Today was socializing my pup and noticed something about dog park.

[oriondw]

Our park here is divided in two sides, small dogs under 40lb and big dogs, above 40 lb.


Today we spent around 2.5 hours jogging and basically people watching with children, people and other dogs, so I had some time to carefully study dogs in our park ( something i like to do).

Anyways, few observations:

1. Most small dogs are on big side and most big dogs are on small side... Paradox.

2. Saw two dog fights one was some crazy mix attacking a cane corso puppy ( poor thing was only like 15lb from what i could tell). And second had a golden retriever attack a border collie who tried to steal his stick. Border collie owners left since the dog would constantly run up to everyone and try to steal toys from other dogs.

3. 20ft lead is perfect for training in the park. Nothing like testing "wait" command then walking behind a wall and sitting there for 5 minutes. Basically working on his self control when he's alone. Also great for practicing recalls.

4. Apperantly some dog attacked a jogger so now all dogs are prohibited from trails... pissed me off, since that is where we spend most of our time.

5. Out of 20 people in the dog park, there were 5 children, 12 sitting down adults chatting and ignoring dogs, and 3 adults who were trying to supersive around 20 dogs...


Day at parks are great and dog parks are terrible.

 

[Renee750il]

Good observations, Dmitri Misha's probably one of the elite few whose owners are actually conscious of what's going on around them.

Now . . . . aren't there any photos of Misha?

 

[RD]

We're getting a dog park here, and I'm afraid that is what it will be like. I may visit a couple times but I have very little faith in throwing a bunch of dogs together and expecting them to get along and play nicely. It just sort of goes against the whole dog mentality.

I've been to a few other dog parks though and I have NO idea why these idiots insist on letting their large dog play with the small ones, and the small ones play with the large ones. Sometimes they're fine but things often go wrong at dog parks and it's just dangerous with such a big size difference . . . I wish there was a special area even for dogs under 10 pounds, since they are often far more fragile than a 20lb+ dog.

I did notice too that the majority of people just turn their dog loose in the park and then ignore it. When I used to take Dakota, there would be only a handful of people trying to manage the entire group. :-/ Whatever happened to being responsible for your dog?

I'm with you on not liking dog parks. Lol.

 

[oriondw]

Good observations, Dmitri Misha's probably one of the elite few whose owners are actually conscious of what's going on around them.

Now . . . . aren't there any photos of Misha?

Nah pure work today, didnt take camera with me

 

[tempura tantrum]

Your observations are mine as well- I can't STAND dog parks in my area, mostly because what they REALLY are is an excuse for social clubs for owners.

The time I finally decided it was a waste of my time to go was when I was repeatedly jumped on by a Weimeraner whose guardian's response to me (when I begged her to keep her dog under control), was that she was "just the pet sitter, and he needed exercise." She then turned around, continued sipping her latte, and carried on an in-depth conversation with another person in the park (also ignoring their dog).

 

[sparks19]

Can't say I have ever had that problem with the park in our area. all of the owners do sit and talk but also have their dogs under control. I haven't seen an issue there yet. Of course you can't expect all dogs to get along but you should have them under a reasonable amount of control. we just don't have those kinds of problems at this park

 

[Bobsk8]

There is a new dog park adjacent to my home, so I walk by it several times a day. More often than not, I don't go in the enclosed area with Smokey. I was thinking about this very topic today and what is it that I use to decide if I want Smokey to enter the gated area or not. The most obvious thing would be that I am watching how the dogs are interacting with each other and if there seems to be any aggresive behavior on the dog's part. I can do this safely when I walk Smokey on the outside of the fenced area. Many times the dog(s) inside, will come over to the fence opposite where I am standing and either look friendly or start growling at Smokey. If they are growling , I don't go in then.

I also look at the owner(s), and try to size up if they look like they are the least bit interested in monitoring their dog while it is in the park. Are their dogs trained at all or do they look like they are totally out of control.. If they seem preoccupied with cellphone calls or chit chat with other people, then I don't go in either. I also watch dogs and their owners as they approach the dog park. If the dog is on a leash, pulling and dragging the owner along for all it's worth and obviously not trained to heel , I won't go in with that dog either.

I walked by the park 3 times today, and each time I kept right on going. It seems like the weekend brings out more of the problematic dog-owner combinations. What I am probably seeing are dogs that have been home alone all week long and this is the one time out during the week. Most of the time, I wait for the weekdays when there are far less dogs, better behaved dogs, more interested and involved owners, and less problems.

 

[Miakoda]

I don't like dog parks period. It doesn't matter the dog or the breed. In addition to being a cespool of diseases & parasites (& God help puppy owner who bring puppies not near old enough to have been fully vacinated there), there are too many dogs & not enough people. There is no structure, no control, & most owners are in denial that there dog would actually do something as mean as attack another dog (Fido was only trying to play! ).

Socialization IS very important. But IMO it's best to round out some friends & buddies that you know & know how there dogs are & make play dates that way. This way there are fewer dogs, dogs whose personalities you know, & people you trust in charge of those other dogs.

I would NEVER let any of my dogs run off leash & play with other dogs who have probably never been vaccinated (many people ONLY do the rabies vaccination as it's required by law & enough proof to let them into training classes & dog parks) & who have never been taught any obedience/manners.

 

[Road dog]

It's a matter of finding the right park. Dog parks in Southern California are becomming more and more popular and are springing up left and right. Some are exactly as you described, social clubs for owners.

We used to frequent a park that was very nice in its day. Three large fenced play yards, and stadium style lighting until 9pm. It was GREAT. Going there was a Friday night tradition for about a year. Then things went down hill.

The old crew who used to frequent the park gradualy started moving away or finding other parks closer to home. Newcommers seemed more there to flaunt their dogs and gossip. Owners used to fan out so people were always able to supervise all the dogs. Poop was picked up promptly. Last time I was there the field was land mined with poop piles and most the owners stood around in little gatherings, looking at eachother, not the dogs.

The final straw was two kids (also unsupervised) who took delight in teasing the dogs with toys. In my mind's eye I could see Dakota accidently biting one of them trying to get the toy and then my life would become a nightmare as she would be taken from me and locked in a quarentine cage somewhere, and legal action possibly being leveled against me. Never been back.

We've been lucky enough to find another park which is AWSOME. The ironic thing is that it is not even an official dog park, just a city park that allows dogs off leash during specific hours of the day. It is a stimulating enviornment for the dogs, with trails, open lawns, lots of trees, etc. The folks there are great. Everybody helps watch the dogs. They are cleaned up after, and unofficial "clean up" days are held where all the dog owners gather and pick up trash, trim trees, and generally spiff up the park. I'm so glad we found this place, otherwise our girls wouldn't get to enjoy the benefiets of a dog park, because I'm sure as heck not going back to the other one.

 

[Zoom]

I like going to my dog park, but only on very specific times and days. I avoid it like the plague on weekends and will not go after 9am. There is a group of people that walk the trails together and we all keep an eye on each other's dogs while talking at the same time.

My schedual at work has changed enough lately, combined with the fact that I don't like the cold, so I haven't really been going that much.

 

[bubbatd]

I've taken past dogs , but not Ollie yet . I know he isn't dog aggressive , but when I first go , I know I'll keep him on leach until I see who's there and what's going on .

 

[Melissa_W]

The dog park by our house is really wonderful. Almost everyone watches their dogs, and they are right there if there's a scuffle. The people are nice, and the dogs are all really polite too. I've never had a problem, and I have only seen a handful of scuffles that get broken up quickly. I guess we're just lucky!