You can see the gratitude in their eyes and hear the excitement in their barking and panting. You’ll chortle at their unabashed exhilaration as they exercise one freedom that humans never claim: the right to vigorously sniff a stranger.

As Mary Ann Albright reported in Sunday’s Columbian, there are about 15 fully fenced dog parks in Clark County and the greater Portland area, and more are planned. The largest two on this side of the river (about 8 acres each) are the dog park at Northeast Ross Street and 18th Avenue at BPA’s Ross complex off Highway 99 in south Hazel Dell, and the dog park that opened Tuesday at Pacific Community Park, Northeast 18th Street between 164th and 172nd avenues.

But focus again on the opening words of this editorial. For a dog park to be successful, humans must do their part. This was made painfully evident recently when a Rottweiler was left unattended at a dog park and, after being allowed to join two other Rottweilers, attacked a beagle and inflicted serious injuries.

The beagle is still struggling to survive, the ownerless Rottweiler has been euthanized and the other two have been quarantined.

An abundance of excellent information and helpful tips on this subject are available at www.clarkdogpaw.org. Ratings of area dog parks and other useful information can be found at www.columbian.com/lifehome/pets. We encourage dog owners to visit these Web sites before taking their dogs to the park for a leash-free romp. Some of the more basic and helpful tips include these:

• Sorry to break the news, but dog parks are for dogs … and their owners … only. If and when a cat park opens, we’ll let you know.
• No more than two dogs per person.
• Make sure your dog knows its name and how to obey, which will advance him on the evolutionary chain a notch higher than a few children we know.
• If your dog shows any sign of aggression, remove him from the park, and don’t return until the name-and-behavior rule is learned.
• Exercise the dog before entering the park, so he doesn’t go crazy at all the instant freedom.
• Leashes are required entering and leaving a dog park, but remove it soon after arrival. Some dogs see a leashed dog as a potential victim.
• No digging, no littering, and clean up after yourselves.
• Make sure your dog is licensed and current on vaccinations.
• Never leave a dog unattended at a dog park.

Again, check the two recommended Web sites, and have fun with your dog at the special park.