Tag Archives: off-leash exercise

Dog park designs

If I ever win Lotto, I’d like to sponsor a major dog park development.

Dog park designs are an interesting line of work for landscape architects.  James Harrison Melnick of the University of Arizona did a review of A Successful Southwest Dog Park in 2013.

His report is still a useful document with various designs, their pros and cons, reviewed and discussed.

Chaparral Dog Park Scottsdale AZ

The Chaparral Dog Park in Scottsdale, Arizona

His report is downloadable through this link.

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

Another date

Izzy and Bergie had a Date Night Afternoon yesterday.  It’s incredibly satisfying to have them off-lead and able to run and play even with the cold winter weather.

Bergie likes to dig holes.  Izzy seems to admire his skills, taking a front row seat to watch.

These two mean something special to one another and it is a joy to watch them play together.

Kathleen Crisley, specialist in dog massage, rehabilitation and nutrition/food therapy, The Balanced Dog, Christchurch, New Zealand

Help! Needham needs a dog park

Needham, Massachusetts doesn’t have a dedicated facility where dogs can run and exercise off-leash.  For a town that is home to approximately 3,000 registered dogs, it’s a real shame.

Dog park image

Thankfully, a group of dedicated owners led by Mike Verdun and Bill Paulson are hoping to change that.  They and a group of about 10 other passionate dog owners have located a suitable site, the Nike Site, next to Ridge Hill Reservation. The group is now fundraising to establish the park.

Needham Dog Park map

$25,000 is needed to establish the facility; the bulk of the money is needed for the fencing, combined with signage and a wood chip base.  Double gates will ensure that dogs are kept safe as they enter and exit the park.

‘We’ve talked to other communities in Massachusetts that already have dog park facilities,’ says Bill.  ‘We’re confident in our design.’

So far, the group has raised $3,500 – so there’s still a long way to go.  If you and your dog benefit from off-leash exercise in your community, maybe you can consider making a small donation to help the dogs of Needham be rewarded with their own dog park.

The Needham Dog Park donation form has all of the instructions you need.  And you can follow progress via the Needham Dog Lovers Facebook page.

Daisy’s birthday adventures

Today we woke up and went to the largest dog park in Christchurch, The Groynes.  Although the sun was coming up, it was also showering and we saw a lovely rainbow settle over the park:

Rainbow over dog park

Daisy loves being off-lead and able to exhibit her natural dog instincts.  She looks up to keep tabs on me often, but enjoys foraging around:

Foraging

And tonight Daisy enjoyed a slice of her birthday cake for dessert.  This cake is salmon and rice, with a lowfat cream cheese frosting, doggy choc drops and homemade chicken & parsley doggy treats:

Birthday cake

Happy Birthday, Daisy.  I love you!