Midtown

A dog park may be coming to Midtown. Really nice article about it by Matt Landry (OKCMidtowner) here:

Midtown Mutts - Dog Park & Vacant Land Re-Use Concept Unveiled | Midtowner (http://okcmidtowner.com/midtown-mutts-dog-park-vacant-land-re-use-concept-unveiled/)


http://dl.dropbox.com/s/v60mkk4duuwhbhe/midtown_mutts_sketch.jpg

The article, though, is really about more than just the new proposed dog park. It's about reclaiming abandoned urban areas with quick "pop-up" facilities.

From MidtownR's Facebook page:

https://scontent-a-pao.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1378016_10151918197716789_36450865_n.jpg

From the MidtownR Facebook page:


Come check out Midtown's own DOGPARK "Midtown Mutts" which will be open November 2nd! It is located on the NW corner of Park & Hudson. It is open to everyone and we hope very much that you use, help keep it clean, and most of all enjoy it! Share this with your human friends and lets try and get a nice turn out that Saturday!

I think there could be more and more demand for a dog park in the Midtown area. I see lots of dogs walking their owners, and vice versa.

Yeah but I can see this place going to the dogs rather quickly... (hardy har har!)

Midtown Mutts ready to open on Saturday (dirt in background is from the Fassler Hall / Dust Bowl project that is filling in the MidtownR lake at 10th & Harvey):

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BX3HLQVCIAAHa_w.jpg:large

The only bad thing about dog parks is when someone brings in a unsocialized dog. I even had my friendly as heck but big dog roughed up a bit a few years ago. Earl was a Bull Mastiff, Staffordshire Terrier mix. The other dog was smaller but not very social. Do they have referees now?

This is pretty cool. We already take our dog and meet friends with their's at the Botanical Gardens dog park. I'm sure we will utilize this one too.


The only bad thing about dog parks is when someone brings in a unsocialized dog.

I saw this a lot when we used to utilize the MWC dog park - lots (as in it always seemed there was 1 or 2 on every visit) of people trying to show off their aggressive dogs and it would lead to fights or injuries. Our smaller dog was hurt on a visit even in the 'small dog section' of the park. We stopped going even before we had moved from the area.

The Edmond dog park near 33/Bryant is the complete opposite. We really like it.

I've always thought it would be great to have a 'members only' dog park where you pay due and have really nice facilities - like indoor park space for bad weather, classes for pet owners, and most of all No 'Bad' Dogs Allowed.

I used to take my Great Dane(s) to the park by Lake Hefner, and like most things these days a major problem was ignoramuses who didn't read/follow instructions clearly posted. A huge issue was people keeping their dog on the chain despite clear and prominent instructions forbidding it. Dogs are territorial when on a chain, and feel compelled to protect this territory and their owner when another dog approaches. When the chain comes off, this just goes away.

Since there were usually not volunteers to enforce the rules, people (usually first-timers) broke this rule all of the time and couldn't figure out why their dogs tried to scrap with every dog that approached. If you made the mistake of trying to point out the phenomenon/rule to people, no matter how friendly in your approach, they tripped and got upset. Nobody wants to believe their actions or their dogs are a part of the problem.

Another issue was people not monitoring their dogs. They would let their dog(s) run wild (which admittedly is the point, to an extent) and they would get involved in conversations with other owners, allowing their own dogs out of view. That usually isn't bad, but occasionally two dogs just don't mix well. If an owner is monitoring, they can sense this and intervene before it becomes a real issue.

There were also the above-mentioned issues with people bringing their aggro dogs that weren't socialized properly, just to show them off or whatever. Recipe for disaster.

The most galling complaint I had came from the fact that I had huge dogs. People who aren't especially familiar with Great Danes automatically associate "big" with "mean" in their minds sometimes, which couldn't be further from the truth in the case of that breed. Heck, my girls usually weren't even the alphas when play packs formed at the park. Danes are playful, energetic and inquisitive, and clumsy at times, but nearly universally friendly to all. But people who obviously didn't know the breed or my dogs would be upset that they were there at all, like I had brought in a wolf or or a dog-fighting Pit or something.

