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has anyone been told.. +rant

5K views 42 replies 24 participants last post by  Wicked Seraphim 
#1 ·
Has anyone been told they shouldn't bring their dog to the dog park? It pissed me off so bad. Some guy just told me I shouldn't bring my dog to the dog park because "he's going to kill a small dog" pissed me off so bad because my dog has never hurt a dog. Yes maybe he plays too rough but he never bit a dog? I know you guys are going to probably agree that I shouldn't go to the dog park either. But it really just made me upset for some reason. That's the first complaint I ever had from the park. He shouldn't have even brought his dog to the dog park if his other dog doesn't like playing with other dogs and around people (he told me not to come near his dog he doesn't like being around people) ughhh I'm just so annoyed with this guy.
 
#2 ·
The reason many of the Forum members urge one not to bring their dog to public dog parks, is because some people don't have control of their dogs, and are not responsible enough to do anything about their dogs misbehaving. It's a place where anything unexpected could happen.
But in your case, yes, I would be angry too! You're dog has as much right to be there as any other. Now, if they saw your dog act aggressively towards other dogs, I would understand. But, that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
#3 ·
I have met some really lovely people at dog parks and some of the most rude nastiest people I have ever encountered. There are people all over the world that seem to dislike GSDs so much and get off on making the owner feel inadequate and like a leper. Don't let his nasty attitude get to you, in my experience the most nastiest rude people are the ones that have no control over their dog so will lash out at easy targets like GSD owners.

The thing with GSDs is that they are rough noisy players and if some people are not used to their style of play, they often think they are being aggressive. I have always had 2 GSDs so am experienced with how rough and noisy they are. The other thing to consider is that most GSDs do fine in dog park situations up to about the 1yo mark, some a little before, and at this age they develop definite likes and dislikes and their tolerance becomes shorter and more defined, their confidence has increased and you will find they will have no problem telling an 'in your face' Lab to go away!

I have used dog parks as a form of social exercise when they were all young pups (depending on the dogs already there) and at about 8 to 12mo I don't take them in as they don't need social exercise, but do need physical exercise so do other things with them such as ball play in a training pen, walking, hiking, swimming etc.

Do yourself a favour and ditch the dog park, find other more exciting and fulfilling things to do together - your bond together will only grow and don't worry about this ejit, some people get off on upsetting others.
 
#4 ·
Thank you!! I really need to find other dogs that play we'll with mine.. This guy really made me feel uncomfortable going to the dog park now. Never once had anyone complained about my dog but I feel like he may spread the word that "my dog is going to kill a small dog"!! but yes I do agree the way he plays may seem agressive but I know when it's time out.
 
#9 ·
Are these dog parks an over seas thing cuz I've never heard of them in the uk, I take my pup to a regular park with swings and kids and ducks ( he likes the ducks lol) and just over fields by me.

I've had a lot of people avoid us when we are walking and I feel bad for him cuz he does love a play, some people are angels even when he's rele boisterous and bowls other dogs over and others just shout at me for not controlling him even tho I shout him and he comes straight back and waits for a biscuit.

He's currently pulling a lot so we have him on a halite and even that's causing problems cuz now people think he's a vicious dog and if they see me take the halite off him over the field they go insane at me.... I ignore them cuz I know he wouldn't hurt a fly, i mean for Christ sake the big fool ran away for a chihuahua the other day when he could have just eaten it in one bite lol :wild:
 
#13 ·
I don't do dog parks. Many people have preconceived notions about GSDs. I have heard people tell their kids not to go near my dog because he might bite! A woman screamed bloody murder because my dog playfully galloped toward her wildly barking little dog. I don't like people making false assumptions about my dog, so to spare myself the frustration, I just don't go. ;) Plus it frustrates me to see people not controlling their dogs... especially leash reactive dogs lunging, crying and barking at us.
 
#15 ·
Yes maybe he plays too rough but he never bit a dog?
A large dog doesn't have to bite a smaller dog (or a bigger dog) to hurt the dog. If your dog is playing rough then people are going to say something. If a dog bigger than your dog by 50-60 pounds was being too rough with him, how would you feel?

