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Dog Parks - Good? Bad? Indifferent?

43K views 163 replies 109 participants last post by  Bentwings1 
#1 ·
A poster on another thread had posted about an incident at a dog park and did not want her thread turned into a bashing thread. Perfectly understandable.

Dog Parks are a hot issue, not just for dog owners that want to socialize and exercise our dogs but also for municipalities that have them.

I live in a small town and we do not have a dog park. Nearest park is 100 miles away, so I would not use one cause I cannot regularly use one. I have on occassion stopped in when in Tulsa and it is very quiet.

Would I ever be a regular user? Probably not. They scare me.

I have 3 GSD's.(would never take more than one a time if I went). They are large dogs and they have a reputation as a breed. My dogs are well socialized and very well trained as evidence by the titles in front and behind their names (not bragging). They get along with other dogs and other people. They are not aggressive.

I think the idea behind dog parks is sound but sometimes the philosophy is not. I would be so afraid of other dogs causing issues adn my dogs getting caught up in it and thne being blamed due to breed. I would also not want to see injury if above happened - to my dog or another.

I have always found friendly dogs for my dogs to play with. They do play with friends dogs pretty often. They also have each other and a large yard.

I think for people that have no other options a well run park might be okay but I am not sure I want my dogs there.

Any one else??
 
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#63 ·
i wish we could organize things with certain dogs or something but the park is too risky, my dog will get along with only certain dogs, not the pushy in your face ones,

She loves to play chuck it, I use to take her in dog parks to play that but its still not a good idea because other dogs can come pick a fight and we will get in trouble.
 
#64 ·
Nope. Don't like them at all. I know a dog that was killed at the dog park in an incident. I know many others that have either been brought to the dog park when the owners KNOW the dog has issues with other dogs and others that were victims of dogs owned by these types of people.

I also know quite a few that picked up infections from other dogs brought there (when the owners knew they were sick). I also don't like that so many get shut down for being unsanitary or having disease outbreaks.
 
#65 ·
I think dog parks are a great concept, I really do, but just not executed in the right way. The main problem? No restrictions as far as neuter and spay go. I work as a dog behaviorist and I know and have experienced first hand that most aggression and dog fights come as a result of an un-neutered dog. There are many examples of this.
First, If you have a pack of neutered male dogs and introduce a non neutered dog it causes a tricky reaction. As soon as the other dogs sense that there is an un- neutered dog in the pack, many times they quickly start to gang up on him, singling him out and it often ends up in an attack. (Keep in mind that this reaction typically only happens in a large pack after the dog that is not neutered is about 6 months or older).

Like every other being on this planet dogs are primarily motivated by the drive to reproduce. Sex is a big thing. When you take two un-neutered males and introduce a female that is not spayed it causes extreme aggression in the 2 male dogs, more times than not this results in a fight. (usually when the female is in heat.) Similarly, if you have a neutered male with an un-neutered male and introduce that same female, you are likely to see aggression stemming from the un- neutered dog, once again resulting in a fight. Meshing all of these dogs together in one dog park can defiantly have some very adverse reactions and outcomes.

Another aspect that concerns me about dog parks is the lack of knowledge that most dog owners have about dog behavior. Many people have a hard time distinguishing when dogs are playing normally then when the play is starting to get to rough to the point of it escalating to a full blown fight. Not many people know how to read a dogs body language. A trained eye is able to tell if a dog is becoming to dominate, if they're becoming irritated, if they're fearful ect... Keep in mind, just because a tail is wagging, doesn't necessarily mean the dog is happy.

Lastly, most people that take their dogs to the dog park are inexperienced on how to properly break up a dog fight, should one occur. I understand that if someones dog gets in a fight they want to do anything thing they can to break it up as quickly as possible. However, if a person doesn't know how to do this properly it can result in serious bodily injury. If you are ever in a position where you need to break up a dog fight remember these tips:

If you ever need to break up a fight pinch the area of skin that connects from the front of the back thighs to the torso. Since this is a pressure point more times than not it'll cause the dog to release it's bite. Your risk of getting bit is decreased ten fold because of the difficulty it is for a dog to reach that area standing up.

If a dog has another dog by the throat NEVER try to tear the biting dog off. This can cause the skin to tear and rip, possibly making the injury even worse!

NEVER BREAK UP A FIGHT BY GRABBING A DOG BY THE COLLAR OR BY THE SCRUFF this is way to close to both of the dogs mouths for comfort.

