Hot Diggity Dog!

Colorado Springs has gone to the dogs (literally)! Statistics show that residents of Colorado Springs own dogs more than they have kids. It's no surprise that this doggone city is home to the 3rd most popular dog park across the United States: Bear Creek Dog Park.

If you haven't been there before, it's worth checking out. It's this humongous fenced in area where a dog can be a dog and frolic around with their doggie friends along the trails through the trees and the brush. There's even a creek where your four-legged (or three or two or one) pals can splash and roll and drink until their heart's content. Worried about your little Fidos? No worries! Bear Creek is made up of both a large dog (or medium) and small dog area that is separated by a large fence. So, all dogs are welcome to play at Bear Creek.

And here's the best part! As long as your dog is able to be controlled by voice commands, no leash is required! Your dog can truly run free for the length of your stay at the park. Therefore, we highly recommend visiting in packs, that way while Charlie StPaw is floating through the fields with Albert Nosenstien and Wishbone, you can get your daily human socialization in as well. There's just something about killing two birds with one stone that is satisfying (don't ya think?).

Doesn't Bear Creek (or any off-leash dog park) sound amazing? Yeah. I think so too. So what are you waiting for? Leash up Fido for automobile safety reasons and get your bums out the door and your tails wagging because it's PARK TIME! It's almost as good as Beggin' Strips time; but that experience is for a different day and time. But before you go, a good dog (and human) must always be prepared. The following is a list of tips and tricks we suggest for taking a trip to the local dog park.

1.) Bring the waterworks.

There may be a creek or fountain at the park for your dog to drink out of and maybe even you, but just in case, it's important to bring multiple bottles of water and a bowl for you and your canine friend (s).

2.) Know the temperature.

While some dogs are indeed bred to survive extreme weather, most dogs are not. If it's too hot or too cold, a trip to the park can end badly. Therefore, make sure that the time spent at the park is limited to your dog's individual limitations and isn't extreme for the temperature outside during that particular time.

3.) Know the rules.

Read up on the rules for the dog park you are visiting. They are important. They could be things that you would expect to see or there could be rules you've never seen before. Each park is different, but if we want to keep them operational, it's important to follow the rules (this time anyways... mwuaha!).

4.) Adhere to park traffic for entering and exiting the dog park.

Most parks have double gates set up and have both a set of gates for entering and a set of gates for exiting. Try to maintain the flow of traffic as closely as possible so dogs can enter and exit the dog park as safelly as possible.

5.) Keep little hands (fingers and toes and faces too) safe.

While it is not advised to bring young children to a dog park for obvious reasons, it is not prohibited. Therefore, if you are going to bring your human munchkins, we dog owners request that you teach them how to be safe around the dogs. Don't allow them to approach an unknown dog without asking the owner if it's okay first and don't allow young tots to prance (unsteadily) around a group of dogs that are playing. He/she will get knocked down and there will be crying which could stir up the dogs and cause a whole world of trouble nobody wants to deal with. Please just teach Little Jimmy to be safe so we can all enjoy the park peacefully. Thank you!

6.) Know your dog.

It is important to understand your dog's personality, body language, and quirks prior to introducing them to a dog park. If your dog is resource possessive, it's imperative that you don't bring a toy to the park for you guys to play with. If you dog is food aggressive, don't bring treats. Make sure you can read when your dog is uncomfortable with a situation and know how to properly disengage the activity before a fight breaks out. Your ability to read your dog contributes more than anything to your dog's success at the park.

If you follow these 6 tips in mind when you and Pawman Shoo head to the park, everything should end absolutely pawsitively! Stay safe out there friends and enjoy your canine companion while you can. After all, their time on this Earth is so much shorter than ours.