Fights at the dog park

[irotas]

Here's a list of Do and Don't from the article posted earlier:

Do:
- Check out the entrance before entering to make sure dogs aren’t congregating there.

- Pay close attention to their dog’s play style, interrupting play if necessary to calm their dog down.

- Move around the park so that their dog needs to keep an eye on them.

- Remove their dog if the dog appears afraid.

- Remove their dog if it is bullying others.

- Respect their dog’s wish to leave.

- Leave special toys at home to avoid resource guarding problems.


Don't:
- Allow your dog to enter the park if there is a “gang” right next to the entrance.

- Believe that dogs can "work it out" if you just let them do so.

- Congregate at a picnic table or other area and chat with dog owners without watching their own dog.

- Let their frightened dog remain in the park and hope things get better.

- Listen to other attendees in the park, who may not understand their dog’s needs.

- Assume a dog is aggressive when it is only trying to communicate its discomfort.



We certainly violated a few of these rules, but probably our most egregious error was to assume that the dogs can "work it out" themselves. I truly believed that dogs (as long as they're not intent on killing each other) can establish order using their own culture and don't need human intervention. I see now that this is clearly naive and very dangerous. Again, I wish I'd seen this article before we started going to the dog park.

 

[irotas]

There's a thing that some refer to when discussing some breeders called "Kennel Blindness". These breeders are often blind to faults within their dogs and bitches. While some may see a fault in one of their dogs very easily, they are oblivious to it, no matter how apparent.

This is unfortunately true. It reminds me of the line "The easiest person to deceive is one's self" in "The Disowned" by Edward Bulwer-Lytton.

 

[squirtsmom]

I never go to dog parks. I have a very well behaved pitbull, but if something happened, it would sure be squirt who would get blamed. And then I would have to kick som eone's ass, and so on, and so on...

 

[ihartgonzo]

I'm glad the article was helpful. =D It's from the website of my dogs trainers/where I help train dogs in the summer. I've helped with a few of the articles... and Fozzie's pictures are on the website if you look hard! http://4pawsu.com/articles.htm

Honestly, DON'T feel bad. And DON'T feel like Manni is missing out on something because he's just not suited for the dog park. Manni obviously was *not* happy in that kind of environment, anyway, and it doesn't restrict his socialization with other dogs. You can still organize your own little "play groups" at parks with neighbors & friends whose dogs get along with Manni. I do this all the time with Gonzo & my friends/neighbors dogs, and they have a blast together! It also makes me feel much safer about the dogs playing, because I know all of them are friendly with each other and healthy, and I know none of their owners are psychos (yes... I have encountered mentally ill people at dog parks, more than once)!

I definitely give you props for realizing the situation is not good, and seeking advice. If more people did this... dog parks would be much safer & more enjoyable for everyone! You should be happy that you're being a responsible dog owner, and that you caught this before Manni's behavior escalated to an actual attack, where you got to pay a nasty Vet bill or another dog was injured. =p This does not make Manni a "bad dog", not at all... he just needs to play & have fun in a different, calmer, more controlled environment.

 

[sjoh4]

Julie, just wanted to say that I empathize with you and your difficulty at the dog park. I am a regular at my neighborhood dog park and I enjoy my time there and so does my dog. Our dog park has a very consistant and regular population however and I believe that is one of the reasons for it's success. I am still always cautious and watch my dog constantly. Fights do happen there. ( my dog has not been involved) The trouble with dog parks is, you have to constantly be aware that you're not just dealing with the dogs, but the owners as well, and some dogs are not obediant and some owners are overly protective, or not observant, etc. etc. It's a tricky situation. I feel fortunate that the park I attend has such a regular population, we mostly know every dog's name(maybe not the owner's name) and usually the dogs form attachments and accept other dogs as "friends" they see them on such a regular basis. This may be unusual, I don't know.
But I believe with some vigilance a dog park can be a good thing for some dogs and owners.

 

[sjoh4]

Really good dog park article, I'm going to post it at my dog park, maybe it will help some people pay more attention.
Thanks!