Fergus and I attended a very special grand opening this past
weekend. The ribbon has been cut on the local off-leash dog park. I wasn’t sure
we were going at first. The Ferg has not yet completed basic training (he
starts this week) and he doesn’t walk well on a leash. I had no idea what he
would do if let off it, around strange dogs.
We followed the directional signs through The Ferguson
Forest Centre to the new dog park. Fergus didn’t need any signs. He could smell
the way. Dozens of dogs were already there, lining up to form a parade behind
some bagpipers and municipal officials. He started to whimper and whine in the
back seat as I pulled into a spot. So
many smells. So many dogs. Let me ouuuuut…
As we passed the bagpipers tuning up, Fergus shot one of
them a worried look. He wasn’t sure why the man was squeezing and torturing the
bag that way but it clearly hurt, as evidenced by the mournful sound leaking
out of it. Then he turned and saw the dogs. This brood of beasts was behind the
bouquet of scents and odours that had been assailing him since our arrival. He
cheerfully approached a lounging pug and tried to introduce himself by sniffing
his tail. The smaller, more mature dog gave Fergus a look of disgust as if to
say, calm down, little punk. Ferg got
the message and moved along. Pulling as hard as he could on his leash, he
bumped noses with one dog after another until he had met most of the group. A
nervous Shepherd-mix shot out from the shade when Fergus got close, and snapped
at his nose. Fergus ducked his head and skulked away. Fine, be that way.
A woman with an adult Golden Retriever came over to meet
Fergus. “Is he a Golden?” she asked. I nodded. She appeared unconvinced. “His
legs are a little long, and his hair is kinda short…” I explained that he was
at that gangly stage, just six months old. Ferg assessed her tone and gave me a
look. What does she mean, mom? What’s
wrong with my legs? I scratched his ears and let him away from the woman.
I was surprised that the parade actually worked and Fergus
was willing to march along with the crowd. I guess he just wanted to follow the
other dogs – and the smell of grilled meat might have been leading them in the
right direction, as a barbecue was set up at the dog park entrance.
Once everyone had assembled, some dignitaries spoke about
the idea behind the park, the groundswell of community and corporate support,
and the tireless efforts of volunteers to make it happen. The park is about
four and a half acres of wide open space leading into a forest on a hill. It’s
doggy heaven. They even have bins for your dog waste, buckets for dog water and
benches for humans to sit on. Donors have planted trees that will provide shade
in the coming years. Each tree bears a plaque in remembrance of that donor’s
four-legged friend.
While these speeches were happening, the canines were
growing restless. The occasional insult and retort rang out. Fergus’ head
whipped around as if he understood what they were barking. Come here and say that to my face he replied, as he locked eyes
with a grumpy Wolfhound panting in the shade of a cedar. Some of the smaller
dogs started to pick fights with the bigger breeds, as they do. It’s a good
thing the park includes a segregated area for those that suffer from small-dog
complex.
Once inside the gates and off leash, however, I witnessed
something I had only read about in books. Having never been to a dog park
before, I’ve never seen strange dogs interacting off leash. The quarreling
stopped, as dogs big and small bounded across the green grass side by side.
Occasionally you would hear one put another in his place, but those
conversations were over after one quick bark or growl.
I kept Fergus on leash just to be safe, but I let him trot
along and introduce himself to everyone. I’m looking forward to the day when I
feel he has had sufficient training to come when I call and heed my commands.
Then we can return to the dog park for some off-leash fun and he can revel in
the joy of his own language.
-30-
dianafisher1@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment