Dutch Shepherd Forum

(Not Really)

I was at the dog park last night and a lady from our local paper came to interview me about the lack of off-leash friendly areas in Yellowknife. The dog park is really small, I walk the dogs there (about 40 minutes each way from my house) and then they get to run around off leash for 45 minutes or so. The trails I walk the dogs on in the winter are right behind my house but it turns into a mosquito-ridden swamp in the summer months so my only option is to walk them to the park.

The article is being written because there is a designated off leash area outside of the city called the sand pits, which is literally nothing but sand. It is shared with people who off road 4x4's, dirtbikes etc. Two weeks ago a dog was run over and killed by one of the recreational vehicles.
I don't like going there for a few reasons: it's not always safe for my dogs because of the vehicles, it's sand so the dogs make a mess in the car and it's just an open field which is kind of boring to walk.
So I told the lady at the newspaper that I thought the dog park facilities are not adequate, and it would be so nice to have a bigger park and a dog beach and a designated off leash walking trail (all season). That's not asking too much is it?!
I will try to post the article if I can when it comes out.

yay!! did she take any pics of your dogs?
Sorry to hear about the dog at that sand pit very sad.

She did take a picture! I had to pretend to throw something to the dogs...I should have asked her to just take a picture of the dogs...oh well!

Here is a link to the news article. I cried when I read it.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/sto ... dpits.html

That is sooo sad

While I am lucky where I live there are tons of places that allow off leash dogs.

Yippee for you!!! Sad for the family. I hope they make some more areas for you to play!

You're up there in freaking Alaska, where people go to get away from everyone else, and you can't find anyplace to take your dogs to be offleash? Man, that's just terrible.

Aren't there any hiking trails somewhere near you that aren't swamps? If you have voice control with your dogs, you should be able to let them off and just call them to you and leash them if you encounter someone.

I probably have a very inaccurate idea of what Alaska is like .

Then again, you've gotta worry about all them bears and such...

I feel for you!

How horrible for that family I would be besides myself. Best of luck with your fame and fortune.
I too am totally surprised to hear that you cannot turn your dogs loose in Alaska. That goes to show you what we down here know about it! (not a whole lot, obviously) Feeling blessed with the back acreage where my own pack gets to run free every day.

LOL, she is not in Alaska, but Northern Canada. You know, Canada...where everyone lives in igloos?

Sugars Mom wrote:LOL, she is not in Alaska, but Northern Canada. You know, Canada...where everyone lives in igloos?

- whaaaa so funny!!

leih merigian wrote:You're up there in freaking Alaska, where people go to get away from everyone else, and you can't find anyplace to take your dogs to be offleash? Man, that's just terrible.

Aren't there any hiking trails somewhere near you that aren't swamps? If you have voice control with your dogs, you should be able to let them off and just call them to you and leash them if you encounter someone.

Sugars Mom wrote:LOL, she is not in Alaska, but Northern Canada. You know, Canada...where everyone lives in igloos?

LOL!
It's true I live in an area of vast wilderness but I am referring to within walking distance of the city. There are many places I can take them off leash but it is bush, no trails outside the city are designated for off leash use. You don't even want to know how bad the mosquitos can be!!
We still have a lot of exploring to do outside of the city but for everyday walks, the city needs something more.

Oh, OK, Canada...BIG FREAKING DIFFERENCE

(Geographically challenged? Who, me? Of course, I could always look over and actually read your info...nah! Too easy! Better to realy on my, uhumm, memory )

I know way up north, whatever country you're in, summers are mosquitos and black flies. I'd probably wear a head net and coat myself with something toxic like Deet, instead of the organic, essential oil-based stuff I use here . Guess you could stick to those unpopulated roads (lots of dirt roads up there?) out in the sticks?

Cities are cities, wherever you go, complete with all the ass...I mean jerks

I would die there without my deet!!
Seriously allergic to anything that walks, flies, crawles, and bites. Anaphylactic shock and ER last year from a damn black fly bite.(Good thing my son in law was here at the time.) Seems to depend on where they bite me, but still, you can't predict that.