You may not have been aware of the heavy financial burden a dog can bring, especially if she has health problems, but even if you have a perfectly healthy dog, the cost of licensing, food, flea and tick meds, beddings, toys, vet appointments,heart worm meds, and kennel fees really add up. There’s noway around it. Dogs are expensive.  If you can’t afford the cost of dog ownership, there are resources that can help. Handicapped Pets has included a list of organizations that offer financial assistance to pet owners on their website. This list can be found on the “Pet Services” page of handicappedpets.com.

Another reality of dog ownership is time. Properly training your dog takes a lot of time, and some training methods require a great deal of patience. But even if your dog is well behaved, you still need to provide her with daily walks and activities A tired dog is usually a well behaved dog, so it’s in your best interest to make sure she receives plenty of exercise. In fact, some of the behavioral problems you’re dealing with, such  as destructiveness, are usually caused by boredom and lack of exercise.

Your dog’s behavioral problems may also be a result of separation anxiety.  Dogs aren’t the type of animals you can leave alone for ten hours a day. If you have a demanding job, having a friend or family member stop by to visit your dog during the day or getting permission to bring your dog into work for a few hours may correct the problem.

Barking is for dogs what language is for people. As to the body language we can see movement of eyes, tail, head, ears, and eyebrows, all of them being as instruments of showing on the outside what is on the inside of a dog. When your pet dog is holding his tail up, it means that he signals dominance, and when wagging it excitedly it means that he is happy and playful.

But as mentioned before, dogs do not use merely the body language but also the barking which has evolved from the stage of brief wolf howling to the long rhythmical stanzas of barking. While wolves use to howl on very rare occasions, dogs do this quite often as a result of their evolution from the wild stage to that of a domesticated dog.

Through studies performed in dog barking it has been found that there several types of dog barking and reasons for doing so:

* A warning bark – it can be described as a quite bark in a low sound which in time can turn into stringer grumble to result eventually in a howling growl. When being used by a dog, this sound means a possible danger more commonly related to territorial violation. In case your dog will go on with this type of bark then you should know that a threat has been sensed.

* Alarm bark – will result in brief barks that will keep on like this until the dog is aware that some action is going to take place. This sort of bark takes place mostly whenever the dog hasn’t got the visibility for the specific sound that has drawn his attention, such as a honk on the driveway or the bell ringing.

* A continuous barking – is a way through which a dog will let you know that he is alone and also that the feels very lonely. This is the way through which he begs for attention.

* Yelping – can occur as a single one or it be presented in a series of yelps generated by pain and it is related also to how severe the yelp is.

* Stutter barking – it is inappropriate to apply the label of stutter to the dog barking as it is the only way to define this type of barking. It sounds mostly like a broken sound of the regular bark when he feels like playing. A tone that is ascending will also mean that your pet dog is excited.

There is an attempt through which dog barking can be understood as different meanings have been found with every type of dog barking. Some motions are also related to the type of barking making the spectrum of interpretations much wider depending of course with the nature of the context that has led to the specific sound of barking.

Fees: Residents of Whitewater School District Annual Bark Park fee is $15. Non-resident annual fee is $25.00. Memberships for additional dogs in the same household are $10 for each dog, regardless of residency.

Females in Season: It is a rule in most dog parks (and is just plain common sense), that females in heat are not allowed in the dog park. This is for obvious reasons. You should also know that intact uuneutered males are statistically responsible for most dogfights and bites in the country. If you do not plan to become a breeder and take responsibility for your breeding, then please consider getting your dog Spay/Neutered. A female in heat causes stress in the male dogs, and besides the obvious unwanted litter of puppies happening, a dog fight between the males can happen.

* No running or screaming is allowed in the Dog Park.

* Do not chase the dogs, do not approach them, and especially do not pet them (unless the owner says it’s ok and the parent says it’s ok).

* If approached by dogs, just stand still and ignore them, do not raise your arms as that will most likely trigger the dog to jump on you and it could knock you over on accident.

On November 1, 2005, the Whitewater City Council approved the building of a 20 acre dog park to be located on the east edge of the city’s Industrial Park. Now that we have approval, we must raise the necessary money (about $35,000) and the the park!

You can help make this happen in a number of ways:

*   A cash donation
*   Donation of equipment or items for the future raffle
*   Donation of labor

Anything that you can do to help will, of course, be greatly appreciated. Donations/inquiries can de directed to Grace Saalsaa at Quiet Hut Sports (phone 262/473-2950), 186 W. Main Street, Whitewater.

Keep your dog on-leash on the way to and from the dog park. Be courteous and do not let your dog run freely until it is inside the dog park. A leashed dog, when confronting an off-leash dog, can feel vulnerable and fearful. Itmay also feel the need to protect you. When you tug on the leash, you put your dog at a disavantage and are unwittingly asking for a confrontation with the unleashed dog. When restrained and pulling against the leash, your dog now looks to be in a chest-out, raised-up aggressive pose that can cause the off-leash dog to feel threatened.

Some dogs have rough play styles and can be overpowering though non-aggressive. If your dog is in any way menacing another dog– please remove your dog to another part of the park. Don’t wait for someone to ask you to do the polite thing. Remember, a little common sense and courtesy go a long way when the success of the Dog Park relies on the people who use it.

Remove pinch collars and choke chains from your dog before letting them into the off-leash area. Dogs wearing pinch collars can be injured when playing with other dogs.

Carry plastic bags with you — you are responsible for cleaning up after your dog on the way to and from the fenced-in area as well as while you are in it.

Young puppies will not have developed a mature immune system. Under the age of six months, they are still at risk of contracting an infection even when vaccinated.

All dogs using the park must be current on their vaccinations, and must be clear of intestinal worms.

Beware if you bring food into the dog park. Food can make a docile dog aggressive, and a dropped piece of food in a group of dogs can be a sure way to start a dog fight. Many owners do not feed treats. Some dogs have allergies. Never give food or treats to a strange dog without the owner’s permission.

If you bring children with you, please teach them how to behave with and around dogs. Many dog parks do not alow children under the age of 12. Keep your children within arm’s reach and do not allow them to run through the dog park unsupervised. Never let your children approach or pet a dog without the owner’s presence and approval. You can’t be certain how dogs will behave around children. Young children can be easily knocked over or trampled by running dogs. A running, squealing, or screaming child attracts attention and may become a target for dogs who were bred to herd, have a high prey drive, or simply dislike children. One adult to supervise children and the family dog is not sufficient. You are responsible for everyone you bring to the park.