Dusty's romp in the park

Not too many things in the world Dusty likes more than a romp at the dog park. I like to get her out for about 30 minutes a couple times a week to let her burn off some energy. It's still easy to get outside in some pleasant weather in the mornings before the sun gets too intrusive.

At Gary B. Jones Park for People and Pups
Taking a breather but guarding her prize: She'll grab that ball
and play keep-away for a few minutes if I make a grab for it
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I used to buy cheap tennis balls for her. But I've discovered she loves those squeaky rubber spike balls -- even though the squeakies don't last for more than about three minutes. After those things die, you can hear the air making compression sounds inside the ball when she chews on it. But she doesn't mind -- she loves chewing those things, and the balls themselves seem indestructible.

Supposedly, the spikes massage her teeth and gums and provide some dental-health benefit. I dropped a link to one for sale at Amazon.com at the end of this post. You can also find a variety of them in a basket near the checkout counter at PetSmart.

She has a couple of those things rolling around the townhouse (one upstairs, one downstairs). And I keep one in the car that keeps her busy in the car and when we're out at the dog park. At the park, I'll toss it as high and as far as I can, and she'll take off at full speed to retrieve it. If I get off a good throw, she'll usually catch up to it and grab it mid-air after the first or second bounce. A couple of times she's picked it out of the air before it hit ground. That's an impressive sight. Quite the athlete this dog.

Greyhounds are trained to chase and catch things -- not to bring them back. But Dusty has discovered it's really fun to trot back toward me ball in mouth and then dart away when I reach for her. She'll then find a shady spot, pull up a seat on the ground and chew for awhile until I walk up to her. Soon as I grab for the ball, she'll hop up and play keep-away until she drops the ball. Then we start the process all over again. We have a great time, and we both get in some exercise. After about a half-dozen rounds of that game in about a half-hour's time, she is knackered.
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Location: Gary B Jones Park for People and Pups, 8101 Southgate Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33068, USA

Comments

  1. SApril 13, 2017 at 11:59 PM

    She is such a pretty dog ... and I can imagine those big, brown eyes are pretty hard to say no to, also. I met a few greyhounds at a rescue even in Minn. a few years ago ... they are such sweet, velvety dogs. But I hear that if they go after a rabbit, don't expect to catch up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Scott SharpApril 14, 2017 at 8:10 AM

      No, you'll never catch one if she decides to bolt. They're capable of getting up to 43 mph. They can hit full speed in just a couple of strides, too, which is why you have to use a short leash with them. Those retractable leashes are no good for a greyhound.

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