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Robert's Randoms
Robert J. Taylor

@robertsrandoms
robert.taylor34@gmail.com


The idea behind Robert's Random is for me to write about whatever I'm thinking about whenever I'm thinking it. I try to write 3-5 times a week, but sometimes real work gets in the way of that. Sometimes I'll share whatever random thought I might have that day but most of the time, I like to write about things going on in the news. I'm a total news junkie, I spend a lot of time online at various news sites. If I find a story where someone does something totally stupid or I wonder "what were they thinking?" I don't mind pointing it out incase others missed it or taking my best guess at what they were thinking. I like to laugh, I like to make others laugh. There's so much serious and wrong stuff going on in the news that when I find an unusual or light story, I like to use it. And while real life news events might be the focus of many of my blogs, I'm just trying to entertain you, make you laugh and maybe even think about something you didn't know before reading. I'm not trying to break any serious news or deliver any hard-hitting coverage. You'll have to read a paper or watch one of the network shows for that.
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City Council: Mountain Home needs a dog park

Posted Sunday, May 11, 2014, at 7:53 PM

Monday night the Mountain Home City Council will take comments from the public regarding its proposal for a dog park. The meeting starts at 6.p.m.

A dog park in Mountain Home is a great idea and it's a shame we do not currently have one.

If you own a dog, a dog park is a great place to let your dog run around and burn energy with minimal work from you and socialize with other dogs and for you to meet other dog owners. If you don't own a dog, a dog park is a good place for dogs to use the bathroom in a place that is not your yard.

I adopted my dog, Boston, almost three years ago from the Humane Society in Moscow. The Humane Society shares a parking lot with the city's dog park and is located about 40 feet from the park.

When I adopted him, I remember thinking, "Maybe we'll come to the dog park occasionally, like once a month or something."

I adopted a dog for two reasons. First, I stopped drinking and started spending a lot more time at home and was bored often. Second, I wanted to learn to make time for something that wasn't myself. I wanted to force myself to spend time during the day on something that wasn't school or work related and figured a dog would force me to do that.

(The year before I adopted him, I tried to keep three crabs alive in an aquarium and that didn't go so well. Fortunately for my pups, he's still alive and well.)

I started off walking my dog twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. I also walked a mile and back to school, sometimes more than once a day. I struggle to keep weight on my body and it didn't take me long to realize that walking 8-10 miles a day wasn't going to make things any easier for me, so I started looking for alternatives.

A dog's energy level is like a gas tank that constantly refills itself. The whole point to owning a dog is to get him as tired as possible today so he doesn't chew your stuff up tomorrow. When a dog is full of energy, there's nothing you can do to tire him out. You just try to get him as tired as possible so the next day he's worn out. But then you have to do it again the next day to keep him tired for the following day. You don't ever want to fall behind the cycle.

So I started taking my dog to the dog park to let him burn out energy without me having to do the same. I quickly realized that I could take him there, sit around and talk to people and he'll just run around and get tired without me having to do any work. It was awesome, so I kept taking him.

I met some of my favorite people in Moscow from the dog park. In fact, when I visit Moscow, I make it a point to catch up with some of them even though I leave Boston at home on most trips. (FYI, people seriously think you're weird if you hang out at the dog park without a dog.)

It wasn't just me who met friends at the dog park, so did Boston. He got to interact with a lot of dogs and socialize well them. This is one of the biggest advantages of a city with a dog park: you can introduce your dog to other dogs in a controlled environment. It gives your dog a chance to learn how to properly interact with other dogs so that the first time he or she does so, it's not with a bigger/smaller dog on a walking path or sidewalk.

Another huge advantage of living in a town with a dog park is you get to know your dog, and other dogs, extremely well. After taking my dog to the dog park and watching him interact with other dogs every day for two years, I know everything there is to know about my dog. I know what he's thinking before he does most times. I know when he's playing with other dogs, when he's being too rough, when he's picking on another dog or when he's not OK with another dog trying to bully him. (Seriously, my dog used to pick on two dogs. He'd just kept going up to them and antagonizing them until they got upset and tried to attack him, then their owner would yell at them and he'd be like, "I got you in trouble!" Seriously, dogs are smart. They know what they are doing.)

I have a pretty solid idea of when dogs are playing and when they are not. Sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference between the two. Often people new to the world of dog owning can't tell the difference.

When I first started going to the dog park, I thought every growl or bark was too rough or about to lead to a fight. Every person who gets a dog and starts taking them to the dog park goes through the same process. It's annoying when someone's like, "YOUR DOG IS ATTACKING MY DOG!" and everyone just looks at them and is like, "Um, that's how dogs play..." But that's just part of the process of being a new dog owner.

(New dog owner dog park bonus tip: don't pick up your dog while at the park or entering it. If you do, every dog in the park is going to want to see what's going on and why it is being carried and want to jump up and try to see what's going on. Just keep your dog on the ground and let them sniff it. It will work out for everyone involved better. Also, don't wear white to a dog park.)

