On hot summer days, when the temperatures rises, your young charges grow anxious and rambunctious.
They run up and down the stairs, gallop into the kitchen almost pushing you over with their enthusiasm. Then, they dash shrieking, wailing, and howling out of the house and into the back yard.
When that doesn’t satisfy them, they start pushing, bumping, and wrestling until you hear a sharp cry. One of them got hurt.
Your nerves are frazzled and you obviously don’t have time to take them to the park right now, but for everyone’s–no your–sanity, you realize you have to get them out of the house.
It may seem that a trip to the park is easy, but it is a trial. Your little ones need to put on their play gear, but they are so excited that they continue to dart around and turn in circles while you try to corral them into the car.
As soon as we near the park, they crane their necks hoping to get a look at one of their friends. They are so excited that as soon as I open the door, they jump out into the parking lot. I grab them quickly and take them inside the park.
Most of the caretakers are watching their charges and if one of them is playing inappropriately, usually the caretaker stops them. Some just sit and talk with the other parents, oblivious to what is happening with their little ones. But there is always that bully, or the older one, that pushes, shoves and sometimes bites.
When one makes a disgusting mess, most parents take care of that, but not all.
Some of them pull things away from others on the playground. The sad part is that no one is watching those little ones and they continue to be a problem child forever.
If someone else’s charge gives you a hug, your little one is very jealous and needs to shove the usurper away.
After a while, they stop running and start sitting in the shade and playing in the dirt. They love to kick up as much dust as they can.
Now, I can take them home and hopefully get some work done, but both are deaf to my calls and pretend I am not there. Yes, the dog park is no different than your children’s park! But wait, these are my children’s dogs, not mine.
Why am I taking them to the park? you ask. For my sanity. Besides, dog people are really nice people.
