DO you know what really makes me laugh? I will tell you...SO many things make me laugh. Yesterday, what made me laugh was people at the dog park. Now, all things considered, I love children...yours, my future monsters or theirs. However, young children do not, and I repeat, do NOT have a place inside the dog park. Here's why:
1. It says so on the SIGN! The signs are placed on the fence to keep you and your children safe. Dogs are wonderful creatures but they do not always respond well to adults, much less children. So read the signs. At our park in Liverpool, they specifically tell you that children under a certain age do not belong inside at all and those that are of age should remain OFF the dog ramps and other equipment. This is to keep your children sans dog bites of any kind, or even an accidental bump where a dog may push the child off said equipment. Either way it saves your child a lot of needless tears and you a lot of needless bitching at other owners who did not "control" their dogs.
AND
2. Dogs cannot be blamed for a child's lack of self control. If your young child is running through the dog park, screaming and climbing in the ramps and playing with sticks...a dog WILL chase them, will try to take the stick, and may jump and bite at ankles. It's just how it is. They think your little person is either trying to play with them or trying to attack them and the wonderful thing about dogs is that they do not discriminate...either way there will be trouble.
The most recent event occurred yesterday when we took our one year old shepherd mix to the park, which she loves. It did not involve her in any way and we were able to stand back and really watch how this situation unfolded...This is what we saw:
A woman, her husband and a so many months old baby in a stroller brought their dog in. This mother was completely disregarding the park rules. However, she did one thing right. She kept the baby in the stroller and moved to an outer area of the park away from most of the dogs...so she's just half dumbass...ok great. Another woman came in with her 3-4 year old little boy who had his head covered by a hood (hugeeee issue for the fact that it is covering his head, making it hard for the dogs to see him AND it just looks stupid in my opinion). The mother then lets the little boy run up and down the ramps, back and forth, screaming and yelling. I turn to my husband and say, "This is going to be a shit show in a minute or two." Well do you know what? I was completely right...The little boy continues to make a chaotic nuisance out of himself without any parenting from those that matter, and he begins to be nosed and pushed by a great dane puppy who doesn't know its size or its strength, just that there is a little hooded creature crawling and screaming all over and MUST be a squirrel or some other kind of animals that needs doggie intervention. The little boy begins screaming and crying, making matters worse and the mother, who is conveniently on the other side of the park, RUNS over and scoops the child up into her arms and tries to walk away with him (all the while sporting the "Your dog attacked my kid" look). Well, this doesn't fly in a dog park...ever...with picking up children OR other dogs when there is a confrontation. For some reason, the other dogs do not respond well to a dog, or child, in this case, being picked up and removed of all power. They gravitate towards the weaker picked up pile and start jumping or barking or nibbling around the object being picked up and carried away. The great dane, confused and wound up, is trying to circle the mother and child as she carts him away screaming, which makes everything worse. Say it with me...complete shit show! I turn to my husband and say, "See...shit show."
This story goes to show you two things...
1. Children should not be allowed, unsupervised in a DOG park. Also, the dogs are not substitutes for YOUR parenting skills. Watch your frigging children!
AND...
2. I have way too many opinions on the happenings of a dog park. I'm sure there are better things to do. I just can't ignore this...its stupidity at its finest.
