First doggy date, and first dog park

Sunday March 10
He had a doggie date with Goosethere wasn't the abandon and mayhem I had hoped for - the dog playing i so love to see - but there was a little and more importantly there wasn't a scrap. Wasn't that is, until John gave a toy to both of them and someone - Baxter? - got possessive. Luckily goose is a backerdowner, so it didnt escalate, which John says is the way it should be.

Monday, March 11
I looked up dog parks and found what looked like a nice one on a hill near the randall museum. i asked john for advice on etiquette. Keep an eye on your dog, pick up poop, don't allow humping. Sounded like somethign that applied to human parks too. Keep an eye on other dogs too, avoid the badly behaved one.

i was nervous and Baxter probably knew. First thing I did was accidentally leave the doggy park gate open, but the owner of the hound that got out was good-natured about it - the owner of two rescues he clearly bonded or felt sorry for my naivete or both - and gave me advice on all the other enclosed parks.

baxter was great. For awhile. He ran around, sniffed other dogs, lost interest, found another. he seemed not to believe his good luck. Dogs! Once he looked over at me and then trotted toward me as if to say Hey! This is fun! you having fun? i was not. I was too nervous.

I watched as a dogwalker clipped in his eight big dogs while midfield. Baxter ran happily in their midst - and a large one started to step on him, pre-hump him. I should have moved sooner, but suddenly there was barking and snarling and the very large animal was freaking out and baxter was freaking. I yelled, ran over kicked pulled baxter away yelled at the dogwalker who yelled at me that i had to control my dog as his were leashed. Baxter was furious. The other dog owners milled around, shaking their heads at the dogwalker, vindicating me. I told them Baxter's story, more talk, more advice, more stories exchanged of abused dogs. Ten minutes later one of these owners' doberman started freaking out. All the dogs scattered except ... Baxter. Get your dogs he was yelling and we all ran over. Since he was nice to me i wasn't mad at him and he was clearly rattled. She was separated from her toys, he said, apologetically trying to get her under control. A damaged dog, he said.

I see that Baxter doesn't start it, but he also ramps up quickly, hurt feelings, fear, and doesn't back down. Much like his owner, I thought.

Is it always like this? I asked a woman. No, she laughed. this is a peculiar day. Great, I thought. Now I was tense but Baxter seemed fine so I let him off leash again and he was so happy just trotting around. But then he ran back into a group and tried to mount a large dog and I said, Enough, and took him back to the car where he promptly lay down in the back seat, exhausted and happy.