In a historic Capitol Hill row house on a wet, cold winter day, an intimate afternoon high tea was served. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the air was scented with the heady fragrances of the hostess’ native India – home made chai (spiced tea with milk) and samosas (hot, fragrant, fried pastry pockets filled with potato, meat, chilies, herbs and spices). The occasion? A baby shower.

The scene was not unfamiliar – women of varying ages and backgrounds contributing salmon and deviled-egg salad tea sandwiches, scones, sweets and cakes, all drinking tea, exchanging stories, laughing and watching the mother-to-be open presents for the little newcomer. What was different about this baby shower, is that nearly all of the women had met and become friendly….at the dog park. 

I was one of those women, and it was one of the most wonderful afternoons I’d spent in a long time. We had all established, in our own ways, that through our love for our dogs and our enjoyment of each others’, we had a great deal in common already. The rest flowed from there.

Jen, the star of the baby shower-tea, and now mother of beautiful baby Caroline, says that their first ‘baby’, Molly, a five-year old Portuguese Water Dog, was the determining factor in their choice of neighborhood in DC. Jen, Dave and Molly moved to Capitol Hill from Philadelphia in November of 2005. They were keen to find a place where they could walk and exercise Molly and, ideally, build their human family. Marion Park became a focal point for their house search, and has become the source of many of their area friends and support network.

Having a dog will get you out and about in your neighborhood like few other things will – your dog needs to be walked several times a day, whether it’s raining, sunny, code-orange air or sleeting. You might use the opportunity to take your morning jog or power walk, run an errand to the bank, or investigate an outdoor café where your pooch can have a cool drink, too.

Eventually, you will probably seek out or stumble upon a park where there are other dogs and their humans. And more often than not, you’ll go back.  What is it about a park with dogs? People are often more open to exchanging a few words, or even having a conversation, with a total stranger when their dogs seem to be getting along. Dogs, like children in the playground, perhaps, provide a common, safe topic. They’re fun to watch. As Jen puts it, “Dogs have a way of disarming people; they break the ice and make people more approachable.”

Park regulars get to know the schedules and rhythms of other regulars, who can be a great source of information. Can anyone recommend a dog walker, dog trainer, groomer? And if a regular hasn’t been around for awhile, someone inevitably will inquire about them. People whose principal connection is canine can often be heard asking each other “How was your vacation?” “Is your basement still flooded?” “How is your mother doing?”

If a deeper friendship evolves, you might find a family or couple willing to take care of your dog for a weekend or more, with the understanding that you will reciprocate.  Or you might just widen your circle of closer friends. Like a book club, church, synagogue, or softball team, the relationships that can spring from daily trips to the dog park can evolve into a true community. New members are noticed and welcomed. And each new greeting seems to carry the message, "join our family"!  Not surprisingly in this electronic age, the dog park network has also gone on-line – check out various Yahoo! Groups like Marion Park Dogs, sp-dogs (Stanton Park Dogs), and DCDOG (e.g., www.dcdog@yahoogroups.com.)

In Marion Park, the dog-owner community has found other common ground through the recently revived “Friends of Marion Park”. Sharon Geno (who owns Huey, a stately, elder Basset Hound), has been the driving force behind FOMP, which has been instrumental in renewing a dialogue between local residents and the National Park Service for much-needed park upkeep. In June, FOMP organized a park ‘spruce-up’ day, and our dog-owner community was out in force to prune trees, weed, mulch and water trees, and then to enjoy home-made lemonade and other goodies provided by the humans owned by Pluto (Italian Greyhound), Winfrey (Labradoodle) and Jack (black Lab), all park regulars.

If you’re thinking about owning a dog, these parks can be a great resource – an opportunity to observe different breeds and, who knows, meet your neighbors. Dog owners will often stumble on an important etiquette issue, however – that pesky name thing. All too commonly, the humans have nearly total recall for each and every dog but….. um, oh no, not again, it’s too embarrassing (who is that? do you know her name?)…not a clue about the owners’! My advice: Just take a deep breath and admit it. Perhaps today’s version of that old saying “love me, love my dog” should be “I love your dog – what’s your name again?”

Nancy J. Kellner is an attorney, a professional dog trainer and the owner of What A Good Dog! LLC. She can be reached online at nancy@whatagooddog.net.