Dog Parks Worthy of Wagging Tails

This one is for all of you dog-lovers looking for a place to let your dogs play off leash in the North Dallas area.

All of us know how important it is to keep our pups socialized. One of the easiest ways to do so is to let your dog have some unleashed fun at a dog park. But to make it worth both of you and your canine friend’s time, I have put together a list of 5 ‘Tail-wagging-worthy’ dog parks (with Brinkley’s lick of approval, of course).

Below is the list, rated from tail wags to uncontrollable whimpers of glee. Each park has its ups and downs and an overall grade from our judge, Brinkley.

Plano Dog Park

Right in the heart of Jack Carter, lives Plano Dog Park—a 2-acre area along Bluebonnet Trail. This dog park is the only off-leash area designated by the Plano Parks and Recreation Department.

Pros:

This dog park has benches and picnic tables to rest all while all the dogs play and because this is the only off-leash area for dogs to play at in Plano, there are always plenty of dogs to play with.

Cons:

Don’t count on sitting in the shade at this dog park since there aren’t any trees in the small or large dog area. Also, parking is a bit complicated with few spots and one-way rows

Overall Grade: B

Brinkley can’t complain about a place to play with other dogs but overall the park lacks character, shade and enthusiasm.

Photos of Plano Dog Park from Yelp

Wagging Tail Dog Park

Opened in 2009, this Addison dog park located on Keller Springs spreads over 7 acres and is the first City of Dallas specifically designed park for dogs.

Pros:

The park features a ¼ mile walking trail with a dock overlooking White Rock Creek. Both the small and large dog areas have trees, shade, and large stone decking and seating. Not to mention, the park was designed well with trees and small hills as scenery.

Cons:

If it has rained recently, prepare to get a little muddy. The acres are split between patches of grass and dirt. Another downside is that the park can often be a bit quiet with few dog friends to entertain your pup.

Overall Grade: B+

Brinkley is always clearly excited to get inside the gate of this dog park but his enthusiasm wears off quickly. Don’t get upset though, Brinkley is a harsh judge and only dog parks with water areas get A’s.

Photos of Wagging Tail Dog Park from Yelp

 

White Rock Dog Park

Placed right in the action of White Rock, this dog park features wet and dry play areas accompanied by beautiful views.  White Rock Dog Park proudly claims to be Dallas’ first off-leash dog park.

Pros:

Pups have the opportunity to retrieve right into White Rock Lake. A path splits the small and large dog play areas and brings you to a cement dock where dogs can play in the water. The park is also surrounded by plenty of dog-friendly patios to enjoy food and beers (My personal recommendation is Goodfriend Beer Garden).

Cons:

White Rock Dog Park does not have much to any grass, which means it can be closed randomly after storms to let the area dry. Also, if your dog loves water but is not a strong swimmer I would not recommend letting them play in the lake. The lake has a current and is not the easiest place for them to get in and out of.

Overall Grade: A

Brinkley loved his time at White Rock Dog Park. He was initially excited about the water section of the park but realized his fear of jumping into water while there.

Photos of White Rock Dog Park from Yelp

Northbark Dog Park

Located right off of George Bush and Dallas North Tollway, Northbark has it all. This 5-acre park has trails and lawn area to play on along with a deck 35 feet above White Rock Creek with great views of a waterfall.

Pros:

Northbark features a gated off swimming hole for pups in which they can retrieve and frolic. The swimming hole area even includes a cleaning station with hoses for pups that get muddy. Lawn surrounds the area along with stone benches, and the park also includes plenty of trees and shade for hot days.

Cons:

Because it is located closely to two highways, it can be a bit hard to get to. Secondly, while there are trees and shade in the dry area, there is a lack of shade near the swimming hole.

Overall Grade: A+

I’m barely able to walk Brinkley on his leash from the parking lot to the field. He is literally dragging me.  With so much space, water, and shade, Northbark is fun for Brinkley and I for at least an hour.

Photos of Northbark Dog Park from Yelp

Wiggly Field Dog Park

Nestled between neighborhoods in Southern Denton lives Lake Forest Park, a 63-acre park filled with a dog park, lake and multiple trails. This beautiful park has been the home to many fun-filled Saturdays.

Pros:

There is never a shortage of things to do between the dog park, pup swimming hole, lake and trails. Plenty of space with plenty of dogs to play with.

Cons:

If not from around town, this dog park can be a bit of a hike.

Overall Grade: A++

While a 30-minute drive from Dallas, this park is beyond a dog park for dogs. There are trails for you and your furry friends to roam, unleashed. There is a pond for doggies to swim, a lake to fish at, along with the typical fenced dog parks. It’s a great place to spend an afternoon while tiring out your four legged companion.

Photos of Wiggly Field Dog Park from DogGoes.com

Other images of Lake Forest Park:

No matter which you pick, it’s guaranteed that any of these parks will provide plenty of entertainment for your pup. Feel free to fill me in your experiences at any one of these while Brinkley and I discover more!

