1 00:00:05,810 --> 00:00:07,709 Welcome to Dog Parkology. 2 00:00:11,610 --> 00:00:14,940 This is a story about dog parks. 3 00:00:15,870 --> 00:00:19,800 How they came to be, why they're essential, and how they might 4 00:00:19,840 --> 00:00:22,160 evolve to make life better. 5 00:00:26,469 --> 00:00:30,475 In the earliest days of North America, Native Americans kept dogs 6 00:00:30,515 --> 00:00:34,885 as hunting partners, camp security, and companions for their children. 7 00:00:37,445 --> 00:00:41,935 Dogs lived freely alongside their humans and were considered special members of the 8 00:00:41,935 --> 00:00:45,064 tribe, unique and important animal allies. 9 00:00:46,155 --> 00:00:50,765 They were beloved as friends, co workers, and family members. 10 00:00:51,985 --> 00:00:54,735 We chose dogs, and they chose us. 11 00:00:57,565 --> 00:01:02,045 As American society and culture changed, so did the roles of our dogs. 12 00:01:02,660 --> 00:01:06,110 In the 19th century, they were primarily working animals, 13 00:01:06,420 --> 00:01:08,380 focused on herding and hunting. 14 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,819 By the beginning of the 20th century, as the agricultural economy 15 00:01:12,820 --> 00:01:16,790 shifted to industrial, fewer and fewer people lived off the land, 16 00:01:17,150 --> 00:01:19,180 instead flocking to cities for jobs. 17 00:01:19,735 --> 00:01:24,265 There was less demand for dogs to work outside, and more for them as companions. 18 00:01:25,354 --> 00:01:30,154 Coming out of World War II, in the 1950s, the suburbs started to emerge. 19 00:01:30,554 --> 00:01:31,835 And so did dogs. 20 00:01:33,195 --> 00:01:36,404 It became part of the picture of the idealized American dream, 21 00:01:37,025 --> 00:01:40,875 which included a home with a white picket fence, two smiling parents, 22 00:01:41,275 --> 00:01:43,235 a couple of kids, and a dog. 23 00:01:46,164 --> 00:01:49,395 No other family represented this better than the Kennedys. 24 00:01:49,745 --> 00:01:53,324 who were said to be crazy about dogs because of their hopeful spirit. 25 00:01:54,265 --> 00:01:58,175 Throughout his political career, including his presidency, Kennedy 26 00:01:58,175 --> 00:02:01,315 modeled for Americans how a dog could be part of the family. 27 00:02:01,945 --> 00:02:05,404 His beautiful wife Jackie and their children were often photographed 28 00:02:05,405 --> 00:02:08,724 with their four dogs at home in the White House and on vacation. 29 00:02:09,424 --> 00:02:11,134 The dogs didn't sleep inside. 30 00:02:11,324 --> 00:02:13,964 Instead, they spent their nights in a kennel on the property. 31 00:02:15,325 --> 00:02:17,704 This was typical of most American families. 32 00:02:18,315 --> 00:02:21,745 During the 60s and 70s, dogs were outside in the backyard 33 00:02:21,815 --> 00:02:23,225 with a doghouse for shelter. 34 00:02:24,274 --> 00:02:27,415 During the day, they would mostly roam freely throughout neighborhoods. 35 00:02:28,194 --> 00:02:32,565 TV, movies, and the funny pages also portrayed dogs this way. 36 00:02:33,174 --> 00:02:37,674 Think about Snoopy without a leash, lying on top of his signature red doghouse. 37 00:02:38,165 --> 00:02:42,845 Or heroic Collie Lassie exploring the town on her own all day and 38 00:02:42,845 --> 00:02:44,285 sleeping in a backyard shed. 39 00:02:46,385 --> 00:02:49,254 While there is more room in the burbs, living with dogs in 40 00:02:49,254 --> 00:02:51,205 cities presented challenges. 41 00:02:51,684 --> 00:02:54,174 Dogs mainly lived inside smaller apartments and 42 00:02:54,174 --> 00:02:56,185 required regular walks outside. 43 00:02:56,920 --> 00:03:01,580 Cities technically had leash and licensing laws, but most people disregarded them, 44 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,850 and the rules were rarely enforced. 45 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:08,110 Dogs were pretty free to walk city streets and explore public parks, 46 00:03:08,170 --> 00:03:10,040 with their humans not too far behind. 47 00:03:11,220 --> 00:03:15,120 In this era, our best friends had a good life, filled with freedom 48 00:03:15,149 --> 00:03:16,819 and a strong sense of agency. 