If you or your dog does end up getting punctured (even if it doesn't seem that bad) seek medical attention immediately! Dog bites get infected very easily and you or your pup will most likely need to be put on antibiotics.

So in a nutshell I think there are far to many risks involved with dog parks. If they had supervisors that were trained in dog behavior and a rule that states the dog must be fixed after 6 months of age then I would be all for it. Unfortunately that just isn't the case. If you want dog to dog socialization maybe try a reputable doggy daycare instead. Just be sure that it's one that offers supervised group play and specializes in socialization.
 
#70 · (Edited)
So in a nutshell I think there are far to many risks involved with dog parks. If they had supervisors that were trained in dog behavior and a rule that states the dog must be fixed after 6 months of age then I would be all for it. Unfortunately that just isn't the case. If you want dog to dog socialization maybe try a reputable doggy daycare instead. Just be sure that it's one that offers supervised group play and specializes in socialization.
No offense, but I find this really funny...

Don't go to the dog park where YOU are in control of your dog's interactions. Instead, take them to a doggy day care that's staffed by high school teenagers and let them control your dog's interactions. Sorry, I'm yet to find a single dog day care that is day in and day out run by someone that knows more about dog behavior or has had more experience than your "involved" pet owner or sport person (but generally sport people aren't taking their dog to day care anyways).

Generally, the owner, or possibly the manager do know more. They've probably been trainers of some sort at one point or another. But the people that are actually watching your dogs? High school, maybe college, probably working for minimum wage. Sorry...but that's the type of work it is and the wage the market calls for.

The only good thing about dog day care is that they generally just kick out "aggressive" or dominant dogs and so the group stays safe. I know this because my boy got kicked out of one at the ripe old age of 4 months old after being "too aggressive" for the other large dogs at the day care...a bunch of 100lbs+ labs and hunting dogs.

I've already said this in another thread...a good trainer costs anywhere from $50 to $100 an hour. Why in the world do you expect to get that same person watching your dog for 8 hours after paying just $20 for the day?
 
#84 ·
I want to clarify on my earlier post above. I did go to the dog park once, 2 years ago, with our now deceased GSD. He was attacked by a Pitt and sustained an injury to his left eye that took forever to heal. Not only did I end up with an injured dog but I never received an apology from the other dogs owner and several requests for vaccines records went unanswered. Hence my comment earlier today about people adding to the fiasco. Just wanted to be clear on my opinion :smirk:
 
#67 ·
I love the idea of dog parks and I really enjoyed them when I used to take Sin there but after a while other dogs started picking on him. He is a very submissive dog and the other dogs picked up on that. It became really annoying when other people didn't pay attention to their dogs and didn't correct their dogs when they were acting out so we stopped going.

So I like them but they are not for me or my pack. :(
 
#69 ·
I took my puppy a few times already to a local puppy socialization group with at an accredited training facility.... that is as far as I go with large groups of unfamiliar dogs. They screen the puppies coming up for vaccines and temperament... all the puppies are happy, friendly, and play well.
 
#72 ·
I think if Titan was different I wouldn't like them. I can absolutely see why people don't like them I witness it all the time when I am there. I guess I just luck out in the fact that Titan is AWESOME when we are there. He doesn't want to play with the other dogs at all.. and because he literally ignores them they tend to do the same. We just play fetch. I don't go frequently but enough that I have knowledge of the certain dogs that are there that I like and don't like (more the owners that I like/dislike) My saving grace is I'm right there and I REALLY pay attention to who's there, who comes in, what the dog's behavior is displaying, etc. If for a second I see a potential problem, I leave. No question. I also am not afraid at all to confront other owners if their dog is acting out.. which I have noticed seems to be more of an issue for people.
 
#73 ·
I'm sure many dogs do great, and Warden would too as he loves to play, but it's just too unpredictable for me. We do doggie daycare at our training club, and I trust the handlers and the other dogs that they put Warden with for play. I wouldn't trust a most of the "chain" places, as I've heard plenty of horror stories about those too!

I realize that people use daycare to avoid crating their dog all the time (that's why I use it), and I think that's great if you can find a place that does it right. I don't really see the point of dog parks though... if you have time to sit and watch your dog play, you have time to play with him yourself, or socialize him in a more secure environment. Just my opinion, though Im sure playing with other dogs wears them out faster lol.
 
