This has got to be the most ridiculous dog park experience yet. Most of you know how much I just LOVE the dog park
The boys haven't gotten out much lately, every now and then I get a stupid attack of guilt and think they need to, which is dumb, because they'd both rather stay home and lay in front of the fan, or romp with each other in the play yard.
So, when I got off work unexpectedly early Monday, I took them to the nice dog park near the reservoir, which is pretty much empty mid-day. They just kind of wandered around, the pointer that doesn't like Earnest was there, but that's fine, I stay on one side of the park, he stays on the other.
This is a BIG open park, we were down toward the back and off to the west, keeping our distance from the pointer. There's a metal bench I make "home base" with my water and collapsible dishes, and my poop bags- I bring extra and fill the receptacles. A lady with a young? (year, maybe a little more) Lab arrived. She didn't have a lead on the dog, and it was being goofy, running back to the car, and then to the lady as she tried to open the gate. She held the first gate open and the dog finally ran in.
Meanwhile, Earnest walks away from the bench where I'm sitting and Phyfe is laying in the shade, and dumps a huge load of Great Dane cow pie. So I grab a bag and head to clean up. Earnest is watching the lady and the new dog, I send him back to down stay by Phfye until I can assess the new arrival. As soon as the woman gets the second gate open her dog takes off like a shot. She is leisurely walking behind, there is no way she will keep up. I'm standing by the pile of poo, but haven't picked it up because I don't want to get caught off guard, I'm watching the pointer as well as keeping an eye on my dogs. I'm thinking Earnest will get a good run out of this, Phyfe really doesn't like to play the kind of games Labs play. This dog runs right up, through the poo with all fours and then LAUNCHES at me, pooey feet all over my shirt. I say "OFF" with a push, and the dog gets down, bounces in the poo some more, and comes up for another jump. I grab him by the elbows on his front legs and overbalance him so he falls, - and yes, sometimes God smiles he falls right in the POO! About this time the lady finally catches up, and the dog runs to her, she puts her hand down and rubs it along the dog to see if it's hurt, and gets ....(you see it coming, don't you?) a big smear on her hand. By now I'm cracking up, and I don't care about poo on me (after all it's an occupational hazard) and it's WORTH IT to see this. The lady starts yelling, Phyfe starts barking, and Earnest is up with his tail wagging, just waiting to "break" and join in the fun. So far the lady hasn't said anything, because she was catching her breath from chasing the dog. I say "please hold your dog while I get mine, so this doesn't get worse" and I'm still laughing. She starts something about "hurting her dog and it's only a puppy and doesn't understand, and has a problem with jumping and" ....... but she's hanging on for dear life, so I go leash up the boys and head out - on the way I meet the Pointer and his owner, and HE'S cracking up, too (I like this man, our dogs just don't get along so well) so he says "bye" through a fit of giggles, I hang back so he can get out, then I go out. I load the boys in the back of the car, then am walking around to unlock the front when the goofy dog comes running up again-in the parking lot- the lady hasn't finished with me. Phyfe goes nuts because he's territorial, he noisily protects the car. Earnest starts his annoying high pitched want to play bark because it's a Lab, and they're fun. The lady again wants to argue about me "manhandling" (isn't it "doghandling?") her dog, then make nasty remarks about "aggressive" dogs not belonging. The Pointer guy pulls alongside in his SUV and says "I saw the whole thing- if it was me you'd be paying for a new shirt- I suggest you take your dog to obedience school before you come back here." This gives me time to hop in the car and go. NO MORE stupid park for us, I've been too lazy- it's back to hiking the off lead, no bicycle trails- I need the excersize anyway. Of course, I might go again... if I need a good story!
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