15 Responses to “Dog Park Etiquette 101 @ CHDP”

1. posted by Andrew at August 26, 2008 5:04 pm :
   

   GREAT idea. It’s NEVER a bad thing to have ongoing training and education as it pertains to dog owner/guardianship.

   So far, while I think most of the pet parents who come to CHDP are pretty “in tune” with their dogs (and dog behavior in general), there are a few that overreact, which as we know, does nothing but aggravate and exacerbate a an otherwise easily remedied situation.

   What I’d REALLY like to see is a class on dog nutrition. If only people knew what they were feeding their beloved animals when they throw that sack of grocery store brand food in their cart…..I honestly believe pet owners do this out of ignorance, not an unwillingness to spend a few bucks more on a better quality product.

2. posted by Crystal at August 27, 2008 12:43 pm :
   

   Well, if it soothes your curiosity any, I feed my dogs Nutro now and they absolutely love it! So I don’t throw the grocery store bags in my cart, : ).

3. posted by SEW at August 27, 2008 12:52 pm :
   

   I’m with Andrew on the dog nutrition issue. I think it would be great to offer a class on that. There are so many foods on the market (some good, some adequate, and probably a lot that are horrible) that many may not know what the differences are…

4. posted by Andrew at August 27, 2008 2:33 pm :
   

   SEW-

   Count me (first time dog owner/guardian) as someone who knew absolutely NOTHING about pet nutrition. Thankfully, along with some common sense and my own increasing interest in what I consume (I watch my diet a little more closely as I inch towards 40….LOL) , I started doing the same thing for my dog and cats and was STUNNED to learn some of what makes it’s way into our furry friends food bowls!!

   This is just one of many pieces written on dog food:

   http://www.shalako.com/dogfood.htm

5. posted by Andrew at August 27, 2008 2:37 pm :
   

   Crystal-

   You mentioned Nutro….I am a fan of their “Ultra Holistic” line of foods and would not hesitate to feed it to Missie:

   http://www.ultraholistic.com/adult.shtml

6. posted by Thom at August 27, 2008 3:48 pm :
   

   Andrew,

   I’m sure you’ve seen this site but it is an amazing resource for dog owners. I urge each and every one of you to go and take a look. It’s pretty eye-opening. Read professional reviews on the kibble you feed your dog….

   http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com

7. posted by SEW at August 27, 2008 4:55 pm :
   

   Andrew,

   Thanks for the web site (you too Thom)! I have to take a look at both when I have a few extra minutes…

8. posted by Amy N-B at August 28, 2008 1:17 pm :
   

   Hi all,

   I fear that my sweet, lovable, very actice, barky dog (Tom) is one of the ones that others allude to. We are out of town this weekend, but would otherwise have attended the dog park class.

   Thanks for the dog food nutritional info

9. posted by Crystal at August 28, 2008 3:49 pm :
   

   No no no, this is a general class and we’re not picking on any 1 person. People in general think a fenced-in area means they don’t have to watch their dogs and when you get 10-15 together, stuff happens (and sometimes many more).

   There are often small signs that let a person know how their dog will/would react when confronted and this class is to help you be aware of and respond to those signs.

   The best thing a dog gaurdian can do is know their dog whether it be good or bad. Unfortunately, there are lots of people who don’t.

10. posted by Puppy Mama at September 4, 2008 6:51 am :
    

    When I first saw the posting for the class, I thought it was silly, but after having been to CHDP, there are definately people who need to attend this. Pick up your dogs poop, don’t bring in food, interact with the dogs, if your dog is overly aggressive-work with him/watch him. And leave until he can learn. That way it will be a safe and fun environment for all.

11. posted by Kathleen at September 4, 2008 8:30 am :
    

    This is definitely NOT a silly class. The dog park is new to Church Hill and, even if your dog has perfect manners, it’s important to recognize the sometimes very subtle signs of another dog’s intentions. I hope there was good attendance at the class this past Saturday. I think a lot of people were out of town for the holiday weekend (me!), so I hope another session will be offered soon.

12. posted by Juliellen at September 4, 2008 6:10 pm :
    

    Not a silly class at all. I don’t have a dog (yet), and I haven’t had one since I was a kid many years ago. But I’m planning on getting one soon. Non-dog people don’t know the rules of a dog park. Thanks for putting on the class. I hope there will be another one soon.

13. posted by Di at September 4, 2008 10:34 pm :
    

    Read this http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/barf-myth.html

14. posted by HB at September 5, 2008 7:39 am :
    

    I was at the dog park last night and very much enjoyed it. Normally when we visit their are either no dogs or only one or two (I think I get there too early). Last night there were a plethora for my boy to play with. I spoke to a gentleman about my dogs monogrammed collar and I just wanted to post the website in case he had trouble finding the seller. Enjoy!
    http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5254658&order=&section_id=&page=1

15. posted by Crystal at September 5, 2008 10:16 am :
    

    Yes, we tend to get there around 6:30-7pm and stay for an hour or so. Since it’s getting darker earlier, we’ll have to start coming earlier!

    But we do have plans to open the park 2 or 3 times a week during the winter hours for a nominal fundraising fee.

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