The large size DID require added responsibility. Just because of their hugeness I only took one at a time or made sure I had a second adult to help, and closely monitored their play, ready to step in. This was because when they were running full speed, trampling was a distinct possibility and it was important to tamp the running down before it got out of hand. I also tried to keep them grouped with larger dogs.

But the real problem was when someone brought their toy dog into the big dog side, despite signs forbidding it AND despite there being a really nice separate section just for their small dogs. Instead, they would bring in their tiny dogs and immediately start complaining about the big ones. It was infuriating.

That said, I wouldn't see that being as much of an issue here, because this area is so much smaller and won't allow dogs to get up to full-speed the way that very large park at the lake does.

. . . I've always thought it would be great to have a 'members only' dog park where you pay due and have really nice facilities - like indoor park space for bad weather, classes for pet owners, and most of all No 'Bad' Dogs Allowed.

Great idea!!

I used to take my Great Dane(s) to the park by Lake Hefner, and like most things these days a major problem was ignoramuses who didn't read/follow instructions clearly posted. A huge issue was people keeping their dog on the chain despite clear and prominent instructions forbidding it. Dogs are territorial when on a chain, and feel compelled to protect this territory and their owner when another dog approaches. When the chain comes off, this just goes away.

Since there were usually not volunteers to enforce the rules, people (usually first-timers) broke this rule all of the time and couldn't figure out why their dogs tried to scrap with every dog that approached. If you made the mistake of trying to point out the phenomenon/rule to people, no matter how friendly in your approach, they tripped and got upset. Nobody wants to believe their actions or their dogs are a part of the problem.

Another issue was people not monitoring their dogs. They would let their dog(s) run wild (which admittedly is the point, to an extent) and they would get involved in conversations with other owners, allowing their own dogs out of view. That usually isn't bad, but occasionally two dogs just don't mix well. If an owner is monitoring, they can sense this and intervene before it becomes a real issue.

There were also the above-mentioned issues with people bringing their aggro dogs that weren't socialized properly, just to show them off or whatever. Recipe for disaster.

The most galling complaint I had came from the fact that I had huge dogs. People who aren't especially familiar with Great Danes automatically associate "big" with "mean" in their minds sometimes, which couldn't be further from the truth in the case of that breed. Heck, my girls usually weren't even the alphas when play packs formed at the park. Danes are playful, energetic and inquisitive, and clumsy at times, but nearly universally friendly to all. But people who obviously didn't know the breed or my dogs would be upset that they were there at all, like I had brought in a wolf or or a dog-fighting Pit or something.

The large size DID require added responsibility. Just because of their hugeness I only took one at a time or made sure I had a second adult to help, and closely monitored their play, ready to step in. This was because when they were running full speed, trampling was a distinct possibility and it was important to tamp the running down before it got out of hand. I also tried to keep them grouped with larger dogs.

But the real problem was when someone brought their toy dog into the big dog side, despite signs forbidding it AND despite there being a really nice separate section just for their small dogs. Instead, they would bring in their tiny dogs and immediately start complaining about the big ones. It was infuriating.

That said, I wouldn't see that being as much of an issue here, because this area is so much smaller and won't allow dogs to get up to full-speed the way that very large park at the lake does.

My parents raised Danes while I was growing up (Harlequin). Now that we have 2.5 acres we are getting one of our own next Spring. Trying to locate some good Dane rescues to consider adopting one or two. Any suggestions?

Love Danes - so big yet so sociable.

My parents raised Danes while I was growing up (Harlequin). Now that we have 2.5 acres we are getting one of our own next Spring. Trying to locate some good Dane rescues to consider adopting one or two. Any suggestions?

Love Danes - so big yet so sociable.

