We enjoyed this discussion of the differences between the small dog and large dog runs in New York's East Village that appeared in The Local, an East Village newspaper, and was recently posted on The New York Times website. The differences, it seems, aren't just about the dogs who frequent each run-it's about the differences among their respective owners, too.
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
But we thought this article raised a few more questions that deserved our attention: Parental Unit is frankly stumped (or perhaps just paranoid) about me or any other smaller dog getting attacked by a single dog or several dogs who are off leash at a dog park and aren't necessarily under direct control of their owners.
That's why, in our humble attempt at logical thinking, most dog parks or "runs" as they're called elsewhere, have different, fenced off areas-one for small dogs, and one for larger dogs. But if you read the above article, the author jokes about bringing his small dog to the appropriately sized dog run (small dog side) and noticing that both the dog and he feel a tad out of place (he describes his dog , Chuck, as a "kamikaze pilot [who] blazed around the [park] twice and then tackled a Yorkie." So he decides to bring his pint-sized canine over to the big doggie side, where they presumably both feel more comfortable.
Now we think this is O.K. if you're not the worrying type, and will gladly suffer any possible consequences, like, say, your small pooch being shredded by an out-of-control larger dog. Now, we're not making this up folks, we've read many a tragic tale and so have those who own or manage dog parks-that's why most have established ways (like the use of steel fences) to separate the romping canines by size.
Interestingly, just a day before we read this article, Parental Unit was chatting with her good friend, who at the time, happened to be at dog park with her two toy poodles-both of whom romp only on the 'big dog" side of the park. Our friend was laughing and chatting with the other folks at the park about how cute her little poodles looked playing with the other big dogs...and we agree that this is great, as long as nothing happens. Blessed are they who don't have the worry gene!
What about you, ye owners of small dogs? Do you let your small pooch play with much bigger dogs in a dog park or other off-leash area? We'd love to know your views on this issue!
Photo courtesy of The New York Times
But we thought this article raised a few more questions that deserved our attention: Parental Unit is frankly stumped (or perhaps just paranoid) about me or any other smaller dog getting attacked by a single dog or several dogs who are off leash at a dog park and aren't necessarily under direct control of their owners.
That's why, in our humble attempt at logical thinking, most dog parks or "runs" as they're called elsewhere, have different, fenced off areas-one for small dogs, and one for larger dogs. But if you read the above article, the author jokes about bringing his small dog to the appropriately sized dog run (small dog side) and noticing that both the dog and he feel a tad out of place (he describes his dog , Chuck, as a "kamikaze pilot [who] blazed around the [park] twice and then tackled a Yorkie." So he decides to bring his pint-sized canine over to the big doggie side, where they presumably both feel more comfortable.
Now we think this is O.K. if you're not the worrying type, and will gladly suffer any possible consequences, like, say, your small pooch being shredded by an out-of-control larger dog. Now, we're not making this up folks, we've read many a tragic tale and so have those who own or manage dog parks-that's why most have established ways (like the use of steel fences) to separate the romping canines by size.
Interestingly, just a day before we read this article, Parental Unit was chatting with her good friend, who at the time, happened to be at dog park with her two toy poodles-both of whom romp only on the 'big dog" side of the park. Our friend was laughing and chatting with the other folks at the park about how cute her little poodles looked playing with the other big dogs...and we agree that this is great, as long as nothing happens. Blessed are they who don't have the worry gene!
What about you, ye owners of small dogs? Do you let your small pooch play with much bigger dogs in a dog park or other off-leash area? We'd love to know your views on this issue!
