2009.04.27
A day at the park
Click here to read today's Happy Wag newspaper column, which is all about a dog's life at Six Wags Dog Park in Salem.
Click here to see the pooches in action and hear Katie Halsted, the parks's owner and operator, describe what the dogs in day-care do all day.
Halsted and the day-care attendants Sue Grimm, Kristi Lilly and Matthew McMillan were very helpful and gracious putting up with all my questions for a day. And I met so many nice dogs that I wasn't able to mention in the article.
If you have an active pooch, spending a few hours running and playing in the great outdoors can expend the excess energy that can lead to destructive behavior. While bad-dog behavior may be amusing in films like "Marley and Me," it's not funny in real life.
Dog park play can have other benefits, too. Grimm told me that her beagle, Lucy, has lost seven pounds since Grimm started bringing her to work.
I hope the story and video inspire you to get your pooch out to enjoy some of the spring sunshine. We got out and played with our dogs Saturday evening in our own fenced-in backyard and they were joyous, and completely tired, when we went to bed.
Sleeping in on a Sunday morning is a beautiful thing.
