North Quabbin Dog Park

North Quabbin Dog Park

A Handbook for Visitors

A Handbook for Park Visitors

Website: northquabbindogpark.webs.com

E-Mail:

Facebook: Friends of North Quabbin Dog Park

A 501(c)(3) Organization

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to:

The Orange Airport Commission for the use of their land for our park;

Adams Animal Hospital for the donation of five (5) pieces of AWESOME play equipment!!

Any and all individuals and businesses who have donated time, gift certificates, and / or money over the years to our fundraising events.

We would also like to remind folks that the park receives no funding from any town or the airport; we run entirely on donations from our patrons and it is entirely a volunteer effort with only three active committee members and a few ghost volunteers that make it all happen. Other than fundraising for playscapes and agility equipment to make our park more enticing for dogs and their humans, we have continuing maintenance fees to keep the park up and running: dog waste bags, trash bags, hand sanitizer plus trash pick-up and repairs as needed.

We cannot do this alone!! Please consider a donation today. Donation can be made through PayPal on our Website or checks can be made out to Friends of North Quabbin Dog Park c/o Kathy Marble 19 Central Street, Athol, MA 01331.

We are a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization; your donations are tax-deductible!!

DISCLAIMER: The material contained in this handbook has been gathered from a variety of books and online sources (see Bibliography). Our rules and regulations are listed to provide a safe and fun environment for our park patrons (both human and canine). The emergency numbers and facilities listed within this document are for reference only; they are not connected to our organization in any way. THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY TO YOU. YOU ARE LEGALLY AND FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY CAUSED BY YOU OR YOUR DOG.

What is a Dog Park?

A dog park is a place fordogsto exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. Dog parks are NOT for dogs who are known to be aggressive. Dog parks are NOT for dogs who are fearful or timid. Dog parks are NOT a place to bring your dog to learn socialization skills.

Police Enforcement:

Most dog parks are policed by those who use the park on a regular basis. Some parks require that you register and receive a tag for your dogs’ collars, some parks require you to be a resident of the town and others have park monitors on site to keep a watchful eye out and keep everyone safe. All visitors are expected to follow all the rules as they have been carefully researched and put in place to keep you (the dog handler), your children (children under age 8 should be in “safe areas” outside of the dog areas) and your dog safe and provide an enjoyable experience at our park. That being said, if there is a problem at the park that you are unable to handle, you can call the Orange Police Department at 978-544-2129; North Quabbin Regional Animal Control at 978-249-2494. For emergencies, call 9-1-1.

How To Use The Trap:

The trap is the entrance into the park. It is a double-gated system to help prevent dogs in the park from sneaking out when you are entering or exiting. Some other parks refer to it as an “airlock”.

·  ONE HANDLER AT A TIME!!

·  Enter the main gate and close it securely behind you.

·  REMOVE THE LEASH, HARNESS AND/OR PINCH/CHOKE COLLAR FROM YOUR DOG(S).

·  Open the gate to the desired park and go in.

·  Immediately close the gate securely behind you.

·  Move away from the corner and into the park.

·  When leaving the park, be sure there is no one in the trap before you open the gate to exit. Remember, one handler at a time.

·  This helps to contain any dogs that may scoot through the gate as you are entering or exiting the park.

An Overview of a few of our Rules and the Reasoning Behind Them:

Many people feel that some of our rules do not apply to them and choose to not follow them. The most frequent ones are listed below with our reasoning behind the rules. Please remember a great deal of time and effort went into researching dog park rules and the rules we put into place are for the safety of all who use the park.

·  Handlers MUST clean up after their dogs. This includes scooping any dog waste and disposing in the provided containers. Cleaning up is the law (Town of Orange bylaw).

o  Leaving waste behind is unhealthy and unsanitary. Our park in located on federal airport property; we have their permission to use their land with the understanding that we keep it clean and safe.

o  In addition, our park borders a wetland that is occasionally inspected by the EPA. If they deem our park to be unsanitary, they can shut us down without notice. We have provided more than enough waste stations and bags at locations that we feel make it most convenient for you.

o  Dog feces are one of the most common carriers of the following diseases:

ü  Whipworms

ü  Hookworms

ü  Roundworms

ü  Tapeworms

ü  Parvo

ü  Corona

ü  Giardiasis

ü  Salmonellosis

ü  Cryptosporidiosis

ü  Campylobacteriosis

·  For your dog’s safety, all head halters, choke / pinch / prong collars and harnesses must be removed before unleashing your dog.

o  All head halters, choke / pinch / prong collars and harnesses MUST be removed before entering the park. Many dogs nip and bite at the head and neck area of other dogs during play and their teeth and / or jaw may become caught in these items causing panic, fights, broken teeth and jaws. Harnesses allow other dogs to get their legs caught, potentially breaking or badly spraining the leg. As the owner of the dog wearing one of these devices, YOU ARE LEGALLY AND FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY CAUSED BY YOUR DOG.