Go to obedience classes, meet some owners over time (not immediately) that have dogs with a play style similar to your own and who are under control when playing.

Dogs in play shouldn't be a free for all, which is kind of the opposite of what a lot of people do. When my dogs play, I am out there like a FIFA ref, giving them a lot of feedback on their play, shaping it into play that is appropriate for my group. I can't do that in a group with other peoples' dogs. So I don't set my dogs/me up to fail or be uncomfortable. http://info.drsophiayin.com/dog-park-etiquette-poster
 
#17 ·
This. This is so, so important. My male is a rough player (very vocal, too), so I am extremely choosy about who I let him play with- not because I don't want to catch flack from other owners, but because I genuinely do worry about the other dog. It so easily spins into bullying, whatever, if the other dog is overwhelmed... even if they're the same size.

He has lab friend who he can tackle, roll around with, bark at.... and who gives it right back to him. She's probably the one of the only dogs I'm comfortable with letting him play with for extended periods of time. My dog has good recall and good manners, but I just don't want to risk it in such an uncontrolled environment.

At dog parks, most owners don't know anything about rough play- many people think it's aggression, and conversely many people don't understand that their dog's rough play, even if friendly, can be really overwhelming to other dogs.
 
#18 ·
I’m not against dog parks, and I’d never tell someone to leave a dog park (if they were bothering me while I was at one), but sometimes as GSD owners we aren’t as vigilant as we need to be. Even though our dogs are playing normally, some people might not be comfortable with it, and unfortunately it really does only take a split second for a GSD to hurt a small dog. With a larger dog…there might be a puncture and an injury that hopefully can be fixed up by a vet, but with a small dog, one bite could mean death.

I’m not saying this to OP, but people need to realize that dogs mature and can very quickly go from friendly to angry. I saw this happen with my dog when he was right around a year old, and too often on this website I see people who are oblivious to the fact that their young dog will change at some point. Luckily, I saw signs of the change and stopped going to the dog park because it stopped being fun for me. Others though, don’t stop until it’s too late and then wonder why people are prejudiced against GSDs.

When I went to the dog park, I was very aware of the preconceived ideas about my dog due to his breed and would watch him like a hawk. I’d watch the owners of the other dogs he’d play with to make sure they were comfortable with the play, and you’d be surprised how many times I made my boy stop playing with a dog and had the owner tell me “it was fine” when it really wasn’t. Their dog was clearly uncomfortable with the situation and not enjoying themselves. Even though all our parks have small dog areas, people would bring their small dogs into the large dog area (it was way bigger) and I made sure my dog never played with too small of a dog. Basically anything smaller than 30lbs was off-limits.

I don’t think you did anything wrong OP, but just be mindful of the fact that your dog has a much shorter leash than other breeds of dogs. In this situation, you ran into someone that over reacted to the situation, but unfortunately there are a lot of those people out there. And if you ever read posts that come from people whose dogs were overwhelmed in that type of situation, the advice will usually be to “protect your dog at all costs.” Which is what that guy did. Is it a bit too far, especially in a public park? Sure…but that’s what happens when you’re at a public park.
 
#19 ·
I take it that this dog park is not split? One side for small dogs one side for big dogs? Ours is split. Not that it means anything because people still bring their little nippers in the big dog area anyways, then look at you like your an idiot for bringing such a large dog to the dog park as their little dog gets chased and pummeled by half the dogs there. Yep, life at a dog park. Just gotta take it for what it's worth.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App
 
#20 ·
Hunter, the guy was rude, he don't own the park nor pay more taxes for it then you. But the park has many issues besides dog to dog - human to human reactions / problems. A sick dog can leave something that makes your dog sick, the park is littered with poop. If you want your dog to interact with other dogs, join a class, a club or have the dog meet and greet dogs while on a walk. They don't need to run together in tandem at a park out of your immediate control, bad thing's happen fast resulting in much more heartache, then some *** with a small dog.
 
#22 ·
I hate that the big dog always has to be the one to leave though. Why should I have to leave the park bc your little dog might get hurt? I met so many people at the dog park (when we used to go) that would say "oh he's afraid of shepherds" while their little rat would terrorize my dog, who would think it was playing and paw at it. If you are afraid of big dogs (bc face it, is usually the owner that's scared) don't go to the dog park!

