Thoughts on dog parks please

[mctraill]

How do you all feel about dog parks?
I was thinking it might be nice for me to take my dog to the dog park, but I am unsure if this is a good idea or not. I am worried that she might get into fights or that she will come into contact with other dogs who dont have their vaccinations. She goes to doggie day camp twice a month and she seems to get on OK there but if we meet dogs in the street she barks and pulls to get to them. I understand that I need to do more training with her and we are continually working on commands.

I was wondering if you think these parks are a good idea or if they are a bad idea? and what the pros and cons of them are?

Thanks for your advice.

 

[ACooper]

I am worried that she might get into fights or that she will come into contact with other dogs who dont have their vaccinations.

You named two of the big concerns right there.....and it's just not about Vaccinations, dogs could have any number of things from worms to kennel cough. Most dog parks are come as you are............unless of course you are paying to join a private one, and then there are still no guarantees.

I guess the pros would be plenty of exercise to really run off leash.......socialization if you are lucky to have a good crowd of dogs there.

 

[sheltiem0m]

I would say stay away from dog parks if you have a dog that shows any agression at all (and it seems from your post that your dog may have some). I would love to have a good dog park to go to, but the ones in my area have been taken over by irresponsible dog owners and aggressive dogs. I have heard and seen horrible dog fights occurring at these parks. Personally I just wouldn't risk it, but then again the dog parks in my area aren't the best.

I would suggest continuing working on the training and avoid the dog parks. You can give your dog exercise without the risks of a dog park.....and it sounds like your dog is getting some socialization experience at doggie day camp. It just doesn't seem worth the risk unless the owners at your local dog park are very responsible.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

I take my dogs to our town dog park several times a week. They really enjoy it, and so do I> but, it is a small, local park. It is for town residents only-tags are issued (after providing info on up to date vacs. and license). There have been some "incidents"--if owners are not tending to their dogs, I either leave, or encourage them to pay greater attention so there is not conflict. I have also gotten to know "schedules"--so take my dogs at a time I know there is a nice group of dogs and people. The benefits are socialization, good time to really run, and a change of scenery from a walk around the neighborhood. Draw backs--potential problems with dogs and/or owners. Overall--we like the benefits.

 

[Saje]

I've only taken mav to the dog park and he loved it. We never had any problem with more aggressive dogs and it never really crossed my mind. We were lucky to live in a dog lovers neighbourhood though.

We are moving to the city in a month and I'll take Mav again and I'll probably take Nanook. Mikey has been dog aggressive in the past and I won't take him.

 

[ToscasMom]

I don't use dog parks either, for the same health reasons. My dog is well vetted. I can't see how well vetted other people's dogs are. I also find that a lot of people just let their dogs do whatever they want at a dog park without regard for other people and their dogs. There are people who think that Dog Park means you don't have to control of your own dog's behavior. I pass.

 

[Miakoda]

Yuck.

My advise is to stay away from dog parks. Instead, find a small bunch of people, maybe 5 or 6, with well socialized dogs that you know have the proper vaccinations & such & schedule playdates. This way a) you know the health history of the dogs, b) you'll get to know their owners better, & c) there will be one person per dog in case of any accidents.

Thanks to new dog parks in the city of Baton Rouge, the area vets are seeing a large increase in dog fight related injuries (which are extremely common anyways).

 

[ravennr]

I won't step foot or paw into a dog park. Or any animal park that's public like that. It's just not safe whatsoever.

 

[jess2416]

I don't use dog parks either, for the same health reasons. My dog is well vetted. I can't see how well vetted other people's dogs are. I also find that a lot of people just let their dogs do whatever they want at a dog park without regard for other people and their dogs. There are people who think that Dog Park means you don't have to control of your own dog's behavior. I pass.

Agreed ^^

 

[Buckshot]

I wont take mine to dog parks again. Some people get off on how their aggressive little dog snaps and pesters the great big dog. Its either gonna get me in a fight, or someones little yipper getting hurt badly. Personally Id rather hang out in biker bars with mine.

 

[Tazwell]

I do not have a fenced in yard to let my dogs run in-- especially my fosters, because I NEVER let them off-leash. I wish I had a place for them to run... I live on an island, that you have to pay $3 to go across the bridge, so I'm not allowed to leave the island for no good reason. My places are limited.

The only enclosed park here is the dog park-- I've never once seen anybody there, so I think it's a safe place to go, regarding aggression issues. There's just no socializing. However, this dog park requires you to have more than a city license, they require you to be on an approved dog-park member list. We're not in good graces with the AC here, so My Mom won't apply for "The List."

