I have found a dog park about 40 minutes from my house. We are thinking of going there tomorrow. I am somewhat nervous since Toby is little and doesn't have fur to protect him. Have you all had good dog park experiences? Do you feel pretty secure letting your dog off leash there, especially if big dogs are there? I want him to have a good time I am just worried.
The dog park
- Thread starter Tobysmom
- Start date
there were loads of big dogs and little at our dog park this morning..everybody was just fine..a little boston terrier ran with everyone just like he was a big kid..and there were a few beagles as well as a dauchsand too. I usually have a marvelous time..the dogs did this morning that is for sure. I hope your dog park turns out to be a good experience for you too! I would go on a leash the first time just to get comfortable..and to have some control until you can see what the crowd is like. I am picking up my pics now..if i have some good ones i will share our morning experiences when i get back.
Oooh, controversial ground...
Dog parks are another one of those things: you either love 'em or hate 'em. There are no dog parks in the town I live now, but when I was in Austin, I took my dog to the dog park near my aparment all the time. I personally never had any bad experiences: in fact, both my dog and I loved it. It's probably best to break it up into pros and cons.
Pros:
-Great place to socialize if you have a friendly dog.
-Wonderful place to meet and chat with other dog owners.
-If it's a good-sized park, your dog will get much more exercise than by just walking on a leash.
-Some dog parks have agility courses, pools, etc., right inside the park. It makes it a great place to work on training or just to run amok with your pooch.
-Most friendly dogs absolutely adore the dog park, and tend to make "best friends" with dogs who are usually in the park at the same time.
Cons:
-Run the risk of exposing your dog to viruses, diseases, fleas, ticks, etc.
-Just because a dog's at the dog park doesn't mean it's friendly. I once saw a dog owner bring a terrier that tried to attack every dog in sight.
-Your dog might love 99.99% of all the dogs you meet, but there's always the risk you'll run into that 0.01% dog that yours ends up fighting with.
-Don't even think about bringing a female in heat or a very alpha dog to a dog park.
All in all, I think it's up to you. If you choose to go, I'd initially go during a time of day that's not very crowded. Keep your baby on a leash until he meets all the dogs, and you're sure they'll be friendly.
Dog parks are another one of those things: you either love 'em or hate 'em. There are no dog parks in the town I live now, but when I was in Austin, I took my dog to the dog park near my aparment all the time. I personally never had any bad experiences: in fact, both my dog and I loved it. It's probably best to break it up into pros and cons.
Pros:
-Great place to socialize if you have a friendly dog.
-Wonderful place to meet and chat with other dog owners.
-If it's a good-sized park, your dog will get much more exercise than by just walking on a leash.
-Some dog parks have agility courses, pools, etc., right inside the park. It makes it a great place to work on training or just to run amok with your pooch.
-Most friendly dogs absolutely adore the dog park, and tend to make "best friends" with dogs who are usually in the park at the same time.
Cons:
-Run the risk of exposing your dog to viruses, diseases, fleas, ticks, etc.
-Just because a dog's at the dog park doesn't mean it's friendly. I once saw a dog owner bring a terrier that tried to attack every dog in sight.
-Your dog might love 99.99% of all the dogs you meet, but there's always the risk you'll run into that 0.01% dog that yours ends up fighting with.
-Don't even think about bringing a female in heat or a very alpha dog to a dog park.
All in all, I think it's up to you. If you choose to go, I'd initially go during a time of day that's not very crowded. Keep your baby on a leash until he meets all the dogs, and you're sure they'll be friendly.
Good place if you pick the right crowd.
We only go to dog park when there are people we know, i.e. early early morning. same group of people/dogs which are great. My dog loves them, they love my dog.
I dont even think about going there during the day when people get off work... Terrible terrible. Constant fights... And lots of stupid little dogs, who try to pick on dogs 10x their size. My pup almost took out a JRT once because the little idiot tried to hump him.
As saind before dont bring alpha dogs in there, and really try not to bring extremely submissive dogs as well. I've seen more fights start when a submissive dog shows up then when Alpha showed up.
