Dog Parks

Okay.

This is going to be a ridiculous post.

A post that has no 'deeper meaning.'

Will not further world peace or recycling.

It's just a post that is bouncing around in my head & needs out.

So here goes...

We now live in an area that has a 'dog park'.

Dog Parks are places city people take their dogs to 'play' with other dogs.

To run around & socialize & be 'a dog'.

All kinds of dogs are at these places.

Big dogs. Little dogs. Boy dogs & girl dogs. Spayed dogs & neutered dogs. Nice dogs & pitbulls (ha! ha! don't get your hackles up it was just a JOKE).

Anyway. All of these people have all of these dogs running around. Together. And they think it is normal.

They think that it is what dogs do.

Um, okay.

Have y'all ever met a dog?

Read a book about a dog?

Oh, I know, watched a TV show about a dog?

Dogs are not 'social' animals.

Dogs are 'pack' animals.

In 'the wild' in the 'natural world' dogs would roam around in packs. Like coyotes & wolves.

The pack would have a leader~the Alpha Dog. Also known as "The Big Dog" ;)

The Alpha leader is the boss. All of the other dogs follow under in a hierarchy.

Packs don't play with other packs.

A dog/coyote/wolf from another pack shows up they kill it.

They don't socialize with it.

It is not normal or natural for dogs all to play together with a bunch of strange dogs.

It's asking for a fight.

And people (mostly city folk) are totally oblivious to this.

And I find that fascinating.

I mean, seriously, have we grown so silly as a nation that we think it is normal, natural & necessary to take our dogs on playdates?

Ooookaaay.

My dogs are farm dogs.

Their JOB, their purpose for being here, is to protect me, my family, our animals & our home.

If a strange dog shows up in my yard~I don't want them to play with it!

I want them to chase it away~AGGRESSIVELY.

If we introduce a new dog into the family we do it gradually. We let our dogs know THIS dog is now part of the pack.

It's a training issue. Not a 'playdate'.

As humans we tend to 'humanize' our animals. Give them qualitys & feelings we experience.

This is known as 'anthropomorphism'.

Don't go there :)

Treat your dog like a dog. Not like a child. ;)

Years ago, we used to visit my folks who lived at the beach.

I often took my big farm dog to play in the ocean.

His job was to protect me.

He took it seriously.

He never hurt a person, never even curled a lip at anyone  but in the course of guarding our farm he had been in a few nasty dog fights.

He was always on a leash RIGHT by my side.

I could not believe how many people  would let their dogs OFF the leash (which by the way was against the law on that beach) & let them run right up to my dog on his leash & get right in his face.

They would usually smile & say "Oh, it's okay, he doesn't bite."

While I had a death grip on my dog, holding him back from their dog who was threatening his pack & I would smile & say "Well my dog  DOES. Wanna call off your dog?"

They usually didn't smile much after that.

My rather long winded point is a dog is an animal.

Not a child needing a playdate.

So treat your dog like a DOG.

Feed them. Love them. Pet them. Let them sleep on your pillow if you like. But don't take them to 'dog parks' & pretend it is normal.

Oh, yeah, don't dress them up in leopard skin coats either.

But that is a whole 'nother post. ;)

Blessings.