Doggie Parks/Doggie Walks

I love walking my "girls," Gracie and Lucy Lou.

Usually, we walk the neighborhood, taking different routes. Long before Lucy Lou joined us, Gracie and I knew every dog in a 12 block radius of our house. When Lucy arrived, a friend gave me a great 2-lead leash. It was a big adjustment for both Gracie and me to walk with Lucy. Lucy has 27 pounds on Gracie (who is a mere 11 pounds) and would shove her over to get to a good smelling tree. But, over time, Lucy has basically learned to walk on the left side and Gracie on the right side.

I have had to adjust my movements, too - keeping an eye on both dogs and well as being alert to where we are and any other animals in the immediate vicinity. Not to mention keeping track of their "moments" if you get my gist. (I should have stock in the "doggie poopie bag" companies!)

So, most days we walk twice - once in the morning and once in the afternoon - making our routes and enjoying the day.

I have always heard of dog parks located in Milwaukee County, but had never visitied one. That is, until this week.

Loading the "girls" in the car and driving 7 miles to the dog park is a pretty simple task. Both dogs love to ride in the car. Gracie, being the diva, sits in the front. Lucy Lou is very content in the back seat, checking out the surroundings.

Once there it was interesting to see their reactions. At first, Gracie liked the "idea" of the other dogs, but wasn't real sure. Lucy, being shy, didn't appreciate being sniffed at all. I noticed her hackles up every time a new dog came over and kept her very close. However, once in the park they were always off leash, I just really made Lucy Lou stay close.

This is a huge park, fenced in with nothing but open space. There are several paths to walk with a few picnic tables spread out. There are also "stations" which hold free "poopie bags" and a place to put used bags (owners must clean up after their dogs). Other owners have left dog bowls around, which can be filled up with water that you bring. There is a separate, fenced in area for puppies. To walk the whole park is a 3/4 of a mile walk. It costs $20 for a year to become a member of the park for one dog and $5 for each additional dog (up to 3 dogs per household). Such a deal! Your dog receives a special tag for their collar, which inidcates that they are a park member. The dog parks are run by Milwaukee County. You may also join ROMP, which is a advocate group promoting the dog parks. I plan to join very soon.

Now, after 5 or 6 visits, my girls are getting use to the park. By the second visit, Gracie trotted up to the very biggest dogs for some good sniffs. She adjusted very quickly and found lots of friends to run the fields with. Little by little, Lucy's hackles stayed down.

Today we went to the dog park and were joined by my sister and her Springer Spaniel puppy, Sadie. They went into the puppy area, while my girls and I walked the trail. For the first time, Lucy Lou actually ran ahead of me and off over the fields. She was so playful she actually scared little Gracie with her eagerness to play. I could see the smile on her face and she spun around with glee. She was one happy dog! It was wonderful to finally see Lucy Lou running freely with that crazy smile! But, as we approached the entrance and other dogs ran up to greet us, Lucy moved in closer to me and I put the lead back on her.

I am very enthused about the dog parks. I have noticed many people sitting around the entrance, chatting and have found them friendly. I'm hoping to make new acquaintances the more I go. And, I'm anxious to become active with ROMP.

Tomorrow morning the girls and I will walk the neighborhood. The dog park visits will continue, but we like our "in the 'hood" walks the best.