Dutch Shepherd Forum

My community has only recently opened up dog park space in our area. One opened in Oct. or Nov. and 2 more will open this spring and summer. Since we have never had dog parks here before, this is new for me. I have taken my new puppy, Bruce (now 6 months old), to the dog park several times so far (despite our coldest and snowiest winter EVER) and he really enjoys it. Due to the weather, there have only ever been just a couple other dogs there but the ones who like to play...well, Bruce gives them a work-out! Anyway, I have came across several postings on the forum where people mention that they don't like dog parks, so my question is...why? Is there something I don't know about dog parks? I know everyone has their own opinions and all dogs are different but I want to be well informed and I feel like there must be some things about dog parks in general that I may need to be aware of so I welcome your opinions, experiences and expertise. Thanks!

Step away from the dog park!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dog parks are a big mess. All of the dogs [ok, maybe not all but most] think it is theirs and will get territorial. There are toys all over the place and poop from bad doggie owners who dont clean up. The owners [again,most] have no clue about proper etiquette for dogs and public dog areas and let their dog do what ever, even if that means taunt another dog.

I was at my local park awhile back, when I just had Thalie, and I was sitting with a group. There was one guy with a small dog who was barking at a medium dog and would not stop his dog, his dog was getting in the face of the other dog, now, we all were telling this guy to stop and he just stood there laughing. We all just walked away before a dog fight started.

When I had Sadie, I took them there because I wanted to get Sadie in the stream [ another good story there] and I went way around to the side to stay away from others. Well, this dog got away from the owner and both the dog and owner were running around the place, the dog came up to mine and I put mine in a sit/ stay, and the dog was getting in Sadies face and Sadie was NOT happy ! I told the woman to get her dog and she would just laugh, I said " this is NOT funny and please get your dog" Of course I was the bad one.

If yours is fenced and its the only place you can go for some training, go when its quiet and do not be afraid to tell people to stay away and leave you alone.

Most people who go there dont have a clue about training or obedience and let the dogs do what ever, its too dangerous with these dogs.

I know Thalie and nothing would ever happen, i have walked her in the middle of huge crowds of dogs and she would not leave my side, but we have alot of training.

With a puppy I would not take the chance of some dog coming up and starting something and your puppy now is afraid or becomes aggressive.

Dutchringgirl wrote:The owners [again,most] have no clue about proper etiquette for dogs and public dog areas and let their dog do what ever, even if that means taunt another dog.

There is a lady who frequents a local dog park in our area who has an in-tact male GSD. Yes...Prime example of someone who doesn't get it. She lets her dog hump any other dog and simply says "oh, they'll figure it out." When all the other dogs start trying to hump each other she says "I guess my dog is a bad influence. {giggle}"

Same dog park...a guy has 2 GSP's - in-tact male and a female. Some lady brings her in-tact Airedale puppy (14-16 months...can you say testosterone??). 2 fights break out and owner of GSP does nothing...just sits there. Another lady has to help Airedale owner break up the fight and gets bit in the process.

I could go on and on....

We had a fairly large dog beach in Chicago on Lake Michigan. I used to take the foster dogs from the vet clinic there because the clinic only had an indoor fake turf potty area and the pups needed to get used to some sunshine so they could get adopted and adjust well and there really aren't any fenced places for dogs to go off leash in Chicago except for dog parks. I went with a few of the techs and usually my husband. It was typically 2 people per dog and we'd stick to ourselves and try to find an empty spot and the dogs would play with each other since they kenneled and went to rescue daycare together. There was always one person that wanted the attention of bringing their obnoxious, untrained dog over (sad to say they were usually pits) because it's just sooooooooo friendly and then it would hump or harass the poor pups that just wanted to mingle among themselves. I took a little Chihuhua there once and a giant pit came running after him, trying to eat him, while a 10 year old boy stared and watched. It took me yelling at the kid numerous times to call him dog off and then kicking sand at the dog while I scooped up my little pup before he'd come and get it.

I've never taken my own dogs to one and don't plan to. If you need it for off leash exercise, go at 5am or later at night when nobody is around. Your puppy also needs to have a good recall and be able to redirect off of a distraction in case there's a fight or potential problem with a toy.

I personally think there are way better opportunities for training and exercise than a free for all dog park. Check with a trainer if you can rent their facility for off leash time, set up a play date with friends that have stable dogs, find a university field, tennis court, baseball field, empty fenced lot, etc to play in and make your own private dog park. For the year and a half we had Odin in Chicago, I'd take him to my old university and use my ID to get into the abandoned track and I'd invite my friend and her malinois and sometimes Chihuahua and we'd let them play and practice working around distractions there. I knew her, she knew me, we both knew the dogs' temperaments. Now we don't need anything because he has Elli and we have 5 acres of flat grass land fun.

