Our community built a really nice dog park, with separate large and small dog areas a couple of years ago.
When it first opened, I took ZoE a few times. But as others have said, there are just too many bad owners out there. There's no enforcement of behavior, health requirements, etc. There's unaltered dogs, dogs with worms, and a surplus of idiot owners with agressive dogs that think a dogpark is a good place to socialize their dogs, which just means terrorizing others. It just became a place I didn 't want to take ZoE, and she didn't enjoy going. In nice weather we still walk on the trails in the greater park area....and still encounter a few idiots with dogs off-leash or using those flexileashes even though the signs clearly state a 6ft or less leash.
After the whole dog park fiasco, I decided to fence in part of my own property myself. Now ZoE gets to run free and get exercise. I ocassionally invite a friend with a dog over to socialize, while we drink sangria on the patio. Problem is now I have a safe fenced area, sometimes friends, whose dog I would never invite over, want to stop by and bring their dog. Not everyone I know cares for and vets their dog as I do mine, and I dont want fleas and worms in my yard.
I've gone back and forth about getting a second dog, but I've never had two at once and am leary of distrupting our routine. I truly have no issues with ZoE and don't want to cause any.
__________________ (Chelsea  ) |