If you are worried about your little dog getting hurt by big dogs, don't take them to a park that is full of big dogs playing and then accuse every big, "scary" looking dog of being aggressive.
 
#24 ·
I hate that the big dog always has to be the one to leave though. Why should I have to leave the park bc your little dog might get hurt? I met so many people at the dog park (when we used to go) that would say "oh he's afraid of shepherds" while their little rat would terrorize my dog, who would think it was playing and paw at it. If you are afraid of big dogs (bc face it, is usually the owner that's scared) don't go to the dog park!

If you are worried about your little dog getting hurt by big dogs, don't take them to a park that is full of big dogs playing and then accuse every big, "scary" looking dog of being aggressive.
You don’t have to leave, just be able to get to a place where the small dogs aren’t bothering your dog. At the end of the day, realize that the larger dog is the more dangerous one. A terrorizing small dog, isn’t going to cause deadly/life threatening damage, a large dog, can easily do that and so you have to watch your dog. I don’t go to parks where you can see one end from the other end. I make sure the parks we go to are large enough for large dogs. A large dog can make it across a football field in like 5 seconds, and it will also see/hear what’s going on in the whole park. So when you have a watchful breed (basically any herding breed) you have to make sure they don’t stick their nose into anywhere it doesn’t belong.

I’ve been to so many parks where a pack ganged up on a single dog…if you’re not able to keep your dog out of such situations through training, or through physical restraint, you shouldn’t be at the park IMO. The last thing you want is your dog to be the one doing something to another person’s dog…and trust me, no one is going to care if that other dog “started it.” Your GSD ended it.

I know there are plenty of dog friendly GSDs…because mine is one. But mine is also very capable of becoming irritated and snapping at another dog. People that don’t believe their sweet little GSD is capable of doing something dangerous and hurting another dog are living in a fantasy land IMO and really shouldn’t be at dog parks either. Once you accept the fact that you do own a “dangerous breed” you become a much more responsible owner and at that point are able to be proactive in dog/dog situations rather than believing your dog is a perfect angel. With most people…it takes a dog fight/scuffle that their dog is involved to realize this though, but then some will just blame the other dog and keep living in their fantasy world where their 2 year intact male GSD is the perfect citizen and doesn’t have a single ounce of aggression in him.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Under the assumption that the large dog is being friendly and not playing overly rough, I agree with you, the small dog owner needs to take responsibility. But many times, a larger dog does play more rough than a small dog should have to put up with, and the owner of the large dog, stands and does nothing because they think it’s not a big deal unless their dog actually becomes aggressive. This isn’t true, you need to stop your dog and only allow him to play at a level ALL dogs are comfortable with.

Think of it as “weight divisions” in wrestling/boxing/MMA. It’s not fair for a 250lbs fighter to square up against a 150lbs fighter, so why is it alright for a dog to do the same? You wouldn’t allow a teenager to “play wrestle” a 5 year old if you saw that the five year old was clearly not enjoying it…and you’d more than likely reprimand the teenager in that situation.

Like I said, you don't have to leave, just be able to go somewhere else in the park and not allow your dog to interact with that ONE dog. There are probably many more dogs at the park that your dog can play with (probably more your dogs size) and there won't be any issues. Your dog doesn't have to play with THAT one dog, it can play with others and get the same amount of enjoyment/exercise. That's why I don't allow my dog to play with small dogs...there are dogs there his size, go pick on them, he doesn't NEED to play with that particular dog.
 
#28 ·
It's unlikely that your dog chases small dogs because of prey drive. Small dogs are generally not considered prey to bigger dogs. It might be more of a herding instinct/drive that causes him to chase dogs.

It's very very rare that a large dog actually thinks smaller dogs are prey. They do realize that what they're looking at/smelling is another dog and do have respect for that.
 
#29 ·
It's unlikely that your dog chases small dogs because of prey drive. Small dogs are generally not considered prey to bigger dogs. It might be more of a herding instinct/drive that causes him to chase dogs.

