A Ray Profile!

Below is a good side profile of our beloved Ray.

We had taken him to a large park/conservation area which included a “leash-free” area for dogs. Sadly, and as is typically the case here, you cannot trust other dog owners to be watchful of their dogs which results in some unpleasant interactions. The owners often don’t even notice because they are socializing! From my perspective, it is less of a leash free area for dogs to play in, and more a simple “dumping ground” that is fenced so you cannot loose your dog!

We are not prepared to let Ray loose in there however, there is a small dog area very close by. It is rarely used, so that is where we let Ray off his leash and see if we can coax him into playing fetch etc.

It is unfortunate that our leash free areas are treated more as a human social venue, and less of a place to allow dogs to interact in a controlled environment, but we all have choices and it is our choice to keep Ray out of potential problems.

44 thoughts on “A Ray Profile!”

    • Unbelievably, that was a major problem when he came to live with us (from a shelter). While his background was unknown, he was initially afraid of people and other dogs so we were always prepared to block an individual when we heard “What a lovely looking dog.” So many people wanted to touch him… without considering that he might not wish any contact. He is “Mr. Social” now, but it took 4 years of work to get him “there”! Regrets? Absolutely none! 🙂

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  2. The closest dog park is a free for all here too with the peeps mostly ignoring their pets. One person I was told used to leave their dog there while he went to work. GAH! Sam never did ‘get it’ with all the dog hyper-activity running around like crazy and usually stuck by my side so we don’t bother going anymore. I always worry there are dogs not vaccinated as well. With our multiple walks each day, he certainly does’t need it or the stress.

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  3. HANDSOME BOY! What a great photo!
    Agree about dog parks. We have a decent one here, a number of people are very good about watching their dogs, but a few years ago there was this guy who used to bring his corgi, Teddy. Teddy liked to pee on everyone, and the guy was always talking on his Bluetooth, barely paying any attention. If he happened to see Teddy pee on you, he’d laugh and say “watch out; he likes to do that!” as though it were ok.
    I like to take Callie and Charlie into the small dog area where there often aren’t any other dogs. Charlie gets excited and runs around if there are dogs in the big dog area, so he gets his exercise, and Callie just wants to sniff around and maybe run back and forth once or twice.

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    • Hi Molly – Yes, those “small dog areas” can be priceless. As for idiot owners, we met a man with a Chihuahua who saw no problem with his dog saying “Hello” to Ray. Once the two dogs were very close to each other, the Chihuahua snarled and lunged at Ray. Fortunately, Ray just backed away. My intuitive reaction was to ask (I was not so polite) what that was all about. His response was staggering. “It’s okay, my dog couldn’t have hurt your dog because it doesn’t have any teeth.” I suggested that Ray could have killed the Chihuahua, but the man was still laughing about the incident.

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  5. Reblogged this on DoggyMom.com and commented:
    From my experience in Christchurch, I tend to agree with the author of this post. I used to go to the dog park a lot with my Daisy (she’s been gone for over 3 years, and we were together for 10+ years). But I see more and more dogs crowding into the space and more owners who haven’t trained them or show much interest in training them.

    What do you think?

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  6. I feel the same way. I used to love taking my previous dog to the dog park but they have become a dumping ground for owners who know nothing about dog behavior and don’t seem that interested in socialising and training their dogs. Sadly, the dog control authorities don’t show much interest in monitoring and issuing fines in the parks, either. So there is no incentive for the owners to improve.

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    • Hi Kathleen. I guess it’s just a sad statement of our culture… generally very self-focused. Not only do many dog owners appear to have no interest in the health and well-being of their dogs, but they show the same ignorance over other people’s dogs. The end result may well be a “wild-west” type of culture using the dog parks, while the rest of us just avoid them. Our consolation though will be all the benefits of participating with our dogs in recreational activities.

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  7. It is rather sad that dog parks seem not to end up providing what was intended…a leash-free safe area for the dogs to socialize while closely supervised by their humans. My daughter experienced the same scenario at dog parks with Harley and it wasn’t productive for either of them. Ray always appears camera ready, one magnificent model! Benjamin is sending a “hello” to his friend, Ray! Thank-you for sharing.

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  9. We have a huge leash-free park nearby, with 3 separate fenced areas based on dog size. I’ve seen the socializing, and wondered about how much attention is given to those running free. For me, it is still a bit too muddy to go in there, my dog has white leg fur…maybe when it’s a bit cooler. Isn’t it interesting that they so correctly remember the encounter with any other animal ?

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    • It is interesting… but then it shouldn’t be. We are no different in that we meet people we simply don’t like for whatever reason and remember to avoid them next time. The poor dogs are rather restrained, and have limited options, when in a fenced area.

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  10. It is sad but so true. That’s how Riley became aggressive toward other dogs (although, thankfully, he has never actually hurt another dog). It was because of the aggression aimed at him in a dog park. Now, we only go to rarely frequented parks, the same as you, and leave if someone else shows up.

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    • Most people I explain that to don’t understand the perspective. Ray is a “big boy” and, if another dog gets a bit awkward with him, the result would probably not be pretty. He has been attacked by a couple of small dogs when out on walks and simply backed away, but Huskies do seem to give him a problem. Ray’s recall is very good…unless his focus is on a squirrel, or a cat… or a fast approaching dog. Then we simply don’t exist to him. Taking all things into consideration, it is better for us and for Ray if we keep out of dog parks. I have physically intervened a few times when Ray has been leashed, and survived unscathed. I cannot see the same end result happening if I had to intervene with two unleashed dogs! Thanks for your comment Amy.

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  11. I know I said it before, but Ray is such a natural at doing great poses. .From his charming face to his tail, he is one handsome dog!
    And its great that he has owners like the both of you that look out for him when at places that could cause potential problems. Sad that not all owners have the dog’s best interest in mind.

    Makes me think back to when my kids were little and I would take them to the playground for them to play. A public playground for all kids and unfortunately some parents saw it more as a place to just let their kids run wild why they read a book or were distracted with something else.

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