Overall, if there isnt a park for small dogs, I wouldnt go. My dog once run over a boxer, not a small dog, by accident and that left a few marks on the boxer. ( by run over i mean he was chasing a squirl and boxer got under his feet, no biting). Imagine if that was a dog like a **** zu
We only go to dog park when there are people we know, i.e. early early morning. same group of people/dogs which are great. My dog loves them, they love my dog.
I dont even think about going there during the day when people get off work... Terrible terrible. Constant fights... And lots of stupid little dogs, who try to pick on dogs 10x their size. My pup almost took out a JRT once because the little idiot tried to hump him.
As saind before dont bring alpha dogs in there, and really try not to bring extremely submissive dogs as well. I've seen more fights start when a submissive dog shows up then when Alpha showed up.
Overall, if there isnt a park for small dogs, I wouldnt go. My dog once run over a boxer, not a small dog, by accident and that left a few marks on the boxer. ( by run over i mean he was chasing a squirl and boxer got under his feet, no biting). Imagine if that was a dog like a **** zu
I frequent our one acre fenced dog park quite often.As long as you are careful and good at reading doggie body language it can be a good trip.When my GSD was just able to go out after all shots we took her there,a other dog got nasty with her.I had a very heated discussion with that owner for allowing her dog to bully all puppies that were there.I told her there is a muzzle night every wednesday for the nasty dogs,so they can still get use of the park.Be watchful that is all I think I can share.
I love going to my dog park and I've become one of the 'regulars' in the morning crowd. I'd also suggest going on leash for the first few times until you can gauge the mood of the regular dogs. Always keep an eye out for every other dog, because half the time I see owner's getting deep into discussion with other owners and the dogs are just wandering off or start following a chase pack and get out of sight before anyone knows what's up. That's also when fights or status skirmishes happen.
I have seen a mini dachsaund pup, a bunch of pugs and puppies in general go out there without much problem. They just have to have somewhere to retreat to when the big guys start running.
I have seen a mini dachsaund pup, a bunch of pugs and puppies in general go out there without much problem. They just have to have somewhere to retreat to when the big guys start running.
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We have created a dog park here and so far so good. We all watch the dogs very closely and everyone deals with their own quickly and calmly. There are always people who just could care less so it is a concern for sure. If Toby comes when he is called no matter what then keep him close to you and watch him. Anything makes you uncomfortable retrieve your dog.
If Toby is fully immunised then go for it. We took Maddy to the river today. She was great. Second time there. She played with a few dogs. Well, all the dogs that were there. She follows our older dog around so it was fine with her of leash. She didn't like the water. There isn't a road near the river so it was safe. She was suprisingly good. She came when we called her and stayed near us. So, just go out there, and socialize your pup and have fun!! 
I love to take the boys to the dog park especially when it's too hot to run the scooter, and they haven't had a decent run in a while. It's also great socialization which helps them to keep their head if we ever run into a team of dogs on the trails. Since they're used to getting mauled by 5-20 dogs at one time and step out of it peacefully, they're less likely to start stuff when entanglement happens with another team which can save lives.
You do have to watch for stupid owners and their dog-aggressive dogs but luckily they tend to only come during the busy hours. I would put a light coat on Toby if possible so he has at least some protection against stray teeth and claws (like lets say he's jumping around a couple wrestling dogs and one gets tackled and falls towards him with an open panting mouth). I've seen chihuahuas playing with Bernese Mountain Dogs, Great Danes and Boston Terriers, Yorkis and GSDs etc.
You do have to watch for stupid owners and their dog-aggressive dogs but luckily they tend to only come during the busy hours. I would put a light coat on Toby if possible so he has at least some protection against stray teeth and claws (like lets say he's jumping around a couple wrestling dogs and one gets tackled and falls towards him with an open panting mouth). I've seen chihuahuas playing with Bernese Mountain Dogs, Great Danes and Boston Terriers, Yorkis and GSDs etc.