Small Dogs and Construction Updates
Nate's Point News
First, good news: Construction should start in the next couple weeks!
We really will have a drinking fountain...
Second, we received the following e-mail regarding problems with large
dogs being not so friendly to small dogs. While there currently isn't
any money or Balboa Park approval for more fencing, we're trying to
gauge the demand so we can come up with a plan. Please take a moment
and respond to this poll:
http://www.micropoll.com/akira/MicroPoll?mode=html&id=36480
(It's free, so if it isn't working for you, I apologize. Google
doesn't have their own.)
And take a moment to read the message below. Any suggestions welcome
- and of course monitoring your dogs' behavior.
-------------------------------
Bob and I took our 16 pound dog, Jack, to the Nates Point dog park
yesterday, Sunday afternoon, where we and others with small dogs had a
very frightening experience. A young man brought 2 adult white labs
on a dual harness and then let them off their near where we were with
Jack. After working so hard to socialize Jack, we had achieved it and
were just in the park for our usual and 7th romp. Anyway, Jack went
over to say hello to the labs and was promptly attacked by one of
them. He had Jack in his mouth and was shaking him like a rag doll.
Luckily, I was able to act quickly and get the other dogs to back of
and release Jack. Jack suffered contusions and scrapes but otherwise
seems physically fine. We fear only that are hard work to socialize
him may have been lost.
After having a friend's small dog attached and killed by a Dalmatian
under similar circumstances last year and hearing of other such run
ins between small and large dogs, it would seem both prudent and
necessary to section off the park so that there are segregated areas
for both small and large dogs. The reasoning being that while small
dogs are no less innocent than large dogs when it comes to picking a
fight, you seldom hear of a small dog injuring and never killing
another small dog. Their mouths are simply too tiny to do any real
damage. The opposite is not true of big dogs which are more capable
and apt to kill or seriously injure small dogs or other large dogs
because of their shear size and power.
We understand that this has been an increasing experience at Nates
Point and as we left the park yesterday, several people approached us
individually to relate similar stories of horror. One cannot blame
the dogs and owners are often naive about the handling of their dogs
in efforts to socialize them. Thus, preventative measures seem the
only reasonable approach.
We have heard there is talk about doing a fountain for dogs at the
Nates Point Dog Park and perhaps this would be the perfect time to
consider this need. Could the fountain be installed in a fashion that
will allow the sharing of it between small and large dogs while at the
same time segregating them by a fence?
We would appreciate your input.
Bill & Bob
---------------------------------
Thanks for your support!
NPDog News