We are going on a trip to Toronto and thinking of going to a dog park?

[Miss Molly May]

Good morning everyone!

We are going to Toronto next month and were thinking of going to a dog park. Molly has never been to one and we are not sure if we should or not? She is very friendly with other dogs but she has never been around allot of dogs at once! What do you think should we go or not!

[GSD2]

Personally, I don't like dog parks. It seems many people do though. You may get a mix of opinions. My problem with dog parks is that you have no control over the other dogs/owners. How old is your pup? One bad incident could cause some lasting problems. JMO

[Miss Molly May]

Originally Posted by GSD2

Personally, I don't like dog parks. It seems many people do though. You may get a mix of opinions. My problem with dog parks is that you have no control over the other dogs/owners. How old is your pup? One bad incident could cause some lasting problems. JMO

Molly is 2!! I never thought of that!! Is it pretty common to see fights at dog parks?

[BlackGSD]

I wouldn't do it. You will obviously be a stranger meaning you won't have any idea of the way the dogs there act. Not will you know if the owners watch their dogs or just let them do whatever they want.

[Miss Molly May]

Originally Posted by BlackGSD

I wouldn't do it. You will obviously be a stranger meaning you won't have any idea of the way the dogs there act. Not will you know if the owners watch their dogs or just let them do whatever they want.

Your right!!!! With all the activities my wife planed, Molly will have plenty of socializing just walking downtown, subways.... Probably better off keeping her by my side

[marshies]

If Molly wants to socialize with dogs...SOCIALIZE WITH MINE!! Amaretto is a positive wild child and I would LOVE for her to interact with older GSDs to learn better dog manners. All the dogs in class are teeny

I've been circling a dog park all week with her, just so she can LOOK at other bigger dogs.

[chelle]

I wouldn't go. Strange city, strange dogs. Especially since she's never been. Might be pretty stressful for her, all the travel and then a first dog park experience.

[BowWowMeow]

Well I will be the lone dissenter. Visiting a dog park can be a great experience. Not all dog parks are great but Toronto has some really nice ones. I have visited dog parks, with my dogs, in probably 10 different cities and I've visited a total of probably 25 dog parks. When I lived in Madison, WI I went to a dog park (not the same one) almost every single day for 5 years.

Toronto has some very nice dog parks. I visited one with my two dogs and a former foster (we met him and his new owner and her two kids there) and it was a big place full of nice dogs and responsible people. It was Rafi's first dog park experience but he had had plenty of off-leash socialization with other dogs prior to the visit. Everything went great. There were dogs there that knew one another and dogs that didn't know one another and big dogs and little dogs and purebreds and mixes and everyone did fine together.

In fact, somewhere on this board there is a thread with pictures from that dog park visit.

Here is a website with maps and reviews of Toronto dog parks. It's a Dog's Lifestyle™

Hopefully that will help you find the best park for you and Molly. I personally enjoy the big parks with lots of trails.

Here is a listing of all of the parks: http://www.pets.ca/dogs/dog-parks/ontario/toronto/

I think the one I went to was Kew Gardens.

[Miss Molly May]

Originally Posted by marshies

If Molly wants to socialize with dogs...SOCIALIZE WITH MINE!! Amaretto is a positive wild child and I would LOVE for her to interact with older GSDs to learn better dog manners. All the dogs in class are teeny

I've been circling a dog park all week with her, just so she can LOOK at other bigger dogs.

How old is Ameretto? Marshies that would be fun! Once we pick a definite weekend(either the weekend after March break, or the weekend of or after Easter)my wife can't make up her mind!!! I will let you know and if your not busy that weekend maybe we can meet downtown or something for a afternoon walk

Marc and Angele!

[marshies]

Amaretto is 5 months old now! Yes, please PM me if you guys set a weekend.

I am SUPER desperate for dog friends. I live in a university town and am a student, so no one in my social circle has a dog for Amaretto to play with. I almost went into the dog park today because it had one really nice St. Bernard and this teeny lab puppy...but I was worried Amaretto would scar the lab puppy with her rough play.