#75 ·
I realize that people use daycare to avoid crating their dog all the time
Sorry to change the subject, but why do people need to crate their dogs all day when away from the house?

The only time I use a crate is when I have a puppy and I feed puppy and older dog in the same room but put puppy in crate to eat until old enough to know not to go near older dogs food and to respect each others food bowl. Other than that, I trained them not to eat the pillows or the coffee table legs, also the side of our sofa! So I am able to leave 2 dogs together with the run of the house for hours. Wouldn't it be better to spend some time training your dog to respect your house?
 
#74 · (Edited)
"Dog parks"?

Bad fad at taxpayers' expense.

Footnote- to the one from Ottawa, yes the park is very large and not fenced but even there, there have been issues of dog to dog aggression and dog to human aggression. Locals who like to jog and ski in the adjacent parkland have complained about feces and being chased by dogs. It would seem that at a minimum fences would be in order just like any other city- and time will tell.
 
#76 ·
"Dog parks"?

Bad fad at taxpayers' expense.

Footnote- to the one from Ottawa, yes the park is very large and not fenced but even there, there have been issues of dog to dog aggression and dog to human aggression. Locals who like to jog and ski in the adjacent parkland have complained about feces and being chased by dogs. It would seem that at a minimum fences would be in order just like any other city- and time will tell.
Taxtpayers' expense? I don't pay taxes for the dog park I use... :confused:
 
#78 ·
Dog owners are taxpayers as well...should we not have any say in what we want? Should all county/city land just be allocated to "people parks" that get used WAY less than dog parks do?

As far as cost/benefit, I guarantee that dog parks are the cheapest way to give the biggest part of a population a benefit. You need a fence, and a mowing once in a while. On top of that, most municipalities charge either a daily fee or a yearly fee, which although many people don't pay, some do and help to off-set any cost.

Bringing taxes into the discussion is like me saying we shouldn't build play grounds for children anymore because I don't have any kids and therefore have no use for the play ground.
 
#79 ·
Government shouldn't be in the position of grabbing capital from citizens/dwellers in order to bestow random "benefits" to a portion of the populace, for non-essential services.

Additionally, there is no moral equivalency between providing amenities for children and spending community funds on dogs.

Taxes enter this discussion as most dog parks are community dog parks and not private.
 
#82 ·
To get the topic back on subject after the nifty little political diversion....

Dog parks are as good or bad as the users make them, for the most part. Of course a deficient structure (not having separate areas for large and small dogs as an example) will lead to problems too. But in the main I would say it's the owners who make or break the park where safety is concerned.

I won't use the one in my community. Too many inattentive owners. But I really wish I could because I'd be able to walk to it instead of having to drive out to club land for really good off leash play.
 
#85 ·
People who take their dogs to the doggy park tend to kill two birds with one stone: let the pets to exercise without much effort on the part of their owners, and to have a good unbiased yack, being free from wives and daytime pressure rememberings. People stand in a group, they laugh, talk, bring food and alcohol with them sometimes, enjoy themselves freely in a way they would never enjoy in any other circumstance. If anyone would ever come for the sake of his dog - he would stay away from the group just throwing the ball. The dogs come as a secondary issue, despite the fact that the main topic of their owners' discussions are dogs and everything about the dogs' etiquette, socialization and good training, people exchange good advises. People stand in a close circle facing each other, some dogs are clinging to their legs (just breething fresh air is good enough for them) because they would never come to the place themselves, while younger dogs together with puppies are running around and barking. Sometimes that or the other owner starts to call his dog - he didn't notice that his dog has run away. If there's any fight - the majority of people wouldn't know the reason, because they didn't watch how it started. Puppies watch, puppies learn. Sometimes some idiot decides to make his way through the area and immediately attacked by dogs.
If you think you can learn something professional, or your dog pick good habits - you are wrong. But you can find friends for life, or for many years at least, and nowhere else you can watch different dogs of a different age behaving in the most natural way.
 
#100 ·
People who take their dogs to the doggy park tend to kill two birds with one stone: let the pets to exercise without much effort on the part of their owners, and to have a good unbiased yack, being free from wives and daytime pressure rememberings. People stand in a group, they laugh, talk, bring food and alcohol with them sometimes, enjoy themselves freely in a way they would never enjoy in any other circumstance. If anyone would ever come for the sake of his dog - he would stay away from the group just throwing the ball. The dogs come as a secondary issue, despite the fact that the main topic of their owners' discussions are dogs and everything about the dogs' etiquette, socialization and good training, people exchange good advises. People stand in a close circle facing each other, some dogs are clinging to their legs (just breething fresh air is good enough for them) because they would never come to the place themselves, while younger dogs together with puppies are running around and barking. Sometimes that or the other owner starts to call his dog - he didn't notice that his dog has run away. If there's any fight - the majority of people wouldn't know the reason, because they didn't watch how it started.
This is nothing like any park I've ever been to. What country do you live in, and is that the norm there?
 