When Boston and I first moved back to Mountain Home last year, he missed his doggie friends. He spent the summer depressed and refused to go on walks. I felt bad we didn't have a dog park I could take him to help him meet new doggie pals. I tried talking him out to the dog park on the base but no one was ever there when we went. It'd be great if I could take him to one in Mountain Home. (And one with the proper fencing that the one on base lacks.)

Dog parks are great, both for dog owners and dogs. And even if you don't own a dog, it's still nice to live in a town with a dog park. It means you live in a place that cares about dogs and what's not to love about that?

So please, Mountain Home City Council, vote to approve a dog park. The residents of this town will appreciate it a great deal. So will our dogs.

I'm so in favor of the park becoming a reality, I'm willing to do whatever I can do to help complete the project. If the city wants to form a dog park committee, sign me up. I'll even chair the committee if volunteers are needed. If the city needs money to help build it, I'll write a check. (Well, I'll hand over cash. I don't actually write checks. It's 2014. I use a debit card for everything.) If the city wants help designing it, I can do that. If the city needs help building it, I'll show up with construction equipment.

But for now, the city just wants to hear from its citizens. Please attend the meeting at 6.p.m. Monday at City Hall if you're in favor of Mountain Home building a dog park. If you're not in favor of such a course of action, please do anything else that night. If you can't attend the meeting, call or write the City Council and encourage them to make Mountain Home a dog park community.

Comments
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  • *

    Robert:

    Very good blog. Won't be at the meeting tomorrow night but count me as a huge dog park supporter.

    Thanks,

    Tim Bondy

    -- Posted by bondyweb on Sun, May 11, 2014, at 9:57 PM
  • *

    I will ask how is the dog park to be funded and where will the funds come from for the maintenance and upkeep of it? Not to mention the increase in insurance for the city? Those are the questions that came up last time and were never answered. I am not for nor against a dog park but am just pointing out issues that need addressed and no I do not have the answers.

    -- Posted by B Mullen on Mon, May 12, 2014, at 10:17 AM

  • How is any park funded or any maintenance funded? Same way it always has been....people who don't have children pay for parks they don't use...this will be the same. I think its a great move for MH to have a Dog Park....they have them all over Boise and the one on Base is pretty great too. I know the majority of us dog lovers clean up after our dogs and will leave the park they way we found it. I hope they go ahead and do it.

    -- Posted by mhg4316 on Tue, May 13, 2014, at 10:24 AM

  • I wouldn't use a dog park. They're dangerous. Too many dogs who are unfamiliar with each other running loose. People bring small children there. A dog park is not a good place for a small child. Too many dogs are not properly socialized. Too many people will not clean up after their dogs.....look at the greenbelt, and bags and trash are provided. I hope the city gets one because so many people want it, but get ready for the complaints and doggy related problems.

    -- Posted by goatbeard on Tue, May 13, 2014, at 10:25 AM

  • There is no way I would take any of my little dogs to a dog park. Good chance they will be attacked by other dogs. There are many in this town who are not responsible dog owners. Just walking around my neighborhood I have to watch my step or I will step in the poo. I live out in the county and people let their big dogs out in the mornings so they can run around loose. My next door neighbor had a little Jack Russell terrier killed by a big dog that came running down the street. The little dog was in his own yard and the neighbor was out in his yard with the dog and before he could do anything to save his dog, his dog was killed.

    Dog Park bad Idea!

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, May 13, 2014, at 11:17 AM
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    MHG,

    Parks without a fence are one thing but a dog park should have a fence. That is one of the costs I was speaking of not to mention the extra costs for mowing the grass and watering the park if a new area is used. As for the one on base, I have been there a few times with my dogs and stopped going because of the amount of poop left behind. I seem to remember some users getting a group together to police the park once. They spent a good part of the day cleaning up the park. And the park on base used to be a baseball or softball field but was converted due to a lack of use. Speaking of use, the most I have seen there at one time is about 10 animals but most of the time the park is empty. How do I know, I work close by and walk by it several times a day.

    -- Posted by B Mullen on Tue, May 13, 2014, at 5:45 PM

  • NO NO NO! That's such a problem around here. Older people who don't want to support anything and do nothing but complain. I have taken my dogs to several dog parks around Boise, Meridian, and the one on Base several times. Never have I once seen a fight between any dogs. You don't want to take your little dogs to a dog park to play then DONT...I hope the younger active families with dogs come to the park and burn off some energy and enjoy seeing their dogs play and socialize....This town needs to get with the program and follow suite with every other town in America and provide us with a dog park. I'm a homeowner and pay taxes. Id rather see it go towards something like this rather than like the school boards pockets....but like all good things around here it will probably not happen. Again.

    -- Posted by mhg4316 on Wed, May 14, 2014, at 8:19 AM
  • *

    Hey All:

    I have no intention is getting into an argument about this or any other subject but it's good to find out what people think about the future dog park.

    My hope is we all will contact our City Council and let them know our concerns, wishes and ideas. They are the people who will make the decision and not this newspaper.

