Ep. 1 | Think Outside The Fence

Many dog parks today still resemble the traditional fenced-in spaces established almost 50 years ago. However, our understanding of how dogs think and the number of dogs in American households have grown considerably in the last few decades. Humans have also become increasingly isolated due to the usage of digital technologies and the decline of public spaces for real-life interactions. Through it all, dog parks remain one of the few enduring third places that attract all types of people. It’s more important than ever to build out from the dog park paradigm, to strengthen community ties and raise appreciation for the beauty of nature. 

This series is narrated by Jenna Blum, author and dog mom.

Dog Parkology is a show about the importance of dog parks as public space. The series is produced by As It Should Be Productions, the creators of the Dog Save The People and Dog Walk Meditation podcasts.

FEATURED LINKS
Dog Parkology website
Dog Parkology on Instagram
Jenna Blum on Instagram
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Dog Save The People website
Dog Save The People on Apple Podcasts
Dog Save The People on Spotify
Dog Walk Meditation website
Dog Walk Meditation on Apple Podcasts
Dog Walk Meditation on Spotify

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Welcome to Dog Parkology.
This is a story about dog parks.
How they came to be, why they'reessential, and how they might
evolve to make life better.

(00:26):
In the earliest days of NorthAmerica, Native Americans kept dogs
as hunting partners, camp security,and companions for their children.
Dogs lived freely alongside their humansand were considered special members of the
tribe, unique and important animal allies.
They were beloved as friends,co workers, and family members.

(00:51):
We chose dogs, and they chose us.
As American society and culturechanged, so did the roles of our dogs.
In the 19th century, they wereprimarily working animals,
focused on herding and hunting.
By the beginning of the 20thcentury, as the agricultural economy

(01:12):
shifted to industrial, fewer andfewer people lived off the land,
instead flocking to cities for jobs.
There was less demand for dogs to workoutside, and more for them as companions.
Coming out of World War II, in the1950s, the suburbs started to emerge.
And so did dogs.

(01:33):
It became part of the pictureof the idealized American dream,
which included a home with a whitepicket fence, two smiling parents,
a couple of kids, and a dog.
No other family representedthis better than the Kennedys.
who were said to be crazy about dogsbecause of their hopeful spirit.

(01:54):
Throughout his political career,including his presidency, Kennedy
modeled for Americans how a dogcould be part of the family.
His beautiful wife Jackie and theirchildren were often photographed
with their four dogs at home inthe White House and on vacation.
The dogs didn't sleep inside.
Instead, they spent their nightsin a kennel on the property.

(02:15):
This was typical ofmost American families.
During the 60s and 70s, dogswere outside in the backyard
with a doghouse for shelter.
During the day, they would mostlyroam freely throughout neighborhoods.
TV, movies, and the funny pagesalso portrayed dogs this way.
Think about Snoopy without a leash, lyingon top of his signature red doghouse.

(02:38):
Or heroic Collie Lassie exploringthe town on her own all day and
sleeping in a backyard shed.
While there is more room inthe burbs, living with dogs in
cities presented challenges.
Dogs mainly lived insidesmaller apartments and
required regular walks outside.
Cities technically had leash and licensinglaws, but most people disregarded them,

(03:01):
and the rules were rarely enforced.
Dogs were pretty free to walk citystreets and explore public parks,
with their humans not too far behind.
In this era, our best friends hada good life, filled with freedom
and a strong sense of agency.
But as dogs popularitygrew, so did complaints.
A 1976 New York Times headline, Read,urban dog population is a rising problem.

