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!

Doggie Earaches and Ear Infections

Brinkley has been struggling with earaches and ear infections ever since he was a few months old. Over the past year, I’ve learned some effective ways to lower his pain while avoiding costly vet bills.

Before talking about solutions, I wanted to share a philosophy that helped me understand why Brinkley is so prone to ear issues.

Galen, a prominent Roman physician, surgeon and philosopher, mapped a matrix called the Four Temperaments based on the Four Elements- Air, Fire, Water and Earth. The matrix consists of four elements:  hot or cold and wet or dry. This matrix has been applied to countless things, but in this case, it was used as a way to describe dogs.

A holistic vet shared that dogs can either be hot or cold, wet or dry. Brinkley is a hot, wet dog, which means that his internal nature is typically hot and wet. Heat and wetness are easy targets for infections due to the moisture. All of this makes sense when thinking about how much build up could get in his hot, wet ears.

Because of his hot/wet nature, Brinkley’s ears need constant care. I’ve come up with a strategy to keeping his poor ears clean. While the strategy is effective, it’s not enjoyed by Brinkley. It is a good way to avoid ear infections, unpleasant vet appointments, and the bills associated with it.

Cleaning Ears:

A dogs ears should be routinely cleaned out to prevent ear infections and big amounts of build up. Depending on what you think your dogs Four Element nature is depends on how often you should clean their ears. If you think your dog has a hot or wet nature, ears should be cleaned on a monthly or weekly basis. Brinkley’s vet recommended that his ears be cleaned once a week.

Supplies:

When cleaning Brinkley’s ears, I use the following products.

1.     Medical Gauze- medical gauze is used to get the build up out of the ears. It’s thinner and easier to use than a towel, but doesn’t disintegrate like a tissue or paper towel.

2.     Ear Cleanser- You can buy ear cleanser from your neighborhood pet store or your vet to flush your dog’s ears out.

3.     Ear Powder- I picked some of this helpful product at PetSmart.

How-to:

Have your dog lay on one of its sides. Pick up the ear cleanser and squirt a good amount in the ear canal until the ear is filled with the fluid. Massage the ear slowly while the fluid drains. Once the canal is empty, use the gauze to clean the ear of any build up. Once the ear is completely dry, use the ear powder to squeeze in the ear. The powder helps a lot if your dog typically has wet or hot ears. Once done, give your patient pup a treat and flip them over to the other side and repeat.

Warning: your dog probably wont like this. I don’t like having my ear full of cold liquid, and neither does Brinkley. In fact, he knows where his ear-cleaning products are. If I open the closet door, he will immediately try to quietly run away and hide. While not pleasant, his ears are in much better shape now that they are cleaned on a regular basis. 

Ein: Part Dog, Part Cheetah.

A lot of mystery comes with adopting a shelter dog. A lot of the questions I have about Ein, our shelter dog, are probably the same questions I would have if I adopted a child. Where did they come from? What is their breed/ethnicity? How old are they? What’s their story? Do they have any health problems? Are there any healthy problems I should look out for? Are they allergic to anything?

While I would hope that an adoption agency, hospital or biological mother would know these answers, the animal shelter definitely didn’t.  It didn’t change Brandon’s or my mind about Ein at all. But while I am still determined to figure out some of these answers, I feel like Brandon might enjoy some of the mystery. Why? I think I actually know that answer already.

My boyfriend, Brandon, was adopted when he was a few months old. His mom decided to adopt him because she thought he looked like her husband. To this day, Brandon does look like his dad, despite a big difference in height. Brandon’s mom adopted him without knowing all the answers. She saw a familiar face in the baby and that’s all she needed. I’d like to think Brandon felt the same way about Ein. He didn’t need to know how old he was, or what caused his face to get so infected. Brandon didn’t even need to know what breed Ein was. Brandon related to this little dogs story and that was all he needed.

Ein has been ours for a few months now and we’ve gotten some answers. We figured out a rough age based on his teeth. We’ve come to find out that Ein is allergic to chicken. For the first week we had Ein, he would make this hilarious but pathetic noise. It sounded like he had a hairball. He would make the noise constantly. His skin would be pink all the time. After about a week, I remembered that my brothers girlfriend, Libby, had mentioned that her lab was allergic to chicken. I tried to imitate the noise Ein would make at work and found out he was reverse sneezing. It took me a while, but I put two and two together and picked up some lamb-based food for Ein to eat. Bingo. No more reverse sneezing or pink skin. You can call me Sherlock Holmes. I don’t mind.

There is still one question that Brandon and I have yet to figure out an answer to that is KILLING me. What the heck is Ein?! When anyone asks, Brandon’s response is “part dog, part cheetah”. I somewhat don’t doubt it because this dog is the fastest animal I’ve ever witnessed running.

In an effort to keep my Sherlock Holmes name, I’ve continued to keep my eye on Ein to see if any clues come up. 

Note: I know there are tests to get this answered BUT 1. I’m cheap and 2. I don’t get to keep my Sherlock Holmes title if I don’t figure this out on my own.

The shelter labeled Ein as a Golden/Lab mix. Okay, kind of. He has some Golden Retriever or Labrador in him for sure. But what else?

Clue #1: Ein is vocal. He voices every emotion he has. If he’s acting fierce while playing, you’ll know it. If he want’s to eat dinner, you’ll know it. If he’s yawning, you’ll know it. And if he wants out of his crate, you’ll REALLY know it. Hounds are known for being vocal. Noted.

Clue #2: Ein has a white tip on his tail. Hounds have white tips on their tail. Noted.

Clue #3: Ein is freakishly fast. I’m not saying that he’s a good runner. I’m saying that he has chased down wasps and squirrels before. True story. Some types of hounds are fast. Noted.

Clue #4: Ein looks like an AT-AT. Seriously, it’s uncanny. He has these long legs and this small head. What breed is known for having a small head while still being fast? Greyhounds. Now we’re going somewhere.

I googled Lab-Greyhound mix and after doing some comparing, I think this case is closed.

Comparison 1: EARS

Both Ein and this other Lab-Greyhound mix have these quirky ears. They aren't flat, and they fold a bit awkwardly.

Comparison 2: SMALL, BEADY EYES

Both Ein and the Lab-Greyhound below have small, yet adorable little black eyes. 

Comparison 3: AWKWARD LAYING 

Okay, I'm half kidding on this comparison. But still.

This photo isn't a "rare opportunity" thing. This is how Ein sleeps. All the time.

COMPARISON 4: SMILES 

No comment needed. Just two happy pups.

Comparison 5: LONG PROFILE

Both Ein and this Lab-Greyhound Mix have similar profiles. 

Comparison 6: LOVE OF GOLDEN RETRIEVERS

Lab-Greyhounds love their Goldens. Just sayin'.

Comparison 7: PROOF

When looking at this picture of Ein and Lab-Greyhound Mix, it's like looking at Ein and future Ein. Both have quirky ears, black beady eyes, a beautiful blond coat, dark black noses, skinny heads, and essentially the same exact expression on their faces. Proof, I tell ya.

In the end, regardless if Ein is part greyhound, part lab, part pug, part cheetah or part alien, we will love him for the ridiculous, animated, dramatic dog that he is.