The simple joy and fun of dogs having a good time in the park.
This blog is inspired by George the eight year old golden retriever.He is only on a short period of walks with us, so I am not taking the credit for this, but his owner has done a great job with him. She has been running with him on lead in the local areas as well as having a dog walker walk him plenty of time off lead.
My experience of golden retrievers is that many are puppy like and enjoy play a fwe years past their puppy years, but at 8 this guy is phenomenal.
He jobs around the park, instead of walking. he has that puppy prance to him. He is happy to engage with golden retrievers as much as with any non threatening dog that is willing to play.
Even with all this energy and forthright nature, underneath he has a gentle soul that often asks permission to do things, and doesn't force dogs or humans to pat or play with him.
Some dogs will have a liking for certain types of weather parks that they know etc. George is the perfect example of a social dog that enjoys any park and the freedom to explore.
Why social dogs in the park enhance your dog walking experience
It is through examples of such strong social dogs that I meet that my park experience and pack experience are dramatically increased.
We can go to many parks where the dogs aren't that social, but are non-threatening. You cant always choose what dog turns up. And occasionally you get a dog that is dominant and threatening, but a social dog knows how to deal with all of the different types of dogs and dog personalities out of there, because that is what continual social learning provides.They know when to stay still, when to play and when to just go for an explore. It is like a fully actualised human being that makes the most fun out of any situation, regardless of the weather or whoever else is present.
When you see this kind of thing, like with George and my own dog Archie, that is when you fully understand why daily dog walks are so vital. Humans can struggle their whole life to achieve such a level of knowing. A dog raised like this from a puppy learns it immediately and keeps it, as long as their guardians keep up the park experience (and keep their own emotions in check).
