A group of Utah County residents are proving that playdates aren't just for kids.
The Provo Doggie Bros, a group with almost 200 members on Facebook, facilitate a way for local dog owners to get together. Every night, a different park in Provo turns into a free-for-all doggie playground. Dozens of dogs, from Great Danes to chihuahuas, run, chase each other and wrestle while their owners chat amongst themselves and share parenting tips.
BYU student Christine Sellers said she just happened to come across the group last spring when she was at the park with her black lab weimeraner mix, Ella Fitzgerald. She has been coming ever since and said she sees a lot of benefits for her dog.
"Well she’s social, which is huge, so she doesn’t have a problem with other dogs or other people," she said. "And she is exhausted for the rest of the night which is super nice for us. She just sleeps, so we love it.”
Many members of the group are students living in small apartments, like Sellers, and have to find creative ways to get their dogs enough exercise.
For the Allred family from Spanish Fork, Tuesday night was their first time coming to the dog roundup with their 10-month-old Great Dane, Wash.
“Just the socialization to meet with other dogs and people (is beneficial)," Brian Allred said. "I think the socialization aspect is the best, because when they’re socialized they’re not stupid, too stupid around other people.”
The group posts a schedule on their Facebook page outlining which park they will meet at every day of the week. Although most parks in Provo do not allow unleashed dogs, Sellers said they have only been approached about it once when a police officer told them to "put a leash on their beasts."
She said the group hopes to use this as a platform to petition the mayor for a dog park in Provo.
"There are a lot of petitions going on, and supposedly we have a meeting with the mayor so we'll see where it goes," she said.
The Provo Doggie Bros, a group with almost 200 members on Facebook, facilitate a way for local dog owners to get together. Every night, a different park in Provo turns into a free-for-all doggie playground. Dozens of dogs, from Great Danes to chihuahuas, run, chase each other and wrestle while their owners chat amongst themselves and share parenting tips.
BYU student Christine Sellers said she just happened to come across the group last spring when she was at the park with her black lab weimeraner mix, Ella Fitzgerald. She has been coming ever since and said she sees a lot of benefits for her dog.
"Well she’s social, which is huge, so she doesn’t have a problem with other dogs or other people," she said. "And she is exhausted for the rest of the night which is super nice for us. She just sleeps, so we love it.”
Many members of the group are students living in small apartments, like Sellers, and have to find creative ways to get their dogs enough exercise.
For the Allred family from Spanish Fork, Tuesday night was their first time coming to the dog roundup with their 10-month-old Great Dane, Wash.
“Just the socialization to meet with other dogs and people (is beneficial)," Brian Allred said. "I think the socialization aspect is the best, because when they’re socialized they’re not stupid, too stupid around other people.”
The group posts a schedule on their Facebook page outlining which park they will meet at every day of the week. Although most parks in Provo do not allow unleashed dogs, Sellers said they have only been approached about it once when a police officer told them to "put a leash on their beasts."
She said the group hopes to use this as a platform to petition the mayor for a dog park in Provo.
"There are a lot of petitions going on, and supposedly we have a meeting with the mayor so we'll see where it goes," she said.