Dog Parks

Back in Acton

2009-11-04T09:42:00.001-05:00

Zoe, originally uploaded by phaird.

Toby and I were back in Acton this weekend. It was a beautiful day and because of the time change, there were people coming and going all morning.

This is a picture of Zoe who is one of the regulars at the park. She is an active fun dog who LOVES the tennis ball. She'll play chase with some of the other dogs as well but will go after any tennis ball thrown her way. She has the nicest personalities and gets along with all the dogs at the park.

It was nice being back in Acton this weekend. There was a lot of the regulars that I got to see. Even Toby was good this weekend. He got to chase the ball and didn't get into any fights. I think having a few weekends exploring new places helped.

We may head over to Waverly Oaks in Waltham this weekend if I get the time.

First visit to Stodderd's Neck

2009-10-26T13:10:00.002-05:00

Rory, originally uploaded by phaird.

I have to admit, I'm really jealous of all those people living on the south shore. For those who don't know, this is south of Boston right on the water. Stodderd's Neck is a public park that has been taken over by the dog lovers in the area. It's not an official dog park but sure looks like one and it's a perfect location for it too. It's surrounded on 3 sides by water and there is a gate at the entrance that makes it hard for more then one person at a time to get in.

Sunday was a PERFECT fall day all across New England and people were out enjoying it with their dogs. The parking lot was packed and the park was hopping with all kinds of dogs. The photo here is of Rory, a regular at the park. There was lots of new faces like my dog, Toby but for as many dogs as there were, there was still plenty of room.

This area, even though on the water, is surrounded by bushes and there is a small hill at the center. The is a small path that follows the inside area of the park or if you want you can walk out on the beach and let your dogs romp around in the water. After talking to another regular at the park, I'd advise against it right after it rains. The rain washes all the bacteria up and on more then one account, dogs have gotten sick. If it hasn't rained in a few days though, it should be fine.

I wish I wasn't an hour away but I sure enjoyed my visit and I can't wait to go back.

Keller reporting on pet economy

2009-10-22T12:54:00.002-05:00

John Keller of WBZ here in Boston did his fluff piece on pets and the economy. To all of my readers, you know well that we will do anything for our pets. I would have been happier if he mentioned the swelling of shelters because of people abandoning pets or how the economy has hurt so many pets but this is a one sided point of view to take a jab at Martha Stuart who has started a pet line of clothes. The jab doesn't seem very fair.

Martha has devoted a big part of her website and time into her dogs and pet life. Why wouldn't she start a pet clothing line? Anyone who can put together a tea party for 150+ can spoil her pets and share it with the world. She has even a pet adoption area within her site. Some might say she should work with petfinder.com but as long as pets that need homes are finding them, then I'm all for it.

Rain rain, go a way

2009-10-18T20:54:00.000-05:00

It was such a cold wet rainy day that I didn't take Toby to the park. Toby is a fair weather dog so every time I took him out, he had to be coaxed out. He would go out, do his business and run right back inside. It's funny how similar he and I are.

To keep you entertained, check out this Huffington Post of some great pet costumes.

Toby is up to his old tricks

2009-10-12T13:28:00.002-05:00

Sharon_Dogpark_101109_09, originally uploaded by phaird.

Toby and I went out to the dog park in Sharon MA. It is one of the few official dog parks in the state. It was established in 2004 and from the looks of it gets a lot of support and use. I went with a friend and his two new dogs. What is really nice is that it's a fenced in location that has multiple entrances. There is a space for smaller dogs who want to be separate from the bigger dogs.

It was a beautiful day with a good number of dogs. I'd say that there was about 25 or 30 dogs there. The sun was warm and the cool Sunday afternoon. Toby was up to his normal antics. A few dogs wanted to play with him and he didn't want anything to do with them. He kept picking fights with anyone who came close. Part of that is him just being nervous about being someplace new.

By the end of the day though, Toby was super tired and had a great day. I think that the next trip will be exciting for him.