A neighboring city does not require an application and acceptance to the "Approved list" of dogs. They just require that the dogs be vaccinated and licensed.

What are the normal requirements for your local dog parks?

 

[elegy]

no thanks. even if i had a dog-park-appropriate breed, i have no interest in going to dog parks. too many stupid people with untrained dogs, too much room for disaster. one bad experience can leave you with a reactive, defensive dog and it takes a long time to work through those issues.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

I love the dog park and the dogs love it too! We had to show their rabies vacc fill out legal forms and get a tag and a swipe card in order to get in. People can only bring 2 dogs per person. The people that go to mine are avid dog lovers--they always pick up their poop, always intervene if playing turns too rough and generally there are no problems. If someone does do something innappropriate (or lets their dog act innapropriately) there is a newsletter where people can sort things out and the board can suspend licenses if dogs are agressive ect.

I totally think it's a great place. When we brought Wrigley the first time when he was like 7 months and probably 8 lbs he was so scared of the big dogs--he would try to cower at our feet or run away. After a few times of bringing him (and ignoring his fears) he was playing with huskys and other big dogs. It did wonders for his dog socialization.

Our park has a small dog section and a large dog section.

 

[Saintgirl]

It is an uncontrolled environment with too many people who frequent the parks without good dog knowledge. A recipe for disaster IMO. Sure, some dogs love it, but all it takes is one person to bring in their dog who isn't a dog park kind of dog and then it can become a very dangerous place to be. I have a HUGE fenced in yard and we have play dates!! Except for my big boy, he doesn't like play dates so he gets to spend some special time with his Dad!

 

[SizzleDog]

We have a private dog park in my town - everybody who goes there knows everybody else, and it's based on the honor system. Not every yahoo in town knows about it, people who do know about it only tell other responsible owners about its location (it's very well hidden!)

We've only had one problem, with one dog... and that man and his dog were told not to come back. We've had upwards of 30+ dogs in the park with no problems.

That being said, there are very few dog parks with this sort of security and control. I would not go to a strange dog park, but the private park is A-OK with me. We also had a very well-controlled, city-managed dog park back home, and Ilsa was practically raied there, we went there every day. It was a great place to go and let off steam, but there was an occasional... altercation. Luckilyl the park was 30 acres, so chances were good that any altercation would be 10 acres away or more.

 

[Bahamutt99]

I wont touch a dog park. Too much chaos. Too little owner responsibility. Too many people who own a bully, or a spook, and think that the dog's behavior is cute. IMO, dog parks attract the wrong kind of owner. They view it as a free backyard where they can chat on their cell phone and ignore their dog for an hour.

 

[simplymisty]

I've always wanted to take my 3 to our local dog park and you do have to have city tags (which we do) but there are far too many people in my town who fight dogs and breed dogs to fight.

I haven't gone because I'm afraid of how my dogs will act if there is a pit in there. They've been attacked once saving my son and Angel almost died from her injuries. And I'm also worried if they were to get attacked again.

So to protect all of us we just don't go. I would love to have somewhere they can run besides our yard though.

 

[shazbot]

When I was living in California I used to take my golden to a dog all the time. It was a really small one, and very rarely was there other dogs there. It was relatively unknown. When there were dogs there I never had any issues. The owners were very attentive to their dogs, and the dogs were very friendly. Now that I live in Minnesota I won't take my golden to the parks here. They are huge and have too many dogs. With a park so big there's too many unkowns for me to want to risk my dogs health in exchange for him to run off leash. He gets plenty of exercise on leash and is well socialized. My other 2 I never took to a dog park, they are to sketchy around dogs they don't know for me to want to risk them getting into a fight.

 

[Scooter]

I don't love dog parks, but I take Zoe sometimes because there are very, very few places around here I can let her run. I got read the riot act when I said recently that I walked her off leash in the neighborhood, so dog parks are my best place to do this. She needs a lot of exercise, and my husband and I both work full time, so I don't have time to drive her anyplace she can go off leash.

Sorry if I sound defensive, but this topic has come up before and when you live in a big city and have a dog that needs daily exercise, a dog park may be your only option. No one has ever offered me a solution. I'd love to have a big yard or live in the country, but I don't.

Dog parks are fine if you stay close to your dog and pay attention to how they are playing. If I see any aggressive dogs, we leave immediately.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

I really wonder what kinds of dog parks there must be when I read these many posts on the topic. I would say most people at our dog park are either actively playing with their dog or staring at it the entire time. The majority of folks who go are like the folks on this board (obsessed with their dogs, dog behavior ect)--so it works really well.