Good information. Thanks so much.
I guess we have been pretty lucky so far with the handful of times we have gone to our dog park. Due to the frigid snowy winter there's never been more than 3 other dogs there and usually only 1 or 2. It is fenced in and has separate areas for small dogs and for large dogs and they do require annual dues, ID tags and proof of current vaccinations. The park is locked and requires a key card to scan in. Since this is my first dog park experience, I don't know if that's the norm or not.
I really appreciate the feedback. Lots of food for thought.

I am not anti-dogpark at all. I don't think they are evil, just some of the visitors are And like anything, a few bad seeds can spoil it for everyone.

But in a single dog household, I think there is a lot of benefit from structured dog interaction. They just can't wrestle to exhaustion with us like they can with another dog. Also, all of the walks in the world aren't as good as flat out running.

Stephanie's suggestion of finding like minded friends and an alternative location is great. But if that isn't possible, introduce yourself to people at the park. Get numbers and set up times when known playmates will be there as well. Be vigilant watching who is playing when you arrive, and be prepared to leave before allowing your dog to play if anything seems amiss. Don't hesitate to leave immediately if anything makes you uncomfortable (honestly, your discomfort will do more to escalate a situation than anything else anyway). Also, always know what you will do if a problem does come up. Know how to effectively choke off a dog without getting bit. Make sure your park friends have the same knowledge.

Lastly - just something I discovered while jogging with my dogs. My fiance always made me take a small tazer with me running - because apparently my DSs weren't enough We had a Great Pyrenees come at us full force. I popped the tazer at my side, more to check if it was working than anything. Something about the noise/electricity/change in ozone/who the heck knows or cares.... made the dog run. Since then I have had many similar occasions to try it with the same result. Maybe out here they are just all familiar with cattle fence. But I have never shocked a dog. They all turn tail when they here it crack.

A couple I know are faithful to one dog park (small and large dog sections along with other dog-friendly amenities).

They know their dogs. They've come to know most everyone there and their dogs. If someone is new...they watch before allowing interaction. If someone doesn't follow rules, they politely remind them. They've had a couple of unpleasant interactions (with both dogs and humans), but you can't have a park like that without them. One of their dogs received a break in the skin from a more rambunctious (over-stimulated?) canine that pinned them down. Most commonly what they encounter is when one of their dogs isn't keen on playing with another particular dog who is forcing the issue.

I suggested that they bring their own water for the dogs since I personally wouldn't trust any dog fountains in a park, so they do bring their own water for them.

Their dogs come home absolutely exhausted.

I have never taken a dog(s) to a dog park. I wouldn't. To each their own.

Hilde absolutely loves going to the dog park. Like Christie said, there's just too few ways to get that kind of exercise when you live in a city. However, we are very vigilant when there. We always keep an eye on what's going on and will leave immediately if things get sketchy. Hilde is very picky about who she'll play with and is never dominant herself. She actively avoids any groups that are getting out of control and thankfully she doesn't seem to acquire any of the bad behaviors on display. She also stays clear of the kiddie pools and mud pits. She just wants to be chased so she can show off her speed and agility. If your dog's personality isn't as "dog park friendly" you'll have to be extra careful.

The biggest problem I have is the lack of owner cleanup. All that poop isn't healthy, especially if you have a puppy. Our normal park is just open to the public, though. We have one that is a membership deal and we're thinking of joining that, even though it's far away. IME, those are pretty rare, but I would think that might help keep the really bad owners out.

Bottom line is that like anything else, there are benefits and dangers. For some, the dangers outweigh any benefit and I can totally understand that. We accept the risks while trying to minimize them as much as possible.

I was against dog parks until a friend of mine forced me to go with her. We live in a city and she's a knowledgeable dog owner and apparently was sick of my moaning about Hendrix's recent energy spike and lack available doggie friends. She only frequents this one park out of the 6 or so within driving distance. The reason why is because of the people; this park is smaller and has 0 amenities, but the people there are all knowledgeable owners who know their dogs, know how to read other dogs, and know each other. And wouldn't you know it, there are very, very few legit fights that break out between dogs and there's little poop lying around. It kind of opened my eyes to how a dog park could be.

Of course there are idiot owners or people who don't understand escalating behavior in dogs who quickly ruin any park experience. I think it comes down to what everyone has said so far - depends on the mix of people and dogs. If you have one dog I think it would be a good thing, depending on the people who frequent it and your dog's personality, but I wouldn't walk into a dog park with two or three dogs like I see some people do. And always keep an eye on your dog - you wouldn't take your eyes off a kid playing on a playground would you? Why would it be different with a fur kid?

