Since it has been so cold here in Salem, Virginia and since we missed a few days at the dog park because temps were in the teens, I thought I would share this article I found this morning on the Boston Herald online. Some very smart dog people have just launched an indoor doggy park in Cambridge MA. This is such a great idea because they have dogs evaluated to make sure they are properly socialized. In the end it ends up being a safer more controlled environment for the pups to play in. Not only is this a great idea for the cold winter months, but also an excellent idea for the long hot days of summer when dogs tend to over heat very easily. Check out the article below by Tenley Woodmand and tell us what you think of the idea of indoor dog parks. ~ Christina Lee – Deaf Dogs Rock
Pooches, owners cozy up to indoor dog parks – by Tenley Woodman bostonherald.com
There’s nothing like taking your dog out for a rambunctious round of fetch — except when the temperature’s in the teens. But in the world of pet parenting, there’s always a way to keep the pooch happy.
Enter the drop-in indoor dog park.
Mom and Paws Indoor Dog Park and Daycare opened in Cambridge last month and offers 4,000 square feet of indoor play space on antimicrobial K9 Grass for dogs of all sizes. A one-day pass costs $7. Owner Christine Creed came up with the idea because of her 8-month-old pit bull, Bella. “I don’t have a backyard to walk her, and I just found the weather most of the time was not ideal (to go to the park),” Creed said.
Customer and commercial fisherman Geoffrey Spooner, 33, of the North End, said keeping playtime indoors is great this time of year for Gracie, his 3-year-old, 125-pound Newfoundland. “This morning I went for a brief walk and it was 17 degrees out. I’d rather not do that. I’d rather go there and hang out for an hour or two,” Spooner said yesterday. “It really works out great. She’s 90 percent obedient, but at parks she can take off. There’s always the chance she could get into the street. I like that it is confined in there and you don’t have to worry about it.”
Playtime is monitored by staff, and dogs must be up to date on vaccinations to use the space. Drop-ins are also encouraged at Canine Funtime in Haverhill. The 15,000-square-foot facility opened two months ago. “The rationale behind it is when you take your dog outside or to an outdoor dog park you recognize dogs are not socialized properly. We want to create a more controlled environment,” said Ken Crawford, co-owner and president.
Dogs must pass a temperament evaluation with staff and be up to date on vaccinations before they are allowed to romp. It costs $10 for a single drop-in, and park memberships are available for $40.
Even old dogs can learn new tricks. Day care and boarding mainstay Common Dog added an indoor play park for its clientele when it moved to new facilities in Everett last spring.
The 5,000-square-foot play space boasts an anti-microbial grass that allows pets to answer the call of nature without spreading germs. Audrey Guzas, owner of Cairn terriers Charley, 6, and Jack, 11 months, enjoys a bonus of indoor playtime there — a live camera feed. “You ask (staff), ‘How did he do? How was his day?’ You’ll get some feedback, which is great, but having the cameras at the new place is just night and day. You can see your little guy play or sleeping in the corner. The camera doesn’t lie. It’s a sense of comfort,” said Guzas, a South End resident.
To contact this writer you can email her at tenley.woodman@bostonherald.com
