Silverlake dog park is smaller but rooted in the heart of the lakeside apartment dwellings. Dogs here seem more active in the intimate environment and a central bulletin board provides a sense of community for dog lovers with postings for dogs lost, dog sitters or those in need of a good home. Several other dog parks dot the city and valleys of LA including the large dog runs of Bronson Park and Runyan Canyon and various other unofficial dog parks throughout Hollywood and Santa Monica. Dog run etiquette calls for responsible restraint of aggressive dogs. Dogs with communicable diseases and females in heat ought to stay home, but there is no screening process. Dog fights are rare but play does sometimes get a bit rough. The most common activity includes the classic rear-end sniff and occasional attempts at the wild thing which usually sends owners running to reclaim their frustrated mutts. In a city where people tend to stick to themselves and the daily work grind can become an isolating experience, a dog park is the perfect solution for man and best friend to get out and smell the roses and any other smell that seems interesting.

George's Run is a major attraction, even for those without dogs. A large crowd was gathered around the entire circumference of the fenced-in circular graveled area of the run admiring the dogs, some prospective dog owners could be found leaning over the fence chatting about different breeds with owners. Others stood outside talking to their own companions whilst admiring the dogs and the playful spirit of the run. The friendliness of the scene surprised me, after all, this is NYC, a city not known for its ease of street conversation. One expects a certain sense of wariness amongst strangers here unless at least 3 forms of ID are presented. Here at the run, things were unlike anywhere else in NYC. At George's there is an atmosphere of instant and easy-going sociability. Total strangers of every stripe tend to strike up conversation here, the dogs providing a common starting point. Many of the regulars know each other by their respective dogs' names, and find themselves chagrined to have to ask one another: "What was your name again?" Within five minutes of my arrival there I was chatting with Suzy Kern, a friendly 24 year-old retail sales analyst for Liz Claiborne, and the equally charming Kelsea, the Italian Greyhound she shares with Ron Horton. We talked about the escape from cramped apartments and city life that the run provides for the dogs and people. And the social element of course. When we spoke about the dog run culture and the kind of openness one finds here, she said: "You can be any kind of person, it's not segregated, it doesn't matter who you are or what you look like or wear, it is not as if you're going into a bar or club and it's like 'they're not my type' - you can really go up to anybody and you can just come in here and feel like it doesn't matter."