The Story of a Nearly Euthanized Puppy

The story begins on July 6^th when a friend at work shared a picture with me of a dog on the “CODE RED” list at the Fort Worth Animal Shelter. For those of you unfamiliar with this, the CODE RED list contains animals that are  on schedule to be euthanized, if not adopted or tagged before that night. Tagging an animal means that an individual or organization have said that you will pick up the dog the next day.  If you don’t, the dog will be back on the list.

Bear with me, this story has a happy ending, but the sadder details need to be shared. In an attempt to save these helpless animals lives, shelter volunteers post pictures of the animals on the CODE RED list on Facebook in order for word to spread. It has spared a lot of lives, especially with such a short timeframe from finding out which will be on the list and when the time of euthanization will be.

Why does this have to happen in the first place? People get puppies because they think they are cute, then find out they are a lot of work and turn them in to shelters with no consequence. Other individuals cannot pay for the costs of their pet anymore, or have to move into places where they cannot keep their pet. A lot of animals are simply just found on the side or the road and turned into the shelter. Shelters don’t have room for all of the animals and when that is the case, animals get euthanized.

How is it determined who gets euthanized? Cats and dogs can be on the CODE RED list for a variety of reasons. It could be a simple URI (upper respiratory infection) that could be easily treated with antibiotics, skin problems that could also be easily treated, or the animals breed/personality could be classified as aggressive or too shy. This means that a lot of dogs that are perfectly healthy can be on the list just for their breed having a bad reputation.

All of this is super sad.

The puppy shared with me was on the list because of skin problems.

Shelter Picture

My friend had shared the photo with me because she had heard that my boyfriend, Brandon, was interested in getting a puppy in the next few months. He had just gotten his big boy job, an apartment by himself, and he was looking for a dog to make the place a little less quiet.

Brandon was debating between getting a chocolate lab or golden retriever. He wanted a puppy and was really interested in adopting a dog that needed a home. For the past few months I had been sending him photos of golden retrievers with fosters that needed homes. The timing was just never right.

When I sent Brandon the photo above, his response was “Can I go get him tonight?”.

The next few hours were chaos. It was a Friday afternoon and trying to get ahold of the shelter was extremely difficult. The dog’s photo didn’t have an ID number so they couldn’t locate the dog. When I finally found the dogs ID from searching the website, the employee at the shelter told me the dog wasn’t on the CODE RED list. I emailed the volunteers who disagreed. It turns out the volunteers know more than the employees. We wanted to pick the puppy up that night but the shelter closed at 6 and there was no way we could get to Fort Worth by then. Another friend at work was willing to do anything to help and called her husband to see if he could go get Ein. The shelter said adoptions couldn’t be done on the phone. I emailed the volunteers to ensure that the puppy was tagged, therefore wouldn’t be euthanized, and I was told we could pick him up anytime the next day. The shelter opened at noon, so naturally Brandon and I were there, with Brinkley in the backseat, at 11:15.

I’ll spare you the details of the two hours at the shelter. All I will say is that it is a very unorganized place, with far too many dogs going in, and not enough being adopted. To help my mental stability, I stayed in the car with Brinkley while Brandon waited to get the puppy. Two hours later, he got him.

Brandon brought the small, dirty, bloody puppy out to the car. Brinkley’s first reaction to seeing his brother? Growling. “WHAT IS THIS UGLY DOG DOING IN THE CAR?!”

Despite the muddy blond coat, the bloody back from the microchipping, and the incredibly scabbed face from an infection, the puppy was adorable. While small, you could tell he was a warrior who had faced many nights on the streets. Brandon decided to name him Albus Einstein (a little bit of science, a little bit of magic) but Ein for short.

It’s been two months with Ein and a lot of vet visits. I would share the detailed story but the photos below tell the story better. Ein had a tick on his neck, a tapeworm in his belly, and mites all over his body. The mites took advantage of his malnourished body and gave him scabs all over his face. Despite all of this, he was the happiest dog you’ve ever seen.

He is now mite free, double his weight, and still the happiest dog…ever. It took Brinkley a few hours, but the boys now act like brothers. They love to play and do everything together. They are truly happier together.

Through out all of it, I never saw any hesitation from Brandon about going through this journey to get Ein well. You could just see the joy in Ein and picturing him being put down for something that just needed simple antibiotics was unbearable. Ein has so much love to give, always wanting to be in your lap and giving you kisses. I swear he is always smiling.

Ein now spends his time running laps around Brinkley, attempting to get the plunger from under the sink, and searching for any possible scrap of food he can find.

The pictures below show Ein from the day Brandon adopted him to now.

First Day

First Day

Two Weeks Later

Two Weeks Later- First Time at the Dog Park!

3 weeks after getting Ein

3 Weeks after getting Ein

1 Month after being adopted

1 month after being adopted

Sleepy boys 

A month and a half after being adopted

2 months! Patio Dogs

2 months after adoption. Mite free!