I'm looking forward to coming back to the park. There are a lot of regulars who show up and I'll focus my attention on their dogs and the great stories they have about them.

Toby puts his foot (paw) down

2009-10-07T17:11:00.001-05:00

Toby wanting the ball thrown, originally uploaded by phaird.

I love going to the Acton park every Sunday with Toby. It is my one moment to myself with Toby where nothing else matters. I get to see my dog park friends and relax for an hour without the pressures of work and home life.

Toby on the other hand is starting to rebel against the park. For the past three weeks, he’s either not gone into the park or left within 5 minutes of getting there. This last Sunday he wouldn’t go into the park at all, even for the tennis ball. There is another open area hidden behind the park that I took him and he was okay with that. We threw the ball around for about a half hour but he never really relaxed. You can tell from the photo that he’s still nervous.

I think my next goal is to go and explore some of the other dog parks around the area. I have some friends in Sharron MA where this is another official dog park area. I’ll try to go visit them this weekend. I want to go back to the Waverly Oaks park in Waltham where I first started taking Toby on a regular basis when I lived in Watertown. The last time Toby and I went there, he LOVED it. I know that the Fells park is also a very dog friendly place to go. It’s going to be a lot more driving and as the weather gets colder, there may be a few less people with their dogs but I think it will be a good adventure for both Toby and me.

For all my faithful readers, if you know any parks around eastern MA that I should check out, let me know and I’ll even meet you at the park some weekend.

No park for me

2009-09-20T16:33:00.003-05:00

Did you see me at the park today? No? Well, thank Toby for that. We got there and with in 5 minutes Toby heard shots from the gun club near by (over a mile away) and ran back to the car. We didn't even get half way into the park before he turned around. I even brought the chuck-it and extra tennis balls but had no luck at all. On such a nice day too.

The only good thing about it is that I got to go home and watch the Sunday Morning Early show which I normally miss. Bill Geist had a unique segment on the process of adopting a dog for the first time. This wasn't the normal Geist segment where he goes out into the unknown parts of the US to find fun things on the fringe. This was much more personal and is able to point out some of the powerful, yet simple things about becoming a dog owner that we as dog owners know but those that aren't don't understand. It is one of the rare stories that Bill is just as much of the story as his dog and was nice to see. Check it out if you get a chance.

The star of the park

2009-09-13T16:35:00.001-05:00

Irish Wolfhound, originally uploaded by phaird.

This Irish Wolfhound was the star of the park today. This big happy boy towered over all the other dogs and even some of the people. Everyone with a camera, even a cell phone camera had to take pictures of him. He is just a big softy who wanted all the other dogs to play chase him. That is him with his owners.

Even with this Wolfhound towering over everyone, today seemed to be about little dogs. There was between 10, 15 or even more smaller dogs. Terriers and pugs were everywhere. The energy was very different because of them. They were running and barking and stirring up all the other dogs at the park. That was easy to do because it go so busy today.

I kind of expect it to be a slower day because the weather was overcast in the morning. By 10 though, the sun was out and it was warming up. Toby and I were at the park for over an hour and even when we left, the parking lot was complete full.

Beautiful day

2009-09-06T11:59:00.002-05:00

Ball stealer, originally uploaded by phaird.

Wow, I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. The sun was warm but the wind was cool. No bugs around and everyone was just happy and enjoying themselves. It was an average busy day but so nice.

Toby was being good too. I brought 2 balls today just in case. This dog ended up with one which I expected to happen. It's a rare day when I show up so prepared.

I was also being shadowed by a student from SESOP. She needed to photograph and interview a professional photographer. My ego got a big boost from that. When she first started taking photos it was while she was a dog walker. Now as a student she would like to find others making a go at it. It's not easy but, to me, there is no better subject matter (well, except my on family).

I'm heading back outside now. This day can't be spent in front of my computer, even if I do enjoy entertaining my blog followers.

PS. for those locals who want to see photos of Acton, MA, check out this Flickr group.

