Scenes from the Dog Park

A last minute cancellation of a Heartland meeting today left the afternoon open. We decided to do something we don't normally do . . . take a trip to the dog park! Picking which dogs to take was difficult. We have mostly young dogs here who need to burn energy. But, we also have dogs who need socialization. Finally, I decide to take one of my dogs, Tasha, and one of my fosters, Chooch.

If you read here often, you probably just read both those names and are now scratching your head. You might be saying to yourself, "I thought Chooch got adopted and that Tasha was a foster dog." Chooch did get adopted. And then he was returned. Though he found a wonderful family, the placement just wasn't right for him and he was unhappy there. The adoption helped us discover some of Chooch's needs, as he did very poorly in a home with an adult male. He is terrified of men. We aren't exactly sure why.

And, Tasha? I knew the first time I saw her, skinny and scared at the pound, there was something special about her. I did try to find her a home, really I did. But, in the end, I couldn't bring myself to part with her. She is the best dog ever. She is bossy like a Husky and protective like a German Shepherd, but she is also tolerant of the foster dogs and, best of all, absolutely loves and protects the kitties in my house. I officially adopted her just a couple weeks ago!

So, today was Tasha and Chooch's day at the park. I am hoping to make this a regular event with all the dogs because it is a great way to gauge how they do with other dogs, with kids and adults.

They had an absolute blast. Chooch liked meeting all the other dogs and did his best to avoid any man he saw. They all seemed to be wearing baseball hats, which scares him the most, so all things considered he did very, very well, only barking if one of those baseball hat wearing ogres tried to pet him! Tasha loved having room to run as fast as she could. And, she surprised me by being super friendly with dogs of all sizes!

A day at the dog park: definitely priceless.