Time for School

Brinkley is a great dog. He sits. He stays. He fetches. However, about a month ago, he began getting restless during the night.

Weekends are Brinkley’s fun days. He goes on lots of car rides and hangs out on patios. He also gets to go to the dog park and go swimming. He loves the weekends and they tire him out. But by Wednesday, all the weekday time in his crate starts making him antsy. He simply doesn’t want to sleep anymore. And he makes that very clear. I would wake up constantly to this:

It makes sense. Goldens love interaction. Giving him a bone to chew on through the night couldn’t cut it anymore. So I started looking into daycare.

The problem with most daycares is that they aren’t as great as they crack them up to be. I don’t want to pay $25 for my dog to get to hang out in a “luxury suite” for 7 hours a day and get 10 minute play times every 2 hours. No thanks.

When a few people at work started talking about Benny’s Dog Resort, I tried to not get optimistic about this place being any different. I checked their website to see what Benny’s was about. FINALLY. A place where dogs get to play all day. At Benny’s the dogs arrive and immediately go outside. They play all day except from 11-1, which is lunch and naptime. At 1 pm, they go back outside until you pick them up. More perks? They have play sets specifically built for dogs. They have play pools filled with water and tennis balls. They have covered play areas for when it’s hot. They get treats called Pup Cakes.

After seeing such great things on their website, I checked their Facebook. They update it constantly with pictures of all the dogs. Some of my favorites:

I attempted to not get excited (failed) until I saw pricing. $20 a day? 10 sessions for $140? I think I can handle that. I decided I’d take Brink every Wednesday.

When I called to fill out an application for Brinkley, Benny’s let me know that each new dog has an interview. Owners bring their dogs in for a 20-minute trial to make sure a new dog isn’t overly scared or aggressive. How great.

Brinkley passed and seeing Benny’s in person made me fall even more in love with the place.

Next thing you know, it’s Brinkley’s first day of school. People at work laughed and asked if he had a new backpack. No. Did I make him a lunch? Yes.

It’s been a month of school and Brinkley loves it more and more each time. Benny’s has brought out Brinkley’s playfulness. He now goes to the dog park and is more interactive with other dogs. On school days, I can barely handle him on his leash as he runs to the door. I pick him up and he immediately collapses in the back seat. It looks something like this:

Since Benny’s, Brinkley now has a perk in the week that makes him able to get through my workweek. I now get a full night’s sleep every night and I get to know I have a happier dog. I would take him everyday if I could, but for now, I’ll continue to sacrifice a few meals out for him to enjoy his special day.

For anyone interested, here is Benny’s website: Benny's Dog Resort

Brinkley's New Pad

This may be new or old news to you, but I recently moved. I had been living with my brother since graduating college. His house was 5 minutes from work and he was an awesome roommate. But when Lindsey got a big girl job in Addison, I knew it was time to move in with my college roommate and have my own place. So on February 3^rd, Lindsey, Brinkley and I all became roommates.

Brinkley was raised with his big brother Major in a house with a backyard. Thinking about Brinkley transitioning to a 1,100 square foot apartment was a stressful thought for me. As usual though, Brinkley went with the flow. He didn’t whine, pace or pant. He just sniffed the new place out and collapsed on the floor.

But with any new place comes changes. There is a new rule of no Brinkley on the new couch. Let’s be honest, the dog sheds. A lot. Also, at the new place, when he goes outside he is (usually) on a leash. Thankfully we are on the first floor in a private area with lots of grass right outside the door.

More good changes have come of the move. My room is bigger which means we still have space for things besides just my bed and Brinkley’s bed. My closet is massive and fits Brinkley’s crate comfortable with plenty of room for my excessive amount of clothes. Without Major around to tire out Brinkley, I now take him on runs in nearby neighborhoods to tucker him out. It was a pain at first but I think we both are enjoying it now. Check back on us in July.

Thankfully there has only been one bad day in the new place. God only knows what he ate to make that kind of mess come out of both ends. Lindsey was a good sport and lit some candles and wrapped a blanket around her head while the place aired out.

I thought there might be some ridiculous stories of Brinkley adjusting but he has proved me wrong. He loves Lindsey and has finally adjusted to her boyfriend Jesse. As soon as Brinkley finally became less scared of Jesse, he would change clothes only to scare Brinkley again. Luckily he got over that fear. Things he still fears? Blow dryers and vacuums. He refuses to be anywhere close to them, which is so sad, pathetic and hilarious all at the same time.

I’m glad to report that Brinkley and I are happy in our new home. Words can’t say how nice it is to be back with Lindsey under the same roof.

I’ll add some new pics Brinkley and of the new place.

My Room

Patio View

Dining Room

Living Room

Wreath, thanks Mom!

Brinkley decided to hang out on the top of the couch

Tired after the move

Ready for bed

On our way to the new place for the first time