Our weekends have come to involve playgrounds. Regularly. And I can't help but feel slightly guilty, seeing Captain sitting on the sidelines like this...staring at us, sadly. I also feel bad that there are more outings that don't involve him - music class for Nugget, shopping, playdates.... we leave the house, closing the door to him looking at us, and just say, "We'll be back soon Captain." It makes me sad... but I suppose there is some inevitability in having human babies that the fur ones will get second priority. Still, we do a lot to make sure he's not a sad older sibling. And luckily, we have some great parks nearby that serve both nuggets well- read on for a little more on some of those!
In the East Bay, there are lots of options for keeping toddlers and pups happy....
Piedmont Park has a fun playground, with plenty of squirrels around for Captain to watch when nugget 2 is playing in the kiddie zone, plus an off-leash dog area nearby, and a large open field where both nuggets can run free.
Alameda also has a lot of options. One spot we've been going to a bunch is right by the beach that has a large playground, some fields, and is very close to a nice big sand-filled dog park- I posted a pic from that one on our Facebook page recently! And Aquatic Park in Berkeley has a good play ground, ducks for the kids (and Vizslas) to watch, and is very dog-friendly outside the kid playground.
Captain is great around kids, and we are always watching him when he's leashed up by a playground. But of course that scenario doesn't work for all dogs or all kids. It should go without saying we have become very aware not all kids are aware of how to approach and act around dogs, and not all dogs should be around kids. If you take your dog to places where small children are, make sure he/she is used to them, and that you're keeping an eye on the pup at all times (as well as your human nugget, of course!) I do also think it's great for families who don't have dogs to teach their children not to be afraid of them, and how to treat animals with respect and kindness. We're very lucky Captain is so tolerant, but we've also been trying to teach Nugget 2 to respect him right back.
Plenty of other great spots around the Bay Area for kids + dogs alike, too. We try our best to keep them both Nuggets happy!
Aw, it is sad when we have to leave our Vizslas at home. Our girl, Bella, is very good in nearly every way, but I can tell when she needs attention. She gets really anxious and wants to gnaw on our arms (we don't really let her) or lick our arms or hands for a few minutes for comfort (we do let her do this). Bella runs our 1 acre when she wants to, or comes in and chills when she'd like. She sleeps in our bed (with and without us), helps me with my morning chores with the chickens, rabbits, goats, cats, and other dogs (well, sort of helps anyway, ha ha). She is a constant companion for me and I couldn't imagine life without her. But yeah--there are those shopping days, doctor's appointments, and outings that she can't attend with us, and it's hard on her if they are long. I love that you are finding ways to include Captain in your outings, which is great for him, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteKristi @Stone Family Farmstead
Our wee boy turned 3 months today. Our world is revolving around him at the moment. He's a great dog and such a quick learner :-D
ReplyDeleteAlways happy to see new posts about your nuggets! Captain looks happy and healthy.
ReplyDeleteI thought I'd share this post with you and your vizsla loving readers. Our vizsla Matilda did a fast & furry 8k in Minneapolis and did a "guest post" on my running blog about it :) Enjoy!
http://www.therightfits.com/2015/06/guest-post-by-matilda-the-vizsla-running-the-fast-and-the-furry-8k/