After gaining 8 years of wisdom, the Nanny had her first experience at a dog park.
We were nervous about taking her, for one, the dog park had only been open for a year. We feared she was to old and set in her nannyish ways to infiltrate her space bubble with new dogs. We also worried that her herding-nanny instinct would take over and she would have all the dogs gathered in the corner of the park, not letting them have any fun.
Fortunately for everyone, we as parents were worried for nothing. She guarded the park, making a few runs around the perimeter, and engaged in some licking of cheeks and sniffing of butts with the new dogs she met.
Her and Mr. Party primarily stuck together, giving each other confidence in the new surroundings. After 30 minutes of chasing and trotting, the Nanny began her hyena-like wimper that lets us know that she is having sensory overload. This stops us for a moment of rest and cuddling as she leans in close to her Dad, so he can feel her presence, in case he didn't hear her wimpers.
Mr. Party took the liberty of becoming the welcoming party. Sprinting the entire length of the park to the entrance as soon as he realized that a new dog was entering. Of course he doesn't take into consideration that when a dog sprints to him in this manner, it completely freaks him out and he becomes a defensive tasmanian devil. The excitement of the park has generated a foaming secretion of drool around Mr Party's mouth, as if he was drinking straight from the keg. But the ordinary bystander can't help but think of the infamous rabid St. Bernard from Stephen King's "Cujo."
