Park privileges revoked

They have a lot of dog parks here in Overland Park. What is a dog park you may ask? Well, they are parks where dogs can run around uninhibited by metal chains around their necks. We discovered these when we moved here and have thoroughly enjoyed them.

However, recently, we had to make a hard decision. We warned Kirby. We told him that if he didn't start behaving at the dog park, we were going to have to take away his privileges. And unfortunately he pushed us too far. These parks are huge. And as I have mentioned countless times on this blog, our dog has a brain the size of a peanut. So the meaning of the words "Come Back" don't resonate with him. We have had one too many times at the dog park where we have spent way too much time chasing him down, yelling at him for jumping in the lake, begging him to come back, and he never listens.

On Kirby's last trip to the park, we stayed for an hour or so and then we decided it was time to come home. We called Meg and she came right away. Kirby took off in the other direction. Again. Like he always does. And so I stood in the hot sun with a melting down Bennett and an obedient dog who needed water badly and waited and waited and waited while poor Rob chased him down and every other dog owner smirked at Rob as their dogs sat obediently at their feet and Rob chased Kirby through fields and over streams. On the way home, Rob and I made a hard choice. We cut him off from the park. Permanently.

So, Kirby will have to settle for walks on the leash in our neighborhood. A Kirby off the leash makes for an extremely frustrated Webster family. When Corey was in town we went to a dog park and the dog that obeys us was allowed to go. Here's Meg smiling because she is the favored dog.

Here is the dog who has lost his privileges and is therefore contemplating the injustices in the world. Who am I kidding? He's just staring.