun to me & my gang! I can't believe you all were the only ones there, where was everyone else? Don't they know how fun dog parks are!
I'm glad you have a park so close to you, I bet Hannah and Tucker are going to want to go all the time now

[tatsxxx11]

Oh Rachel, lucky you!!! No doggie parks here...only the beach; off season, of course! Didn't Hannah and Tucker look precious scampering all about! I love they they were the unofficial "ribbon cutters!" I'm sure that as word gets around (and the grass drys!) many more pups will show up! I'm so happy for you! Go Hannah and Tucker

[Pam]

Dear Hannah and Tucker ~ Bella and Ripley here!!! Wowie what a neat time you two gots to have today! We wishes we lived closer and could romp and play wiff you guys!! My Mommie read **The Rules** out loud to us. She 'specially read REAL LOUD the part about the humans gots to fill in the holes that doggies dig. (That would be me, Bella, wiff the embarrassed face!) hehe! Geez, those pictures makes us wants to move to Chicago! I wonder where the other doggers were too. Maybe next time you'll get to meet some fun furry friends. Our mom tells us that Christiansmommy found a dog park near where she lives. She promised us that when Mocha comes to live wiff them we will all go and have lotsa fun. We really woulda LOVED to be wiff you two racing across that field though. You looked awesome! You two are our very speshall friends and we loves ya! Your Mommie takes such good pictures! Hope she takes lots next time when alla pupster will be there.
Gotta go now, Love from Bella & Ripley

[Cisco's Mom]

Yea, it was probably the rain the night before that kept folks away. Your fur babies sure looked they were having fun and maybe next time they will meet some other doggies!

[Rachel]

If at first you don't succeed.......

So back we went Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining and the parking lot was full of cars.....for the soccer fields that are in an adjoining area!!! But there was an Airedale and his people in the dog park. Oh, we were all sooooo excited...leashes atangle, Mom trying her best to stuff poop bags in her pocket and get us out of the car. Pant, pant, pull, pull...Oh, no, the Airedale and his people are coming towards the gate. They're getting ready to LEAVE! Well, we did get to sniff butts outside of the park, and Hannah kind of embarrassed Mom by pooping right then and there, and she had to bend over to pick it up.

We stayed for maybe twenty minutes or so, again the only dogs in the park. In another area to the west is a community garden. Lots of folks there. As we were driving out of the parking lot, we noted that in a couple cars arriving there were doggie heads (a greyhound and a basset). Daddy wouldn't turn around and go back. So I guess we will just have to wait for another day. There were plenty of poop bags in the garbage pail, so the word is out. Maybe one of these days we will find dogs in the DOG Park.

Your buddy,
Tucker

[4 Dog Mother]

That is great that you now have a dog park to take your dogs to. Our dogs love ours - whether there are other dogs there or not. I would imagine that if you were there early - like 7 am that you would be alone - not too many people are up and around that early. We have found that evenings are the best if you want to find other dogs - usually from 6:30 on. And oddly enough it seems that the park is usually not all that heavily used on the weekends although some people bring their dogs out on Sunday evening. I think a lot of people do their thing on the weekend and then feel guilty and Monday nights is one of the busiest nights of the week. It's kind of strange but it seems that early in the week there are lots of dogs and later in the week you see fewer and fewer. Friday and Saturday nights usually are "slow" nights.

We had ours out at the dog park last night. There was a shnauzer named Sophie, a schnauzer mix named Harley, and a golden named Baby who we last saw last summer when he was truly a baby - now at 90lbs he is no baby.

An aussie joined us for a few minutes to try the park out - his first visit and they will be getting a pass so they can legally join the rest of us.

Before we left another aussie mix came named Zelda and her sister a mix of ? named Zoe.

A man with a chocolate lab puppie stopped but did not seem to like the other dogs checking out his pup (I guess when he usually comes out there are no other dogs - which is what he wants) and he left rather quickly.

The other dogs ran and chased each other and wore themselves out. We went home happy to have worn out dogs to pass the rest of the evening quietly for a change.

[4 Dog Mother]

Oh, I forgot the park we go to is where all the Ohio Dog Park gatherings take place. It is about 10 minutes from our house. There is another dog park in Bowling Green about 20 minutes north of us. We sometimes take the dogs there because it doesn't get as muddy as ours does and because it is half way between Amy's house and ours and we can meet her and her three there and have our own "lots of dogs" gathering.

Unlike our dog park, there is rarely anyone at the BG park. I have no idea why it isn't as used as ours. I am sure there are at least a couple of hundred people signed up to use the Findlay dog park. Since the BG park gives out numbered tags for dogs, I am sure their count is less than 70- and that is dog number not family number.

[ramanth]

Sounds like a great time was had, dispite the absense of other doggies.

Congrats on the new dog park!

[lovemyshiba]

I cannot believe no one was there again!!!
If we had a dog park, you better believe I would be there every chance I could (with the dogs of course). We don't have one anywhere near here, but maybe someday!!

I bet Hannah and Tucker think it's their own special park