49 00:03:17,439 --> 00:03:20,339 But as dogs popularity grew, so did complaints. 50 00:03:20,340 --> 00:03:29,420 A 1976 New York Times headline, Read, urban dog population is a rising problem. 51 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,270 Many owners let their dogs run unleashed in city parks, the article says. 52 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:38,619 A practice that often frightens mothers with infants, that turns some 53 00:03:38,619 --> 00:03:42,969 park areas into wallows of canine feces, and that presents a special 54 00:03:42,970 --> 00:03:47,120 peril to joggers and runners who provide tempting moving targets. 55 00:03:48,385 --> 00:03:52,025 There were also concerns about barking, indiscriminate breeding, 56 00:03:52,325 --> 00:03:56,275 or dog abandonment, leading to strays and overpopulated shelters. 57 00:03:57,125 --> 00:03:58,564 Then came the crackdown. 58 00:03:58,715 --> 00:04:03,215 First the cities, then the suburbs decided to address these problems with new rules. 59 00:04:04,045 --> 00:04:07,675 Many communities passed stricter dog control ordinances and 60 00:04:07,675 --> 00:04:09,655 began to enforce leash laws. 61 00:04:10,345 --> 00:04:14,734 The idea was having a human attached to a dog by a leash would 62 00:04:14,734 --> 00:04:16,995 minimize undesirable behavior. 63 00:04:17,694 --> 00:04:21,385 Not everybody was happy about keeping dogs on leash all the time. 64 00:04:21,865 --> 00:04:26,145 Dogs need freedom to run, to exercise, to play with others, 65 00:04:26,445 --> 00:04:27,805 and to express themselves. 66 00:04:34,625 --> 00:04:39,765 In the late 70s, in California's San Francisco Bay Area, a small group of dog 67 00:04:39,765 --> 00:04:44,305 owners informally gathered in a Berkeley public park to challenge leash laws. 68 00:04:45,020 --> 00:04:49,390 Berkeley was known for political activism and fighting for civic justice, 69 00:04:49,750 --> 00:04:53,630 including a hard fought battle to reclaim private land for community 70 00:04:53,630 --> 00:04:56,110 benefit, aptly named the People's Park. 71 00:04:56,950 --> 00:05:02,370 An annex to that park, a two block stretch of land on Hearst Street, where residents 72 00:05:02,370 --> 00:05:07,044 frequently brought their dogs, Would go on to change dogs' lives forever. 73 00:05:10,344 --> 00:05:16,044 In 1979, a group of locals petitioned to create an experimental dog park. 74 00:05:17,025 --> 00:05:21,585 They described this innovative concept as a large fenced area with trees, 75 00:05:21,645 --> 00:05:24,074 grass, and benches for the human guests. 76 00:05:24,985 --> 00:05:29,544 The group clarified this was not a gated dog run with a narrow paved 77 00:05:29,544 --> 00:05:32,155 lane for just a few dogs to exercise. 78 00:05:32,505 --> 00:05:37,115 Instead, they envisioned it just like other public parks, but where everyone 79 00:05:37,115 --> 00:05:39,215 could legally let dogs run free. 80 00:05:39,775 --> 00:05:43,935 An unintended benefit was that fellow dog parents met neighbors there 81 00:05:44,185 --> 00:05:46,064 and created a tight knit community. 82 00:05:46,474 --> 00:05:51,405 These casual human friendships proved to be a driving force behind the popularity. 83 00:05:52,685 --> 00:05:56,635 The place became known as the Ohlone Dog Park, with the name nodding 84 00:05:56,635 --> 00:06:00,415 to the Native American tribe who originally occupied that land. 85 00:06:02,715 --> 00:06:06,965 It is considered The first dog park in the world. 86 00:06:09,885 --> 00:06:14,954 Today, there are more than 1, 000 official dog parks in the United States, and now 87 00:06:14,975 --> 00:06:17,485 almost half of households own a dog. 88 00:06:18,435 --> 00:06:23,204 Since 1980, the prominence of dogs, our understanding of their psychology, 89 00:06:23,384 --> 00:06:26,075 and our behavior has changed a lot. 90 00:06:26,735 --> 00:06:31,075 Scientific research on how dogs think and our relationship with them has 91 00:06:31,075 --> 00:06:33,475 also exploded over the last decade. 