Ball… Ball…. Ball….  Play… Play…. Run…

Dog parks are a wonderful place to take your dog when the weather is nice.  Most are fenced in to give your pooch lots of room to run, fetch and play.  These wide open spaces allow a great place to explore as well as an opportunity for socializing those fur friends without brothers and sisters at home.

Did You Know….

There are quite a few places within a short drive of Spring Grove to choose from for dogs to explore including our facility here at FUR THE LOVE OF DOGS.  Every third Saturday our fenced in yard is FREE to the public from 10am- 3pm.  Find more dog park locations HERE.

Doggie Do’s and Don’ts — MANNERS AT THE DOG PARKS!

One thing to remember when going to the dog park though, is manners…

Do:         Make sure your dog is up-to-date on his/her vaccinations.

Don’t:    Ever bring a dog that is under 4 months in age

Do:         Be cautious about taking advice from other Fur patrons who are not dog professionals

Don’t:    Bring intact males or females in estrus to a dog park

Do:         Check to see if there will be knowledgeable staff members at the parks, most parks will not have this, but at Fur the Love of Dogs there is always a staff member or professional on hand for advice.

Don’t:    Worry if your dog doesn’t play with other dogs at the park, this could take time for them to get comfortable with the new space.

Do:         Clean up after your dog

Don’t:    Take your dog to a park if s/he is uncomfortable

›  Know your dog!– Knowing your dog’s behavior will help make this experience a good one.  Make sure you are realistic about your dog’s temperament around large groups of people or other animals.

›  Be Alert! – Dog parks are great for most dogs but you must watch your dog very closely for any signs of stress, shyness or pushy behavior.  If you spend your time talking on a cell phone this could create an unsafe environment for your dog and others around.

›  Supervise! – Supervising your dog at all times giving your dog your full attention will give you and your fur family member the best experience when visiting a dog park.

There’s MORE!  A number of restaurants, hotels and stores that are dog friendly in the Chicago land area (some places even serve doggie ice cream!).  Click here to see a list of places that will welcome your Fur-Friend.  Find dog friendly swimming in Lake Geneva, WI. & Libertyville, IL. during the hot summer months.

HOT SUMMER SAFETY FIRST – PLEASE REMEMBER!

The temperature in a vehicle can get very hot, very quickly. A study from Stanford University shows that even on comparatively cool days, such as 72 degrees, a car’s internal temperature will rocket to 116 degrees within 60 minutes (with the windows open).  DO NOT take your pet with you if you need to leave him or her in the car for any amount of time.  BE SAFE read more at my dog is cool.com, this is a great website for tips on summer safety for your dog.