New Daybreak Dog Park

Kennecott recently announced that a dog park will become the newest amenity in Eastlake Village. When I saw the announcement I thought that it was a good idea. Since most people have smaller yards many of their dogs do not have a whole lot of room to run about and play. This park should provide ample room for the dogs to play to their hearts content. Now that there is a designated park for dogs to be off-leash, there should be less dogs running off-leash in the open parks next to residences. The physical and social benefits for dogs are readily apparent. One of the main benefits of dog parks listed by research is that dogs will be less likely to harm other dogs if they are socialized at a young age. Also, in my opinion a tired dog is a good dog. Tired dogs do not bark incessantly, jump on neighbors or destroy property. Besides, dogs need exercise too. My aunt has had a few dogs in the last 15 years. They all seem to get really fat and when I asked her why she would always tell me that they had a “thyroid problem.” More than likely they were getting fed way too much and were never walked at all.

One of the best benefits of a dog park is not for the dogs, but for the owners. In fact, dogs are now being recognized for their physical and mental health benefits, for their role as companions and catalysts for human social interaction, and in helping children learn responsibility. People socialize more naturally when they are sure that they have something in common. New Urbanism is all about getting people out of their homes and grouping them in a community so that they will form neighborly bonds. This dog park is an excellent way to do just that.

Right now I do not have a friendship with man’s best friend, but I plan to start that friendship soon. In looking at the sheer number of breeds available I felt an appreciation for the diversity of dogs. You can find them as large as a Great Dane, but they can be as small as a Chihuahua . They have even created weird new breeds of dogs that are becoming more and more common. Maybe someone will bring their Puggle (Beagle and Pug mix) or their Labradoodle (Labrador and Poodle mix) to the dog park. Considering this, I thought it was a good idea that the dog park is designed so that smaller and shyer dogs can go into one separate section and larger more aggressive dogs can go into another.

A dog park is actually a fairly rare amenity that is usually only implemented with the commitment of numerous volunteers and public funding. I am glad that Kennecott has incorporated into Daybreak as it adds more diversity to the already impressive list of amenities.