Linden couple celebrates man’s best friend
CRAIGHALL PARK – A Linden couple recently opened a leash-free dog park in Delta Park. Here is what they have to say about responsible pet ownership.
Dogs are emotional beings. Each one is unique and with the right training, owners can learn to unleash their dog’s full potential.
These are the sentiments of Caitlin Helmrich who, together with husband Thomas, co-founded GeniUS Dog Park located within Delta Park, during lockdown last year.
This is a private, fully-fenced park area which allows owners and their dogs to enjoy private, off-leash dog walks.
No other dogs are in the field during each booked slot, giving owners’ dogs the freedom to, in Helmrich’s words, ‘stretch their legs and have some fun without worrying about other off-leash dogs or distractions’.
Helmrich explained the reason behind the name of their park, GeniUS, with the ‘US’ highlighted, to emphasise the importance of a pet-person relationship. A happy person makes for a happy dog, and vice versa.”
Helmrich is a teacher by profession but is also a qualified dog behavioural therapist and trainer in her spare time. “I am fascinated by the special relationship humans share with the species,” she told the Gazette. We have taken dogs into our homes, and learned to co-exist with them, side by side, in a loving relationship that both species have learned to depend on.”
She said through her work, she had helped to settle dogs into rescue centres, increasing their chances of adoption. Helmrich and Thomas also foster puppies and Helmrich said her work also included going out to people’s homes to ensure that puppy and owner were a good fit and to ease the puppy’s transition into the new home.
Thomas explained the leash-free dog park had been well-received by the community, and said it provided a way for owners, who were unsure how their pets would respond in public parks, to let their dog enjoy new sensory stimulation and experience a fresh environment, in a safe, controlled space.
Learning responsible pet ownership
Helmrich explained that while people believed taking dogs out for a walk was solely for exercise, it was more for their mental well-being than anything else. “They are stimulated by the change of environment. There are new sights and sounds. They learn confidence when walks are done right.”
Furthermore, she said society had been conditioned to believe that taking a dog out for a walk every day was good for the dog. “If the dog feels stressed or overstimulated by the environment, such as heavy traffic noise or dogs barking behind gates, this daily mental stress can be counter-productive.”
She said her work in visiting people’s homes to ‘train them’ to manage less desirable behaviour in their dogs, had made her aware of the importance of dogs’ mental and emotional well-being, and the importance of continually stimulating the dog’s mind through new adventures, such as a walk through the park.
“A dog should not be without a leash if it doesn’t respond to its name being called and return to the owner. This is why it is important to know one’s dog and to ensure dogs are socialised. However, at the same time, there are bylaws in place which prohibit dogs being walked without leashes in certain areas and these should be abided by.”
Speaking of aggressive or unwanted behaviour in dogs, she explained, “Genetics play a big role in a dog’s behaviour. Some behaviours are easier to correct than others but genetics can influence temperaments. Furthermore, there are also breed-specific temperaments and behaviours.” She said there were, however, always exceptions to the rule, and each dog should be treated uniquely.
Commenting on the recent incident in Delta Park where off-leash dogs turned on horses with their riders in the park, she said, “We are aware of the incident with the dogs and the horses. Clearly this was a dangerous situation for both dog and horse, and the riders.”
Thomas said he believed this was where responsible pet ownership came in and he said the vision behind he and his wife’s endeavour was to foster this love for dogs, and an understanding of their behaviour in the community.
Details: geniUS Dog Park, www.geniusdogs.co.za
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