Leashless In San Diego: dog-friendly off-leash parks.

We've had Sparky for about three months - my family adopted our latest family member after losing a couple of beloved dogs, Kerry and Mazie, last year. Two-year-old Sparky is (probably) a ShihPoo (Shih Tzu/Poodle mix), adorable, smart, loving, and full of energy. He also seems a little green in the doggie sociability realm, so one day recently, we took him to a dog park for the first time to see how he'd do with other dogs. Off to Harry Griffen Park in La Mesa, which has three large, fenced off-leash areas for your pooch to run. Our trepidation with Sparky was unfounded - he didn't start any fights and actually did well with the other dogs - though he still seems a bit more partial to humans than other pooches (especially one little rat dog that kept, well, you know what I mean). But it was a good experience for him, and it was great watching all the dogs really enjoy themselves. For a rundown of San Diego's dog-friendly off-leash parks, read my article right here.