[Dailydrool] An alternative to the dogpark

[Val Brewer]

Well, I succombed. After our most recent dogpark misadventure, I decided I 
needed to find some alternative to our one local dogpark (on this entire 
island!!) that was predictably safer. Harley has been dying for social contact 
(moving meant leaving his girlfriend, Ruby Chiquita the vagrant chihuahua who 
hung out at our house, behind with her rightful owners in the old neighborhood), 
and Bo has become more big dog phobic since the recent attack.

So I signed the boys up for one day a week at a new doggie daycare facility in 
town which has just opened up under the careful supervision of a respected 
trainer in our area. I have resisted this alternative for awhile, (kind of like 
public vs. private education), feeling like the responsible dog owners should 
hang in there and make the parks available to everyone a safer place--but since 
I failed to protect Bo this last time (this is the second time we have been 
attacked there--the other time was Harley, who appears impervious and wasn't at 
all traumatized by the experience), We went the private route. We visited the 
daycare, where the supervision is very close (about 1 person for every 4 dogs). 
and were pleased with our visit. Both hounds set "goals" for their education--Bo 
to overcome his fear of big dogs; Harley to stop barking if mom is out of sight 
for more than a few minutes). The boys had their first morning this week. Bo 
initially bayed whenever a big dog came over to him, but after the first few 
hours when I picked up the hounds, he was mingling casually and smiling. Harley 
got sprayed water on his toes when he barked but cuddled when he didn't bark and 
also seemed good at pickup. I got homework to stop worrying and fussing so much 
over them, reinforcing all the wrong behaviors. This weekend Harley didn't bark 
much when I came in from a meeting away, and Bo ventured out of the house a bit 
more. I am wildly optimistic. Like Cesar would have said all along (and I have 
known this all along), certainly I have been a large part of the problem. I also 
recognize that these blankety-blank irresponsible dog owners who bring 
unsocialized dogs to the dogpark are another part of the problem.

Interestingly, when we interviewed at the doggie daycare, the trainer asked me 
"which dog" it was that had attacked Bo? I was surprised and said, "Well, a 
black pit-lab female ironically named 'Sweetie'". The trainer said, "Yes, I know 
that dog. The owners fancy themselves dog trainers but don't know what they are 
doing--that dog is a multiple biter and should not be at the park. I have told 
them that myself". Huh? This is a small community that I now live in. Wish us 
luck. Val, Bo, and Harley
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