Dog Parks. What a great idea! Imagine being able to take your buddy to a big, open field and letting him or her safely play and run around with dozens of other dogs. What a great way to provide exercise, especially for those rambunctious, high-energy teenagers that often become destructive and “self-employed” at home when they have nothing else to do. How many of us have come home to torn sofa cushions, shredded plants, neighbors complaining about incessant barking, etc.?
Dog parks can provide a wonderful opportunity for your dog to learn appropriate dog-to-dog behavior with dogs of all ages, sizes and temperaments. In addition to all these benefits, dog parks often offer us humans a chance to get out of the house and spend some time socializing and meeting new friends.
Most people who take their dogs to dog parks are respectful, polite, responsible, and look out not only for their own dog, but for other people’s dogs as well. After all, if one dog gets hurt, everyone is affected. And most dog parks are well maintained, clean and safe. With so many benefits to taking your dog to a dog park, are there any disadvantages?
Not a month goes by that I don’t hear from one of my clients that his dog or his neighbor’s dog was hurt at a dog park. And in 99% of the cases, it all had to do with the attitude of the human. A well-known actor (this is L.A. after-all) brought two of his dogs to a park and as soon as the dogs entered, they zeroed in on a Lab who was resting underneath a picnic table. Within seconds, cries and growls filled the air. People rushed to help the Lab who sustained multiple puncture wounds. When the actor finally arrived at the scene, he simply declared, “Hey, dogs are dogs, they were only playing.”
On another occasion, a woman came directly from a rescue with her new 80 lb dog and wanted to see how he would behave around other dogs. The dog attacked a small, blind Pekinese and caused several thousands of dollars in medical care.
In other cases, dogs are hurt because of how they play: some dogs are much more physical than others, resulting in unintentional injuries. Others never learned appropriate dog etiquette because of the lack of proper socialization when they were young. As a result, their pushy behavior often results in misunderstandings that trigger fights.
In addition, not every dog likes to visit dog parks. Older dogs sometimes care less about being around other dogs and are perfectly content interacting only with their humans. Well-intentioned as some people are, they can facilitate problems because they fail to read their dog’s body language, which is telling them, “Get me out of here!”
So what should you look for? Visit a park before you bring your dog. Talk to people. Safe parks all have one thing in common: a good park is one where people will not put up with aggressive dogs and they look out for one another. Make sure there is a separate area for small dogs. How clean is the park? Is water available? If you find yourself stepping over mounds of feces, it’s a good bet that park isn’t for you and your dog. See if the park has a ranger that oversees activities. This is rare but really says a lot about safety.
Once you’ve chosen a dog park, don’t bring food or your dog’s favorite toys as that often causes problems. Notice how other dogs are behaving and if play becomes to rowdy, interrupt it before a problem arises. If your dog seems fearful, leave the park.
Know your dog. If your dog displays aggression or fearfulness, don’t take your dog to a dog park. You can work on behavioral problems with a trainer but in the meantime, you can take your dog for walks or jogs, play fetch, hide-and-go seek and “find-it.”
There are wonderful dog parks out there that benefit both people and dogs. To find them, do a little investigation, use your good common sense, be responsible and keep a watchful eye. You and your dog can have a lot of fun!
Excellent article, Paul….thank you. Personally I don’t like dog parks. We only have one true dog park and I find the biggest problem is that owners don’t know how to read dogs….not just theirs, but others as well. Dog bite prevention is very near and dear to me and because of that, knowing dog’s body language is crucial. Oh, how to get through to these people!!!
Great advice, Paul!
I once took my 3-year-old Lab to the dog park in Lake Balboa/Sepulveda Basin area in LA not long after I returned to SoCal from NYC.
He had been accustomed to having the run of the entirety of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY. The dogs there were all very heavily socialized with people and other dogs of all sizes. Peer pressure was very strong for dogs to have obedience and basic training. I think that made all the difference in the world. The only problem was on Monday mornings when picnickers from the weekend didn’t totally clean up after themselves. All the dogs (even the small guys who couldn’t reach the table tops!) treated the mess as an “all you can eat buffet”. It was quite chaotic, but fortunately none of the pooches got sick from the (most likely) chicken bones and the aluminum foil. (My guy seemed to particularly like the latter.)
Anyway, the dogs (and owners) there were very aware and responsible. Thus, a good time was had by all, even if the water-loving dogs were pretty muddy after swimming, retrieving, and then rolling in the mud after coming ashore. I never once saw an owner yell, hit, scream, or otherwise “discipline” their dog in a hostile manner.
Fast forward back to Sepulveda Basin. I took my chocolate Lab Duncan there, and there were so many unruly dogs that I was hyper-vigilant, but the Duncan must’ve decided that it was too “rowdy” of a crowd for him. He would come and just stand between my legs, or just about anything to get away from the “wild bunch”.
Now that we have a 6-month-old Lab puppy, I’d like to take him to a dog park where he can play with other dogs. We live in a neighborhood with a lot of dogs, but most of them are kept fenced-up in their backyards instead of being taken places for “group play” with dogs of all sorts. We’ve met the people in the neighborhood, all who were very friendly. Those were people we never would’ve met without our puppy, Deacon Blues. Dogs really are “magnets” for people, for the most part very friendly. (At least in our little block). But I’ve been told by some people that the “safest” dog park is in Simi Valley, which is a bit of a drive for us. (We’re in Northridge.) It’s just sad that it has to be that way, because Deacon loved going to puppy kindergarten at Petco in Porter Ranch on Saturday mornings, where they had playtime for pups grouped according to the size of dog they’d grow into. In other words, our Lab was in kindergarten with a golden retriever puppy, a sheepdog pup, and young mix-breeds that were part Doberman; a Newfie-mix puppy (they grow up to be the size of bear cubs). It is just too bad that the trainer moved away and they hadn’t found a replacement, because she was very good, and the pups had a lot of fun while learning etiquette and the rules of “fair play”. (Keep your eye on the ball?? 🙂 )
Thanks again Paul for the “heads up”, and thank you to commenter Judi Dowson as well! I’m going to have to think long and hard about dog parks. I’m definitely going to go visit the parks without our dog before making the decision of whether or not to go to the park..
Very interesting article and reply s. It all comes down to educating the public and Pauls very important point -“KNOW YOUR DOG”. I am very lucky to live in a rural village where there is a mix of public access to pathways through farm land which lead to a dog friendly (as we call it over the pond) park. Never had a problem in 25 years. Public education over here says KEEP your dog under control. If it messes with livestock, the owner has a right to shoot it. (never happens though). But the pressure means most owners are always aware of the location and potential threat of their pets. Interestingly there has been a move to put the emphasis on “under control”. This doesn’t mean on the “leash”. The owner has to make the decision whether he can trust his best friend or not. [a really good reason to use pauls methods to get the recall TOTALY reliable].
So have we all put enough work in ?..
..I know I am going to keep the pressure up on the recall . When my dog was recently attacked, the recall was strong enough for my dog to BOLT to ME for security, – not bolting into obscurity.
(just got to solve the underlying psychological aftermath following Pauls advice 🙂 )
Thanks Paul