#87 ·
I don't understand why people can't agree that for some dogs, dog parks are great. And that the people who use them are what makes them a particularly good one or a bad one. If the feces aren't picked up, and the dogs are ignored, and people bring in anti-social dogs, then of course it's a terrible idea. But for the most part they're a great idea - we just have to know if they're suitable for our own dogs. Nobody else can determine that but us.
 
#90 ·
LOL martemchik :D and oh how cruel DJ, that pup looks miserable! :D :D

My biggest worry (since my dog is social - otherwise that would be my main worry, lol) is other possibly unhealthy dogs, and my pup potentially picking something up from them. That's why my vet told me not to use the nearest dog park to me, because it's such a small area - it's really puny, under 2 acres. When I did use it, I wouldn't let my pup drink from the communal water bowls for that reason.
 
#91 ·
I take my dog to the dog park from time to time. Normally since he goes with me while waiting for my daughter to get out of dance we normally walk downtown on leash but I know he loves the freedom of running around a new place from time to time. Ours is fenced in, not tiny but not huge either. When I go it is normally empty and only a few will come during that time. I will leave if too many show up. I wish we had a large park with trails. DJEtzel I think it is great you have a large park with people working there to keep it nice. Do people pay to go there? Ours is just a city park with no supervision. They mow it...and have tried to plant trees. Just keeping grass up around the entrance has been a challenge. When I look at how much space could have been dedicated to the dag park it is kinda sad. They could have gone way bigger but I guess that take more fence and more money:(
 
#92 ·
I take my dog to the dog park from time to time. Normally since he goes with me while waiting for my daughter to get out of dance we normally walk downtown on leash but I know he loves the freedom of running around a new place from time to time. Ours is fenced in, not tiny but not huge either. When I go it is normally empty and only a few will come during that time. I will leave if too many show up. I wish we had a large park with trails. DJEtzel I think it is great you have a large park with people working there to keep it nice. Do people pay to go there? Ours is just a city park with no supervision. They mow it...and have tried to plant trees. Just keeping grass up around the entrance has been a challenge. When I look at how much space could have been dedicated to the dag park it is kinda sad. They could have gone way bigger but I guess that take more fence and more money:(
Yes, it is membership-based. A year membership (unlimited access) for one dog is $365. Dogs must have proof of vaccinations and must be friendly towards temperament test dogs and employees to visit/join.
 
#98 ·
Last time I was at the dog park (training outside of the fenced areas) a man had a full grown pittie in the small dog section.

He was working on his OB with distractions it looked like. :wild:

People brought their little doggies in and seemed a bit unnerved by the presence of a large adult dog in 'their' area.

Woo hoo!

One thing I can say about the dog parks around me (public, half grass, half dirt, all kinds of people and dogs most not trained) they do provide interesting scenarios to observe. :blush: :crazy: Every time I go I get to see something new of the SMH kind.
 
#101 ·
I'm lucky, I'm near one of the best in my state. Of course, you have to pay. You have to have a pass to be in there, you can't bring more than two dogs, and your dogs have to be current on their shots. It's also patrolled at random.

It's huge and not fenced. Open water/lakes for the dogs to swim. They have a Newfoundland dog group that goes there to teach water rescue to their dogs.

What I like about it is that there are NO park benches. You do not sit there and watch your dogs. You WALK with your dogs...lots of trails, etc. Not many fights since everyone is walking. I also chose to go at non peak times...never on weekends. Too many inexperienced people show up on weekends. Of course, it's not as bad as it was on weekends when it was free...lol.

The most down time owners have is when the dogs are swimming. I also know my dogs. If I don't like the vibe, we leave. I scope out the place before I even let my dog out of the car. Mostly it's just us regulars who walk together.

I also know it only takes one bad experience to scar a dog...so I'm more leery than I used to be. I haven't been to one in a while since my dog who loved the park passed away. My other one is a chow mix...and while very friendly with other dogs, doesn't really care for exercise. :crazy:
 
#102 ·
Another Two Cents' Worth

I'll just leave this here and hope for the best.


