Trip to dog park...

[LILYLARUE]

Yep, 45 here this weekend too! Gotta love the North East!

Musher's Wax is perfect for us northerners. It really protects their paws and it has other medicinal uses. Its easy to put on and only needs to be applies every other day or so. I finally got some for this winter and very happy i did! Buster has very dry paws and extreme sensetivity to hot and cold. The wax softened his pads and he actually stayed out in the snow over an hour! It was a miracle for him.

Best part is snow doesn't stick to the paws and neither does MUD!!! Got the cleanest paws coming in the house. No more paw baths!

 

[sesua]

I found this website for musher's wax. LILYLARUE, is this where you went to buy it or did you find it in a store??

musherssecretwax.com

Also, I am worried that her toenail beds are still bothering her. Could they be infected? How can I tell?? She licks them more than usual and a couple of them look kind of crusty. Does this warrant a trip to the vet or should I give it some time? The other dog owner says it can happen but that he is never concerned when it happens to his dogs. Should I just not worry about it?? I put antibiotic ointment on them but probably not enough and plus she ends up licking her toes anyways if I don't stay on her 24/7... Maybe I should just give the vet a call and see what they say...

 

[LILYLARUE]

The wax is sold many places and the one you found is the same product. I got mine off a musher's site cause I also ordered two sled harnesses. (need them for trips out on the trike!)

As for the sore toes......keep the neosporin on them (not the one with pain med in it, just the original) and make sure to work it up under the skin where the crust is. She won't be able to lick it completely off. If the skin gets red and puffy around the nails, then it sounds like an infection. I wouldn't run to the vet unless it looks like an infection. It will take several days to a week or more for them to heal up. The wax should protect them until it heals.

 

[Rob T]

I read and hear so many different stories about Dog Parks that I still can't decide if they are worth going to or not..

 

[larrygs]

As with anything, there are as many opinions as there are people. Yes, we have many of our own stories where owners are doing something dumb, or just are not aware. However anywhere you go in life you'll see dumb things. For us, going to dog parks has been really great!

There are far more times where Layla and us have had a great time. She can run like the wind, either chasing or being chased, without us worrying about her running into the street. Or play in all sorts of ways with the other dogs. It is exercise that is hard to get anywhere else. It provides the opportunity for dog socialization. I have read about dog body language, calming signals etc. and it is fascinating to see the dynamics between dogs occurring. Plus, we have also met really good people there.

Over time we learned from others and our experiances on what to look out for. And we do keep alert. We also learned not to get stressed if a situation arises, or is about to. We simply move off, or leave. It isn't worth the hassle and there is always another good time later.

Perhaps you should observe a few times from outside the dog park, and without your dog. See if those inside are having a good time. If you want to try it out, post a thread here for suggestions on basics you should know, or questions on what you see. I am sure there are plenty who will help. It is always great to have another boxer at the dog park.

 

[NateBazooka]

I love going to the dog park, and Kevin loves it even more. It's a great release for him, and really I've met a lot of nice people as well. Kinda a rare social situation where starting conversations with total strangers is a complete breeze, since you already have a common interest, and you're common interests are running around at a zillion miles an hour and playing with each other. But Kevin is very affable with other dogs, and isn't sensitive about it when other dogs aren't so friendly towards him, so I don't have a lot of worry about him being traumatized in any way at the park.

I think what larrygs said is spot on, about being alert, paying attention to what's going on, but not getting stressed/agitated when a situation does arise. I'm not any kind of expert on dog behavior, but I've seen a lot of instances where to me, it looked like the dogs were fine, but owners come running in shouting and grabbing at the dog and the next thing you know there's a problem. And one of the keys to having a good dog park experience, I think, is being ready to leave if there's a problem, even if you just showed up. And that goes both ways - there have been several times I've had to leave because there's an aggressive dog or maybe a dog that just doesn't like my dog for some reason, but there are also times I have to pack it up and go because my dog is not behaving himself, is jumping up on people, cornering a dog who doesn't want to play with him and demanding that they play ("BARK! BARK! BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK!! BARK!"), or just making someone uncomfortable for whatever reason.

Go check it out, maybe hang out outside the fence for a bit. And leave the food, small children, babies (!!! seriously), clothes you don't want to get dirty, cell phone conversations, and negative energy at home.

 

[Rob T]

Thanks for the follow up replies, I appreciate it. When our puppy is old enough, we will definitely try the dog park and see how it goes. My daughter's definitely want to go to the dog park when he's old enough, so there is no way that I can get out of at least giving it a try!

 

[argosrocks]

we've all been there,the dog park,and the parents that think its ok to let their kids run around with the dogs like its their own backyard,my dog and every other boxer ive ever seen at the dog park usually bowl them down like bowling pins,youd think the parents would learn,but sure enough,they always bring them back,i guess im just venting,but i totally understand the empathy that we have when a child is knocked over by our dogs,but i place the blame more on the parents that allow it to continue more than a dog,running free

 

[happycamper]

I use a product called "Bag Balm" for Zeus' paws. Works great. If you google it, you'll see its a pretty versatile product.

 

[samsons]

THats COOL ~~ didnt know that would work on there paws - like mushers wax -- i even have some in the barn ( for the horses ) !!

BTW - u can buy that at any chain store .. Walgreens - walmart - ect BEST part is its cheap