South Slope Dog

A Little History of a Little Park

Thank you for visiting the South Slope Dog Owners Association website! 

We are an all volunteer non-profit organization responsible for the "pocket park" on 18th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in the South Slope, Brooklyn!

As new community members flow in and out of the space, it may help to know a little of the history of the park.

Our little patch of dirt adjacent to the noisy Prospect Expressway is the product of many years of effort on the park of three separate groups that lobbied the Community Board, the Parks Department and community members to claim a space where dog owners could allow their dogs off leash without fear of ticketing.

For many, the park seems as if it has been here forever, but it is just over two years old. 

Before we had the park, dog owners were regularly ticketed (and sometimes even chased) by both the Sanitation Department and the Parks Department.  Tickets ranged from $50 to $200. 

Two prior attempts were made to secure land for off leash dog use.  Dog owners fought a hard battle to secure the space now known as the "Butterfly Garden," but the garden group prevailed.  And unfortunately, the homeowners opposite Joseph Mayrose Park closest to 7th Avenue were against a park in that location.  In an area with so little green space park land can be a highly contentious matter.

In many ways our organization secured the "pocket park" on 18th Street, as a last resort, and simple solution to the problem of ticketing. 

For over a year a group of dedicated dog owners worked together to build relationships within our community and explain the need for the dog park.  Dog owners held meetings, wrote letters, showed up at community board meetings, carried signs, and finally presented a proposal for the space that was approved by the Community Board and Parks Department.  And so in July of 2010, the little patch of dirt we call our park became the newest (and smallest) dog park in the entire city. 

Since then, many other dog park propsals have been modeled on our work, and grassroots organizing style, which took the needs of the whole community into full consideration.

Since we have had the park, there has been a visible decrease in owners failing to pick up after their dogs on the nearby streets, and there has also been a reduction in drug dealing along the walkway adjacent to the Prospect Expressway.  And best of all - no more ticketing!

Please join our mailing list! 

And let's continue to "self-police" the park, keeping it safe and clean for dogs and their owners.

We hope you and your dogs enjoy the park!

 

Dog Park Etiquette

In order that everyone enjoys their time in the dog park we ask that you respect the rules of the park and be considerate of your fellow dog guardians.

You are responsible for your dog's safety, behavior and for any damage or injuries caused by your dog while at this park. Help us keep the dog park safe and clean.

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The Park Surface - Issues and Explanations

The Park Surface Issue Keeps Resurfacing! 

Here is a summary and evaluation of the results from the last survey that was sent to the google group on May 26, 2011:

The wood chip survey results were somewhat interesting.  There are 255
park users on the email list.  45 park users voted in total.  45
voters represents less than 20% of the park users on the email list.
The vote was 25 in favor and 17 against (3 abstained).  Although 25
represents 59.5% in favor, with less than 20% of the park users who
are interested enough in the park to be on the email list abstaining
from the vote, I do not feel that 59.5% represents a consensus.
Furthermore, of the 45 voters only 13 were willing or able to do the
manual labor necessary.  25 of the voters were willing to donate
$25/year.  25 times $25 is $650.  Even if everyone followed through
with donations, $650 is not enough money to hire workers regularly to
surface the park with wood chips and maintain them.  There was no
agreement on convenient times for park maintenance - the 13 voters
willing to volunteer were split evenly.

Many of the comments indicated ambivalence around the wood chip issue
with many questions about alternative surfaces.  Many of the reasons
given against wood chips prevent dogs from enjoying the park.  These
reasons included dogs getting into fights, sanitary concerns, injured
paws, difficulty walking/running on the chips, concerns over
emergencies involving dogs that eat the chips, and lack of clean up
due to difficulty locating poop.  The reasons given in favor of the
wood chips were primarily a matter of convenience or aesthetics.
These reasons included being able to use the park in the rain, and
keeping the dirt to a minimum.  The only sanitary reason given in
favor was concern over standing water.

In terms of our relationship with the community and the Parks
Department, I discussed the issue at length with our park manager.
Coincidentally, he owns 3 dogs.  In spite of the fact that he is
"graded" based on the appearance of his parks, he is not in favor of
the chips because he feels they are not much fun for dogs.  Further,
he feels that they cause sanitary problems and are difficult to
maintain.  He is also concerned about the risk of injury to
pedestrians, who must navigate the chips that fall on the sidewalks
around the park.  In addition, one of the top people in charge of the
Brooklyn Parks Department is adamantly against the wood chips, because
their use has led to rat infestations at several parks.

