While slightly less sinister, going to a dog run without a dog is a lot like going to a playground without a kid. I suppose if I had a fluffy friend named Fido frolicking leash-free, I wouldn’t have looked so suspicious in my dark overcoat carrying a digital camera. But I don’t have a dog, so what else could I do when I realized the best way to decide if I want one is to visit an area dog run?
I began my venture Thursday at the dog run on 11th and Hudson streets in Hoboken. Despite the mild weather – the temperature had almost hit 60 degrees – the run was empty, except for an English bulldog named Madeline.
"She usually pulls me here," her owner, a pleasant blond woman who found Madeline through a breeder in upstate New York, told me. "She usually has some friends here, but it’s a little early today."
So I headed over to Church Square Park where, rumor has it, all the cool canines hang out. There, things were a bit more festive. Birds were chirping, children were playing, two renditions of "Pop Goes the Weasel" were radiating from rival Mister Softy trucks.
I entered the dog run and immediately began chatting with an au pair who was tending a 14-month old Corgie named Lieutenant Pork Chop.
"The kids named him," she explained.
Lieutenant Pork Chop was having fun with a mixed-breed – part Rhodesian Ridgeback, part German Shepherd, part "something else" – named Guinness.
"He was born on St. Patrick’s Day," explained the dog’s owner, Tom Reilly. "And I got to name him, much to my girlfriend’s chagrin."
According to Reilly, Church Square Park is the best dog run in the county.
"This is where all the action is," he said. "A lot of dogs even come from Weehawken. And this is where I get all of the good human gossip, too."
Just as I was about to ask him about the "good human gossip," a Jack Russell Terrier named Belle jumped on my lap.
"She’s only five months old," explained Belle’s affable owner as she yanked her dog. "She still prefers humans to other animals."
Belle became even more uppity when Lieutenant Pork Chop tried to mount her. Thankfully, Pork Chop quickly became distracted when a wailing Wheaten Terrier named Kilty entered the run. As the four furry canines ran around the run in circles, I decided to act like a dog owner. I unearthed a newspaper from the bottom of my bag and started to work on the crossword puzzle. Just as I was about to fill in the four-letter word for "Suddenly lose it," – "snap" – Belle reappeared on my lap.
"Sorry again," said her owner, before escorting Belle out of the park. Alas, Belle was followed by Guinness and Kilty, leaving me alone with Lieutenant Pork Chop and the au pair.
When it comes to the dog run, I quickly learned that there are always more pups. Lieutenant Pork Chop, the au pair and I were eventually joined by two German Shorthaired Pointers, a mutt named Macabe, an Irish Setter named Lucy and a little buggy-eyed pup named Max.
"This is his favorite place in town," explained Macabe’s owner, Rob Harari. "But he won’t poop here. This is his play spot, so he doesn’t want to mess it up."
Apparently, most other dogs don’t share Macabe’s logic. As the sun went down and the Mr. Softie trucks dispersed, I realized that my mission was complete: while the dog run is a nice place to visit, I don’t want to spend my days scooping up a pet’s poop. So, at least for now, I’ll remain pet-free. q
"This is his favorite place in town, but he won’t poop here. This is his play spot, so he doesn’t want to mess it up." – Rob Harari
"A lot of dogs even come from Weehawken. And this is where I get all of the good human gossip, too." – Tom Reilly