·  Children aged 8-15 must be accompanied by an adult and must not scream, run or chase the dogs. Children are not allowed on the playscapes, training or agility equipment. Children under 8 years old are not allowed inside the fenced-in area.

o  THIS IS A PLAYGROUND FOR DOGS – NOT CHILDREN! There are many, many places in the nine town Quabbin area for children to play. This park is currently the ONLY off-leash fenced-in area designated for dogs to play.

o  Please understand that this area is provided for dogs to interact with other dogs and that your child could be considered an interruption in dog play. While you think your child is well-behaved and is dog savvy, many dogs have not been socialized with children, many dogs are fearful of children, some herding dogs may nip at your child in an effort to herd them. Your dog may become protective of his / her child and a fight could erupt.

o  Dog parks are places where dogs are “amped up” and excited, where dogs naturally nip, play fight and sometimes get into real fights. “Mouthy” dogs may be frightening to small children who do not understand the difference between mouthing and biting.

o  Dogs chase things that move, especially small things that squeal and run!

o  When one dog “acts up” others join in! When other dogs are barking, chasing, wrestling or humping, others investigate and join in. You small child could suddenly have three or four dogs all around him or her which can be frightening and potentially dangerous!!

o  Some dogs are scared of small children because they haven’t been socialized with them or possibly have been abused by them in the past.

o  It is hugely unfair to bring your small child into a dog park where other dog handlers feel that they have to restrain their dog from natural play in order to keep your child safe.

o  We don’t want kids to get hurt and we don’t want good dogs punished for being dogs.

o  Dog parks are not a clean place for children to be playing. Children tend to roll around on the ground when playing and let’s face it, not everyone cleans up after their dog!!! Our playscapes are enticing to children; however, dogs pee on them all the time. They are not sanitary for children to be playing on!!!

o  The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms pet waste can spread parasites including hookworms, ringworms, tapeworms and Salmonella. When infected dog poop comes into contact with the ground, the poop will eventually "disappear", but the parasite eggs can linger for years! When a human or animal comes into contact with that soil through everyday activities like walking barefoot, gardening or playing, they risk infection from those eggs ... even years after the poop is gone.

o  Pet waste is teaming with E. Coli and other harmful bacteria including fecal coliform bacteria, which causes serious kidney disorders, intestinal illness, cramps and diarrhea in humans. (There are 23 million fecal coliform bacteria in a single gram of pet waste!)

o  Dog poop often contains roundworm larvae, which cause blindness. If a human ingests a roundworm larva, it can migrate through the body causing disease to the brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, heart or eyes. So when people (especially children) touch soil, dog toys or anything that has been in contact with dog feces and then touch their mouths, they can become infected.

In our efforts to keep everyone safe, we have designated a “child safe area” outside each of the dog parks for your children under the age of 8 to play safely - where you can still keep an eye on them. Please feel free to bring sand toys, etc. for your children to keep them busy.

·  Dogs over 25 lbs. are prohibited in the Small Dog area; dogs under 25 lbs. are prohibited in the Large Dog area.

o  The general rule of thumb of most dogs parks is to separate the large and small dog parks at the 25 lb. limit.

o  Lots of small dogs play well with large dogs and vice versa. There is nothing wrong with small dogs playing in the large dog area, providing the handler is aware of the potential dangers (small dogs tend to get stepped on by bigger dogs, small dogs tend to get steam-rolled by a group of larger dogs running across the park, some large dogs have a very high prey drive and may chase down, catch and potentially injure or even kill your small dog).

o  Likewise, some large dogs may be too timid, lame or old for the high-energy, rough-housing in the large dog park and may use the small dog park instead.

o  Regardless of which park you are in, all handlers MUST watch all interactions and body language between the dogs very carefully and step in quickly if things are too rough.

Dog Play:

Whenever a new dog enters the park, most dogs in the park “charge” the gate to greet the newcomer. They are eager to see who their new playmate (or foe) is. There will be an increase of activity as they circle around each other sniffing butts, vocalizing, and getting to know each other. All dogs have different play styles – some like to wrestle, some like to chase or be chased, some like to play rough, while others would rather sit back and visualize it all. Watch your dogs’ body language carefully. Learn to recognize appropriate vs. inappropriate dog play:

Appropriate Dog Play / Inappropriate Dog Play
·  Barking / ·  Ganging up on / picking on one dog
·  Growling / ·  Bullying
·  Wrestling / ·  Charging
·  Chasing / ·  Snarling
·  Mouthing / ·  Snapping
·  Pawing / ·  Pinning another dog down; not letting up
·  Toy tugging / ·  Chasing without letting other dog rest
·  Mounting / humping / ·  Cornering

Rough Play:

Rough play is only allowed if both handlers are in agreement with this type of play and both dogs are having fun. Rough play can quickly turn into a squabble or even a fight so both handlers must watch for signs that the play is escalating and give the dogs a time out.

Mounting / Humping:

Mounting / humping is an acceptable, appropriate form of dog play, if both dogs are agreeable to it. Humans tend to get embarrassed or annoyed when their dog is humping or being humped. Humping is more about dominance and place in rank than it is about sex. In most cases, this allows the dogs to establish rank order without violence. Some dogs do not like to be humped and will turn around and tell the other dog to get off. If the other dog has good social cues, he / she will respect that request and get off. If not, it could result in a fight. Handlers need to be aware and monitor this behavior.

Aggression:

Aggressive dogs are NOT permitted in the park. If your dog becomes aggressive, please leash your dog up and remove him or her from the park to avoid injury to your dog or others. As the owner of the dog, YOU ARE LEGALLY AND FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY CAUSED BY YOUR DOG

Every dog is capable of growling, barking, snarling, snapping, and biting. These are all normal canine behaviors and an integral part of canine communication. It is up to the owners of the dogs to watch their dog’s play style, learn their body language and learn to recognize when these behaviors are play and when they may be escalating into aggression and to re-direct their dog’s focus to avoid a fight.