Tails from the trail and tips on training your human

Dog Park Clean :: Your friendly neighborhood dog park is surely a way for your puppy to rejuvenate, socialize and play. However, with all of that comes a good sense of responsibility. As a dog owner who frequently visits a public space that facilitates your pet, you must ensure that you’re keeping it safe and clean for other visitors too. Failing to keep any public space clean for a long time can soon turn it into a hotbed for bacteria and illnesses for your and other people’s pets.

Why Should You Keep a Dog Park Clean?

This goes without saying, but other dogs and visitors are entitled to the same amount of hygiene you and your dog are entitled to. Moreover, taking your pet dog to a space that isn’t clean means they are more susceptible to catching diseases.

Unless you’re willing to pay for the rising veterinary care expenses and exposing your dog to an unwanted situation, it’s important to keep every public space you visit clean and litter-free. Illnesses aren’t the only consequence of an unhygienic place. Your dog could also be a victim of many injuries and accidents if they encounter an unwanted item while playing, such as broken glass bottles.

There are many prevalent diseases your dog can be susceptible to due to waste, such as feces. Some of these diseases include salmonella, hookworms, roundworms, and giardia. As a result, your infected dog may also pass thousands of roundworm eggs daily.

The reason you should keep your dog from getting infected is not only to protect them from the consequences of dealing with an illness but also to keep other animals safe. It’s a known fact that if your dog contracts a certain illness, it may also spread it over to other animals in the vicinity. Hence, you should never take feces lightly and make sure to clean up after your dog both inside and outside the house.

How Can You Keep a Dog Park Clean?

Avoid Taking Food Along

Taking food along may get your dog all energetic and excited while they enjoy a good run in the park, but it’s also a major source of litter. Even if you’re doing your best and ensuring the trash is dumped properly, your dog may still leave some remains out there while eating. Therefore, it’s always better to feed them before you take them out.

Clean Up Feces as Soon as Possible

Unfortunately, many dog owners still live under a rock and believe that their dog is nowhere near doing something like consuming feces. It may come as a surprise to many, but if you have a dog, they will engage in the act at some point in time. Therefore, even if it happens occasionally, it’s better to clean up after them immediately before something you perceive as harmless becomes a lifelong habit.

Train Your Dog to Follow the Rules Too

Not every dog park is set up the same way, and there are certain designated areas where you can take your dog to relieve themselves. However, there are also areas that are not meant to be explored in that way. This is why you must train your dog not to pee on walls and benches and do so in the grass instead. The only way to collectively improve the hygiene situation in a dog park is to make sure your dog is also adhering to the rules.

Avoid Communal Hydration Spots

Every park has a spot where you can let your pets have water, but it’s best to avoid it. Always carry your own water bowl in case your dog gets thirsty after running around. Most communal spots that provide water could be breeding grounds for many diseases, which is why your pet is better away from them.

Don’t Bring Sick Dogs Along.

Never take a sick dog to a park because they will most likely spread the bacteria diseases among other dogs. You should avoid bringing them to any public spot if you suspect that they’re sick.

It’s better to stay at home with them and spend a considerable amount of time getting them treated before you let them interact with any other animal. This also brings us to another important point, vaccination.

If your dog is unvaccinated, do not take them to a dog park at any cost. Moreover, if your puppies are younger than four months, it’s also better to keep them away from a vicinity as open as a dog park. They can easily get themselves in an unwanted situation amidst other grown dogs and are more susceptible to different illnesses. Apart from sick and young dogs, you should also keep a female dog in heat away from other dogs.

The Bottom Line

Last but not least, never let your dogs go out of sight. The moment you lose them, it may be hard to figure out where they’ve created their mess, and as a result, it will definitely be hard for you to clean up after them. In fact, in most parks, owners aren’t allowed to keep their dogs away from them. As long as you’re able to keep your eyes on your dog, it’s alright to stay in a single spot and relax while they play.

In the end, following a few easy rules in the dog park isn’t as hard as one may perceive it to be. Keeping any spot clean and safe is our utmost duty as individuals and ensuring that your dog is not a threat to anyone else is your primary responsibility as an owner.

