Carrie, EXCELLENT POST!!!!!
Every is the key word in this sentence. While some dogs are very social it is unrealistic to expect a dog to like EVERY dog that they meet. This is the problem that I have with dog parks. All too often canine behavior is misunderstood and uneducated owners are unaware of simple cues that can accelerate a disturbance. Toys and balls can be triggers to promote unwanted behaviors in a dog park.
If we did want to humanize the behavior would we thnk it would be realistic to throw candy in a school yard of children to only your own children? You can be sure that other children are going to want to get in on the reward.
Dogs aren't children. For some dogs a toy or a ball can be a marker or reward. One can not expect that a dog will use human cognitive thought to decide that the ball is being thrown for one dog and one dog only. Instead the dog will see a ball being thrown and engage in the chase. Normal canine behavior. Of course each owner of the dogs in the park are responsible to ensure that their own dogs are under control at all times, however typically in a park setting the dogs are allowed to engage in meet and greets, social interaction, games of chase, etc. Dogs do not go through the thought process that it is ok to play with the other dogs, but do not engage in social interaction with another dog who has such a high reward marker such as a toy. Also it is unrealistic to expect that all dogs will be as well behaved as our own dogs (if our own dogs themselves are well behaved dogs).
As you summed it up perfectly, Carrie- dogs will be dogs will be dogs.
One of my own dogs loves nothing more in the world than a good game of chuck it. We find empty sports feilds, and in the summer time when they are in use we have found that an early morning trip around 7 am will solve that problem.
Every is the key word in this sentence. While some dogs are very social it is unrealistic to expect a dog to like EVERY dog that they meet. This is the problem that I have with dog parks. All too often canine behavior is misunderstood and uneducated owners are unaware of simple cues that can accelerate a disturbance. Toys and balls can be triggers to promote unwanted behaviors in a dog park.
If we did want to humanize the behavior would we thnk it would be realistic to throw candy in a school yard of children to only your own children? You can be sure that other children are going to want to get in on the reward.
Dogs aren't children. For some dogs a toy or a ball can be a marker or reward. One can not expect that a dog will use human cognitive thought to decide that the ball is being thrown for one dog and one dog only. Instead the dog will see a ball being thrown and engage in the chase. Normal canine behavior. Of course each owner of the dogs in the park are responsible to ensure that their own dogs are under control at all times, however typically in a park setting the dogs are allowed to engage in meet and greets, social interaction, games of chase, etc. Dogs do not go through the thought process that it is ok to play with the other dogs, but do not engage in social interaction with another dog who has such a high reward marker such as a toy. Also it is unrealistic to expect that all dogs will be as well behaved as our own dogs (if our own dogs themselves are well behaved dogs).
As you summed it up perfectly, Carrie- dogs will be dogs will be dogs.
One of my own dogs loves nothing more in the world than a good game of chuck it. We find empty sports feilds, and in the summer time when they are in use we have found that an early morning trip around 7 am will solve that problem.