So, it seems obvious to me that we should not use wood chips at the
park.  My assessment is that the survey results indicate that the vast
majority of park users are either indifferent or ambivalent on the
wood chip issue.  Further, the relatively close vote does not indicate
a clear consensus.  Further, the numerous the reasons against wood
chips actually prevent dogs from using the park.  The reasons given in
favor of the chips are more easily circumvented.  For example, if you
are bothered by mud or the rare standing water, perhaps it would be
best not to use the park after periods of heavy rain.  The dust is
uncomfortable, but seasonal.  Further, the practical reality is that
we simply do not have the physical and/or financial support to handle
the chips.

I hope that the 25 of you who wanted the wood chips can still enjoy
the park this summer.  I feel that our next step should be an effort
to create a "state of the art" park for the community, where we could
have greater control over the surface.  I will arrange a meeting for
sometime in June, where we can come together and discuss the
community's needs.  I will also arrange a park clean up day, where we
can at least remove the wood chips that are against the fences, and
patch any holes.  As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with
your suggestions and concerns.

Sean Casey Animal Rescue Fundraiser

Sean Casey Animal Rescue is having a charity benefit to raise
desperately needed funds to finish the completion of our second rescue
shelter facility which will enable us to save up to 5000 animals in
2012.  A generous donation to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, which includes
a 2 hour open bar, 7-9pm; reduced price drinks from 9pm-12am;  hors
d'oeuvres; authentic Italian cuisine buffet inspired by Executive Chef
Mirco Grassini, will help to save an animals' life.  By supporting and
donating to Sean Casey Animal Rescue, you will help us finish the
construction of a second rescue shelter and you will be directly
responsible for assisting in potentially rescuing and saving an
additional 100 animals a month.

Theme:   Give the Gift of Life...Make a Positive Difference in the
Life of an Animal

Location:  Trattoria Cinque, 363 Greenwich St., New York, NY 10013

Saturday July 23, 2011 at 7:00

Sean Casey Fundraiser

 
Ticket Price:

Friend of the Rescue:  $50 which includes a 2 hour open bar, 7-9pm;
reduced price drinks from 9pm-12am;  hors d'oeuvres; authentic Italian
cuisine buffet inspired by Executive Chef Mirco Grassini

Ambassador of the Rescue: $100 which includes a Sean Casey Animal
Rescue bracelet, 2 hour open bar, 7-9pm; reduced price drinks from
9pm-12am;  hors d'oeuvres; authentic Italian cuisine buffet inspired
by Executive Chef Mirco Grassini

Champion of the Rescue: $150 which includes a Sean Casey Animal Rescue
t-shirt, & bracelet, 2 hour open bar, 7-9pm; reduced price drinks from
9pm-12am;  hors d'oeuvres; authentic Italian cuisine buffet inspired
by Executive Chef Mirco Grassini

Live music by Atomic Dog

Dress code:  Hip, hot and happening

 "There is no greater gratification than saving a life"~ Sean Casey

Contact
Charles Henderson
Sean Casey Animal Rescue
 718-436-5163

 

To Chip or Not to Chip... Survey!

Many of you have been wondering about plans to resurface the park with wood chips for the warmer/wetter months.  In the fall, when we decided not to put wood chips down, there were several issues that came up:

• Some dog owners felt that the chips where hazardous for various reasons including twisted paws and dogs who ate the chips. Some dogs also became possessive over chips, which prompted fights.

• Other dog owners felt that the wood chips were too much effort for what they were worth - several of these dog owners were amongst the 20 or so regular park users who performed the manual labor necessary to put down the chips.  In addition, some of these dog owners felt that too much maintenance was needed to keep the chips in the park - i.e. raking on a biweekly basis to spread chips pushed to the edges and collecting the chips that ended up on the sidewalk around the park.  Some of these dog owners also mentioned that only a few people pitched in on the work compared to the number of people who regularly use the park.

• Still other dog owners felt that the chips made it too hard to locate where dogs have gone to the bathroom, making the park an unsanitary mine field. 

When we took an informal vote last September, and just over half of the relatively few people who weighed in were against wood chips. 

Because several of you have expressed your preference for wood chips to me directly, I would like to reopen this conversation.  (Unfortunately, wood chips are the only surface that does not require drainage (i.e. gravel is not an option) and it is also the only surface that the Parks Dept provides for free.)  Also, one idea that has been suggested is to raise funds to hire workers to do the manual labor involved. 

In order to get a better sense of what the community prefers overall, I have created an online survey.  Here is the link:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZNFPKNL

Please respond by Wednesday, May 25th.  I will let you know the poll results asap!

Beyond Sit, Stay, and Come: Puppy Socialization Is A Crucial Part Of Training Your Dog

I’ve been training puppies in New York City for years now and every time I meet with a new puppy owner I always ask them what efforts they’ve made thus far to socialize their dog. It appears there is a serious need to spread the word about the benefits of early puppy socialization… and how to do it properly. I frequently get the response, “Socialization? You mean take the dog outside? Oh no, we can’t do that. The dog hasn’t had all of his shots yet and we’ve been told to keep him indoors.” Sometimes, I get people who tell me that the dog’s socialization program has been going really well. They’ve been taking the dog everywhere and when the dog shows fear of something novel, they force the dog to confront the thing that scares him. Other times I’m told that the dog’s had “extensive socialization,” but only limited to family members and to the other dogs in the family.