Dog park drama

2009-08-25T19:44:00.001-05:00

Toby hiding under the car, originally uploaded by phaird.

There was much drama at the park this weekend. Well, as much as Toby can create. The week before, Toby got into a dominance match with a much larger dog. For some reason these two really want to put each other in their places. The problem for Toby is that the other dog is MUCH bigger. Poor Toby got nipped on the side of his face because, like a good terrier, he didn’t ever back down.

After that Toby just said “lets go!” and ran out to the parking lot till I followed. I found him just hiding under a car panting. I didn’t really know the extent of how shook up he was till after I got him home and found the bite. Toby stayed by my side the whole rest of the day. He normally wants to be around but Sunday, he never left my side, even when I was down in my basement office.

There is a unique energy when 2 dogs go at it. When that happens the whole park, people and dogs descend on the action. It takes some shouting and pushing to get the action to stop and just like that; it’s over.

I’m not going to the park this next weekend. It’s my son’s second birthday weekend so we’re going out to celebrate. I’ll find something new to write about though. There is always something going on in the world of dog parks.

Rest in peace Fenway

2009-08-23T12:05:00.001-05:00

Fenway, originally uploaded by phaird.

I'm sadden to find out that Fenway, a beagle mix, who I've known since I first started coming to the Acton park has died. His owner sent out a email saying that there was some accident while they were at their vacation home. Fenway was a active fun loving dog who's family loved him very much. It must be extremely difficult to deal with such a sudden loss.

Scout, their other beagle mix, must be feeling pretty lost without his best friend right now. They were perfect for each other because for as high strung as Fenway could be, Scout is equally relaxed. I rarely saw one without the other.

I will miss seeing Fenway dragging his owner down the road on his roller blades who is barely holding on. My heart and sympathy goes out to Fenway's entire family at this difficult time.

A hot August day

2009-08-18T14:38:00.001-05:00

close to home, originally uploaded by phaird.

Another week at the park with lots of the regulars. My official summer is coming to an end quickly but at least I always have the park to come to. It was another busy Sunday and everyone stayed close to the water.

In the photo, the dog by his owners legs just got a grooming which normally means, jump into the nearest mud hole and rub down on something gross. His dogs were being good and staying close to home. He also had a bag of treats for training.

Some people have said that bringing food to the dog park is a really bad idea but I'm not really against it. If socializing is part of the training, then treats are a good reward. I agree that it can get overwhelming quickly but, at least at this park, I've never really seen any problems. What is important is to be aware that you have treats and be sparing on giving them out. If you forget about them, a sneaky dog could put a hole in your pocket without you ever noticing.

Back at the park

2009-08-11T14:12:00.001-05:00

Sunday dog day in Acton, originally uploaded by phaird.

Sunday was another nice weekend day. It was good to be back at the park, taking pictures and tossing the ball for Toby. Toby was even excited about being back in the park after 3 weeks. He got into a little scuffle but it was good for him to be put in his place. He really needed to be shown how big he is (or isn't).

Because Toby has been having issues with other dogs, We've been coming early, around 9:30 instead of 10. Some days, we are the first ones their and other days, like this week, it was already already busy. By the time we left around 10:30 there was another large group of people coming.

I talked with a guy who had his 2 goldens with him. He says he's been coming to this park for over 10 years. It's a trek for him to get to Acton but this park is the best thing for his dogs. I wonder how far people go to bring their dog(s) to a dog friendly park?

Back home in MA

2009-08-08T14:14:00.003-05:00

I'm back from my vacation and almost caught up with everything that was put on hold while I was away. For my trip around the south and back up north, I found dog friendly stores and places everywhere I went. It is a good feeling to know that even places that don't have too many places to eat while on the road, there is still places for dogs.

Every rest stop on the road had a place just for pets. They were all well maintained too. Some even had fenced in areas so you could let your dog off leash and stretch their legs. There were lots of small town pet stores and friendly pet owners. I did see one stray dog in SC but over all, every dog I saw was well taken care of. I know there are different ideas of what it means to keep a dog, especially down south. I did see a few dogs chained to a dog house on a small cement patch around a lot of grass but I was just driving by so I don't know for sure if that is a bad thing or not. For some it is but I hope not all.

