Gilgamesh Goes to the Dog Park

Yesterday was a really big day for our puppy, Gilgamesh. 

We took him to the dog park for the first time. 

There are actually a quite a few dog parks in the area but none of them are super close, so the trip started with a long car ride. He's gotten much better about car trip but by the end he was barking, wondering, "Are we there yet?".

We headed out to Shawnee Mission Park because people whose opinions we trust have been there before and had no problems. I didn't know this, but they also have access to the lake so your dog and swim. We've never taken Gil in the water and weren't planning to do so this trip. However, later this summer, when it gets super hot out that will be a great thing to know.

Since he isn't really great at coming when he's called we were hesitant to let him off leash much, but wanted him to have the chance to be exposed to other dogs. He was a little freaked out by the sheer number of both dogs and people but stayed fairly calm. He stuck pretty close to both of us but still enjoyed meeting new dogs.

 The whole area was packed, especially near the water. We eventually found a quiet spot so he could investigate.

Eventually, he seemed relaxed enough that we decided to try a little off leash time. He quickly got into a game of chase with another pup, but unfortunately, ended up shoulder deep in the lake. It all ended well but we didn't come prepared for a wet dog. At the end of the day, my poor husband was covered in mud but Gil seemed to enjoy himself so it's a win.

He was almost completely dry before we got back home and almost immediately feel asleep.