92 00:06:34,065 --> 00:06:39,405 Duke University founded the first Canine Cognition Center to research how dogs and 93 00:06:39,405 --> 00:06:42,835 humans minds converge in outstanding ways. 94 00:06:43,424 --> 00:06:48,734 Similar programs soon followed at Yale, the University of Denver, and Penn, with 95 00:06:48,734 --> 00:06:53,184 dedicated programs on canine research emerging from schools of anthropology, 96 00:06:53,434 --> 00:06:55,784 psychology, and veterinary medicine. 97 00:06:56,539 --> 00:06:59,829 Technologies like the internet and social media have disrupted 98 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:02,000 human behavior in lasting ways. 99 00:07:02,370 --> 00:07:07,159 On screen interaction has replaced many in person experiences, from 100 00:07:07,159 --> 00:07:09,340 shopping to dating and working. 101 00:07:09,919 --> 00:07:14,469 Our lives have also been forever changed by the global COVID 19 pandemic. 102 00:07:14,919 --> 00:07:17,900 During lockdown, we were encouraged to isolate to 103 00:07:17,900 --> 00:07:19,770 minimize the spread of the virus. 104 00:07:20,140 --> 00:07:23,969 This normalized remote work for many Americans, merging the home 105 00:07:23,999 --> 00:07:26,099 and office into the same place. 106 00:07:26,595 --> 00:07:31,284 First time dog adoption rates soared during the pandemic as people sought 107 00:07:31,305 --> 00:07:33,845 connection with new furry best friends. 108 00:07:34,385 --> 00:07:37,965 Canine companionship became a crucial mental health support. 109 00:07:40,655 --> 00:07:44,565 Throughout it all, dog parks remained one of the few safe places people 110 00:07:44,565 --> 00:07:47,665 could take their dogs to play and socialize with other humans. 111 00:07:49,054 --> 00:07:52,405 This drove home dog parks importance for community activity, 112 00:07:52,785 --> 00:07:54,415 interaction, and bonding. 113 00:07:55,450 --> 00:07:59,030 While the number of dog parks has increased since their founding at 114 00:07:59,030 --> 00:08:03,060 Berkeley, the original concept has not changed much in almost 50 years. 115 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:07,609 The traditional fenced in dog park is still the prevalent model. 116 00:08:08,569 --> 00:08:12,780 In Dog Parkology, we want to build out from the traditional elements of the dog 117 00:08:12,790 --> 00:08:17,460 park and move forward with ideas that will help us build better connections with our 118 00:08:17,470 --> 00:08:20,230 dogs, with each other, and with the land. 119 00:08:22,500 --> 00:08:23,559 It's time to think outside the box. 120 00:08:23,690 --> 00:08:28,420 outside the fence about what the future of our dog parks might look like. 121 00:08:32,950 --> 00:08:36,549 Thank you for listening to this episode of dog parkology. 122 00:08:36,549 --> 00:08:38,500 I'm Jenna Blum, your narrator. 123 00:08:39,309 --> 00:08:44,120 This show was created by As It Should Be Productions, the creators of Dog Save the 124 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:50,619 People and Dog Walk Meditation podcasts with executive producer Scott Benaglio 125 00:08:50,620 --> 00:08:52,550 and producer and editor Jack Sommer. 126 00:08:54,950 --> 00:08:58,940 Be sure to check out the entire season of dog parkology by following 127 00:08:58,940 --> 00:09:01,079 the show on Apple podcasts, Spotify. 128 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:03,750 Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 129 00:09:05,110 --> 00:09:09,280 You can follow us on social media at Dog Park, ology and Dog Save the People. 130 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:13,430 You can visit our website, dog park ology.com to learn more 131 00:09:13,430 --> 00:09:16,910 about the show and to buy custom design merch like our T-shirts. 132 00:09:17,610 --> 00:09:21,120 If you know of any great dog parks in your area or you've created 133 00:09:21,120 --> 00:09:26,700 your own dog park ology moment, you can email us at dogPark@gmail.com. 134 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,380 We'd love to hear about your experience, and if you've enjoyed listening 135 00:09:32,380 --> 00:09:34,271 to this episode, please share it. 136 00:09:35,890 --> 00:09:39,480 Enjoy a trip to a dog park today, or wherever you go with your dog, 137 00:09:39,750 --> 00:09:44,060 to appreciate nature, meet others, and make a better life together.