Article Contributed on: 7/10/2009 8:49:51 PM
Get ready. Get set. (I mean really set). Get slobbered!
...by Yukon, the giant furry lovable huggable Bernese dog that frequents the off-leash dog park at Bayou Gulch Regional Park just south of Parker. Yukon loves people and loves to come to the dog park. He is one of many canine regulars that enjoy fun in the sun - and the rain, and the wind, and the snow - without the restriction of a leash.
There's Liotta, the energetic spring-heeled Jack Russell terrier, named after a town in Utah. It's not uncommon for Liotta to run about a hundred miles an hour chasing a ball for long periods of time. There's Charlie, a cute Labradoodle mix with a lab face and the long legs of a regular poodle, who loves people more than dogs. And there's Hunter, the prematurely gray chocolate lab who gamely follows Liotta at a pace best described as leisurely.
I confess I am the owner of Hunter, and my husband and I describe him as a Labrador Observer. He retrieves nothing. He prefers to watch others retrieve. I think he secretly bribes his canine pals to do all the retriever work while he ambles along looking for the next thing to sniff.
I will tell you this. His excitement cannot be controlled when he knows he's going to the dog park. It takes every ounce of his minimal willpower to contain himself enough for us to get the leash on and get him out to the car.
I encourage all Parker dog owners to come on down and introduce their pets to Yukon, Liotta, Charlie, and Hunter. Your dog will be more excited than you've ever seen, you'll have fun watching other dogs cavort about, and both of you will leave satisfied.
For information on the off-leash dog park at Bayou Gulch Regional Park in Parker including location, directions and hours, as well as other off-leash parks around Douglas County, go to the
county's website.