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 4 ups 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 its getting close to “that time” the pups are letting them know its pack time.
This is a relatively central location for the neighbourhoods 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 they are not familiar with.
Yes. The green belt runs down to the Millcreek valley. This means that wildlife which travels into the city along the river 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) attacks that we know about. The good thing is that there is safety in numbers and the wild life 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 always conscious of where the pups are playing and have no concerns about calling back a pup they see running towards the avenue.
There are the 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 it’s hierarchy and after a few growls its back to business, goofing off. This is a pack where some of the dogs have known each other for over three years so very seldom is there any kind of aggressive behaviour. That said, there are a couple of goof balls who think they are the fun police and will bark when things get to active.