D.O.G was my brainchild so I humbly accept "Founder of D.O.G." title. I am not a President kind of guy you can give Monica that title. I wanted to get together Dobereich owners and experience the walk concept. I'll nominate Joanne as the Social Convenor as she's a natural to bring us out of our shell as indviduals and Reyna is just like Joanne on that front too!
The name came to me buzzing around my head at 3AM one night....I woke up from a dream and it just came to me!
The Concept and Format and Why.........
I joined way back when Zeus was still pretty young the Toronto Doberman Meet Group. Lyndsay Shostal started the group and is the glue that brings it together. I went to my 1st meetup and I forget the park but it was a tight confined fenced area that reaked of pee, it was muddy and what really set me off was all the dobermans running around loose and not one owner really paying attention to any of the dogs. One owner showed up with a red male that was just a firecracker of pent up agression and if that dog had been let loose in the offleash there would have been trouble. no owners watching dogs or interaction of them to spot trouble, no interation of owner and dog, lots of owner/owners drinking coffee and chatting totally oblivious to the dogs. It was also pretty clear most of the dogs were BYB dobermans, many of the owners had no clue about the breed, male/male agression and really didn't get it>
Leading up to that event I was so stoked to join up with other owners but what I found wasn't what I expected. I also did a ton more research and realized how male/male doberman agression is a ticking timebomb. You can't have intact males and in cases neutered males and intact males off leash running together. I've seen numerious pictures of battle scarred dogs from attacks in dogparks. Lyndsay's own neutered male in the last year or so was attacked pretty bad.
Now take the next comment as a positive in that leashed walk, meets, picnic and we are all educated informed owners........
Look at our own group, Diesel took a couple runs at Zeus the 1st meet. Jack and Dante had a little discussion and although Zeus isn't one to start something, but he's still an intact male and will show his stuff if challenged. With all the boys leashed we had nothing that was even close to being bad but if they were all offleash ...oh man!
One of my most favorite things is walking my doberman. I've added years on my life and reduced my stress from work since Zeus III came along, I'm down at least 10 lbs from walking him and I probably feel 5 years younger too.
AND
I love to show off when I have something special.
If you saw my 2 classic cars you would understand and they are serious cars that aren't posers and walk the walk, kind of like dobermans with 4 wheels, one is black and one is red so really like dobermans
;D
So bring that all together and I wanted to try and get a group of Dobereich Owners out enjoying their dogs together, walking as a group and showing off! Showing off our beautiful dogs, showing the good of the breed, having fun and getting exercise. I know that anyone that paid for a quality Dobereich dog did homework and knows about the breed. So meeting them they will love to talk doberman and they "Get it"
Joanne connected up with me as her parents live in my town and the 1st time she came by and Zeus and Reyna met I knew I had something and she gave the inspiration to push for a meeting of Dobereich owners.
To be Clear...........
Offleash and dogpark areas with any of our dobermans will never be a formal part of D.O.G events I organize. If the area has the option owners that care to go ther offleash great, but I will never plan or route the group walk were other dogs are offleash. As much as I know we turned heads like crazy twice now at High Park and Bloor West Village and did lots of positive, going into any offleash situation with the same group and have a dog attacked or one of our dogs attack a dog of a person in offleash will do us all harm, owner, dogs, breed, breeder and D.O.G. The Doberman will be blamed 100% even if the doberman is innocent and was not the dog that started the fight.
Places
High Park, Bloor West is tough to beat. High Park has also tons of trails that could easily be part of the walk. I know I got lost on them my 1st time and Bill and Dyanne did the same on Sunday. Pretty hard to beat the atmosphere of Bloor West Village and it's a great walk.
It's also central for a hugh portion of Ontario and go out an hour and a half radius and there are a ton of Dobereich dogs in that area.
I drive in too it's an hour for me from Grimsby with good traffic to High Park.
I know an awesome place for a D.O.G event to give the same buzz as Bloor West Village down by me is the Old Historic Niagara-on-The Lake on a Sunday afternoon, or Niagara Falls and Clifton Hill and the walk along the river overlooking the falls
BUT
You would all kill me as you drove back bumper to bumper on the QEW if it was after 5:00 PM as you got on your way back to the GTA.
NOTL is quite historic lots of shops etc, Niagara Parkway many places for picnic like HP but it's probably 1 1/2 hrs or more from the GTA.
So I'm totally game for D.O.G 3rd meet in High Park / Bloor West Village again. I would do NOTL or Niagara Falls, Lundy's Lane, down Clifton Hill, walk along the falls and back etc.
Here is a great thought for D.O.G 4th meet
Winter Woofstock Nov 20 Direct Energy Toronto, mark your calendars as this one is a go. The summer one was awesome with Joanne and seeing Eric, Steve and Andrew all were there
www.winterwoofstock.com/whatiswoofstock.htmHope this helps and post up other locations you might think would work and for sure comment on the D.O.G 3rd meet suggestions
1. HP / Bloor West
2. NOTL
3. Niagara Falls