Planning The Trip With My Pup
So, my dog Max kept giving me those sad puppy eyes every time I left for a Phillies game. I saw the Bark In The Park event coming up and figured, why not? Let him smell the hot dogs instead of just smelling them on me later. First step – actually figuring out what this dog day at the ballpark thing even involves.
Checked the Phillies website (just looked it up, obviously!), specifically the promo schedule. Found the Bark In The Park date. Important stuff jumped out right away:
- Proof Shots: Needed Max’s rabies papers? Yeah, grabbed those from his vet folder.
- Special Section: Dogs only allowed in that assigned dog zone seating. Couldn’t just sit anywhere.
- Ticket Stuff: Had to buy his ticket too! Max costing me money again.
- Rules Galore: Leash under 6 ft? Max is strong, so dug out his short leash. No retractable leashes allowed – fine. Rules on behavior? Crossed my fingers he wouldn’t howl at the anthem.
Felt like prepping for a small military operation, just with more fur.
Packing The Pup’s Game Day Gear
Morning of the game, felt like packing for a toddler. Threw stuff in his bag:
- Water Stuff: Foldable bowl – easy. Big bottle of water – heavy.
- Clean Up Kits: Seriously doubled up on poop bags. Didn’t wanna be that guy.
- Comfort: Small blanket for him to flop on in our seats.
- Snacks: Treats for bribing him to behave. Standard practice.
Fed him a slightly earlier breakfast hoping he wouldn’t need to poop during the 7th inning stretch.
Heading Down To The Park
Parking near the stadium is always chaos. Figured I needed extra time with a dog. Aimed for super early. Driving down, Max was vibrating with excitement, probably thought we were going to the giant squirrel park.
Found parking eventually. Walking towards Citizens Bank Park with a dog? Felt different instantly. Saw other dogs dragging their humans towards a specific gate – figured that was the spot. Found the dedicated dog entry line. Way longer than regular lines, obviously. Everyone showing papers, getting checked.
Waited in line forever. Max got impatient. Practiced my “calm down, buddy” voice. Finally got to the front. Showed the ticket person both our tickets, flashed Max’s rabies certificate. Staff did a quick peek at Max – guess checking if he looked dangerous? He just wagged. Got the wristband for me, the special dog tag collar for him. Felt legit.
Inside The Dog Zone
Woof. That designated section? Pure chaos, but fun chaos. Dogs everywhere. Big ones, tiny ones, fluffy ones, drooly ones. Smelled like… wet fur and popcorn.
Finding our actual seats was a struggle. Had to navigate a minefield of leashes. Max pulled me towards every. single. dog. Did the awkward leash-tangle dance with a few people before finding our row.
Got settled. Spread out Max’s blanket. Tried pouring water into his bowl without spilling. He slurped half of it immediately, splashing some. Hot day out there.
Game started. Max mostly ignored the baseball. Too much sniffing! Other dogs barking at fly balls? Max barked back once. Gave him a treat reminder to chill. Mostly, he just people-watched and dog-watched. Passed a lot of pups doing bathroom walks up the aisle with their humans. Glad I packed extra bags.
Making It Through The Game
We stayed maybe 6 innings? Max got restless eventually. The constant noise, the crowd roar – good thing he’s not noise sensitive, but you could tell he was getting overstimulated.
Called it before the stretch. Heading out was easier, less crowded. Max was definitely tired. Flopped into the car seat and slept the whole ride home.
Was It Worth The Hassle?
Honestly? Yeah. Seeing Max experience the weird sights and smells of the ballpark was pretty funny. Met some nice dog people stuck in the same leash tangle situation.
But man, it was work. Constant vigilance. Water duty, bathroom duty, wrangling duty. Don’t expect to actually watch much baseball. You’re on dog duty.
Big takeaways for next time:
- Arrive Extra Early: That dog entry line is no joke.
- Hydration Is Key: For you and the pup. Bring WAY more water than you think.
- Pack Heavy On Bags: You don’t wanna run out mid-walk.
- Know Your Dog: If they get stressed easily or can’t settle, maybe skip it.
- Manage Expectations: You’re there for the dog experience, not necessarily the game.
Would I drag Max through it again? Maybe once a season. Seeing his goofy face looking around at Phillies Phanatic was pretty priceless. But man, I was just as tired as he was.
