Libby’s Five Most “Notable” Moments at the Dog Park

Do you have a family member you find a little embarrassing in public? They mean well. You love them. But going out in the world with them is tricky because they always “make a scene”. This happens whenever I take my small Yorkie terrier Libby anywhere, but especially to our local dog park. Here are the five most awkward moments…

Her dramatic arrival (part 1) – When excited, Libby breaks into a loud high pitched aria. It’s hard to describe except to say that your ears end up aching. This yelping starts halfway to the dog park and escalates to a crescendo as we pull in. Usually several dogs and pet parents are standing there. Libby’s wail is so loud and shrill, even through closed windows, every head (animal and human) turns to see what has arrived.

Her dramatic entrance (part 2) – I finally get her out of the car, still yapping hysterically. By now, every person and animal within a mile is wondering what the source of all the noise is. When they see it’s an eleven pound Yorkie, humans usually smile. Some even say “aww…”. But Libby isn’t done. The exact moment she’s under the white-hot spotlight, she relieves herself, in whatever fashion she sees fit. Everyone, I swear, even the dogs, politely look away. By now, I’m ready for the earth to swallow me and we haven’t even entered yet.

She ignores me – Once in the park, I let Libby off her leash and away she goes. I’m happy she gets time to run on her own steam, without any constraint. But then I notice something. While other dogs leap and frolic back to their masters when summoned, my dog pretends I don’t exist. The Yorkie who sticks to me like Velcro when we’re home, wants nothing to do with me in public. It’s like we’ve never met. Even more embarrassing, she seeks out every other human, charming them, even jumping on the bench next to them and smiling. 

She shuns other dogs – Most dogs at the park stick together in one wild, unbridled joyous canine heap. Big dogs, little dogs, in-between dogs, they seem to take great joy in being together and playing. Not Libby. Aside from a quick sniff, she ignores them completely. They invite her to the party, going into that ‘let’s play!” crouch that dogs do. I picture Libby rolling her eyes as she walks away. It’s like she doesn’t know she’s an animal. She prefers to visit the humans, ignore me, or make a huge mess, which leads me to…

She seeks out the grossest parts like a “mud-seeking missile” – Libby is the smallest, most dainty dog I’ve seen, but gets into messes that would shock a ditch digger. She always seeks the wettest, ickiest edges of the park to stomp around in. While there, she also gives the fence a quick once-over, searching for a hole that’s just her size. It’s not that I don’t trust Libby…well okay, I don’t trust Libby, so I watch carefully. By the time we’re done romping through the park’s ‘bad neighborhoods’, Libby is covered in dirt, mud, sticks, leaves, litter and other debris I can’t identify.

Thank goodness, leaving is quick and painless. I just pick her up and off we go. No need for the aria. No drama. Back home, I give her a sink bath and towel her off. She sits with me while I read.

She’s back to sticking to me like glue. 

Do you take your dog to a dog park? Comments are always welcome and if you’d like, please share.

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