So, our regular dog park is near the bay, the trees inside are under a year old, and too sick and sparse to provide any shade. Sea oats line the inside of the fence. I guess a combination to make it look nice, keep the dogs off the fence, and to keep any port trash from sifting its way in.
The girls and I have fun there but it is nothing like the Cadillac of dogs parks I found in a neighboring city. It’s a 45 minute drive as long as it isn’t rush hour. You almost can’t see this dog park from the road but it opens up into a huntress oasis in the back. When you walk in the front looks like a normal dog park. Some trees, some grass, some dirt. There is a separate fenced area off to one side that has some agility equipment to play on. Then, you cross over a ravine on a wooden bridge into a back area that is about 10 acres.
There is a wide sand/crushed oyster shell path that meanders around the park. More importantly there is palmetto scrub all over and in several places there are large areas of this brush and pine and oak trees everywhere. They are dense enough that once your dog is a few feet in, you can no longer see them and once they near the other side you can no longer hear them running through the brush.
Bella, upon first sight of the woods took off running, leaping like a gazelle and darting into the brush. This of course made Daisy excited and she took off running only to stop as soon as she touched the bushes. She backed up looking and following the sounds Bella’s body was making and looking like “I don’t want to go into there! Those plants are pokey and sharp!” So, you tell me, who’s the real huntress? LOL
The girls run and run and run at this dog park. There is something constantly new to smell and see.Daisy doesn’t care about balls that other dogs are playing with at all.
Of course, being hounds they don’t have the best recall-here I can use the excuse that when they dash into the woods they go out of earshot. I’m glad I found this park because of the woodsy experience they can have while still proving me with the piece of mind that they can only run so far.
The second time we went to this park I stopped at a Chik-Fil-A less than a mile away. The girls had their first dog treat through the drive thru experience! I rolled down the window and Daisy willingly stuck her head out and grabbed the milkbone (sweetly) from the lady. Bella was a bit more unsure so I took the treat then handed it to her myself. I hope they don’t think they get food every time I go through a drive through! Daisy already wants to steal my fries.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0L26qOlFBU&hl=en&fs=1]
