Wow, it's been awhile since I've written anything about Jake. He's been busy, though. Some of it good, some, well, not so much.
Jake survived the winter. He actually likes the cold weather of winter. He likes to run around outside enjoying the cold. My Dad used to always say our dog Snoopy was "feeling his oats" whenever he was running around outside. I have no idea what it means but I've used that term also. I hope it's not anything bad.
One of Jake's favorite things to do while the weather is nice and cool is to go to the dog park. It's a really great place for a dog and it's not such a bad place for people, either. I've been taking him lately, usually on a Friday or Saturday morning. Friday's are nice because it's not too crowded and I'm still a bit nervous walking into a park with my happy-go-lucky, "I wanna be friends with everyone" kind of dog. We've never had any problems but I'm afraid the day will come when Jake comes across a dog that just doesn't want to be friends with him and doesn't appreciate all the backside sniffing that goes along with new found friendship.
A dog park is also a great place to just sit and watch other "dog people". I've decided that most people really are like their dogs. Or their dogs are like them. Whatever. So, after much observation and entirely too much thinking, I've come up with the basic master/dog combos you, too can witness at your local dog park. You have:
The Overachievers: These are the really energetic people that show up with frisbees and tennis balls and always have Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, or some other hyper type of dog. They go around the park and show off all kinds of skills the rest of us wish we had the energy and time to invest in our dogs. They can put on quite a show but the rest of us just watch and hope our dog doesn't pee on someone's leg.
The Families: These are the owners that make going to the dog park a family outing. They have anything from shelties to bulldogs. The parents are always a little on edge. They have their kids and dogs running around the park. Sometimes they're chasing the kids, sometimes the dog. It's a little like trying to herd chickens. I just have a feeling there is a big sigh of relief when they get the right kids and dog in the car and buckled up.
The exercisers: They have labs or retreivers, carry water bottles, and are always dressed in name brand exercise clothes. No old t-shirt and raggedy shorts for them. They walk laps around the park while their incredibly fit dogs run alongside.
The Cool Dog Owners: These are the people that are obviously important and way too busy to walk the dog but they come occasionally because it's the right thing to do. They always have a phone to the ear (or in their ear) or sometimes they're texting. If they're not texting, they usually have a cup of Starbucks. I've seen people spend the entire time on their phone or texting and never look up. I'm amazed at their coordination. I tried to slip into their group once. I showed up with a cup of coffee and my phone. Ok, well, it was McDonald's coffee so I was already down a few notches. Jake was so excited to be at the park, he pulled away from me when we got out of the car. My hand jerked and coffee went all over the front of my shirt. So, as Jake is running through the parking lot, dragging his leash behind him, I'm running after him (still holding my coffee) and trying to get close enough to step on his leash. I ran a few steps and then jumped to try to get my foot on his leash. I did that all the way through the parking lot.....with coffee all over my shirt. Any hopes of joining the Cool Dog Owners vanished right then. I didn't even bother to pull out my phone and pretend to text anyone after that.
The My-Dog-Is-Nothing-Special-But-I-Love-Him-All-The-Same People: These are the people that just go to the park with their average and untrained but happy dogs and sit on the benches and watch the dogs and other people. That's the category I fall into. I usually walk around the park for awhile because Jake won't stray far from me. If I'm moving , he's moving. When I sit, he usually sits close by. Sounds like a good boy, huh? I don't know why he's this way at the park where he has free reign. If he gets out at home, he runs off and it takes half the neighborhood to finally trap him and bring him home.
I've met some interesting people at the park. We always start by talking about our dogs. Sometimes it ends with that, sometimes it moves on. The other week I talked to a very nice man. I'm guessing he is retired. He said he didn't really want the cute little beagle that was digging in a really big hole while we were talking. He was talked into it by his granddaughter. Now he said, he wouldn't take anything for his little friend. I think that's how most people become dog owners. We started out talking about our dogs and ended up talking about how the area had changed in the last 30 years and then about his really great trip to Branson. He told me about the shows he went to and the nice places to stay. I know this sounds like a boring conversation but I was really enjoying our talk. As usual at the dog park, I got his dog's name, but not his. But I hope to see Sam and his owner at the park again sometime and sit on the bench and chat for awhile.