It's very very rare that a large dog actually thinks smaller dogs are prey. They do realize that what they're looking at/smelling is another dog and do have respect for that.
I can see that. Whenever I call Cyclone in Gunther insists on trying to herd him in. It took me a while to realize that's what he was doing. It would freak me out that Cyclone was being stopped from coming in, but that wasn't Gunther's intention.

It usually goes down like this,
I call Cyclone in, Gunther goes on alert and waits for him to start running towards the house. Gunther then runs up to him, Cyclone stops and goes into defense mode. Gunther jumps all over him and tries to grab him by the back of the neck. I give up and walk out to chase off Gunther so
Cyclone can get into the house without being harassed.
 
#30 ·
We had something similar happen and it has bugged me too

I know some aren't pro-dog park, but my area is on a huge "ticket if you are off-leash in an on-leash area" crusade and I've volunteered for a group that tries to preserve off-leash parks and trails and we always get beat up about people breaking the rules and being off leash where they shouldn't. So I try to follow the rules and take Ollie to the off leash park on weekend so he can run around and really chase his ball. Plus get worn out faster playing with other dogs. On odd numbered days, dogs are allowed off leash on a few select trails so we do that too, but he has boundless energy right now. We need the dog park. He also goes to doggie day care 2x a week.

I agree with everything that has been said about owners needing to be vigilant about their dogs while at the park. It isn't fair, but with a GSD it seems you have to be every careful because it will always be your dog that is blamed.

Last weekend our dog was having a blast playing with a husky. Similar sized and playing well together with chasing and wrestling. Some punk kids shows up with a little pomeranian that just kept barking, yipping, and nipping at all the other dogs. The kid though it was cute, "big dog in a little body" attitude. Well the big dogs got tired of the harassment and started to chase the little thing, who then freaked out and yelped like he was being torn apart (he wasn't, no one bit at all). I grabbed Ollie's collar, the husky owner did the same with her dog, but a guy with a pitbull was a bit slower to snag his dog. There were other dogs, but these with the big 3. No one was hurt, but the guy with the Pomeranian was upset about our "aggressive dogs" at the park, comments cleared aimed at the big 3. Really pissed me off that his dog was the aggressor and all dogs were playing fine until his napoleon showed up. Seems most little dogs never get OB training and the owners think because their mouths are small it doesn't matter. I wish our park had a big and a small area, but it doesn't and we are lucky to even have this space.

So I feel your pain at the unjustness of being blamed just for bringing a GSD to the park, it is dog racism. After all your tax dollars support the park too. I always feel for Pitbull and doberman owners who are the only owners that seem to have it worse than GSDs.
 
#31 ·
I know some aren't pro-dog park, but my area is on a huge "ticket if you are off-leash in an on-leash area" crusade and I've volunteered for a group that tries to preserve off-leash parks and trails and we always get beat up about people breaking the rules and being off leash where they shouldn't. So I try to follow the rules and take Ollie to the off leash park on weekend so he can run around and really chase his ball. Plus get worn out faster playing with other dogs. On odd numbered days, dogs are allowed off leash on a few select trails so we do that too, but he has boundless energy right now. We need the dog park. He also goes to doggie day care 2x a week.

I agree with everything that has been said about owners needing to be vigilant about their dogs while at the park. It isn't fair, but with a GSD it seems you have to be every careful because it will always be your dog that is blamed.

Last weekend our dog was having a blast playing with a husky. Similar sized and playing well together with chasing and wrestling. Some punk kids shows up with a little pomeranian that just kept barking, yipping, and nipping at all the other dogs. The kid though it was cute, "big dog in a little body" attitude. Well the big dogs got tired of the harassment and started to chase the little thing, who then freaked out and yelped like he was being torn apart (he wasn't, no one bit at all). I grabbed Ollie's collar, the husky owner did the same with her dog, but a guy with a pitbull was a bit slower to snag his dog. There were other dogs, but these with the big 3. No one was hurt, but the guy with the Pomeranian was upset about our "aggressive dogs" at the park, comments cleared aimed at the big 3. Really pissed me off that his dog was the aggressor and all dogs were playing fine until his napoleon showed up. Seems most little dogs never get OB training and the owners think because their mouths are small it doesn't matter. I wish our park had a big and a small area, but it doesn't and we are lucky to even have this space.

