Dog Park problems - is it worth going?

[vhowell7]

My 9 month old GSD is an only dog, so she is around other dogs sporadically.

We took her to a dog park the other day, first time in a long time. Last time (she was around 6 months old) some Border collie/lab mix (male, intact) was very aggressive towards her, and she ignored all commands to come to me and ran full speed to get away from him and ran SMACK! into the fence. She was dazed but ok, and finally the other owner got off her cell phone and called her dog off mine.

So this time a pack of 4 dogs mostly males ( mine is spayed) came at her aggessively, swarming her, trying to mount, push her down, etc. She goes into flee mode again.

She does well one on one or even two on one with other dogs. One of the other owners said his dog was fearful and submissive so he began to bring his dog each week, and finally she got to play nice with the other dogs.

My question is: is this really worth my time and effort to bring her every week to socialize her? She is fine with the other dogs in her obedience classes, so is the dog park thing really necessary?

[Courtney]

There are several people here who have positive experiences and dogs parks. I have not and will not go to a dog park. I will not let my boy interact with unknown dogs. He is fine around other dogs and I don't want that to change. His experience around other dogs has been in our classes (OB, rally, agility) in a controlled environment where he's to remain focused on me and we can work around other dogs...to me he has been socialized around other dogs.

[kitmcd]

I have taken mine to our dog park on a very few occasions. If I pull up and there are more than a couple dogs in there....we leave. Yesterday I took her in late afternoon (all the regulars come in the morning) and we had the whole thing to ourselves. Spent a great hour playing ball and she had plenty of freedom to chase birds and squirrels and sniff everything!

We have 2 older dogs who get tired of her playing, so it is nice to let her play with others. However, I like her "play dates" much better...have a neighbor with a GSD mix who is only about 2 and they love to tug ropes and run laps around a fenced yard.

Dog parks make me very nervous.

[JeanKBBMMMAAN]

Originally Posted by vhowell7

My question is: is this really worth my time and effort to bring her every week to socialize her? She is fine with the other dogs in her obedience classes, so is the dog park thing really necessary?

Do you have a place where you can invite some dog friends that you know are "nice" to play safely? If you do, there is no reason to go through the Lord of the Flies deal at the dog park.

Ideally, our dogs can be indifferent or appropriately social with dogs they meet that are strangers, and play well with other dogs who are appropriate.

I do not think it is worth having to put up with all that to go to a dog park.

[chelle]

It's a crapshoot. Nothing more, nothing less.

We go to the dog park often. I have many issues with it, or more so, with some of the owners who bring dogs who shouldn't be there and/or don't pay attention to what they're doing. I've seen a few dog squabbles.

Just last trip there a woman was quite shaken up because her small MinPin (I think it was) was running around barking at the big dogs and eventually one of them reacted to it. There was no blood, but it was a lot of noise and it was scary. The owner's husband plucked the little dog out of the melee and it was biting HIM.. he handed it to the woman. It was clearly "her" dog, as the dog settled right down in her arms. She immediately turned heel and left without a word. She was angry/upset and I get that, but it was a textbook case of a dog who should not be at the dog park. It might sound mean to say, but I hope they learned a big lesson and don't come back.

I have had to leave a few times when there were dogs there that made me uneasy with Bailey, or were outright showing they didn't like him. (A GSD, a white pitbull, an Irish Setter and a huge Husky... yes, I've "filed" these dogs away in my mind - we won't go in if they're there.) Those dogs also had issues with other dogs in the park and with the exception of the pit, I haven't seen them come back.

Anyway, even with all the negatives, the dog park has been more of a positive than a negative so far. He genuinely loves to play with other dogs and it has helped with his human socialization dramatically.

I used to try to avoid the regulars, but not so much anymore. I've come to know the regulars' dogs, what to expect, how they usually act and Bailey knows them, too, so you don't get the whole pack ganging up on the "new guy" nearly as much as when it is a totally strange pack of dogs you're going into. That's the worst. Even worse are the ones that bring multiples who are their *own* pack and will gang up on any dog who tries to play with a dog within "their" own pack.

