01/17/2020
This video really got me thinking some more about why we value the offleash experience for our dogs so much.
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Way in the back, you can see a tiny Billie sniffing away at one corner of the park. I’m not gonna lie, she spent almost the entire hour sniffing along that area of fence. She is a beagle - beagles gonna sniff! I fully expect that even though she wasn’t running around with the other dogs, she is going to go home and sleep off some major sensory stimulation. On a leash walk, she might be hurried along and not get to spend nearly as much time sniffing as she would like to!
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Bristol just wants to wrestle other dogs pretty much constantly! Her daily mission is finding someone who can keep up with her and maximizing every second of fun that she can! Caramel (as you can see!) is happy to oblige, but he spent a fair chunk of the walk getting loved on by some people! There is nothing that guy loves more than affection!
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Milo and Greta love to whip around and run in circles as fast as they can! They spent so much time doing that with each other and the others! The thrill of the chase is huge for them and it’s a huge energy expenditure too!
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And then you see the two labs - true to their breeding, they care about the tennis balls and are ready at a moments’ notice to retrieve! We are happy to oblige!
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Everyone gets something different out of being in the park, and I think that’s what makes it so special and important. We can’t ask them “hey doggo, what do you want to do today?” because hey, dogs can’t talk. But if we let them offleash in a controlled environment, they will readily provide the answers. I want to run! I want to fetch! I want to sniff! I want to lay in the sunshine! I want to get belly rubs from every single hooman possible!
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Dogs are so inspirational and they definitely give me a lot to think about on a regular basis. And with that, friends, I step off the mighty soapbox!
