Three dogs found their way into my home and family. All are highly social, well-behaved, and friendly to man and beast. Lovely pitbulls, they can romp at a dog park with canine society with nary a raised lip. Contrary to common opinion, they are not about to "snap." The eldest has been with us for eight years without altercations. The youngest makes just about everyone who sees him chuckle with his goofy good looks and easy-going attitude. The third, the middle child, has just one focus – "throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the ball." No time for big, bad pitbull antics, she's got balls to catch.
Nicholai, my Dead Dog Walking (he now lopes through celestial fields and occasionally I think I hear him whisper in my ear), required hikes in isolated areas due to his independent and protective nature. Portland's many populated city parks held no interest for him, or for me, and so I left them largely unexplored. Now, in the company of one, two, or even all three of the bully-kids, I can investigate the relatively recent phenomenon of designated, fenced – hence safe, official off-leash recreation dog parks.
As late as the mid-2000's, there weren't any such dog parks in all of Portland. There were unofficial meet-up areas where dogs and dog-owners clashed with other park users. I mostly avoided these areas. Supervising unleashed play was just too stressful. Dogs weren't safe from passing cars, cyclists weren't safe from dogs, kids weren't safe from dog-poo; frequently the whole scene felt like a lose-lose proposition. The situation erupted in 2004 when numerous dogs were poisoned in Laurelhurst Park. Resulting rhetoric on all sides was emotional and sometimes toxic, but the end result was positive – the development of designated dog-parks throughout the Metro area.
This fall, with Izzy, Kelley, and Barney by my side, I plan to visit all of Portland's dog parks. I'll dash off my own little pitbull and people review – ease of access, size, surface, amenities. On my list are Brentwood, Chimney, East Delta, Gabriel, Normandale, Sacajawea, and Wallace. If you know of another designated, fenced off-leash park in Portland please let me know. I thought I'd visit the parks in alphabetical order, but life showed me otherwise. So far, I've visited Sacajawea, Normandale, and Gabriel.
Maybe I'll see you out there.
Dog walkers have become a huge part of our lives. They help to keep our dogs fit and they make us feel less guilty about not taking our dogs for a walk on a daily basis.
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