i am the proud parent of a super handsome, wicked smart and utterly adorable baby boy named charlee. he is my joy and (along with my husband) is my reason for living. he is also an australian shepherd.
suffice it to say that i do whatever i can to make him happy and he is ridiculously spoiled. which is why, the day we arrived at ft campbell, i found a nearby dog park to take him to. after driving around the park complex and searching for awhile, we finally found it (go past the skate park and it is the first right hand turn you can make, into a big parking lot...you'll see it). it was love at first sight, for both of us.
the park is AMAZING!!! there is a section for big dogs, one for little dogs and a small agility section. we frequent the big dog section, so that's what i'll tell you about. the fenced in area is half cleared and half wooded, so the dogs can feel like they are in the wild. we have gone at all times of the day and how many other dogs will be there is hit and miss. weekends tend to be pretty packed and afternoons seem better than mornings if you want company.
here are some suggestions i have if you decide to bring YOUR beloved pet to the bark park:
a) bring water and/or a bowl. there is a dog-level fountain outside the gate, but the dogs get really thirsty if you stay for awhile and it's frustrating to have to put them on a leash and/or risk other dogs escaping. other ppl tend to bring water, but you can't depend on it. i just bring a bowl & fill up at the fountain.
b) either bring a chair or be prepared to stand. there is one bench in the cleared out area, one in the woods & some rocks. the benches are usually occupied, so it's luck of the draw if you'll get to sit and the dogs pee on the rocks, so...yeah...sit at your own risk.
c) be willing/able to watch your dog. the other day a woman brought her pit bull and her two young children. she left the dog park to fly kites with her kids, leaving her dog alone. she was right outside the fence and every once in awhile would look over to see what her dog was doing. however, she failed to notice that her dog was harassing my dog, chasing him, biting him, humping him. now i get that dogs are dogs and they do these things, but after ten minutes of this, charlee would not leave my side. the pitt continued to bother him, even with me looming over them. i shoved him off more than once and finally we had to leave. charlee was terrorized and he wasn't able to run or play with the other dogs, so really, what was the point in staying? the pitt followed us all the way to the gate, where i shot dirty looks at the inattentive dog owner. please, if you bring a dog, be available to watch it & discipline as needed.
d) on that note, be aware that dogs bark. they nip. they hump. they play rough. they ALL want the ball that just bounced past. if you bring your dog to the park, you have to understand that these things WILL happen. but also know that you need to be ready to pull your dog out of the middle of a fight, control the amount of humping that goes on and apologize for the inevitable barking/chasing/horseplay. i have had to take charlee home early more than once for being mean to other dogs. they're just like kids...they need boundaries and consequences.
e) CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR DOG! yeah, it's posted, but ppl don't always do it. bags are provided, so pick up the poop! i don't know why, but every dog that comes to the park poops EVERY TIME...it's some kind of scientific anomaly.
f) after it rains, there are big mud holes. charlee and i try to avoid going the day after it rains, but the mud does tend to stick around for a few days, so put a blanket or a towel in the back of your car, just in case.
and lastly, g) be ready to talk to people. they will want to know about your dog: the breed, how old...all that stuff. this is a great opportunity to brag about your baby, meet other ppl and make some dog park friends. the same ppl tend to turn up, so try to remember their dogs names, even if you can't remember theirs.
charlee and i *try* to go every day, so hopefully we'll see you out there! read more