(03:29):
Many owners let their dogs run unleashedin city parks, the article says.
A practice that often frightensmothers with infants, that turns some
park areas into wallows of caninefeces, and that presents a special
peril to joggers and runners whoprovide tempting moving targets.
There were also concerns aboutbarking, indiscriminate breeding,

(03:52):
or dog abandonment, leading tostrays and overpopulated shelters.
Then came the crackdown.
First the cities, then the suburbs decidedto address these problems with new rules.
Many communities passed stricterdog control ordinances and
began to enforce leash laws.
The idea was having a humanattached to a dog by a leash would

(04:14):
minimize undesirable behavior.
Not everybody was happy aboutkeeping dogs on leash all the time.
Dogs need freedom to run, toexercise, to play with others,
and to express themselves.
In the late 70s, in California's SanFrancisco Bay Area, a small group of dog

(04:39):
owners informally gathered in a Berkeleypublic park to challenge leash laws.
Berkeley was known for politicalactivism and fighting for civic justice,
including a hard fought battle toreclaim private land for community
benefit, aptly named the People's Park.
An annex to that park, a two block stretchof land on Hearst Street, where residents

(05:02):
frequently brought their dogs, Wouldgo on to change dogs' lives forever.
In 1979, a group of locals petitionedto create an experimental dog park.
They described this innovative conceptas a large fenced area with trees,
grass, and benches for the human guests.

(05:24):
The group clarified this was not agated dog run with a narrow paved
lane for just a few dogs to exercise.
Instead, they envisioned it just likeother public parks, but where everyone
could legally let dogs run free.
An unintended benefit was that fellowdog parents met neighbors there
and created a tight knit community.

(05:46):
These casual human friendships proved tobe a driving force behind the popularity.
The place became known as the OhloneDog Park, with the name nodding
to the Native American tribe whooriginally occupied that land.
It is considered The firstdog park in the world.

(06:09):
Today, there are more than 1, 000 officialdog parks in the United States, and now
almost half of households own a dog.
Since 1980, the prominence of dogs,our understanding of their psychology,
and our behavior has changed a lot.
Scientific research on how dogs thinkand our relationship with them has

(06:31):
also exploded over the last decade.
Duke University founded the first CanineCognition Center to research how dogs and
humans minds converge in outstanding ways.
Similar programs soon followed at Yale,the University of Denver, and Penn, with
dedicated programs on canine researchemerging from schools of anthropology,

(06:53):
psychology, and veterinary medicine.
Technologies like the internetand social media have disrupted
human behavior in lasting ways.
On screen interaction has replacedmany in person experiences, from
shopping to dating and working.
Our lives have also been foreverchanged by the global COVID 19 pandemic.

(07:14):
During lockdown, we wereencouraged to isolate to
minimize the spread of the virus.
This normalized remote work formany Americans, merging the home
and office into the same place.
First time dog adoption rates soaredduring the pandemic as people sought
connection with new furry best friends.
Canine companionship became acrucial mental health support.

(07:40):
Throughout it all, dog parks remainedone of the few safe places people
could take their dogs to playand socialize with other humans.
This drove home dog parksimportance for community activity,
interaction, and bonding.
While the number of dog parks hasincreased since their founding at
Berkeley, the original concept hasnot changed much in almost 50 years.

(08:04):
The traditional fenced in dogpark is still the prevalent model.
In Dog Parkology, we want to build outfrom the traditional elements of the dog
park and move forward with ideas that willhelp us build better connections with our
dogs, with each other, and with the land.
It's time to think outside the box.
outside the fence about what the futureof our dog parks might look like.

(08:32):
Thank you for listening tothis episode of dog parkology.
I'm Jenna Blum, your narrator.
This show was created by As It Should BeProductions, the creators of Dog Save the
People and Dog Walk Meditation podcastswith executive producer Scott Benaglio
and producer and editor Jack Sommer.

(08:54):
Be sure to check out the entireseason of dog parkology by following
the show on Apple podcasts, Spotify.
Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
You can follow us on social media atDog Park, ology and Dog Save the People.
You can visit our website, dogpark ology.com to learn more
about the show and to buy customdesign merch like our T-shirts.

(09:17):
If you know of any great dog parksin your area or you've created
your own dog park ology moment, youcan email us at [e-mail].
We'd love to hear about your experience,and if you've enjoyed listening
to this episode, please share it.
Enjoy a trip to a dog park today,or wherever you go with your dog,

(09:39):
to appreciate nature, meet others,and make a better life together.