FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We endeavour to meet every night unless the weather is extreme. We define extreme as:
Heavy rain
Temperature drops below -30C
And sometime certain sports events have been known to reduce the number of people who show which means there aren’t as many pups to goof around.

It can vary greatly. At times, we have only four pups, but we have had over 20 pups romping around, having a great time. The number of pups that join us generally depends on what their humans have going on, but it is not uncommon for people to talk about how, when it’s getting close to “that time,” the pups are letting them know it’s “Pack Time.”

This is a relatively central location for the neighbourhoods to the east and west, from which people bring their pups. At the 95 St intersection, there is a bench, trash can, and lamp, which makes a big difference in the long winter nights.

Puppy treats are usually available, and the pups all know who the Pez Dispensers are. There are times when pups have tummy troubles, so their owners simply ask that treats not be given to their pups. Everyone understands the need to ask before giving out treats to new pups.

Yes. The green belt runs down to the Millcreek ravine. This means that wildlife which travels into the city along the river valley often makes its way along the creek, even this far up. While not seen every day, it is not uncommon to see skunks, porcupines, and coyotes in the ravine. We have also seen all of these along the green belt, but there have been very few (only two, as this is written) coyote attacks that we know about, and these happened at the ravine entrance. The good thing is that there is safety in numbers, and the wildlife tends to stay away from dogs anyway.

There are times when regulars will bring treats for the humans. Some people are great bakers!

There is no water source at the location, or anywhere near by that is city provided, so owners will bring water for the pups. We endeavour to have water available since the pups can get tired and thirsty playing for extended periods.

The area we meet in has 68th Ave running along it, and this means there is some traffic. Fortunately, people who bring their pups are usually watching where the pups are playing and have no concerns about calling back a pup they see running towards the avenue.

There are occasional spats that happen as pups determine rank in the pack. Fortunately, this has been limited to a lot of growling and a few snaps, but no real fights. When there is an event where two pups need to determine who’s the boss, there are people who are not afraid to step in if needed. This is all part of the pack setting its hierarchy, and after a few growls, it’s back to business, goofing off. This is a pack where some of the dogs have known each other for over four years, so very seldom is there any kind of aggressive behaviour. That said, there are a couple of goofballs who think they are the fun police and will bark when things get too active.