I can’t blame owners for being confused. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there.

For those who find it difficult to embrace early puppy socialization it’s mostly because there’s a perceived danger that taking out a puppy who has yet to receive all of his vaccines may compromise his health. You see, a dog’s “critical socialization period” (the first three month’s of his life when a dog should be given positive exposure to different sights, sounds, people, and all other things that make up his world) is also the time when he has yet to receive all of his vaccines. Dogs are generally not fully vaccinated until they are 16 weeks old. So, people are seemingly left with making a choice between their dog’s physical health and their dog’s behavioral well-being. The fear of disease can often be so great that puppies don’t really get to experience life until they’re four months old. Just recently I worked with a dog training client in Brooklyn who kept her puppy indoors against my advice. When the dog was finally allowed to walk outside in his busy neighborhood, he started responding fearfully to traffic noise. Now the owner wishes she had started the socialization process early.

For those who do want to socialize their dogs at a young age, sometimes it’s not knowing how to do it properly that’s the issue.  Socializing your dog in the wrong manner can also be detrimental. When exposure to novel stimuli is not a pleasurable experience for your puppy, but rather one that induces fear, it can be worse than not socializing him at all.

So, what is the real deal on puppy socialization and how do you do it right?

I mentioned that there is a “critical socialization period” for puppies when they are three months or under. What this means is that during this time dogs are more sociable, more willing to explore things that are new to them whether it be people, places, or things. Positive experiences during this time teach them that certain things and types of situations are safe. What dogs are exposed to during this period and how they are exposed to them can color the way they perceive things when they become older. As a result, negative experiences during this time can also have a huge impact. Under socializing or poorly socializing a dog can create behavioral issues including fear and aggression.

The best time to start socialization when you acquire a puppy is when he leaves his litter at 7 or 8 weeks of age to come live with you. Yes, during this time your puppy will not have been fully vaccinated, but he should have maternal immunity and the protection he received from his first round of shots. That along with precautions on your part, early puppy socialization is feasible without posing great risk to your dog.

Some wonderful ways to provide socialization training for your puppy include:

• Puppy playgroups and/or puppy kindergarten classes: In New York City, you often find these at doggy daycares or veterinarian’s offices. All canine participants should be at the same stage of vaccination. The facilities at which these gatherings are held should be well sanitized. These are great places to positively expose your dog to other dogs as well as to people outside your immediate family and circle of friends.
• Sound effect CDs: They have audio recordings now that are specifically made for dog socialization. Sounds include things like thunder, cars honking, and airplanes taking off. Start playing these noises for your dog in your home at a volume that does not create a fearful or nervous response. To ensure a positive association is being made with these noises, provide special playtime or treats during these sessions.
• Inviting your friends over: Having a wide variety of friends come visit you in the home one or two at a time means plenty of exposure to different people. From someone who carries a cane to someone who’s 6’4″, your dog will learn that people come in all different shapes and sizes and it’s even better when they have treats! Make sure that your dog willingly approaches your guests rather than forcing the guests onto your puppy.
• Use a towel or a carry bag: Either of these would provide a good place for your puppy to sit when letting them explore the neighborhood. Since there is a potential for picking up a disease walking on the street, rather than never taking your dog outside, bring a safe surface where they can hang out. That can be in your carry bag or a on large clean towel. It’s best to avoid places like dog parks since they cannot be sanitized.
• Massage exercises: Teach your dog right from the get go that being cradled and massaged is enjoyable and relaxing so that they learn to like being handled.
• Introduce your dog to every day things: These are things you most likely take for granted, such as the stairs and the elevator, the blender going off, the microwave beeping, the hair dryer being turned on, car rides… the list goes on and on.
• Start on basic manners: Use positive reinforcement methods such as clicker training to create a positive association with training, to help build a good bond between you and your dog, and of course to instill some good puppy etiquette.
• Be careful: If your dog is showing fear, don’t push it. You’re taking socialization at your dog’s pace. Consider consulting with a Certified Professional Dog Trainer like myself.

To read more about puppy socialization, check out these other resources:

The Dog Trainer: Quick and Dirty Tips

Dee Ganley, CPDT-KA’s Guide To Socialization

***
Jenny Chun, CPDT-KA is a dog trainer in Brooklyn and Manhattan, NYC specializing in helping newly adopted dogs integrate into their new homes.

Contact: jenny@givepaw.com || 347-393-9162

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Twitter: http://twitter.com/GivePaw