Dogs, dog parks and the like

Doggie friends!

Last sunday Isaac and I took Jaz-dog to the dog park. It was great fun. The dog park is basically out at Styx Mill and hence the northern end of Christchurch. It's a big fenced area where owners can let their dogs run loose.

Heh heh...excited dog

Even though it was this cold, windy sort of day - there were actually quite a few people (and dogs) there. Jaz loved it. She loved it even before we got there because she doesn't get out much. She was SUPER excited when we got her leash out and couldn't wait to get into the park. Also because she likes making doggie friends :)

*sniff sniff* Ok...we can be pals!

It was just exciting to see all the different breeds and personalities of dogs as well. There was this little brown and black dog that kept causing trouble and was basically fighting with this other dog the whole time we were there. And this really energetic collie with here little old lady (with walking stick) owner who kept running round the park. I felt so bad for the old lady because she was basically just doing laps of the place!

See? That's the poor old lady - that black blur is her dog :)

Jaz loved it cause there was so much space for her to run round in. She gets tired pretty quick though. And after about 45mins she was ready to go home. Lol. And she's really obvious about it too. She stops playing and starts heading for the gate. Hehe. Our dog is so smart!

So excited she couldn't wait to get off the leash!

Unlike the other dog I met last night in the place Jennifer's dog-sitting. Coda, who's this big-ass Alaskan Marmalute/Husky. This is what Coda would have been like as a baby:


Extremely cute, right??? Look at it - it's so vulnerable and little!!! And it's got that pretty fur like it's part wolf. Gorgeous!!!!

This is kinda like what Coda looks like now:

(Please note that these are not actually pictures of Coda - I've "borrowed" these from Wikipedia)

He's HUGE. He's twice the size of my dog. It's already a pain the ass when Jaz jumps on you because she's reasonably big and heavy. Imagine when a big Alaskan wolf-type creature tries to jump you!!! Coda's just about as tall as I am when he tries to jump. It's almost scary!!! And for all his pretty looks, he's unfortunately not too bright.

We tried playing catch with him but he got so excited that he ran circles round the outside table. EVERY TIME WE THREW THE BALL! It was kinda funny. Poor dog. He's WAY too big for city living - their back yard is pretty small. It's smaller than my parents' and theirs is barely big enough for our dog.

Huskies are such pretty dogs though! I think I want one. But I might be smart and get one like the Alaskan Klee Kai:

Which is a little smaller, and hence probably won't need quite as much exercise. (Although Isaac's great at taking dogs for runs...)

Also because it might be kinder to them in the heat of summer. Coda's fur was SO thick. And, granted, it's currently pretty cold as far as summer standards go. But still - it's like wearing a heavy fur coat no matter what the weather.

That's enough to drive ANYONE loopy. I might run circles around a table if I had to do that!!!