Dog Project offers free Pooch School on June 29

Join the Dog Project on Saturday, June 29 at 10:30 a.m. outside Cain Park’s Alma Theater gate for a brief, and free, educational gathering. At this first Pooch School, Cleveland Heights dog trainer Ann Trupo, Doggy Do-Right, will discuss reading dog body language and knowing when and how to do dog introductions on a leash.

With a recently enacted pilot program that allows leashed dogs in the park, Cain Park is now a dog-friendly park; however, it is not a dog park, which is a fenced-in space just for dogs to run off-leash. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably, though they have different meanings.

The summer concert season is here, and to make the new dog-friendly policy work, park visitors with dogs must follow the rules below.

1) Any dog must be on a leash that is extended no farther than six (6) feet and must wear a collar or harness of proper size and strength for the particular dog. [Note: invisible leashes are not acceptable.]

2) Any dog must be under the control of a person who possesses physical strength and experience sufficient to exercise reasonable constraint and control of the dog. 

3) Any person bringing a dog into a public park shall promptly clean up any waste from the dog and place it in provided receptacles. 

4) Any person bringing a dog into a public park shall confine the dog to paved pathways. [In other words, dogs aren’t allowed in the playground, splash pad area (when it’s open) or the sport facilities.]

5) No person shall bring a dog into a public park on any day or portion of a day during which the City Manager has posted signs prohibiting dogs in the park or a section of the park.

The Dog Project is a volunteer-driven initiative centered on fostering a dog-friendly, dog-responsible community in Cleveland Heights. The Dog Project is affiliated with the Cain Park Neighborhood Association, an alliance of citizens living near Cain Park dedicated to making this community hub a safer, more welcoming place. For more information, visit www.clevehtsdogproject.weebly.com.

Kerri Whitehouse

Kerri Whitehouse is a leader of the Dog Project and a Cain Park enthusiast.

Read More on Neighborhoods
Volume 6, Issue 7, Posted 9:16 AM, 06.18.2013