    Thanks,

    The Bondyweb

    -- Posted by bondyweb on Wed, May 14, 2014, at 8:56 AM

  • I agree with Ms M small dogs are like toys to bigger dogs and your not going to be fast enough to stop a pit or lab from picking your small dog up and crushing it. It has happened with my neighbor and $400 vet bill for rib issues. So no dog park for my small dog.

    My main concern is that once they have the dog park they will close all the other parks to dogs. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN

    -- Posted by gmoney on Wed, May 14, 2014, at 10:57 AM

  • I have never been attacked or bitten by a big dog. Only the small ones. A lab crushing another dog? Ya...those labs are notorious for killing other dogs. And of course you have to throw the pit bull in there too. You see Roberts picture up there? He's a pit...sweetest dog alive. And no parks have closed as the others have been opened around here...drama much?!?!

    -- Posted by mhg4316 on Wed, May 14, 2014, at 11:22 AM

  • MHG........older people.......you mean experienced people, people who have seen things you may not have. People who have seen things happen, even if not to themselves? Like I said, I hope the city gets the dog park because residents would like to have it. In the same respect, GMONEY also has a point. We use the parks for training etc. And we carry and use doggy bags. Don't want to lose that benefit. Read the Base Dog Park blog. Even though you have not personally witnessed any incidents, there have been several, some requiring vet services and stitches. I still say, I will not use them because people are not too well informed on dog behavior and accidents happen.......all to often. Although I am not an advocate.....if the people want this, they should have it. Just be very aware and very careful.

    -- Posted by goatbeard on Thu, May 15, 2014, at 8:29 AM

  • I don't know about drama, but I do know that a lot of times when the government gives you something with one hand they will try to take something away with the other hand. I believe there are some on the city council who think this way.

    And if you don't believe large dogs treat small unfamiliar dogs as a toy then you have not been around very long.

    -- Posted by gmoney on Thu, May 15, 2014, at 11:18 AM

  • I would like to add that all dogs are animals but it is a fact that big dogs can do more damage then little dogs.

    When I was 10 years old I was walking our Family's Cocker Spaniel and as I was passing a yard with a black lab chained up, the lab broke the chain and grabbed my dog up shaking him by his neck like a rag. A neighbor lady heard all the ruckus and dumped a pan of water on the lab, which resulted in him dropping my dog. Back in those days, most family's only had one car, and we were lucky my Mom had the car that day as she rushed him to the vet and the vet was able to save him which required a lot of stitches to his neck.

    More recent, as I have mentioned before, my neighbors dog was killed in his yard by a big dog who came running down the street.

    We have desert all around us, isn't that where big dog owners take their dogs for a run?

    -- Posted by MsMarylin on Fri, May 16, 2014, at 10:46 AM

  • I would love to see a dog park here in MH-I am really tired of people taking their furkids to the little park behind us, and letting their dogs loose to poo everywhere! The city even installed poo bags and a trash can, but irresponsible, lazy dog owners don't even bother. What are we as homeowners that use that park for our kids and grandkids supposed to do? I would LOVE to drive around the block and confront these people (which would create a whole different problem) but I have not. This brings us to the issue of for or against the dog park. I am hoping that a solution can be created for this much needed park.

    -- Posted by Military Mom on Fri, May 16, 2014, at 11:51 AM
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    Military Mom,

    Well said. As a resonsible owner, I ensure I carry a bag or two when walking our dogs on the streets. It is great that the city ahs put out bags and a shame many owners do not use them or provide one. You are correct to confront some of the idiots that are not responsible would cause more issues.

    -- Posted by B Mullen on Fri, May 16, 2014, at 1:55 PM

  • I am in favor of a dog park, it would be great for the people of Mtn Home. I have a dog who loves to run, but where she likes to run is away.... If there were a fenced area that she could run off leash, it would make us both very happy. Although I'm sure there would sometimes be incidents, I also think it would be a great place for dogs to learn to socialize with other dogs and with other humans as well. The Park and Rec dept. could even hold their obedience classes there.

    -- Posted by DANSHL on Sun, May 18, 2014, at 7:23 PM

  • I believe a dog park would be a great benefit for the town. I have a very active dog that needs space to run and doesn't get burn off the energy being on a leash. There are lost of open spaces that are already being maintained and under used. One area is across from Legacy Park and adjoins the walking path with parking. I have talked with several dog owners and most have agreed the a dog park would allow for them to socialize their dogs. I have been to a few and one of the best one I have seen have a separate area for little dogs, water and trash cans with bags. People volunteer to help police the area and are not shy about telling others to pick up after their pets or telling someone to control their animals. I won't be able to make the meeting, since I work nights, but please let the council know if you support this effort.

    -- Posted by MHdog-gone on Mon, May 19, 2014, at 8:48 AM

  • If I'm not mistaken, the only park in Mtn Home that is posted no dogs Is Richard Agurrie, by the swimming pool, the others are posted to use leash and clean up after them. Most people do but there are always those who leave the mess for someone else to deal with.

    -- Posted by goatbeard on Wed, May 21, 2014, at 4:06 PM
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