Dog Park Labl

This week for lab we went to the Dog Park in Macon called Tyler's Place to take samples of the water in the park and discover if there are any parasites or bacteria in the water. While there we discussed the impact dog parks have on communities. Dog Parks can be quite central to a community. Dog parks can really bring people together, people who share at least one thing in common: their love for dogs. . There are many benefits of dog parks such as they provide dogs with an excellent source of dog-dog and dog-people social interaction. They also provide the dogs a place where they can have off-leash exercise experience. There are also community advantages such as their presence would decrease the chances of dog owners letting their dogs off of their leashes in public places, people are more likely to encounter people who enjoy dogs and it could potentially provide a good location for dog community events (like we saw at the Macon dog park).

The water source that runs through the dog park. (Where we took the water samples).

The even have water fountians for the dogs!

 While dog parks one their face appear good(which they may very well be), there is some controversy over dog parks. There are some disadvantages of dog parks for people, dogs, and the community. For people dog parks can be disadvantageous because of the potential for dog fights, danger of aggressive dogs, dog related injuries and the potential for parasites. For dogs dog parks have the disadvantage of the potential of parasites and disease, potential of being over excited and lack of impulse control. Also there is the potential for injury and the interaction of small and big dogs which may be dangerous. For the community dog parks have the disadvantage of the potential for people to abuse the park including not picking up their dogs poo, leaving the dog unattended or allowing their dog to indulge in inappropriate behavior. Also their is the potential of loud niose and liability issues.

Its like a play ground for dogs!

Here is a great website that addresses dog park etiquette, body language,  tips ad more!

Video about the dog park!

For more information regarding dog parks check out this website.

Resource: APDT