Duncan at the gate

In Shakespeare’s play Macbeth, Duncan is the King of  Scotland. In modern-day Essex County, however, Duncan is the self-appointed ambassador to Brookdale Park Dog Park, greeting visitors and playing liaison to all the dog park fun.

A long limbed and curly tailed Akita/Golden Retriever mix, two-year old Duncan was rescued by Joe, with help from daughter Jessica and girlfriend Gail, at a Pet Super Adoption event on Saturday, April 28, 2012. The event, sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society, was held at the Westchester County Center and featured over 500 dogs (plus hundreds of cats and a few rabbits).

Joe was looking for a specific sized dog, rather than a particular breed. “My ideal was a medium to large dog, around 50 pounds.”

Duncan is a real good lookin’ boy

Here’s how Duncan “rescued” Joe:

While walking up and down the many aisles, Joe saw about four dogs that interested him. As fate would have it, in the very last row he visited, he saw Duncan. “He was the perfect size and a good looking boy,” Joe remembers. They let him out and Duncan acted very friendly, not at all timid, and very well behaved. Joe took him outside on leash to make sure he wouldn’t tear his arm off on walks.

Jessica, Gail, Joe, and Duncan on adoption day

It obviously went very well. While Joe did go back to look at one of the other dogs  that had interested him, it was just for show. Duncan was already decided upon. In the space of a half hour, Joe had filled out the paperwork, and Joe, Jessica, Gale and Duncan were back on the road home.

The following day, they made their first trip to Brookdale Dog Park, and Duncan began his ambassadorship.

Duncan gets his size and body shape from his Akita genes, and from his Golden retriever side, his goofiness and sweet temperament. Joe keeps a watchful eye on him, but Duncan gets along extremely well with the other dogs in the park, both large and small. He loves people, and of course, treats.

Joe and Duncan spend roughly five hours a day at the park, usually spread out between a morning and afternoon visit.  If, according to Jeff, “there’s no such thing as a bad dog,” then according to Joe, “there’s no such thing as a bad day in the dog park.” Currently the winter sunsets cut their visits short, and Joe and Duncan are looking forward to spring and summer hours, when they can stay as late as 8 PM.

Duncan awaiting a trip to the park

Duncan has grown a bit since adoption day — 2 inches in height, 3 inches in length, and 25 pounds of muscle and fur. Even though he’s pushing 70 lbs., Duncan thinks he’s a lap dog (sound familiar?) “So much for my perfect size!” laments Joe.

If you stop by Brookdale Park Dog Park, chances are good you’ll be greeted by this friendly ambassador making the most of his play time.

Sometimes, one is not enough. Sometimes, it requires a whole pack to meet that cuteness quotient.

This pack of small dogs and their owners does just that. These lovely ladies and their charges meet regularly at the park to play and well, just plain look adorable. 

Even their names are cute: Bailey and Baxter. Harley and Zoey. Lola and Tyler. And …Snookie?

Marnie, mom to Bailey and Baxter, both Chihuahuas, contacted our website a few months ago to let us know that she and some other small dog owners had formed a mini-pack who meet at the park for playtime and camaraderie. Marnie and Bailey and Baxter’s other mom, Amy, travel all the way from Waldwick to enjoy what so many of us who live close by may take for granted. After adopting their dogs, found on Petfinder at about three months old, they knew they wanted to socialize them right away. A call to friend “dog whisperer” Denise (mom to Lola and Tyler) soon had them at the park with their pups for a play date.

“At first I was terrified. I didn’t want to put them on the ground,” admits Marnie. “But they did OK!” Soon, a Saturday tradition was born, with the owners looking to each other for advice and affirmation. “It’s like trading recipes for us – we share information about what has worked – the whole seat belt thing, food, treats, you name it,” says Amy.

Friend Suzanne agrees. With Harley, a min pin who is almost 12 years old and  Zoey, a three-year-old Chihuahua/ Pomeranian mix, she’s been enjoying the park with her dogs for a couple of years now (a third dog, Lola, opts to stay home).

According to Suzanne, the best thing about owning small dogs is their portability. Any challenges? None really, except maybe trying to walk all three at once. But it’s a small price to pay. Says Suzanne, “If I had the space, I’d probably get more.”

With Denise are toy poodle Lola and toy Yorkie Tyler.  A former Montclair resident, “Denise Police,” as her friends jokingly call her, is the group’s resident dog expert and park advocate. She had visited the park with her previous Yorkie, Madison, who passed away at age 18. After Madison, Denise admits she “couldn’t last two weeks without a dog” and eventually rescued the pair she has now. “I didn’t know their history, or what they had gone through, so I started bringing them to the park to get socialized with other dogs.”

Rounding out the group is Linda and her dog Snookie (no, no relation to Nicole Polizzi). Linda has had dogs all her life. and Snookie is her latest rescue. How did she meet the rest of the pack? One lucky day she was just driving past the park and decided to stop in. Soon enough, she met Denise and Marnie, and the dogs were playing together like little kids. About Snookie: “She’s always happy, kisses me to death, she’s smart, and she loves to play,” declares Linda. “She’s a good dog. And I’m a good owner!”

(Linda would like any wealthy people reading this to know that she is also available for adoption.)

If the shoemaker’s children go barefoot, does that mean the dog walker’s dog…stays home? Not if you’re Sammy, and your dad is dog walker and trainer Jeff Hall. Sammy, a 9-year-old Shetland sheepdog (or Sheltie) walks with and comes to the dog park with Jeff and his clients often.

“There are no bad dogs.”

Jeff purchased (rescued, really, when you think about it) Sammy from a pet store nine years ago.  He most likely was the product of a puppy mill. Sammy patiently shares Jeff with the other dogs but sometimes skips going to the park due to the hot weather and his long-haired coat.

“I do leave him home during the day in the summer,” Jeff admits. “He can’t handle this kind of heat for very long.” But Jeff says Sammy gets along great with the other dogs on walks, at the park, in the truck, and at home.  “Most dogs pick up his signals that he doesn’t want to ‘play,’ he just wants to chill or bark and herd.”

Speaking of herding, Sammy’s herding instinct comes in handy whenever the pair spot a loose dog on the road.  “I always stop and try to get the dog back home,” says Jeff. Sammy has helped catch a dozen or so dogs over the years, barking and circling them to bring them within Jeff’s reach. “I would’ve had a much harder time without him.” Sammy agrees.

Sammy also once had a job walking cats

Sammy has other talents besides herding (see photo above). While Jeff was recovering from surgery a couple of years ago, he had a hard time bending over to reach items he dropped. Sammy realized this and stepped in to help. “While I was recovering from the surgery, at home in bed, Sammy started grabbing and giving me anything I dropped. To this day he quickly runs over and picks up anything I drop and gives it to me. Water bottle, remote controls, pack of cigarettes, lighter, money.” Amazing!

With or without Sammy, Jeff is a regular “dawg” at the park. “I have seven clients who I bring every day. It’s a great little mini-community here. I just love all of the dogs no matter what breed or how well behaved they are.”

Jeff’s advice to those new to the dog park is to stay calm overall. “Don’t over react,” he cautions. And pay attention to the dogs’ body language and see what kind of conversations the dogs are having and what they’re about to do.

There are no bad dogs, says Jeff. His favorite breed though, is the Siberian Husky. Just don’t tell Sammy.