Took a Wipe Out at the Dog Park Today!

[Adina P]

Finally a bright & sunny semi-warm day of Spring here in Walla Walla so we took the dogs to the dog park (haven't been in months) to meet up with some friends. Everything was going fabulously, all the dogs getting along, lots of playing, cute doggies, etc.

I'm used to bracing as dogs run by...bending my knees preparing to be run into...no big deal.

But this time my friend's great dane, Zorro, had found himself an equal...another great dane of similar size and they just started having a ball together...and then their 'ball' moved toward me...as they barreled my direction I, as usual, bent my knees and braced thinking they'd slow down and only lightly bop me...NOPE.

They kept going and flipped me over, legs up in the air! I landed on my right forearm/elbow and just about scared the daylights out of myself. Clark referred to my situation as "ass over teakettle" =)

I was fine, a little shook up and sore with a nice scrape on my forearm above my elbow, but no injuries except a little paranoia about dogs barreling toward me...I'll probably be dodging them all from now on!

But what really drives me bonkers is the LITTLE KIDS that are allowed to run around freely at the park. One little girl was flipped through the air by one of those great danes not too long ago (she was fine but STILL).

AND upon entering the dog park today we met a young guy on a unicycle who ran into Rosco as he rode his unicycle down the hill, lost control and then had the NERVE to tell Rosco to 'watch out.' Needless to say Clark had some 'words' with this young man about such things in dog parks.

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Dodging doodles is a full time job at the park. Glad you didn't get seriously hurt. I got hit hard one day, kept my balance but pulled a muscle in my rib cage. Sometimes it's better to go down.
I see toddlers running all over our dog park and I have even told parents to watch that their kids don't get hurt.

[rhona]

hope u r ok. Do you want to hear a great one? An elderly women(85) would come with her beagle to the dog park(FL). Her bones are like sawdust and she has some health issues. Well, my doodle and another dog were chasing eachother and both owners told her to watch out(she was near a fence and as my doodle went behind her and the other dog went in front, she stepped back into my doodle. Broke her ankle and it took surgery, rehab, shots,etc because of all her complications. When it happened, we called for an ambulance. Followed her to the hospital-yada, yada, yada. She has no one, so everyone that knew her from the park was concerned. I had given her my insurance info and wow-did that smack me in the face. When I called my insurance company, some yahoo agent told me I was at fault because FL has a leash law. I could not drill it into her head that we were in a dog park and the dog does not need to be leashed. When my insurance company was at $30,000.00 in bills from her I kept imploring them that this was not a claim they should be paying great dollars out for. I even submitted photos of this women being taken to the park in a wheelchair with her ankle in a cast. What if a dog ran into the foot? The bills were already high because she had gotten her boot caught on her bedding(with a full time aide there) and fell out of bed and fractured her pelvis.Yes, I do feel awful for her and she is very sweet, but when does the responsibility fall on the person? She was told when she was checked into the hospital after the bed incident that she would have to go to a rehab center. I told her to make sue she stayed in the hospital for three nights so medicare would cover it. did she? NO. She checked herself out and then submitted bills for the now private pay rehab. Finally my insurance company paid out $75,000., then did not renew my policy. Living in a hurricane area made getting new insurance a nightmare.

So-be careful about liabilities at the dog park. I did send the sign with all the disclaimers listed on the gate entering to the insurance company. They just wouldn't bother to do anything to truly represent me, even though the police report said my doodle wasn't aggressive and the woman didn't even blame her.

[Eva]

Oh Adina, Adina, Adina,
You poor gal, I too can picture you flying through the air with the wind being knocked out of you. It has happened so many times to count. Our poor Malibu had a huge run in with a solid pit bull that she was playing with, but she didn't turn fast enough or whatever, She took a huge header. The dog bowled her over and she laid flat out and couldn't get up. My poor husband was with her and had to do an emergency visit to the ER. She was crying and just laid in the back of the SUV, wouldn't bear any weight on her right foreleg. Gets to the vets, after the exam, put her on the floor, and the actress then decided to do her poodle bounce and jump, jump, jump to kiss the doc. But that poor girl was aching. Another time my mom back in the midwest in Wisconsin, in snow..... was bringing in groceries, fresh from the butcher. My brothers hunting dog, ran right into her, knocked her knees out from under her, the groceries flew, Mom flew on her butt, and Jack the dog goes running off with the bacon that he caught midair! If I had a video camera, that sequence of events couldn't have been choreographed any smoother! Glad your OK, Eva

[GBK]

Glad your OK Adina! I had Buddy lead a german shepard into me one day at the park, took both legs out from under me and found myself face down on the ground LOL Had a good audience too :)

[LuvMyAbby&Kaela]

LOL! Adina that comment is so funny!!!! .... I always said it this way though "But what really drives me bonkers is BIG DOGS that are allowed to run around freely at the park" ....its so funny hearing the opposite! Also thanks for the ass over tea kettle mental image..lol!

[Eva]

Oh Adina, Adina, Adina,
You poor gal, I too can picture you flying through the air with the wind being knocked out of you. It has happened so many times to count. Our poor Malibu had a huge run in with a solid pit bull that she was playing with, but she didn't turn fast enough or whatever, She took a huge header. The dog bowled her over and she laid flat out and couldn't get up. My poor husband was with her and had to do an emergency visit to the ER. She was crying and just laid in the back of the SUV, wouldn't bear any weight on her right foreleg. Gets to the vets, after the exam, put her on the floor, and the actress then decided to do her poodle bounce and jump, jump, jump to kiss the doc. But that poor girl was aching. Another time my mom back in the midwest in Wisconsin, in snow..... was bringing in groceries, fresh from the butcher. My brothers hunting dog, ran right into her, knocked her knees out from under her, the groceries flew, Mom flew on her butt, and Jack the dog goes running off with the bacon that he caught midair! If I had a video camera, that sequence of events couldn't have been choreographed any smoother! Glad your OK, Eva

[Katie]

I know how you feel, I just about got knocked down by a 150lb mastiff last week at the dog park. He and Herbie were playing and Herbie likes to run toward me...well when he ran past me the mastiff couldn't turn quite as quickly and came right into me! I also braced myself but I weigh 50lbs less than the mastiff(!), but luckily his owner saw it coming and caught me. Hope you're feeling better!

[Kelli, Fenway, & Dustin Pedroia]

Ouch! Great Danes are almost as tall as I am, so I definitely know how you feel. Hope you're ok, but it does paint quite a funny picture!

[Adina P]

Ouch..this morning my neck muscles on one side are really sore...and my shoulder is a bit sore. And I'm worrier.

[Moose&Mica]

I've had Moose barrel into me at full speed and nearly knock my knee out of whack. The same knee Mica sprained by yanking me off my feet a couple years ago. Oh well, such is the joy of larger dogs. I'm glad you weren't hurt more than a scrape as it could have been much worse. Moose is only 70 pounds and it hurt to have him run into me at full speed. I can't imagine what it would feel like with a dog twice that weight. The dog park we go to does not allow children under a certain age (10?) and definitely no bicycles, unicycles, etc. It's privately owned though, so they keep a close eye on stuff.