A Howlin’ Good Time
River Park Off-leash News
April 2009
UPCOMING STUFF
River Park Clean-up
Sunday, April 19
9:00am - noon
Join us for The City of
Calgary’s annual clean-up.
Bring gloves, bags and
maybe a shovel and pail.
Sign in at the registration
table because The City of
Calgary officially recognizes
our efforts.
42nd Annual River and
Pathway Clean Up
Sunday, May 3
Time - TBA
Join the effort to clean up the
pathways and river near River
Park and Sandy Beach.
Volunteers can enjoy a free
breakfast at the Stu Peppard
Arena at 8:30am. The City’s
website did not list a time, but I
believe the clean-up starts at
9:30am.
Please feel free to share
this newsletter with
friends. If at any time you
no longer wish to receive
communication, just let
me know.
Candice Lee
287-1029 (home)
703-1671 (cell)
leesmale@telusplanet.net
a note of Than ks
On April 1, Dr. Laura Romano from
the Marda Loop Veterinary Centre
presented a two-hour pet first aid course
to 30 appreciative dog owners from the
Friends of River Park off-leash distribution
list. A wide range of topics was covered
followed by a question and answer period.
Dr. Romano declined registration fees or
donations to the vet clinic. Instead she
surprised me at the end of the night by
suggesting participants give a small
donation to the Friends of River Park. The
$86.25 collected will be put toward opera-
tional costs of our clean-up events in the
park. Thanks to all who donated.
Dr. Romano also extended an offer to
purchase a first aid kit to anyone on the
River Park distribution list . Two sizes will
be available: one that’s suitable for small
dogs and one appropriate for large dogs.
Details to be announced.
Competing Interest Groups’ Concerns
Many dog owners
speculate non-dog
owner residents
near River Park are
against off-leash
access in the park.
At meetings, I have spoken to a few of
them to know this isn’t entirely accurate,
although people against off-leash have
strong opinions and are very vocal.
Here are some of the non-dog owner
residents’ concerns:
• over-use and not enough maintenance
• some feel the high amount off-leash
activity deters other types of use
• amount of feces left in the park and
alongside 14A Street (many were
unaware of our bi-monthly clean-ups)
• dogs running out of control in the park
• dogs defacating on residents’ lawns
About Dog Ownership
While walking my dogs
on a quiet evening in
River Park, I met Liz
and her newly acquired
dog. We chatted about
many topics including
responsible dog ownership and the typical
dog person.
Liz impressed me with the responsible
manner in which she, a first time dog
owner, and her family acquired their dog.
She researched the breed, weighed her
family’s commitment, calculated veteri-
nary costs, read all of the dog bylaws, and
then discussed everything with her family.
And before bringing the dog to the off-
leash area, they took training classes to
ensure his recall was sound.
Liz and her family are a fine example of
responsible dog ownership.
• speed and amount of traffic (speed
mostly due to cut-through traffic, not
typically park users)
• parking infractions (u-turns, using
residents’ driveways, climbing curbs,
parking in wrong direction, etc)
• poor behaviour of dogs and owners
(aggressive dogs and rude or
negligent owners)
Some of the non-dog owner residents
recognize the lack of good off-leash
areas puts more demands on the better
areas like River Park.
Many of the points mentioned above
are shared by dog owners too. The
majority of us are considerate people
so let’s put ourselves in their shoes and
keep residents’ concerns in mind when
we use the park.
Caring for Your Pet For the Health of It
Trisha Shanks is a member of the
Association of Pet Dog Trainers
(APDT), breeder of Nova Scotia Duck
Tollers and the proprietor of For Dog’s
Sake, a dog training and wellness
company. I met Trisha at an Off-leash
Open House through a Friends of River
Park leadership team member whose
dog recently graduated from Trisha’s
puppy classes.
Trisha offered to periodically write an
advice column on dog training and
behaviour issues for our newsletter.
Here’s her first submission:
Q: My female dog seems to have
developed a crush on my male cat. I
have caught her ‘humping’ him a couple
of times this week. The cat doesn’t
seem to mind, but this is all very
backwards to me. What is going on?
A: This is called “mounting”. Many are
convinced that mounting is a purely
sexual action however it is not only
sexual and obviously not exclusive to
males. It is a natural behaviour which
both male and female dogs exhibit. It
can serve any of the following
purposes:
• showing dominance over whom/
whatever the dog is mounting
• eliciting play
• sexual flirtation
• pleasure seeking
Give it a Rest
As the snow melts in spring the ground
is particularly sensitive. Please con-
sider walking on the existing trails until
the grass is established.
And our dogs can help too by just
having a regular walk instead of
clawing and skidding up the grass
with their toenails.
Spring in River Park
In your dog’s case it is most likely
dominance. Your dog is just trying to let
the cat know that she is at the top of
the heap, and apparently the cat is ok
with that. There is no need to get upset
or interfere, although you can
discourage the behaviour by teaching
your dog the OFF command. Bottom
line: There is nothing to worry about.
Trisha Shanks, APDT
www.fordogsake.ca
For anyone interested, Trisha offers the
following classes:
Puppy Socialization
Tuesdays from 6:45 to 7:45pm
Hounds Lounge Doggie Daycare
1336 9 Ave SE (in Inglewood)
Fee: $10 (children welcome)
All breeds under 8 months (min weight
10 lbs for safety) are welcome.
Dog Training
Private and group classes available for
all breeds and ages. For more
information visit ww.fordogsake.ca.
Hail Cesar Nights
One Friday a month
Hounds Lounge Doggie Daycare
1336 9 Ave SE (in Inglewood)
View an episode of The Dog Whisperer
and discuss/talk dog stuff afterward.
Refreshments available.
United Efforts
Off-leash issues really come to the
forefront in spring. Modeling good
behaviour and maintining park cleanli-
ness are so important. Create a
cyclical culture: When the park is
clean, people tend to take better care
of it. The result: Everyone benefits.
Few Calgary parks have organized off-
leash advocacy groups. If your com-
munity or regional park doesn’t have
one, consider starting your own. It’s as
easy as taking the first step and talking
to your fellow dog owners and organiz-
ing a clean-up effort. Dog owners are
passionate about their past-time and
you’ll find it’s easy to gain support.
Dogs and Children
Respect goes two ways
Parents usually think about their
children’s safety and ask if their child
can pet your dog. But please remember
to ask parents if your dog can say hello
to their children. Asking for permission
is a good habit to practise because it
encourages respectful behaviour
between dogs and children.
Dogs often communicate with children
five years and younger as they would a
pack member. That could mean subtle
clues in dog language that may be
perceived by uneducated people as
aggressive behaviour. And we all know
that dogs and children can sometimes
be exuberant. For instance a child
gleefully running with flailing arms is
sometimes perceived by a dog as an
invitation to chase.
Dog walking is a family activity and
many spaces dogs have access to are
multi-use. Play safe and watch the
interactions between your dog and kids.
Good Grief! Some
People Need a Slap
Upside the Head
At the end of March there were many
holes in the fence along the River Park
escarpment. This made it difficult to
control some dogs from sliping through
and running at large.
Thank you to Steve S, Colleen H,
Dianne H, Matt & Heather S and Deni
& John C who helped me to mount
new stucco wire.
We believe all holes were deliberately
made by humans. The people who are
responsible have a blatant disregard for
slope erosion signs posted along the
fence and if it’s dog owners, they
certainly aren’t picking up after their
dog if it poops on the escarpment.
Whether it’s kids or dog owners,
offenders are guilty of vandalism. If
it’s a dog owner, they jeopardize the
reputation of the majority of responsible
dog owners who use River Park.