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Big Sky Dog Park in east Bend is a favorite gathering place for dogs and their owners.
Jim Witty / The Bulletin file photo

Dog park

By Jim Witty

Dogs just want to have fun.

They want to roam free, bound across open fields of newly mowed hay with their fur flying, fling themselves at other like-minded dogs with reckless abandon.

That's kind of difficult to do when Fido has a backyard the size of a commemorative postage stamp. Or when Spot's daily walk means lurching and wheezing down the street and yanking his owner along while tethered to a 12-foot leash.

The off-leash enclosure at Big Sky Park on the east side of Bend is a godsend for dog owners.

"This has got to be one of the best-attended parks in town," said Mark Chambers, of Bend. "And this has got to be one of the happiest parks. You can't help smiling."

Chambers was standing beneath a small cluster of junipers in the midsection of the park, bundled against the elements, while his border collie, Murphy, mixed it up with my two brutes, Zeke and Abbey.

As the three dogs explored the park in their own inimitable way, now streaking across the greenbelt, now disappearing among the rocks, the sagebrush and the junipers, Chambers and I discussed the weather, the park and how well the dogs got along.

Murphy, Abbey and Zeke were joined by Bailey, a Labrador mix; Kiska, a lumbering husky; and Spencer, an unlikely but affable amalgam of Saint Bernard, springer spaniel and border collie.

Chambers noted there are very few canine conflicts at the park and offered a plausible theory: "This is neutral territory, so no one's defending their home turf," he said.

Made sense to me.

Speaking of turf, this park has some of that, along with an equal amount of rough terrain - the High Desert in its natural state. At about four acres, the park is big enough for the dogs to feel free and unbridled (at least that's what Zeke told me), but small enough for owners to keep track of their stampeding charges.

Chambers, who manages a dog-friendly apartment complex in Bend called The Meadows (dogs are welcome as long as they're "accompanied by a well-mannered owner"), said he and Murphy come to the park several times a week.

"You can learn a lot about dogs here," Chambers noted. "I've got a lot of reassurance. Murphy's still a pup."

By this time, there were almost a dozen dogs surging this way then that, like a multicolored, teeth-gnashing, tail-wagging riptide.

Frankie Rickels, Lauren Sternfeld and Bailey have a small yard in Bend.

"Two bounds and she's already across it," said Sternfeld, who added she's glad they discovered the park.

"It's very popular," said Rick Raiter, of the Bend Metro Park and Recreation District. "It's busy all the time."

Perhaps the most important rule for people at the dog parks is to clean up after their pets. The park district provides plastic bags, but it's probably best to bring your own, just in case.

And exercise common sense.

Val Mallinson stresses doggy ethics in her book "The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest."

"While cleaning up after your dog is your responsibility, a dog in a public place has his own responsibilities," she writes. "Of course, it really boils down to your responsibility again, but the burden of action is on your dog. ... No vicious dogs; no jumping on people; no incessant barking, no leg lifts on kayaks, backpacks, human legs or other personal objects you'll find hanging around beaches and parks; dogs should come when they're called and they should stay on command."

As for dog parks, Mallinson offers this list of rules: "No puppies under four months or females in heat; keep dogs from fighting and biting; leash your pets on entry and exit and in parking lots; be aware and keep your dog under voice control; ensure that your dog is properly vaccinated and licensed; and, you guessed it, pick up poop."

The park and recreation district also requires dogs to wear ID collars and enforces a three-dog per-person-per-visit maximum.

There's a drinking fountain with a trough at Big Sky, but in the fall it gets turned off for the winter. So, bring plenty of water for your best friend.

Dogs must be kept on leashes at all other parks in Bend.

Zeke and Abbey and Kiska and Murphy and Bailey and Baja finally began tiring, their bounding circuits getting tighter and tighter before they sputtered to a stop near their owners. If not for the chilly rain, we would have been reluctant to leave.

"There's a whole culture built up around dogs and this park," Chambers said.

He walked away toward the double-gated exit, Murphy in tow. As far as I could tell, they were both smiling.

From U.S. Highway 97 in Bend, go east on U.S. Highway 20, then north (left) on 27th Street. Turn right on Neff Road and follow Neff 1.3 miles to the entrance to Big Sky Park on the left. Follow the signs back to the dog park. Free. Contact: Bend Metro Park and Recreation District, 389-7275.

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