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 Keowee is a 2-1/2-yr-old New Guinea Singing Dog NGSD or "Singer". The NGSD was discovered by the outside world in 1957 when the first pair was brought down from the New Guinea Highlands to the Taronga Zoo, Sydney, Australia. There are currently about 200 of them in captivity in the world, and they may well be extinct in their home country of New Guinea. Born and raised in captivity, Keowee is a "tamed" (not domesticated) wild dog, and not only his physical features, but also his behavior patterns, differ greatly from those of domestic dogs. For example, the Singer play invitation appears to be a "stalking" posture, rather than the dog/wolf play bow, and they also have an "open-mouth play bite" that has not been recorded for dogs or wolves, but is seen in coyotes. Because of behavioral differences such as these, Singers are often mistaken by both humans and domestic dogs for being aggressive. A dog park, therefore, is a great place for Keowee to get used to domestic dogs and the general public, and vice versa, and cultivate mutual understanding. Besides completing a Puppy Socialization class, Beginning and Advanced Obedience classes, and Introductory and Beginning Agility classes, Keowee has participated in various activities such as Puppy Parties, Pet Parade and Dog Walk, and frequently visited pet shops, church and local events, where he could meet other dogs and humans. As a result Keowee passed the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Test at 8 months old, quite an accomplishment for any puppy, and the first Singer to ever pass the test. He also passed a companion animal test and regularly visited a hospital in B.C., Canada, as a "therapy" dog. While there are quite a few opportunities for puppies to socialize, few are available for adult dogs because shops, dog trainers and organizations want to avoid troubles that large dogs may cause. This is counter productive as, if dogs are less socialized, they are more likely to get into trouble. A community dog park, when accompanied by responsible and understanding owners, is the best place for dogs and puppies to socialize and learn acceptable behaviors. We are grateful that Fairbanks has a group of people and dogs that meet at an old ballpark on weekends to accomplish this goal. After regularly visiting the ballpark over the last half year, Keowee has greatly improved his skills in playing with domestic dogs. If a wild dog can achieve so much, why not domestic dogs? A dog park is a must for Fairbanks, where dogs are not only popular, but are an important animal in Alaskan history. |
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