Do you take your dog to a dog park?

[juliejujubean]

i was just curious on how many owners actually take their animals to the park.

[sagelfn]

I can't pick an option. I have gone in the past and saw too many things from other dogs and stupid owners I didn't want near my dog. I do sometimes still go but only when the park is empty.

**ETA**
Also, Sage gets along with other dogs but he never cared for playing with strange dogs at the park. He wanted to play with me.

[shadow mum]

I used to take Shadow, but there were too many people in there who didn't control their dogs. Shadow was attacked on two different occasions and that was enough for me.

[PaddyD]

Originally Posted by sagelfn

I can't pick an option. I have gone in the past and saw too many things from other dogs and stupid owners I didn't want near my dog. I do sometimes still go but only when the park is empty.

Same here, there should be an option: Yes, we go occasionally. Not everyone who goes to a dog park loves it.

[CassandGunnar]

Originally Posted by PaddyD

Same here, there should be an option: Yes, we go occasionally. Not everyone who goes to a dog park loves it.

I guess we're in this group as well. We go, rarely, and usually when there are fewer people or when we know there will tend to be people at our park that have control of their dogs.

[APBTLove]

Absolutely not.

Bringing my animals to meet with strange animals and people of unknown health and temperament is not my piece of cake.

And for those who own 'dangerous dogs' - it's for your dogs own good you don't take them to a dog park.

[gsdraven]

I took Raven as a puppy but stopped when she matured and stopped enjoying it. I've never taken Kaiser. We do go hiking off leash with a group of dogs and they all get along but the dynamics of a dog park are too risky for me. I need my dogs to remain dog friendly and can't risk it.

[dazedtrucker]

It's WAY worse than taking a 2 year old to a McDonalds playplace!!! People that have ill behaved kids are as bad as ill behaved/uncontrolled dogs. I will go if there is no one else there, or just 1 or 2, but anymore than that, not even worth it. ( I had a kid about 2 years older violently shove my 2 year old down the steps...long story short, his dad said "he's just being a kid"'. Yeah a kid with an a* for a parent maybe I should come knock your a* out...just being a parent...) They left. Darn. Same things with dogs, but with a developing pups temperment at stake, I will not take the chance at all. Humans (even little ones) learn that some people just stink, dogs don't quite get it like that...

[onyx'girl]

No I don't. I would love to utilize the private one that just opened, they have an agility course, pond and dock for diving and lots of open land. It is pricey($365 annually) and not busy ever.
I think it would be great to schedule private use, they may get more people as members if we could have it to ourselves(or training group) for blocks of time.
There are a few public dog parks around, but I wouldn't use them as I don't care to socialize my dogs with strange ones.
The water feature is the only draw...not many dog friendly beaches around anymore.

[Chicagocanine]

Yes we go once in a while. The park I really like to go to (but don't get there often due to the distance) is 44 acres with prairie/grasslands surrounding the paths and fields, and a pond in a separately fenced area from the main park and when we go often the only other dogs we see are off in the distance. The also have separately fenced training enclosures.
We also sometimes go to the dog beach because dogs aren't allowed on the city beaches here, only on the dog beaches. To be allowed on the dog beach you have to get a special Dog Friendly Area permit tag(same one for the city dog parks) which you need to get from a vet and requires a health certificate, fecal check and vaccines (or titers).