I'll be back at the park tomorrow and am really looking forward to it. Toby is liking having us back and with my wife (a teacher) still off for the summer, he's getting lots of attention at home.

Dogwood Park, Knoxville TN

2009-07-21T15:00:00.001-05:00

German shepherd, originally uploaded by phaird.

Well, I'm on my road trip and as promised, I'm stopping at every dog park I can find. A reader mentioned some dog parks in Knoxville and I was able to find Dogwood Park. It's a nice fenced in park that has the double gate to get in and out without loosing your dogs. Lots of people were there the day we went by. I got to talk to a nice lady who had 2 beautiful german shepherds. One she was training to be a service dog. The other she said was to scattered. He just couldn't focus.

There were quite a few dogs there but most were lounging in the shade with their owners. I think there were a lot of regulars. Many showed up with their folding chairs and just sat in the shade and let their dogs play. Some of the dogs were just hanging out. Others were looking for other dogs to chase.

I have to remember to bring my note pad with me when I go. I didn't write the names down of the dogs I met or the other park she mentioned. There is another park that isn't officially a dog park but a lot of people bring their dogs there. It is open and dogs are often running around she said. I can't remember where though.

This park is nice because it is right next to a long walking path, open fields, children playgrounds (where my son and wife went) and even frisbee golf. What is better then that.

I'm going to be heading to SC next and near Pickens County so if you know any place around there, please leave a comment and I'll do my best to stop by.

Anna - the sled dog reject

2009-07-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

anna, originally uploaded by phaird.

Anna has become one of the regulars at the park over the past few months. She is only about a year and loves her time at the park. This weekend, her owner was talking about how she came about getting her. She was bread to be a sled dog but ended up not making the cut because she likes people more then dogs so she got to be adopted instead. She is also a little on the small size but she still has lots of energy. I often see her running with other dogs or just on her own. She'll jump in the water then through the bushes, picking up all kinds of stuff in her coat. Anna Really does love people though. She has gotten to know many of the regulars and will come up to get some attention when she can. Her owner takes good care of her to make sure she does become better socialized with other dogs.

Oscar's growth is back

2009-07-06T14:54:00.002-05:00

Oscar all wet, originally uploaded by phaird.

Oscar is a wonder dog. About 2 years ago, Oscar was diagnosed with cancer in his leg and they were going to amputate. Oscar had lost lots of weight and the lump in his leg was getting big. He was given maybe 6 months if they took the leg. His owner decided to wait, and just give it a few days. Oscar was put on some meds and each day he did a little better. With in a few months, Oscar was running and going like his old self. He was only 3 at the time.

Now the growth is back. You can see in the photo the lump on his leg but that still isn't slowing him down. His owner is worried and is doing everything they can. Much of that is to see what happens. Oscar beat back the growth before, he isn't letting it slow him down this time. He is still running and swimming and playing with the other dogs in the park. His owner says he's sleeping more at night but he doesn't need much of a break during the day. Oscar has just decided that nothing will slow him down. He's 5 years old and wants to be as active as a 5 year old should be.

I'll be looking for you, Oscar, every weekend. We're pulling for you.

Keeping up with what's next

2009-07-01T09:27:00.002-05:00

Part of why I started this blog was to keep me focused on publishing a book on dog parks. I've lost site of that a little bit lately but it is still in the back of my mind. I've been also trying to start a pet photography business while holding down my day job and taking care of my family.

So in the spirit of the book and keeping my readers up to date I thought I'd share what I need to do next. As you can see by just scrolling though my blog, I've got lots of photos. That is my strength and what I love to do the most.

What I need to do next is;
Collect stories by interviewing some more people at the park.
Find a publisher or agent who will take on the project. (SO Difficult)
Find a writer who loves dogs like I do and would want to help create this book.

