PetSafe's Pet Park

   Our trip to the BlogPaws conference in Nashville was filled with firsts for Bentley and Pierre.  It was their first long road trip and the first time to ever stay in a hotel.  I will admit to being a little bit anxious as to how they would react.  To say that I was super proud of them is an understatement.  They traveled in their kennel like champs and slept a good deal of the way going and the entire way returning!  We did stop for a couple of potty breaks, but after five days of fun, they were exhausted.

Photo courtesy of bybecka.com via BlogPaws

   Since the conference was pet-friendly there was a Pet Park sponsored by the amazing PetSafe Company.  It opened at 7:30 and closed at the end of the days’ events.  We don’t have access to a dog park in our city, so the boys have never played in a group of dogs.  They are both pretty easy-going.  Bentley doesn’t like to share his treats and will not share a bone but other than that, they are friends with everyone.  Fortunately, there were no bones available to the group and treats were handed out by the pet care workers. 

Photo courtesy of bybecka.com via BlogPaws

   There were several times that we chose to let them play instead of making them sit through sessions.  They aren’t good at taking notes and tend to gossip during lectures.  We decided they would have a better time playing with their new friends.  Being over-anxious parents, we snuck to the windows to check on them while they were playing.  They spotted us one time so we waved and hurried to our next class!

"Hey, Mom!  Look at my new buddies!"

   There was an outside covered area available but because the weather was iffy, they moved the Pet Park indoors.  I was very relieved.  It would have been scary for me to let them play outdoors off-leash even in an enclosed area.  Neither of them will respond to “Come” when they are sniffing or playing.  I would have been terrified that they would have bolted at the first opportunity.  Instead, they had a blast and were safely inside while we attended sessions.

"Every girl's crazy about a sharp-dressed dog!"

   We went to get them out one afternoon and the pet sitters smiled and asked us if we knew that Bentley sat up for long periods of time.  We laughed and said that we did.  Then they told us, “We took pictures and posted them all over the internet!  We’ve never seen anything like that before.  I mean he just sits there looking like he wants to talk!”  It was very funny, but I totally understand.  It can be shocking when you first see him sit that way for several minutes at a time!

Photo courtesy of bybecka.com via BlogPaws

   I’d like to thank PetSafe, BlogPaws, and the Pet Park workers for providing a safe and friendly environment for my boys.