My husband and I take our one year old GSD, Ben, to the dog park every day. It's February and we've been going every day since October, when we got Ben. We don't have a fenced yard (apartment dwellers), so this is what we do to keep him active and well-exercised. I won't say there haven't been some incidents, because there will always be issues with using a public access park--he did get a bad bite once, but luckily, the owner of the other dog paid for his vet bill! However, for how often we go (every single day, probably have missed five days total in the 4 months we've had our dog), the usual situation is a pleasant time for Ben. He doesn't always play with other dogs (he loves the chuck-it), but there are usually friendly dogs to play with when he does want for company. He LOVES the dog park and can't wait to go every morning. We probably spend at least two hours there every day. (Like I said, no yard at home).

The dog park we go to is a small (one acre) neighborhood park and we know most of the dogs by now. The "regular" crowd has been very friendly and supportive of us "newbie" dog owners and, maybe because they are regulars, their dogs are mostly well-socialized dogs. It _is_ usually busy on the weekends, but we can go early or later in the evening and avoid the "sunny afternoon" crowds. Typically on weekdays, Ben arrives at the dog park right after school drop-off for my son. At 7:45 a.m., probably only the diehards are hanging out anyway. It may be an atypical park in the sense that it is very community-strong, with dog parkers doing the maintenance in the park (light grounds upkeep, mulch spreading, clearing paths, etc) and many of the people who go there are really invested in keeping it clean and safe.

My family loves our local dog park very much. It's dear to our hearts because it's been a place where our dog, who is a rescue and needed some serious rehabilitation, has flourished. He's gone from a sad, emaciated stray (a very "average size" 9 month old male GSD, about six feet long, 25 inches at the shoulder, but only weighing 54 lbs!!) from the local pound, a guy who could barely move around, to a strong, confident, happy boy (73 lbs at one year old!) who is friendly and loves to run and play for hours. Most people who take their dogs to our dog park know Ben and, as I said, have been very encouraging of our efforts to bring him back to health. He's been happy, he socializes with people and dogs every day, and he's put on some good weight and muscle. The dog park is where we've bonded with him over games of chuck-it, frisbee, and the flirt pole. It's a pretty little place too, with lots of soft mulch in the running area and even a small "trail" to walk.

That said, it's been becoming clear to me over the past few weeks that Ben is starting to outgrow the dog park. Not that he doesn't still love it...he does--it's "his" space and he is always super excited to go--but things are changing.

Ben is just over a year old now. Although he is not overly demonstrative (he doesn't mind being petted, but he'd rather lie close by, than ON us), he is a healthy, strong, and confident dog who is even-tempered and passionately devoted to our family.

So, the dog park. It's obvious to me (and other park-goers have commented) that Ben is a whole lot more than your average "just there to wrestle and dig" or "fetch a few times" doggy.

[Note: I'm going to out myself right now as a new dog owner and first time GSD owner. I'm also that idiot who emo-adopted a large, very sick animal because it was obvious he was going to die in the pound. I had no real idea what "a Shepherd" was or could be. He could have been a terrible, neurotic, or vicious animal (the city animal control does not temperament test at all). Luckily, it worked out anyway.]

Why Ben might be outgrowing our favorite little dog park:

1. Having never been to an obedience class, Ben is, and always was, easily the best dog park dog with commands: sit/down/turn around/come/bring it/look, etc...SO MUCH BETTER than the other dogs at our dog park. I don't say this out of smugness, but to illustrate what I saw as the difference between Ben (the only "dog park regular" who is a GSD) and many other breeds and mixes. Where some pet parents struggled with basic commands, all we had to do was ask Ben a few times and give some snacks and he'd usually get it. He likes to learn new things all the time. ALL THE TIME. (My husband is trying to teach him "smile" right now.) Since my husband and I are both new dog owners, we could not attribute his awesome grasp of commands to our own abilities.

[I don't mean to say he's some kind of perfect dog--Ben still has the stray forager mentality and can't be trusted with counter tops or the garbage. He's just "awake" in a way that a lot of dogs don't seem to be.]

