Hippo Press: At the dog park

At the dog park - Fenced off-leash areas are growing
By Heidi Masek hmasek@hippopress.com

Dog parks are not exactly sweeping the state, but those that exist are popular. Users say visits help socialize dogs. An owner might have a yard but still want the dog to learn to be calm around other dogs and people, said Phil Greazzo of Manchester Dog Park Association. The spaces are also places to meet your neighbors, he said.

Manchester doesn’t actually have a dog park yet. Greazzo takes his dogs to Derry, which opened one in 2002. Eleanor Camirand, president of the Friends of the Derry Dog Park, added that for those with small yards, dog parks allow dogs to run and get the exercise they need, which helps them behave at home.

Camirand said it’s helped Derry because fewer off-leash dogs are running around getting into trash or risking being hit by cars. People who can’t keep pets where they live come to the park to interact with animals. She’s also heard realtors are now asked about nearby dog parks.

Concord and Raymond have them, and like Derry’s, they are funded and maintained by volunteers. State Senator Betsi DeVries (District 18, D-Manchester) cosponsored SB 19, legislation meant to help limit municipal liability for dog parks. It was scheduled to head to the senate floor Feb. 18.

Concord’s opened in 2007 on city land in Terrill Park off Manchester Street. Phil Bilodeau, deputy director of the city’s General Services, said his department put up a fence with funds from Concord’s Dog Park Committee. A sizable number of folks use it, he said. However, it’s tough to access in the winter when adjacent land is used for snow deposits.

It’s carry-in, carry-out, which means people must clean up after their dogs, Bilodeau said. Small and large dogs are separated.

"The city has not experienced any hardship having the park there under volunteer arrangements,” Bilodeau said.

Riverside Bark Dog Park is on Sundeen Parkway in Raymond (www.riversidebarkdogpark.org). Rules are posted at the park.

Nashua Parks and Recreation Department said there was discussion about a year ago for one. Currently, some dog owners congregate near Bellavance Beverage. There’s a Web site for the Nashua Dog Owners Group (www.nashuadog.org) which lists a dog play group. Owners need to register to join.

Greazzo said Manchester proponents initially asked the city if they could use Bass Island land. A donor offered to provide fencing, Greazzo said. Even at no cost to taxpayers, the city hasn’t moved forward, he said. To get involved, visit manchesterdogpark.org. Manchester has more than 10,000 registered dogs, Greazzo said.

“The usual argument is liability,” Greazzo said. However, recreation space is already exempt from liability, and signs can be posted telling people they enter at their own risk, he said.

That’s the first rule at Derry’s park. Their rules also include “Handlers are responsible for any injuries caused by their dogs.” Dogs need proper vaccinations and licenses, dogs in heat are not allowed, a handler can only bring in two dogs at a time, children under age 8 are not allowed, and handlers must be over 16. Handlers must fill holes their dogs dig, and, of course, “scoop the poop.”

It’s open from sunrise to sunset, has agility equipment and recently added an area for small dogs. Visit  www.derry-nh.org/Pages/DerryNH_Recreation/parks/dog for directions. They hold events like a Halloween costume parade to raise funds. Maintenance costs are now mainly for stone dust for the park and to supply bags and pooper scoopers, Camirand said.

American K9 Country, a training and boarding facility, offers free use of its dog park at 336 Route 101 in Amherst near the Bedford border. It’s open from dawn to dusk unless there are sheep there. Dogs must not dig, they need to be “dog- and people-friendly,” owners must clean up after their dogs, and you use it at your own risk. Visit www.americank9country.com or call 672-8448.

Some parks require that dogs be able to respond to voice commands.

“There’s as many different theories and approaches to dog training as there are dogs,” said Patti Pharo, certified trainer and owner of the K-9 Behavior Savior of Merrimack (www.k9behaviorsavior.com, 429-2400).

Her philosophy involves training clients in her three “R’s”: respect, respond and reward, she said.

Their needs to be “a foundation of respect and trust like any other relationship.” She provides a series of relationship exercises in conjunction with lessons on commands like “sit” and “stay.” She emphasizes to clients that they need patience, because while domesticated, a dog is still a wild animal.

“A dog doesn’t instinctively know what you mean when you say ‘sit,’” Pharo said, and “It doesn’t come with an instruction manual. It doesn’t come preprogrammed like a computer.”

The owner’s energy level is key. “You want to be calm and consistent in your methods” and “remain even-toned,” she said.

Pharo thinks people expect to have an instant “Timmy-Lassie relationship” with their dog, but that takes a lot of work.

Pharo likes to train in homes, especially if there is a behavior issue. That way she can see how the dog acts normally. Sometimes she’ll teach a small group, but dogs are more interested in interacting with each other than with humans, she said.

There are plenty of other training options around, such as Granite State Dog Training Center, which offers a structured series of classes, in-kennel training, and training during doggie day care (www.gsdtc.com, 672-3647).

You can hire Pharo to come to your first dog park visit. Most trainers are more adept at reading the dogs, and can prevent problem situations, she said. “There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to introduce dogs to each other,” Pharo said. Pharo thinks dogs should be properly socialized before being introduced to an off-leash environment.

Read this and other dog articles at:

Furry, feathery and scaly friends
Hippo’s pet issue