Dog parks are life savors for those that live in the city. I won't go into the reason's why but socialization and exercise are obviously the standouts. If local government puts money in a dog park it definitely shows some empathy for the dog owner. As far as sickness goes, well in my experience, anyone that takes the time to go to a dog park usually takes pretty good care of their dogs. ..and as long as your dog in immunized and in good health, "catching" something, shouldn't be a problem. Certainly better then going to an all breed show and joining all the other hundreds of dogs in peeing in one tiny little piece of grass all weekend long....icky. I've never been to a park that requires dog be on a leash though; not sure what the point is. Letting a dog run free in a secure area was sort of the point of the dog park, I always thought. Cindy Maureen <murk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: AOL Email ALMOST is the key word, Molly. All it takes is one idiot and their dog. Every picture I have seen of these parks the dogs are all off lead.........running free. Unless there is someone there to MONITOR the rules.........to me they are worthless. Mo The following are the rules laid out for the park.....you will note there are no dogs off leash in this rule. Almost all the people involved so far are very dog savy and are teaching the newer people responsibility. Great education for dog owners with less "dog sense". 1. Please supply fresh water for your dog(s); 2. Bring waste disposal bags to pick up after your dog; 3. All dogs attending must be current on shots and vaccinated; 4. No dogs younger than 5 months old allowed (due to their weak immune system there is risk getting Parvo); 5. Please do not bring any aggressive dogs; 6. Female dogs in heat are not allowed; 7. Food is prohibited near the dogs; 8. All dogs must be on leash. If you're bringing two dogs bring an extra person to hold one of your dog's leash. It's very threatening when two dogs approach to greet another dog. This is considered "teaming up" and it can make for an unpleasant experience for the dog being approached. We want to make this a pleasant experience for all the dogs. 9. Be mindful of the smaller dogs. If you have a large dog, do not approach the smaller ones unless the owner says the dog is comfortable with large dogs; 10. children are welcome to attend the meetups but they must be supervised around the dogs. Be mindful that not all dogs like children and always ask a dog owners permission before allowing your child to touch their dog. Molly Trillia German Shepherds since 1972 ph 409-287-3940 Member GSDCA, GSDCC, GSDC of Beaumont, Life member CKC "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL Home. ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - www.showgsd.org ============================================================================ Cindy www.cinosamgsd.com ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2007. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - www.showgsd.org ============================================================================