So I feel your pain at the unjustness of being blamed just for bringing a GSD to the park, it is dog racism. After all your tax dollars support the park too. I always feel for Pitbull and doberman owners who are the only owners that seem to have it worse than GSDs.
You've actually gotten a ticket for having your dog off leash? Is your dog well behaved?

I'm seriously asking. Not being rude.
 
#40 · (Edited)
I took Sammy to a dog park a few weeks ago (they have a free agility course and I had time to kill)... he's super sweet and very bonded to me... Another dog (GSD about 80lbs, that had been humping other dogs at the park) came up and tried to mount Sammy, Sammy turned snapped and walked away. I shot the owner a look, he didn't seem to care. Same GSD tried to mount Sammy a second time..... Sammy (103lbs) spun around grabbed that GSD by the throat slammed him to the ground and then ran to my side and sat and looked at me.

The other owner runs over to me yelling at me, and I calmly said your dog was given 1 warning and mine never acted aggressively. He simply put your dog in his place, and if you don't get out of my face I'll do the same. He started to get agitated and raise his voice then some people standing around told him his dog was in the wrong, and he grabbed his dog and left.

I have seen dog attacks at public dog places a few times, so I can understand why he said that, and why he was concerned. But I would tell him to pound sand (so long as you trust your dog to behave and but be a problem) but don't let him make you angry.



Sammy was getting along fine with all the dogs at the park, including this one that he put in its place. Even after the incident while the other owner was getting in my face I was watching, and Sammy continued to get along just fine (even with the dog he just put down) that dog quickly got the hint not to mount Sammy and then all was well.... but the owner was a **** then left.
 
#41 ·
links that contain info anyone going to a dog park should know:
Leerburg | Dog Parks: Why They Are A Bad Idea
Leerburg | How to Break Up a Dog Fight Without Getting Hurt!

I have started taking my well trained, dog ignoring dog to our local dog parks, not to play but for training and discipline! He does just fine and has met a couple of well behaved dogs on a few occasions without issue.

Most dogs are not like him and there are dogs and owners that should not be at a dog park! If you go to a dog park as long as you understand the risk...have fun and good luck!
 
#42 ·
The owners and their ignorance was why I stopped going to dog parks unless it's completely empty. This city is very dog friendly, however there are leash laws that if you are caught, are enforced. I had a few times where I had to deal with the ACOs saying something to me about my dog being off leash.

First time it happened we were playing on some playground equipment to work on body awareness and obstacles for fun. I was at the top of a section, and my golden had just gone down the slide to where my roommate and a friend were. I called him back to me. He tried going up the slide and when he realized that wasn't going to work, he ran around to where we started and did the exact pattern we had done (including flying over a balance beam I had had to hold still to get him to cross before) until he got to my side. I went down the slide with him this time and we kept going around, enjoying getting to play with the dogs.

An ACO vehicle had been passing by on the road and mind you my dog was off leash for TEN SECONDS or so while he got to where I was, but they still came over and gave me a speel, even if my dog was obviously in control.

Second time I had to deal with it, we were coming down a trail and there wasn't a sign to really warn you that coming up soon was a road and an on-leash area. We noticed it when we came up, recalled the dogs and leashed them. There was an ACO guy waiting for people who took that trail. We told him that we'd never been on this trail before, which was true, so we hadn't realized that we were so close to an on-leash area. We were given warnings since again the dogs were under control, but the threat of a ticket is there.

That guy was definitely a jerk. It was people who had no clue, that did nothing while my puppy was getting harassed that eventually made me say forget it. Not to mention my roommate's slightly older dog was attacked numerous times for just walking in, leaving my roommate at times with bite wounds as a result (with the owner being upset that my roommate had to get a bit physical with the dog). So overall, just not worth it. I won't let my GSD puppy anywhere near these areas as we are already working on his dog reactivity. I don't need people to mess things up any more than they are.
 
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