Dog parks have been a safe haven for dogs for a long time and should continue being so. As a rule of thumb, never bring your pet’s food along in the park and clean up after their feces immediately. If you want to prevent your dog pooping in the park, train them beforehand or make sure they do their business before going to the park.

by Maria A Davidson

We are in business to provide great products for the outdoorsy hikers, campers and their dogs; and to help clean our parks, rivers and oceans for a better planet earth for hikers and their dogs.

Parks Clean

Parks are high-traffic areas in most cities. This means that trash is bound to show up in and around your park and playground.

When discussing ways your family can help clean your local park, don’t overlook a literal cleanup! Picking up trash will make a huge difference in the appearance and vibe of your park. A clean area will encourage others to keep the park pristine. When picking up trash and debris, make sure to wear gloves to protect yourself, and put trash in appropriate receptacles or lawn bags. You can also contact your local trash company to schedule a pickup when you are finished.

Rivers Clean

The storm drain on your street collects the water from your roof, driveway, and sidewalk and funnels it directly in your local lake or river. Nutrients from grass and leaves, pet waste, and fertilizers “enrich” our lakes and streams — feeding algae blooms and harming fish. Chemicals from washing your car in the drive and household chemical spills add up, taking a nasty toll on our favorite swimming areas and fishing spots. Soil can also be picked up by runoff, reducing the clarity of water and hurting fish.

So as you prepare your lawn and garden, here are a few helpful tips to keep our lakes and rivers beautiful and safe for all of us.

Use mulch and vegetation to keep soil from washing away.
Sweep or rake grass and leaves away from street curbs.
Mulch and compost grass clippings and leaves.
Keep paved surfaces to a minimum.
Capture water runoff with a rain garden and rain barrels.
Wash your car on the grass, where the water will get filtered.
Keep chemicals away from storm drains.
Collect your pet’s waste.
Aim your rain-gutter downspouts onto grass.

Beaches Clean (do it for the ocean)

In 2007, the United States Senate and House of Representatives passed the National Clean Beaches Week Resolution to recognize the value of beaches to the American way of life and the important contributions of beaches to the economy, recreation, and natural environment of the United States.

Clean Beaches Week, celebrated annually July 1-7, offers the perfect opportunity to encourage stewardship and volunteerism along our coastlines. But where do you even begin? Follow these tips to get started.

Identify a clean-up site. Choose a place that needs some TLC, making sure that volunteers can safely access the site. Get permission, if needed, for your clean-up event, perhaps from the local parks agency.
Choose a site coordinator. (That might be you!) A beach clean-up takes a lot of work and needs an organized person to keep everything on track before, during, and after the event.
Visit the site in advance. The coordinator will need to know where to set up a volunteer check-in station, where to leave trash and recyclables, and what area(s) volunteers will clean.
Gather supplies. Depending on your location, you’ll need supplies such as trash bags, a first aid kit, hand sanitizer, wipes, and large coolers of water. You should also provide (or ask volunteers to bring) items such as reusable work/garden gloves, reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray.
Plan how to handle the recyclables. Reach out to recyclers in your area (and perhaps your community’s solid waste departments) to make arrangements for accepting any glass, plastic, and aluminum that you collect.
Line up event partners. Contact local businesses for donations of drinks, food, and supplies. Ask a local solid waste hauler to donate their services for trash removal.
Plan for handling hazardous waste. Determine how you’ll dispose of any medical and sewage waste you might find. One solution: A wide-mouth container with a tight-fitting lid, such as an empty laundry detergent bottle. Clearly label that it contains hazardous waste.
Get volunteers to help. Recruit friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors. Create an event on Facebook and ask volunteers to sign up online. This will give you an idea of how many people to expect and will help communicate event details.
Stay safe. Be prepared for a variety of health emergencies, from minor cuts and scrapes to heat stroke.
Take photos! Post pics online to share the success of your event and recognize volunteers for their hard work.