I finally got up the nerve to leave the house today - whoppee! - got myself all showered and into my yoga clothes and made my way to a local community center for class. Got my mat, remembered my water, and after only getting a little lost, actually found the place which is conveniently located at the edge of the world. Debated whether or not I was brave enough to go in without my Service Dog. It’s going to be scary. Can I handle it? Will I get lost? Will I flip out and leave? Will the people be nice? What if I walk in and I’m the only new one? Ok, get a grip, it just a yoga class. (Do you SEE why going places is so hard?) I got myself together, had a brief self pep talk in the car, and bravely grabbed my mat and went into the office. Politely ask where I can find the yoga class and get a confounded stare? Yoga class? Here? Tonight? Hmm, let me check. Oh dear, those classes start next week - so sorry. What was cool was right as we were figuring this out, another brave soul came in with her yoga mat, only to be told, nope, next week. We were proud of ourselves for actually getting out though, and having the actual intention of working out.
Luckily, this turned out to also be the rec center with a lovely dog park at the back, and since it was dark and 50 degrees (nearly Arctic by San Diego standards) the place was deserted. Totally empty, my favorite kind of dog park. I do not go to dog parks to “let my dogs socialize.” Dog parks are a den of evil, dogs humping each other and learning to be aggressive about their water. I just can’t do dog parks. Too much socialization expected of the humans, and people seem to think it’s odd that I go there to PLAY WITH MY OWN DOGS! We used to go to dog parks more regularly, and just play on the sidelines, but since I got bit, I just can’t handle off leash dogs coming at us anymore. Too scary, and no one can actually stop their dog. I really don’t know any dog professionals who go to dog parks - bad things just happen there.
Back to tonight though, deserted dog park - yay! Of course I had the dogs with me, yes I took them to yoga. They are so much happier waiting in the car than at home. And look what happens! Yoga didn’t, dog park did! Dog park had two fenced areas, one for big, one for littles, and we chose the little side since it had a nice hill for playing ball and was well lit. The dogs were in heaven. Ball, ball, ball, ball - can we have more ball? Playing ball with them is sort of an exercise in timing - a graceful ballet of keeping three dogs going three different directions and getting them back one behind the other so you can keep throwing balls. Usually I throw one for Karma, the Dyson, then Karma again cause she’s already back, then Teak, Karma - are you back again?, then finally D comes loping back - you get how this goes? Karma is nutty fast, and I love to watch her run. Teak is all heart and face plants more often than not, but man, she brings that ball back every time. Dyson has gotten lazy since Karma came along - he chases about one ball for her three. And he steals her ball and brings back two hoping for extra credit.
We played happily until a couple showed up with what was either a pair of very small Malamutes, or a pair of Huskies hidden under a layer of fat. Honestly, they looked like Huskies that had swallowed Huskies. I must wonder, why would you get not one, but two, very active dogs, born and bred to run, and then fatten them up like holiday turkeys? The couple chose to use the other fenced area, thank god, cause I was afraid their dogs would eat mine, and they proceeded to stand and talk while the dogs meandered around sniffing and peeing. Umm, what is the point of this? Why not just walk them if they are not going to actually move? Trust me, owners could have used the exercise too. I don’t get the point of loading up the dog, going to the park, only to watch it walk around. You could do that at home. The whole time these dogs were there, maybe 1/2 hour or so, my dogs were running, jumping, and running some more. Except Jester, who doesn’t believe in exertion for anything other than food. But my young dogs - moving all of them. They are now completely sacked out on the couch - beautiful. I just am baffled by pet owners need to get a sleek, sophisticated, working dog and then to make it fat, slow, and boring. If you want a dog that doesn’t do anything, get a stuffed toy. Don’t make your beautiful sled dog unable to move faster than a walk because it’s so fat. Sadly, I see it all the time. Perhaps keeping your dog fat makes it easier to live with since it doesn’t have the energy to actually move. Doesn’t really seem to matter if the owners are fat or thin, so many of them have no idea that their dog is obese.
Sigh - oh well. Not everyone can be a perfect dog owner. All in all, we had fun, my dogs are not fat and they are very tired tonight. Go play with your dog!
Posted on January 10th, 2008 by michelle
Filed under: My dogs, Not my dogs, The Naked Part
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