Why the Dartmouth Dog Park is My New Favorite Hang Out Spot

After my dog ran away from home the other night it occurred to me that he was probably tired of feeling short-changed and underappreciated. I hear you, dude.

I had noticed a few Facebook postings about a new, albeit temporary dog park in town and thought it might be just what my pal needed. I packed him up, rolled down his window and drove to the (sort of) new Dartmouth Dog Park.

I was nervous about how he would react because although he's been to dog daycare and reportedly behaves fine- I've never experienced him off leash with a pack of other dogs. It could be a nightmare, you know?  ... But it wasn't. It was WONDERFUL!

1. As soon as we walked up to the gate, all of the dogs came running towards us with big smiles and wagging tales. I have never felt so important as I did in that moment.

2. The area is fenced in and there is nowhere for dogs to go except in circles. I could relax knowing that he literally had nowhere to go except over here or somewhere over there.

3. The people at the park were just as excited to see my dog as much as the dogs were excited to see another dog. These are true "dog people" and they have unlimited amounts of ear-rubs and "good dog" for my guy; he was the center of their attention and was SO loved for the whole time he was there.

4. The other people were happy to talk to me- which sounds kind of weird but whatever! I'm used to being a mom at a park who has to keep two eyes fiercely focused on her kids at all times. NO distractions. But at the Dog Park, I'm just a normal person who can talk to other people about whatever we feel like talking about while we watch our dogs run in circles and sniff stuff.

After an hour at the dog park, my buddy was tired and we called it a day. The dog people extended their invitations to come back and join their facebook group to stay in touch.

However, the one that stuck with me was how often the people at the park said they wish more people know about it. I wish more people did, too, because nothing turns a bad day around like a bunch of dogs (and their people) who are excited to see a total stranger.