Dog Park

Introduction

The dog ate my homework, my notes and my computer. One might think this is a lame excuse that students only give teacher, or one might think that, because this happened to you, the dog is just bad and mischievous. But let's get to the root cause of this problem, when was the last time the dog ran and played until it couldn't anymore? The answer to this question is probably a long a time. If the answer though is just yesterday, or earlier today, then you probably wouldn't know anything about the dog eating your notes, homework.... or computer. An exercised dog is more behaved than the stove up in an apartment dog because he has used all the energy that he should have been able to use. A dog park is an ideal place for this energy to be spent. This allows the student to study without as great a fear of the aforementioned, not that it will prevent it, but if the dog is well exercised it is more well behaved.

Dog ownership among students is growing more and more popular. Dog ownership in general is growing more and more popular. There are 9,982 students currently enrolled at the University of West Florida (UWF). Lots of these students, not to mention the faculty, are dog owners. Statistics show that 39% of all households in the U.S. own at least one dog, and 37% of those owners own two dogs or more (U.S. Pet Ownership Statistics). This means we could assume that 39% of the students enrolled at UWF own at least one dog assuming that each student is from a different household. That means that there are 3,693 dog owners who attend UWF. While there are many students here from the same household this number did not include the 39% of dog owners who own two or more dogs, nor does it include faculty and staff here at UWF which is where we get away with still using number. With this said, most students live in an apartment, which has no yard to speak of, or in a neighbor with a very small yard. After the students leave their dogs inside or even shut up in a kennel all day, when the student finally gets home from classes or work to let the dog out it still has very little room to run around. This is why I propose that UWF build an on campus dog park for student and faculty dog owners to bring their four legged friends to so that the dogs can run and play in a wide open area, which is what dogs need and deserve. This would also provide a place for owners, and their dogs. to go to meet and socialize with other dogs and dog owners.

General Background and Benefits

So what exactly is a dog park? A dog park is defined by Wikipedia as a "facility set aside for dogs and their owners to exercise and play off-leash in a controlled environment" (Dog Park). This controlled environment is generally enclosed by a fence enclosing an area anywhere from a half acre to as big as one wants to build the park; some dog parks are up to fifty acres in size. Dog parks provide a space for dogs and humans to recreate together, this recreation promotes good physical and mental well being for both the dog and its owner (students and faculty in our case). Research shows that people find it easier to talk to one another when dogs are the initial focus because it helps break down those initial barriers that cause people to view one another as strangers. So, these dog parks would help promote socialization between fellow student and faculty dog owners here at UWF by providing a common interest to break down those initial barriers. Studies also show that dog companionship, which dog parks promote, improve people's health because the dog promotes people going out and exercising, provides people with entertaining activity, and provides people with comfort through touch, as well as giving us something fun to watch. This all also leads to reduced stress levels which students and faculty both need (Dog Park). The loyalty and companionship a dog provides can obviously be very beneficial, and a dog park is an ideal place for dogs and their owners to come to promote this companionship. Not only would students and faculty be benefitting from the dog park but their dogs do as well. Dogs that are exercised often and that are highly socialized are healthier and happier dogs. This exercise also keeps dogs from barking as much at night and from digging out of their yards or running of, and even if they do this they are friendlier towards other people because they are used to the frequent socialization that they obtain from the dog park (Wikipedia print out).

Permits for Building

Before building a dog park we need to determine the appropriate permits needed for the project. The county website says that in order to install any structures, including fences, you need to have a building permit. The dog park will need running water and electricity, so we will also need a plumbing and an electrical permit. These permits can be applied for on the City of Pensacola - Official Website (City of Pensacola).

Park Layout

I suggest that the dog park be between one and two acres in size and should be completely fenced in. The fence should be at least six feet high to prevent any of the larger dogs from being able to jump out of the park. Aluminum fencing for this will do fine. Gate are an important feature of a dog park and take more planning as to location and design than one might think. The gates should be as close to the parking lot as possible and as far from the main center of dog activity as possible. This will prevent dogs inside the park from being able to watch new entrants walk up from a long way off, which can cause the dogs to gather at the gate and wait for them, just the way they do when they see you coming at night. This can lead to fights and should be avoided if possible. The gates should be along the side of the park somewhere rather than on the corners if possible. Gates on the corners of the fence allow dogs to be more easily cornered upon entering the park. The dogs should be able to have 180 degrees of motion upon entering the park to prevent in order to prevent this "corner effect." There are alternatives to this side gate if there is no way to avoid putting a gate in the corner, an example of this is located on page 8. In the case of a corner gate following the diagram on page 8 will be sufficient. The last issue with the gates, whether in the corner or along the side, is that they should be a double gate design. This will help lower the possibility of dogs running out of the park and will also help to minimize fights at the entrance accruing between newcomers and dogs already inside the park. Another important feature that the park will need is a water fountain for the dogs as well as for their owners.