So I guess with all my rambling I'm saying it can be good for certain dogs and situations, but there are definitely things to watch out for and you're always better off leaving if any doubt.

I don't know how long we'll continue to go -- maybe forever, maybe one more trip.

[vhowell7]

Originally Posted by JeanKBBMMMAAN

Do you have a place where you can invite some dog friends that you know are "nice" to play safely? If you do, there is no reason to go through the Lord of the Flies deal at the dog park.

Ideally, our dogs can be indifferent or appropriately social with dogs they meet that are strangers, and play well with other dogs who are appropriate.

I do not think it is worth having to put up with all that to go to a dog park.

My neighbor's dogs are older and won't play with Shadow, she is too high energy with them. We have met one dog on our greenbelt, a red retriever, and they romped and played for a long time, but I haven't seen them lately.
"Lord of the Flies" - HA! That truely sums it up....

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by vhowell7

We took her to a dog park the other day, first time in a long time. Last time (she was around 6 months old) some Border collie/lab mix (male, intact) was very aggressive towards her, and she ignored all commands to come to me and ran full speed to get away from him and ran SMACK! into the fence. She was dazed but ok, and finally the other owner got off her cell phone and called her dog off mine.

So this time a pack of 4 dogs mostly males ( mine is spayed) came at her aggessively, swarming her, trying to mount, push her down, etc. She goes into flee mode again.

If these are typical experiences at your local park, then I'd say no. I have wonderful multi-acre open space off leash parks and have been going to them regularly for 10 years. But not all dogs are great candidates for that kind of environment, and not all parks are created equal. We don't go for the socialization per se, we go because we have a tiny little yard and like taking them places where we can chuck a ball for them. The park we go to most often is on the SF Bay, so they can also go swimming, which they love. Our dogs play with each other and with us, not really with the other dogs. Sometimes Keefer will take up a "chase me" offer by another dog, but Halo usually keeps him pretty busy, lol!

Experiences with other dogs should be pleasant, so if that's not what's happening at the dog park, I wouldn't take her there anymore.

[vhowell7]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

If these are typical experiences at your local park, then I'd say no. I have wonderful multi-acre open space off leash parks and have been going to them regularly for 10 years.
We don't go for the socialization per se, we go because we have a tiny little yard and like taking them places where we can chuck a ball for them. The park we go to most often is on the SF Bay, so they can also go swimming, which they love. Our dogs play with each other and with us, not really with the other dogs. Sometimes Keefer will take up a "chase me" offer by another dog, but Halo usually keeps him pretty busy, lol!

Experiences with other dogs should be pleasant, so if that's not what's happening at the dog park, I wouldn't take her there anymore.

Lucky! you have more than one dog, I am trying to get my hubby to let me get a second dog, but so far no go. As far as exercise, we have a nature trail we go to that she can be off leash that ends in a huge enclosed field. We play fetch once we get there, so I guess I was doing it more for socialization since she is an only dog.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Socialization means she's being exposed to things (people, dogs, places), but it's not always necessary that she actually interact with them. If she's doing well with the other dogs in her OB class, then I wouldn't worry about it - she's probably getting plenty of socialization around other dogs. If you'd still like more, how about arranging play dates with other dogs in the class?

[vhowell7]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

Socialization means she's being exposed to things (people, dogs, places), but it's not always necessary that she actually interact with them. If she's doing well with the other dogs in her OB class, then I wouldn't worry about it - she's probably getting plenty of socialization around other dogs. If you'd still like more, how about arranging play dates with other dogs in the class?

Good suggestion, but the class is over now, and the other dogs were 1/4 her size! She was the biggest dog there by far.

But I like what you said about socialization means exposure. I just feel sometimes like my dog is lonely for another dog to play with and she wasn't getting enough doggy-playtime.

My teen is autistic - high functioning - and does well with adults, not other kids. She remarked that Shadow is kinda the same way - plays well with humans, but not always with peers. Lol