My flashing gloves have finally arrive so now when we go walkies at 4am, I can flash too scrap that my hands will make beautiful patterns with the flashing gloves. Flashing gloves Flashing harnesses
theres a dog park around here where, at night, all the dogs wear these weird new dog collars with flashing LED lights of different colours so folks can tell where their dogs are. it looks like some strange canine version of Star Wars
The thought of a load of unknown to each other dogs off leash into an enclosed area terrifies me, bad enough in daylight never mind darkness.
Im guessing youre not fond of dog parks! thats a shame, i.m.o. dog parks are a real boon to dog owners around here. not only for fun and playing and being social, the dogs love it too
I think that dog parks are an American thing, having never heard of them in the UK and definitely not here. Even if there was such a thing here, how could one be sure that their dog - or any of the other dogs, had had all their shots?
I don’t believe there are any US-style 'dog parks' in the UK, and I hope it stays that way, I love varying my walks, going different places where my dogs are mainly off lead and explore to their hearts content.
We have several "dog parks" in England Vee here in Derby we have 2 [the council have turned the old tennis courts into dog roaming free areas] I love them specially for the new puppies that are going to be let of their leads for the first time, means they are safe yet allowed freedom & can meet greet other puppies.
At present I am making enquiries about hiring a 'dog friendly' field in an attempt to try and improve Merry's recall. These fields are fully dog proof and are proving very popular with gatherings of breeds like Beagles - many of which have no other opportunity to really stretch their legs and lungs. These gatherings have generated lots of funds for breed rescue, and always seem to be eagerly anticipated Although I would be prepared to share the cost, (about £10 per hour), with a like minded person, I think I would prefer concentrate on my own hounds and do some specific training and galloping exercise. Of course you have no control over who else has used the field, and whether their dogs were disease free, but the same thing applies to any public land that your dog is walked over.
I can understand people sometimes need a fenced area to let their dogs off- lead, when I had the Akitas I was lucky in that a close neighbour had a large enclosed field that she used for Agility, and would let me use it. But im afraid I wouldn’t consider taking my dogs into designated fenced dog parks, letting my dogs loose with a bunch of dogs whose temperaments I have no clue about. Plus I like to interact with my dogs on walks ie: Playing and bits of training.
The dog parks here in Derby you pay to use them & are limited to 10 dogs at a time [6 if under 16 weeks] so I trend to have the area to myself with having 10 dogs already, but after saying that my sensible dog walking group [30 dogs in total] will hire the dog park for recall training once a week, we do this to keep our dogs 100% recall safe, by having the other dogs in there its a good distraction for the dogs being called back.
You are lucky, Tina, to have so many choices of fenced areas in Derby - especially that cheap, lockable farmer's field, which I am ever so jealous of. Of course, the dogs in your walking group will already be used to each other, so apart from the quite high number, it will not be much different to some of the larger training clubs. Beagles have this pack mentality, and seem to be able to recognise and get along with their own kind, so I can see that their meets should be happy ones. However, I would not want to join an assortment of strange dogs with unknown characters, it is just too easy to have an out of control incident.
When we have new members join the sensible dog walking club we do check out their dogs beforehand & if they are suitable to meet some of our more boisterous dogs in the secure field, dog park or to meet them on the street where the dogs are all on leads, we do have some very boisterous dogs in our club [Springer X Labrador, Afghan Hound, Beagle X Fox Hound, Lurcher, Corgi & Zuri the GSD which is my lodgers new dog] these dogs are full on & will be the one's likely to cause any trouble [fights] so meeting in secure area or on street always depends on new members dogs temperaments.