One piece of advice she told me which I believe someone else here has already said is, watch the dogs a bit before you bring your dog in. If people look like they're not paying attention or some dogs look like they're playing rougher than what your dog likes, walk away. There's no shame in it and if you play a game with your dog he won't mind because he still gets play time!

Make sure your dog's up to date on the parvo vaccine.

I think its great that you are finding parks that have responsible people, then its great. If I only take Thalie, its fine, she ignores everyone and only goes in the water. Sadie is too protective so I just take her other places. If you go, dont be afraid to speak up to people, that is key, keep an eye out and always be 5 steps ahead, especially with a puppy. Its not worth ruining your dog because of someone elses stupid behavior.

Christie, do you have to do any conditioning of your own dogs to the sound of the taser first? I'm thinking since you're training for PSA and therapy dog stuff, your guys are pretty used to noises like that. I think Odin would run away with the other dog at the sound of it cracking if I tried it.

I think my biggest concern for dog parks is having my dog labelled with a bite record for rough housing. Everywhere I've lived there's a 2 bite law and mandatory reporting for any dog or human bite. My guys play hard, even when friendly. It's not uncommon for Odin to have a scratch on his head or for someone to rip an ear tip or paw pad while playing. I don't think those are really big deals, but I'm afraid of some other owner rushing their dog to the vet and then ending up with a strike and quarantine period. It's not always even the person you're interacting with at the park, but their significant other at home freaks out because they weren't there or it looks worse than it is.

I think thats what separates us from the foo foo dog people. To us, our rough housing is pretty tough and its nothing to us. My girls play so hard and it sounds like they are fighting. Ill rough house with Thalie and take some hard bites but its all fun. What we see as fun and games is waaaaaaaaaay beyond most people, so we do have to be more careful.

Honestly, I didn't do anything specific with my dogs, and initially I didn't even think to see how they reacted when I first made it click. I was WAY too worried about the 150lb white, fanged beast in front of me. Since then, the only thing I can think of is that every time I pull it out of the plug I test it to see if it is working and on. It is plugged in in my kitchen next to the crates. So I guess they were conditioned by location.

I hadn't thought about the potential for labeling. Around here, that really wouldn't be a problem. But up north where things are more hoighty, I can totally see that as a concern. And I agree, whenever people see my dogs they wonder what happened. I shrug and say "They were just playing." LOL

I'm so glad I went to the dog park before reading these posts. I probably would have never taken Bronson and this has been one of our favorite outings.
I'm lucky to be in the Madison WI area and there are several dog parks in the area; one the has a pier, I plan to find when the last of the snow is gone. Everyone there is super responsible with the dogs and the rule is if your dog is not capable of safe behavior to people and other dogs, don't bring them. This park is ~ 160 acres and last Sunday some nice soul dumped a case of tennis balls for the random fetch area.
Dog's can play and they do play fierce at times, but a yelp seems to set everything right again.
Madison is a special place. Check it out and be jealous
https://www.countyofdane.com/lwrd/parks ... raine.aspx

Bronson wrote: Madison is a special place. Check it out and be jealous

I am jealous!! I am happy for you that you found a dog park with responsible owners. And 160 acres...WOW!!!

I use to love dog parks. In fact I met my husband there. Think about it "I was dressed down, no makeup picking up dog crap” everything is up from there and I look good.
My dog at the time a Dal loved it and I usually met up with the same people you usually go at the same time. There are basic things you have to remember:
-A dog is a dog; it's not a personality contest it doesn't work that way no matter what the owner says.
-Small dogs large dog they know what you tell them. I've seen small terriers scare the crap out of a Dane.
-if you don't want your dog humped train him to take care of the problem or leave.
-Nobody trains their dog to attack anyone and brings him to the park the dog is just have a bad day and the other dog ticked him off get over it.
-the sign states "enter at own risk"
- You should be able to control your own pet and call him out of a fight. Getting in between 2 dogs or more someone could lose a hand (I carry a water gun for these things but my dog comes when he's called I watch for such things and avoid before it happens)
- You are responsible for your own dog. It's not social time in the play park watch your dog.
- bring water don't let your dog share. Dutch drinks out of a squirting bottle. I don't care if I offend anyone
- Great time to use the leave it command
Having said all that my DS (Dutch) doesn’t enjoy it that much, he prefers our outings in the various conservations parks hikes and climbing that we take him on we run into the same people and dogs who don’t try and correct him or isn't freaked out by him. He has alot of energy. Occasionally I take him to the dog park, he likes playing and running with other dogs he doesn’t like their owners. He’s not mean he’s just frustrated with them and you can clearly tell. Also the place I kennel him when I’m away has a daycare and the owner sooo gets him.