After a lengthy and sometimes heated discussion on PMFA about people insisting on letting their dogs run off-leash in Carroll Park, comes this comment by a reader:
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I wanted to revisit this post because of a similar experience I had today, only in reverse. We brought our 5-month-old puppy to Hillside Dog Run in Brooklyn Heights, which was covered in snow.
As usual dozens of parents show up with dozens of kids to sled down the hill inside the dog run. My very well behaved, if not excitable, puppy, got enthused by the action and at one point, playfully nipped at a kids arm. To which the obnoxious parent tells me that my dog should be trained to not bite children!!! And of course, explaining to this person that his child is SLEDDING IN A DOG RUN, so he should maybe expect that to happen some times, because dogs are trained while on leads, NOT WHILE RUNNING OFF-LEASH IN A DOG RUN WHERE YOU'RE LITTLE BRAT SHOULDN'T BE SLEDDING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
***UPDATE***
Please read the comment left by Matthew Parker, President of Friends Of Hillside Dog Park, regarding the shared use of the hill in case of snow. It's very interesting.
To read, click here.
Related reading: Part 2: Hey Neighbor! You Know That Carroll Park Is Not A Dog Run, Right? Hey, Neighbor! You Know That Carroll Park Is Not a Dog Run, Right?
For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking
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7 comments:
Please note that there's a sign at top of Hillside Park, installed by the Parks Department, that explictly says when it snows, the hill is reserved for sledders.
For generations before Hillside became an official NYC dog run, it was a place where local families came to sled in the winter. It's a small compromise for dog owners to allow this tradition to continue for a few winter days each year.
Hillside is 2 acres. The sledders take up the hill, but there's also enough space so that dogs can also use the run at the same time closer to Vine St. If you're a dog owner and your dog is too excited when sledders are in the park, and you can't control them, please either utilize the enclosed small dog area (if there's no small dog owners who wish to use it, or your dog is under 25 lbs), or come back another time. Again, it's only a few days each year this happens. The dogs and their owners get to use the park 350+ days a year. It's a small concession for having such an amazing dog run.
Matthew Parker
Pres, Friends of Hillside Dog Park, Inc.
www.hillsidedogs.org
The dog owner was correct. It would just be nice if the dog owners would respect the timing of the off leash hours in Prospect Park.
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and for letting us know that the hill is reserved for sledders on snow days.
It is an interesting arrangement between dog owners and sledders.
Funny, this weekend I walked by Carroll Park only to see a group of dog owners with five of their unleashed dogs running around the basketball court area. At the same time, there was a group of young guys playing a game of football. As one guy went long to catch a Hail Mary, he tripped over a big Lab that was trying its hardest to join the game, unbeknownst to its owner standing about 50 feet away. The guy was pretty upset, claiming he should have a do-over because of the dog wouldn't leave them alone.
I didn't stick around to see if the owner finally realized their dog was now trying out for a human football team, but I sure hope the guys had a chance to finish their game without any canine obstacles.
I think it is inexcusable for people not to pick up after their dogs -- and I say this as the owner of two French bulldogs. I am, however, really on the fence about the issue of dogs using spaces, like Carroll Park, that are posted as off-limits, and also about spaces designated for dogs being used for children. Perhaps the root of the problem is that there are many people in NYC who are extremely self-centered and do whatever suits them at a given moment. Nevertheless, I do feel there is a distinct bias in this discussion. People with children get away with far more behaviour that is rude or inconsiderate to others around them, and then have no qualms whatsoever if you call them out about it -- it always seems to come down to a parent arguing that children are so important to "society" that everyone must smile and accept when their little darlings misbehave. Children run around restaurants while parents obliviously socialize with each other, break things in people's front yards where they had no business being, have tantrums in restaurants or stores while the parent does little or nothing to control them, and in fact even taunt dogs while the parent adopts an "isn't my child so cute" or "boys will be boys" attitude. I have witnessed far worse behaviour in Carroll Gardens / Cobble Hill on the part of children rather dogs. If children were taught to behave properly in public, then I might feel a little more sympathetic to these arguments against dogs. And honestly, even if the Hillside dog park is reserved for sledders when it snows, the reaction of the parent to the people with the 5-month hold puppy (who USUALLY has right of way in the dog park) seems incredible.
Anon 5:30, yes, yes, yes! I totally agree! I don't 'get' these parents--what are they thinking? I've walked down the street with my pooch and god forbid I wont let a 'darling' pet her--I get the stink eye from the mom!
I did not know that the Hillside Dog Run was reserved for sleds when it snows. So I must stand corrected.
and Anon 5:30; Dogs are property and children are people. Comparing them is pathetic.
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