Okay, Ben likes to learn. Nice as they are, no one else at our dog park does much training there. Mostly the playtime at the dog park, if there are a lot of others, is unstructured roughhousing, which Ben isn't very interested in. I don't think anyone participates in training clubs, that I know of, either. We get a lot of good info on nutrition and dog toys, even cold weather gear, from our chummy dog park friends (and I do love them). But it's kind of a dead end in terms of more advanced training knowledge. [Pardon me if this is all old hat; I'm a newbie with no yard. So the dog park is my main source of experience.)

2. Ben is a sociable guy--he likes other dogs, large and small, but he is not the dog to "go mill around" while Mommy and Daddy chat and drink coffees. He will play and run for fifteen to twenty minutes when we arrive (longer if there's only one or two dogs and he knows them well, he's not into the dog-mob wrestling AT ALL), but once we start a game, he is "on"--this guy wants the chuck-it and training games for a solid hour or more. He doesn't want to play with other dogs during that time; he just wants specific, structured, playtime and a lot of it.

It's getting to be a problem because he gets annoyed if another dog horns in on his game. He doesn't attack them, but he does chase them away. Given that this is a small space, it's hard to do a lot of chuck-it or training without other dogs coming to find out what's going on. So lately we can't even take out the chuck-it unless the park is nearly empty or the other dogs are uninterested in fetching games. If we can't do games, it's hard to get him the level of exercise he needs (a LOT now), because he doesn't and won't "just run around", and then he's restive at home.

Like I said, I'm a new GSD owner, but I can see that Ben's needs have shifted from rehabilitation to something more. I don't think I have it in me (or that Ben has it in him--he's still building confidence) to do something really serious, like bite work. However, I'm looking into maybe rally, or tracking, maybe even herding classes--something that will give him a job he loves and where he can realize his full potential. I view this as akin to putting my kid in soccer and baseball to keep him active and stimulated. I know the AKC holds a lot of these classes and I hope to get Ben enrolled in something like this. Because he's a rescue, he doesn't have papers, but we think we can get him into the "pure breed alternative listing" (PAL?) or whatever that is, that allows him to participate in their rally and obedience classes.

I've also thought about training him to run beside a bicycle, but I have heard that he shouldn't go for long runs until he's older than two. Also, I'm not sure jog/runs are as mentally stimulating as training classes of some kind.

I still love our dog park and want to continue spending time there. We must, as long as we live in this apartment (again, no yard). But I want to shift it to a supplemental "social" outlet rather than Ben's main outlet. I still think that socialization is so important, especially living in a big city environment. I want him to cheerfully greet people who want to say hi on the street or at the cafe or restaurant (and because we live in the dog-tastic city of Atlanta and he's turned into a beautiful guy, a LOT of people want to say hi), to be able to sit quietly through an outdoor poetry reading (which he has done admirably), and behave himself with other dogs in public. So, yes, dog parks, especially if they are situated in cafe/restaurant areas like ours, can help with that (I think), but it is clear lately that my dog needs more than the morning roll in the mud.

I'm only a four-month owner and this is only my experience. Take from it what you will. Also, if anyone has advice on fun classes/etc, I would love to hear it. My husband and I newbies, but we are passionate about our good-good boy.
 
#103 ·
Benny boos mum -- your situation IMO is normal, once they hit that 1 yo mark they change and don't really enjoy other dog company. You sound like an excellent owner and your gsd will thrive under your care. Def try OB or rallying as they love having a job to do and often do very well in training. If you are worried about him not getting the exercise he got with the chuck kit you could fit a weighted back back on him during walks. Best of luck and he is a lucky boy to end up with your family


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#104 ·
There is one near me with a swimming pool, all the dogs have to pass a temperment test and they get kicked out if they act up. It is pretty expensive but the dogs act well. I would take her to that one no problem.

There are others around here were people sit on their iPhones while their dogs hump every other dog in the park and never look at them.

There was one here last year were a guy ended up shooting a pitbull that was attacking his dog. He asked the lady multiple times to keep the dog away from his dog then it latched on his dog's throat.
 
#105 ·
Harry and Lola--thank you very much for your kind words. I'm so glad to hear this is pretty normal for Ben's age. I have to say this site and all the forums have really helped a lot! This is how I found out about PAL and stuff like rally. I don't post a lot because I am not an "expert" on anything, but I do read many of the threads here and the the information is so valuable! Thanks again!
 
#106 ·
I'll pass when it comes to dog parks. To me a dog park is basically a good place to get your dog villainized for clobbering some other dog that has no manners. My dog pretty much tries to ignore other dogs but doesn't take to well to the ones that run up in his face or try to hump him.
 
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