Pack walk grows in popularity at Lakeside Park
Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Bob Crisp
Passing a dog and owner is not an unusual thing in most parks. Passing a parade of a dozen or more walking together might turn a few heads. It’s happening each week at Lakeside Park, and dog owners are happy for the opportunity to get their dogs out to walk and socialize.
Rya is five years old and is learning to trust people. She’s an American Staffordshire terrier and cattle dog mix that Jayden Hurt rescued when the pup was just a year old. A scar on her neck, likely from an imbedded collar before she was adopted, suggests her previous life situation was harsh and left her distrustful of humans and afraid of other dogs.
For more than a year now, Rya has been part of Pell City’s Sunday Pack Walks, a socialization project orchestrated by St. Clair County resident Cayleigh Payne. On this particular Sunday, 20 other dogs with their owners joined Rya and Hurt. The atmosphere was full of energy as the conversation among the humans mixed with the excited yips and yelps from the dogs.
Sunday mornings or evenings, depending on weather, the group meets at Lakeside Park near the Jerry Woods Pavilion. The time is announced on their Pell City Pack Walks Facebook page. They spend a few minutes greeting each other and the other dogs, then head out, letting the dogs dictate the pace. “Our pack walks are a great way to get dogs comfortable in controlled group settings,” explains Payne. “Dogs need socialization as much as we do. We humans may meet a new friend or learn a new training technique.”
“A pack walk is about teaching your dog to be calm around others,” adds pack participant Linda Wyckoff. She and her English creme golden retriever, Rosa, have been with the pack since shortly after it began. “This is a great environment for your dog to safely socialize,” she adds. “It’s not just interaction with people, but with the other dogs as well.”
Wyckoff credits Payne with providing the stability and dependability that have kept the group active as they enter their second year together. Payne’s Great Dane, Ellie, has become one of Rosa’s best friends. “Rosa has a lot of energy and needs a lot of friends,” says Wyckoff.
When her friend, Pamela Carden, recently adopted a new dog, Wyckoff immediately suggested Carden join the pack. Carden has a bit of a drive from Columbiana but says it’s totally worth it. Her new rescue, Abbie, a 14-month-old lab mix, is just beginning to interact with other dogs. “She’s spent her whole life in shelters,” notes Carden. “She wouldn’t even come around other dogs. Linda told me this would help, and it has.”
Dingo is a Dutch shepherd and Malinois mix. His owner, Isabella Grounds, brings him to the Pell City pack walk from their home in Moody nearly every week. “We started it because he was really shy,” she explains. “He was a year and a half old and would just cower behind me. Now he’s almost two, and he’s doing so well in his neutrality training. He doesn’t get scared.”
Payne says fearfulness, insecurities and reactivity are some of the issues some pet parents face. “I encourage everyone to advocate for their pets’ boundaries to keep everyone comfortable and safe,” she explains. “We’re thankful to have responsible dog owners in our pack.”
For four years, Hurt, a local animal trainer and Troy University student, has been patiently working with Rya. She has also been working with an animal behavioral training specialist. “These walks,” she says, “are helping her. She’s definitely opened up, especially to the other pack members who come more often. I’ve even noticed she’ll go up to some of the newer pack members and sniff them.”
Hurt adds that hanging out with fellow dog lovers has created friendship opportunities for her, too. “Definitely, Caleigh and some of the other pack members have become friends,” she says, adding, “I love to talk. We usually hang out after the pack walks and just talk. It’s been great.”
Payne agrees. “I’ve made some lovely friends through the pack walk.” Payne, who also has two cats, started the pack walks after she moved to St. Clair County from Carrollton, Georgia. “My fiancé and I attended pack walks with our two previous dogs in Carrollton,” said Payne. “When we adopted Ellie, I decided to make a group for other dog owners to meet here.”
The pack walks are designed to be a fun activity for both the humans and their pups. “We always hear lots of chatter and laughter between the walkers,” Payne reflects. “And when our loop around the park is complete, and we’ve taken our group photo, a few of us tend to hang around talking, showing off training progression, and taking more photos.”
“When people at the park see us, we often hear, ‘What’s going on?’ or ‘That’s a lot of dogs!’,” Payne laughs. “I try to invite everyone that we pass that seem curious. Maybe it’s been a busy week and you’ve needed a calm, relaxing walk around the park. Pack walks are great for that.” They may be a motley crew, but these pups and their owners are happy to be outside and enjoying the friendship of other canines and their companions. l
Editor’s note: More information on joining the Pell City Pack Walks, check out their Facebook page.
