For six years of his life, my very large dog, Toby, lived in a big house on several acres of land. He spent the day running and exploring anytime he wished.
Then things changed for us. I needed something smaller and easier to keep up, so Toby soon found himself in a small town home with the tiniest back yard. I walk him twice a day but that is not enough. He knows when my days off are and eagerly waits to be loaded in the car for a trip to his favorite place, the dog park, and do his favorite thing, play ball.
Can you imagine his confusion and disappointment when we pulled up a couple of weeks ago only to leave again without even getting out of the car?
When I pulled up and saw four children between the ages of 8-10 inside the fence, one of the young boys running wildly toward the dogs flaying his arms, I could not take him in.
Toby is a good dog and very well trained, but has never been exposed to wild little boys in that age group. I have no idea how he would react to a wild little boy running toward him with arms flying. He may turn and run out of fear, or to protect me he may bite.
I did not let Toby out at the dog park at that time. We took a drive and came back later in hopes that the children would be gone; they were not. I could not drive away again and see his disappointment and he had to potty. So I put his leash on him and took him to the gate.
The young boy who had been running around so wildly came running over to greet us at the gate. I told him that my dog was not used to children so could he please step away. He went running back to where his parents were. I had to take my dog on leash (in a no-leash dog park) to the very back of the property.
Toby may have done nothing as I said, but I was not willing to take that chance. Not all dogs have children running around. You can have the best-trained dog but you still have an animal and you cannot predict what it will do when placed in an unfamiliar circumstance.
I can’t understand why this is not a no-children park.
Patty Brightman
Friday Harbor