Once these things fall into place, I can move to editing, designing and printing the book.

I've been sending out requests to different publishers but they don't make it easy. If you aren't already part of their world, it is hard to get anyone to listen. I'm not giving up though. I know this is a good project and you and others have agreed with me. Just getting my foot in the door is becoming the hardest part.

If all else fails, I will take it the into the fine arts process. I create a limited addition publication with limited addition prints to sell to a small audience and show it though a gallery.

The more I do this work though the more I want to do. My next project will be called something like "Working Dogs". I want to travel around and photograph dogs that work. Police dogs, circus dogs, dogs that sniff out cancer cells (yea wild huh), service dogs, etc. There are so many. It could be great.

Keep reading and I'll let you know what happens or if you've got suggestions, please let me know. I've gotten some really good responses from my readers that have helped.

What would Cesar say

2009-06-21T22:24:00.002-05:00

Toby in front yard, originally uploaded by phaird.

I have just started getting the National Geographic channel and have really enjoyed watching Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. What a great show and I have been learning a lot on how to deal with Toby. I worry though that Cesar would judge me harshly for my actions. He has spent his life considering dogs feelings and lifestyle and I'm really new to having dogs around. Even just one.

For as much as Cesar can get done in one hour, it really does take a long time to communicate to a dog, even your own. The bond that Toby and I have grew very quickly but that's different. Toby knows that I love and care for him and he even knows I'm the "pack leader". It has taken a lot of time and practice to know how to communicate to each other. It even changes from time to time. Things that I would say or do, he would listen to before doesn't work as well now. But better ways come along as I learn how to better communicate with him.

I'd be really nervous to meet Cesar if I had to bring him to take care of Toby. I just know that he would point out all my flaws and show me all the simple things I should have been doing to be a better "dad" to Toby.

If Cesar ever did come to visit, he should come see Bruin. Now HE could really use Cesar's help.

Dodging rain drops

2009-06-14T13:35:00.001-05:00

Dewey_w_mom, originally uploaded by phaird.

Today was a very late day at the park. By the time we got there, the park was mostly empty. It was raining today and I have been under the weather all last week so I wanted to wait till the rain stopped before taking Toby out. He is always very patient about it.

Going late was nice though. It was quiet with only a few dogs. I got to meet Dewey and his mom. A friendly little dog that really wanted Toby to play. Toby only wanted his tennis ball so Dewey had to find other ways to entertain himself. He's a cute little guy.

As I go back though my photos I have begun to notice my style. Some of the things I like are, being at the dogs level, narrow depth of field (meaning only a small area in focus), and giving space to the dog in the photo. I don't always get that and some times I try to break out of the process and do something new. I see lots of really great photos on flickr of other dog photographers that inspire me so often that helps. I don't go back and look at what I've done very much. I keep pushing forward and think about how the stories of the book will work out.

I'm still not sure how the book will come about but I keep plugging away on this blog in hope of finding a way of making it happen. Even once done, I'll keep posting because if this is called work, this is the best job ever.

for the love of dogs

2009-06-09T10:20:00.001-05:00

hugs, originally uploaded by phaird.

Many dogs will come to the park. Some are dog ignore the people to play with the other dogs while others dogs love people more. Well this woman comes with her Aussie and husband almost every week and she shows the same amount of love for the dogs as they can show to her. Most of us stand around, relax and watch our dogs run. She comes with a big bag of treats, gets all of the dogs around her and gives them BIG HUGS.

She has a real passion for dogs. She has often said she gets just as much joy out of the park as her dog does. I love seeing the her energy and love each week. She is always excited and brings a dog like joy to the park.

Oh and don't forget those treats of hers.

Photographers Block

2009-06-03T08:34:00.001-05:00

Toby in my shadow, originally uploaded by phaird.

For the past few weeks, I haven't been feeling very creative. I've been coming to the park for over 2 years now and have LOTS of good photos. I've been looking at other photographers on Flickr and have been inspired by much of what I see but I just can't seem to keep my energy up.

