kca909

I’m now hooked on dog parks. Even though my dog can run and play at home, it’s nice to get out and take a break. If you go here, you’ll be lucky to meet up with someone with a dog. At least during the day when I went, there was only 1 other dog. One dog is better than none though,and Sadie had fun meeting a new playmate.

No one seems to know it’s here. (Does that make it Corona’s best kept secret?) I have lived here for 18 years, and I never did. Of course it hasn’t been here that long either, but still. There are a few reasons there was only 1 family with kids in the play area, and about 5 young couples, mostly making out, when I went here.

1. Being out of the way in the Northwestern end of the city next to Corona airport, where there are few if any housing tracts.

2. Because of the animal-keeping lifestyle of Norco, which is closest to the park, and where most everyone has a pack of dogs. Many are “outside” dogs and they simply don’t have the need to go here.

3. I went during the early afternoon in an area where many people commute to work and there aren’t too many single or retired people, mostly families with other commitments (sports)

4. We aren’t like L.A. where there are a lot of professional dog-walkers.

So put the dog and a ball in the car, pack up a picnic, and go with your beloved, with or without the kids, or just a good book for some quiet time outdoors, it’s great for stress and doesn’t take a lot of time or travel.

You’ll find a nicely equipped playground, sports fields, and the dog park is grassy with mature trees and benches. It’s actually one of the nicer dog parks around!

The first time I found this dog park was during their annual spring event. I’ll forever have fond memories of the place, since it was also my first trip to an official off-leash dog park. The spring event (I forget the name) was a virtual dog fair! There were rescue groups with dogs to adopt. Doggie vendors selling everything you could imagine for dogs and more, a lot of holistic type of dog food makers were there, stuff you can’t get in a store. Did you know they deliver dog food? There was an agility park set up for the dogs to go in. My dog, Sadie did everything on the first try without hesitation. She made me proud!

Sadie loved the park too. She had a blast running with the pack of big dogs. She’s a black lab, probably the most common dog you see at dog parks! It was the first time I observed the differences between big and small dogs. The big dogs greet each other, maybe they run together, maybe not. They run, they hang out, the little dogs run, run, run, all the while, yap, yap, yap . Etched in my mind were about 5 or 6 Jack Russell’s and a few more assorted dogs running in a line for a very long time. Ever since that day I like to take Sadie to a dog park at least once a week. We have a big yard, but it’s nice to remind her that she’s a dog and needs to be with dog friends too! We drive around Southern Calif. a lot and there’s usually a park somewhere.

If you’ve never been, give them a try. You’ll be more entertained than your dog! It’s a hoot, or I should say howl! If you don’t have a dog, you should go anyway, especially if you have children. They can get accustomed to dogs so that they aren’t afraid of them, and will have a great time petting them or playing fetch, as there are usually tennis balls about. There are always dogs, like mine, who just have to say hello to all the humans too! The dogs all get along, or ignore each other if they don’t. I think any problems between dogs must be rare, I’ve never seen one. Also, dog people are friendly and cool, good to trade information with. If you are considering a dog, you’ll get real interaction and can ask breed personality questions of the owners.

Here are some good websites for locations and times, and more info…and PS (Public Service) announcement….donate a buck or two if you can, I found out that this money supports dog parks directly, for one thing, the city has to buy liability insurance. Without it, there would be no dog park!

http://www.hautedogs.org/offleash.html

http://www.rbdogpark.com/