SUPPLIES AND GEAR THAT WILL COME IN HANDY AT THE DOG PARK
Luna, waiting to leave for the dog park.
Getting there
If you are lucky, you live within walking distance of a great dog park. If not, then you have to get your dog to the park. If you have a small dog, this is easy, any car will do. It gets a bit more complicated if you own a big dog, like my Luna. Although there are a lot of different cars and mini-vans at the dog park, there are always a lot of Subarus and Jeeps in the parking lot. As you can see from the above photo, Luna fits quite nicely in a Subaru Outback, which is her "Daddy's" car. I have a Subaru Impreza, which, although it is a smaller car than the Outback, holds her quite nicely. I'm not telling anyone that they need a Subaru, or that a Subaru is better than other cars for big dogs, just that I like them. Plus, Subaru ran a great series of commercials advertising their dog friendly cars. Here is a link to their commercials, with "The Barkley's" enjoying their cars: The Barkleys. Just to be fair, here is a link to an article listing the best cars for dogs: Five Best Cars for Dogs.
Because Luna is a big dog, when she was still a pup, we began training her to use a ramp to get into the car. We knew that she would be much too large to lift her into the car. We also knew that Neapolitan Mastiffs are unlikely to jump into the car on their own. They just don't have the agility of a Lab, German Shepherd. Plus, they are basically lazy and don't really like to ride in cars. The ramp has been a lifesaver, and if you have a large dog, I highly recommend using one. Even a young, agile dog, will someday become old, and need help getting into a car.
My handy, but dorky, fishing vest.
what to wear
I'm a big believer that you should not worry about fashion at the dog park. To me, that belief frees me to look like a total dork, and justify it as a belief system. I usually wear whatever is suited to the weather, although I always were long pants and shoes. Wearing shorts might be comfortable, but sometimes, dogs will jump on you, leaving scratches. Long pants offer a bit of protection, although I have also been scratched through jeans. Wear closed shoes. I do see people wearing sandals, or going barefoot at the dog park. Maybe it just doesn't register with them that a lot of dogs poop at the park. Even if every owner picks up after their dog, there will still be dog poop left behind. Wearing sandals or bare feet is a great way to pick up any parasites that may be left behind.
My dorkiest look involves wearing a fishing vest. The vest holds all of the supplies that I like to have with me at the park. I can put Luna's leash in my pocket. I carry first aid supplies, a pocket knife, poop bags, tennis balls, etc. I have to carry tennis balls just in case Luna takes one from another dog, and it needs to be replaced. A tennis ball lasts about 2 minutes with Luna, because she chews them like bubble gum.