Here's a list of Great Danes available in the OKC area (plus some) according to Petfinder.com
pet-search - Petfinder (http://www.petfinder.com/pet-search?location=Oklahoma+City%2C+OK&animal=Dog&primary_breed=Great+Dane&distance=&pet_name=)
I'm not personally familiar with any particular rescue, but most OKC rescues use petfind to list their pets and that could give you a good starting spot to select a rescue.

BBates, sorry, not much help when it comes to rescue. The dogs I had were companion-marked dogs from a very reputable breeder. That is, they were bred for show but not marked for show. Some breeders destroy such animals, but she carefully placed them with people as companion dogs with strict agreements regarding future breeding. One of the dogs (a runt Harlequin with too much black) was not to be bred at all, due to the markings (and potential defects) that would result. The other (a mismarked Mantle Merle) was breedable, but only to certain color combinations. We fixed both of them and never bred.

We thought long and had about rescue animals, but Danes can have specific and horrible genetic defects due to the reckless breeding practices that some people engage in. We weren't ready to risk that, and this breeder and the lines in question had multiple generations of healthy animals that did not exhibit these defects. We did considerable research on the breed and on breeders in the region before pursuing it. We only did this because we were specifically interested in that breed. If not pursuing a specific breed I think I would chosen a random pound mutt, as they tend to be least-susceptible to genetic diseases.

I believe 100% in rescue animals and support that approach to adoption, but I also think taking on companion animals that are bred for but aren't up to show standards is an important and worthwhile thing to do.

This dog park opened a few days ago, just so anyone interested will know.

I bet it will fast become a great place to meet some cool dog-loving people.

I may have to check this one out. Went to the one over by the arena and it's nice, but very small. I live on the south side, and there doesn't seem to be any my way.

https://www.facebook.com/events/221490018022747/?ref=3&ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Went by the other day with my pooch when I was in the area.

I like that they have a park in the area, but this is basically just a patch of grass with a fence around it. Nowhere near what is offered at the Myriad Gardens as far as landscaping, facilities, etc.

Its new though and bound to get better.

I gotta say though, the repurposed metal storage container entry thing is not to my taste at all and I'm really cool with the idea of this type of 'art.' I just think this looks amateurish and like something you'd find in the back yard of a Hoarders episode.

But, fastforward to next summer and it will probably all be good.

I'd probably pass this park up for now for the Myriad one, but locals will probably get good use out of it.

Personally, I wish they'd put one in Deep Deuce.

Have friends that live in the area and there are some total idiot dog owners living in the apartments and condos. I regularly see dog poop in the same spots on each visit.

Would be nice if there was a small park and hopefully the owners would pick up after their pooches.

There is a "dog bar" that just opened up in the past few weeks in Glendale (SE of Downtown Denver), it is called the Watering Bowl (http://www.denverwateringbowl.com/), their tag line is "your best friends bar". Seems like an interesting concept. a dog park and bar.

There is a "dog bar" that just opened up in the past few weeks in Glendale (SE of Downtown Denver), it is called the Watering Bowl (http://www.denverwateringbowl.com/), their tag line is "your best friends bar". Seems like an interesting concept. a dog park and bar.

How cool is that! I'd love something like that in deep deuce, I feel like most of the green space will be disappearing shortly.

There is a "dog bar" that just opened up in the past few weeks in Glendale (SE of Downtown Denver), it is called the Watering Bowl (http://www.denverwateringbowl.com/), their tag line is "your best friends bar". Seems like an interesting concept. a dog park and bar.

I'm all in favor of that.

I've actually been very pleased with the number of places downtown/Midtown/Deep Deuce with outdoor patio dinning that have tolerated dogs and their owners.

I'm thinking a place like 'Mutts' should have outdoor dog friendly dining and Saturday adopt-a-pet days with some rescued pets on the lawn. Adopt a dog, get a Free Mutts Dog!

Took my dachshund over today, it was pretty nice. Still need one in deep deuce.

I agree.

Looks like the NW corner of 3rd and Walnut is about all that's left.