Our Dog Park Adventure
Near my house is a neighborhood where just about everyone has a dog. Some of them even have two or three dogs. As a result, not only is the neighborhood very noisy, but it is also very dog friendly.
My neighborhood is filled with older people. The only dogs that ever seem to come into and out of the houses around here are lap dogs and dogs that are just barely old enough to jump up and down the front steps. My dog can’t help but be a bit lonely.
Awhile ago, as I was walking my dog through the next neighborhood, I started thinking, “wouldn’t it be nice if I could introduce my dog to some of these dogs?” I turned a corner and right before me was this brand new dog park roped off in the middle of a popular park.
On the inside of the fence surrounding this dog park, there were about a dozen dogs running free from their dog leashes with one another. They were jumping and dancing and having a great time.
My dog got so excited he literally pulled me over to the gate. As soon as I let him run free inside the gate, he ran straight to the middle of the pack. I huddled around the fence with the other doggy parents as we watched our pups play with their dog toys.
I started making friends with the other “regular” dog owners after about a week of taking my dog to the dog park. We started making plans to go out for coffee once or twice a week to a shop nearby where we could sit outside with our dogs.
Now our activities regularly include gathering at the dog park and then walking to the local coffee shops. We take our dogs walking along the river, hiking in the hills, and on other fun outings. Dog walking in my neighborhood has truly helped me form a network of close friends that I feel comfortable spending a solid 1-2 hours with several times a week.
My dog now always looks for and expects his new people friends to join us when we’re walking alone. As soon as I take him off the leash, he runs as fast as he can to the doggy park! We feel so lucky to be in such a dog-friendly neighborhood where there are so many like-minded families.
