Woof! My name is Ginny, I am six years old, and I am a Good Dog.
I was four months old when my human adopted me from the rescue centre. Back then we lived in Athelstone. We had a big backyard and I played ball on the lawn with my human and the kids ALL THE TIME.
Now we live in Campbelltown and like many other residents, we have a little paved courtyard and no lawn at all.
I miss playing on the grass, but we walk every day which helps. Walking my human is part of my job, keeping them healthy and happy.
We household dogs all work hard for our humans.
We make sick people feel better
We give healthy people exercise to stay well
We give lonely people company and cuddles
We support people who need help to get out and about
We teach human pups how to love and care for others
But, dogs are not people.
Humans think a lot. They look for meaning in their lives and for companionship too. Loneliness can make humans sick.
They need other beings around - they welcome humans from outside their own family, and animals of other species
into their homes.
Dogs are pack animals, raised in dens of our own kind. We live by instinct, in-the-moment.
We do not worry about the future, nor ponder the past for meaning.
Because of this, we don’t usually get involved in local politics (apart from sniffing through the daily ‘wee-mail’).
It takes time, space and training to become a good dog.
Whether we’re big or small, energetic or relaxed, all dogs need and deserve a safe space to just be dogs – ‘off duty’.
We also need space to practice off-leash manners:
To be calm around dogs and humans we don’t know
To say hello politely
To ‘leave it’ when told (important for protection of birds, snakes, frogs and other wildlife)
To return when your human calls from a distance
To be confident, non-dominant, and never aggressive
To know when to play and when to stay away
If we have good off-leash manners, we dogs can - and will – run free on any allowable public space
including Lochiel Park Oval and many of the sites that were previously put forward (and rejected).
If we are still learning to behave off-leash, we need a fenced place and attentive owners to become good dog.
When I was a pup my human took me to the dog park at Dennis Morrissey Reserve, but there were too many strange dogs in a too-small space. We started going to Foxfield Oval and various spots along the river at Athelstone instead.
There was plenty of space but no fencing. Sometimes I ran onto the road or into the river, which worried my human.
At the oval and by the river, we often saw other dogs with their humans. Many lived in Athelstone, but some travelled from far afield, looking for space to train off-leash. Sometimes, new packs were formed. The humans were happy because they made friends, and the dogs got used to each other.
My human wanted to join in with a group of local dogs and humans we didn’t know, but I was just a pup, I didn’t have my off-leash manners yet, my human didn’t know dog manners yet…and that first meeting didn’t go so well.
Luckily there was enough space for us to train a safe distance away from the other dogs, although the river and the road remained real dangers. Over several visits, I learned how to share my space with other dogs, and the local pack welcomed me and my human in. We made friends 😊
I am a good dog. You are good humans.
I heard the council wants people to share their thoughts about the proposed design; so my human and I walked and sniffed and talked with others to come up with some ideas (attached). We’ll also put these online at Lochiel Park Dog Park Concept Plan | Connect 2 Campbelltown and copy this ‘wee-mail’ to council.
You are all good humans, and smart…you even have opposable thumbs and can type! I hope this ‘wee-mail’ and the suggestions in the pages following are a helpful ‘dogs-eye view’, and that a way will be found to make this dog park work for all residents - dog, human, and wild.
Wags and licks,
Ginny (and her human, Meg).
LOCHEIL PARK DOG PARK DESIGN
…thoughts from a ‘good dog’ and her human
Re-Site some of the park to discourage contact between kids and dogs-in-training.
I just want to lick and love the little ones, but many of them find me scary…you would too if I was taller than you. When I was younger it was my job to look after the kids. I got special training and I don’t mind clumsy pats, squealing and general monkeying about. Not all dogs have these skills, and not all kids are dog-aware.
Little humans may interact with dogs through the fence, so areas for high-energy or reactive dogs must be away from children’s play space - including the playground AND the oval.A wildlife-friendly design
My human is a bird nerd and passionate about bush regeneration. I’ve been trained to ignore birds, even off leash, but I can’t resist chasing cats… Possums are new to me and so far I find them a bit TOO interesting!
I saw a big black tiger snake once by the Lochiel Park oval and I did “leave it” like my human said…but if I was off-leash it might have been dangerous for me (and the snake too).
Some humans like to dig, as do I! I prefer my holes deep and empty, but humans insist on filling theirs with plants. Perhaps the council and FOLP could dig some holes around the dog park perimeter and plant indigenous climbers to disguise the fences.
Please make sure the turf is REAL grass, WELL irrigated, and free of plastic mesh. It’s better to roll in and will keep producing seed and grubs and worms so that birds can feed when the park is empty. Hybrid turf could be good in the exercise space (see 4.1 below) but please use real grass elsewhere, and leave the oval turf as it is.
No lights please - the night belongs to the frogs, lizards, snakes, owls, bats, turtles, possums, and other wildlife.
Give every human and every dog a local ‘backyard’ near them.
My human can’t afford a big backyard anymore, and neither can many others.
Humans need shared ‘backyards’ all over the city to swing, jump, climb, run, stretch, tumble, fly kites, run model cars and planes, gather for parties and picnics (sometimes in BIG Groups), and play frisbee or ball games (I LOVE to join in with football, but mostly humans prefer I don’t).
We dogs need ‘backyards’ across the city too. They don’t all have to be super fancy - just fenced, a decent size for running, and reservable for solo use if/as needed. Placing these within walking distance of where dogs actually live might help local dogs and humans to make friends and reduce interactions with stranger dogs from out-of-town.
A design that encourages humans to learn good ‘dog manners’.
People need training too! Signage with guidance on dog park etiquette and a reminder to pay attention (no screens off lead!) might help.
Our view is that dog size does NOT matter and should not be the basis for the park’s design. Some tiny dogs need to RUN over a large area (I’m looking at you, Jack Russell!), some giant dogs prefer a gentle walk then a nice lie-down. Some dogs like other dogs, while others prefer their main human. Some dogs have special needs, like anxiety or being blind or deaf. All of us are good dogs. We all should be included.
The design is already very thoughtful, including features to accommodate sensory play and avoid dog conflict
(nice one!) It could be enhanced further by arranging the park in three separate, sequential areas to meet different exercise and socialisation needs.
‘Exercise space’ – High energy dogs burn off energy here first, so they are calm and ready for area 2 or 3.
Must be enough open space to give high-energy dogs a proper run. Dogs of any size with herding, hounding or terrier instincts NEED a big area to train alone, or with other dogs they know and trust.
This space could be reservable for up to 20 minutes. If included, agility equipment could be on the edges to maximise run space. There is an existing picnic table next to this area where dogs could wait on-leash.
‘Solo space’ – a transitional space between the exercise space and social space.
Anxious or reactive dogs might grow in confidence and calmness if they can hear and smell other dogs without direct contact. Dogs who are new to the park or new to socialising can get used the scents of unknown dogs before meeting in space 3. Dogs who are blind, deaf, sick or have mobility issues can safely dig, roll, sniff and play with water here – include sandpit and real grass.
‘Social space’ – where well socialised dogs of any size can roll, sniff, dig, play with other dogs, and keep humans company while they chat with other primates. Retain existing REAL grass and add digging area, creek, mounds to discourage high-energy play which is better suited to area 1.
Dogs who are reactive or unfamiliar with dogs already in area 3 could be encouraged to use area 2 or stay on lead here until ready/able to socialise off-lead. Dogs who need to run can go to area 1 (with a friend if they want) where there is hybrid turf that can stand the traffic.
