Dog Park Play

The dog park can be a carnival of fun for a Frisky Fido.  Most dogs love nothing more than romping and chasing and wrestling with other dogs.  Socrates and Lexi certainly love visiting the dog park area of Callahan State Park.   Like most terriers, Sox has no idea that he isn't a huge and mighty dog.

Socrates lives to run. He loves to be chased, and will entice other dogs to chase him by grabbing a stick or a ball. As long as he is running, he's loving it.

Socrates like hanging with the big boys.

A thousand generations of selective breeding have resulted in Socrates's love of the chase. The Wheaten terrier in him has made him a herder as well as a hunter. Wheaten terriers were the poor man's "jack-of-all-trades" kind of dog. They earned their keep by herding sheep, hunting vermin, and guarding against intruders. 

Today, these traits can can cause problems when other breeds don't want to be hunted or herded. For the most part, the dogs work it out between themselves. Occasionally, however, a timid or less socialized dog will find all the play overwhelming. He or she could end up running for their lives instead of running for fun.  When that happens, it's time for the humans to step in and call off the hounds, so to speak.  If even one dog is stressed or frightened, the dog park is no longer a haven for dogs.  For the frightened dog, its more like hell on earth.  It is always our responsibility as owners (or dog walkers!) to intervene in these situations.  Not to do so is just rude, crude, and socially unacceptable.  

The moral of this story?  You can't blame a dog for being a dog, but you can blame a humane for being inhumane.