This book project has hit a real wall and I'm not sure how to climb over it. I've been talking to people but I just can't seem to find my path back to getting it published through a publisher. I'm hoping to get a real kick in the pants over the summer and start sending out proposals again.

This blog is my lifeline to keep the idea alive. Without you, my readers and kind comments, this wouldn't have gotten this far. Thank you.

early or late

2009-05-24T16:02:00.001-05:00

golden_up-close4, originally uploaded by phaird.

There seems to be two groups of people who come to the park every Sunday. There is the early group and the late comers. Now keep in mind, this gathering every Sunday is a word of mouth event. There is no structure or guideline. "Sunday at 10am" is a very loose event. The only thing holding it together are the people who decide to show up.

When I first started coming to the park, I was often coming late. I wanted to be around the busy group of dogs and meet all the different breeds and people. Since Toby has been skittish, I've decided that earlier is better. Get Toby running around and tired so he can be more relaxed when the park starts to get busy.

As I've been coming to the park, it is always a treat to see the regulars, and the new comers. Some are mostly around in the summers, others I normally see in the winter. I have noticed a shift though in the past few months. Some people I normally see, I have been missing. Others have changed their pattern so come later, while I've changed and have started to come earlier.

I feel it's much like dogs. We can be excited to see our park friends and when they don't show up, we have to accept that and they aren't their and hope to see them next time.

To my friends at the park, both 2 and 4 legged, I always look forward to seeing you.

A quiet day

2009-05-18T21:15:00.002-05:00

petting, originally uploaded by phaird.

If you listen to the weather on TV on Sunday, you would have never left the house. They were saying it was going to rain and be cold all day but it the day couldn't have been nicer to me. It was cool and there was very light rain but that didn't last. That could be the reason the park was really quiet at 10am when most people arrive. It's easy to want a lazy day on Sunday of all days. For Toby and me, it is the one day we get all for Toby.

I know I don't normally talk about the book project that started this blog but I am still trying to get that going. Things have been really slow the past month or so. My day job was very busy and I'm also trying to start up a pet photography business as well.

I know I'm at a point where I need to push myself. I need to start to collect stories. I've got over 2 years of photos and could put together a great series just from that. The stories about the dogs, the people and the park are what will make the book have a broader appeal. A part that is holding me back is what questions to ask. What do I really want to know? How do I get to the heart of the story? These are some of the things I've been asking myself lately. I have talked with a few writers and some have had some great insight into what kind of directions the book could take. Really seeing the emotions in the stories. I'm a very practical person who often looks for facts in my daily life. What I want is less tangible. I know the feeling, I can even capture it in my photos. My next goal is to get it in story form.

I'm going to try to collect some stories in the next few weeks and start submitting it to magazines like the Bark or the Pet Gazette. I think this will help my chances of publishers seeing how serious I am about this subject.

Tyson's visit for the weekend

2009-05-11T08:34:00.001-05:00

tyson_back-lit, originally uploaded by phaird.

We had my mother-in-law's Rat Terrier, Tyson for the weekend. They were away for the weekend so we dog sat for them. He has been going to obedience training so he was much better this time then in the past. Before, he would get us up in the middle of the night, pull on his leash and eat anything he could. We had little of that this time. He was much better.

As a "fresh" little dog in the park, all the dogs really wanted to play with him. He looks like a puppy but he's full grown. Tyson is pretty good at being the rabbit and letting the big dogs chase him but when it got too rough, he stood his ground and let them know not to go to far.

Toby was pretty good today too. We went on a good walk though the woods and got his energy out that way.

It was a quiet day at the park for the most part. Being mothers day, I think a lot of people had other plans. It was such a nice day though. One of the nicest in a long time, a slight breeze, sunny and cool. Just perfect to me. I got to talk about other rat terriers, the cool work people do, and just average things of the day. We were there for over an hour and it was really great. Toby though started a fight for no reason so figured that was my sign to go.