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Dog parks.

7K views 63 replies 35 participants last post by  Scoobdue2 
#1 ·
What’s your opinion on dog parks? Do you guys have Any horror stories or have you only had good experiences?

The first time I brought kuru to a dog park was when she was 18 weeks old and it ended up easily being the worst decision of my life lol! At first it was all good, I had the whole thing to myself and it was a great area for offleash training, I was hoping I could maybe get some dog socialization in with a chiller dog.. but not these dogs.... Shortly after people brought their dogs in that absolutely harassed my pup ? I couldn’t get to my poor girl in time to ward off the other dogs as I was mid fetch, a huge mastiff and another gsd went after her and chased her about and boy I was angry! She finally B lined to me and seeked refuge under my legs.. I didn’t have any problem warding off the other peoples dogs with all means necessary. The owners tried to call back their dogs... which ignored and continued to tell me ‘ oh they’re just playing ‘ ... yeah, right.
Just as I got done speaking to the owners about their dogs acting this way towards mine, a dog fight broke out between 2 other dogs.. I picked up my puppy and we headed to the beach lol. * photo below *

But two weeks later I decided to give it another go and actually met a couple people who had very nice sheps who were very well trained! It was nice getting to talk to them and let my pup actually enjoy her time with other dogs! So I’m about 70/30... not being in dog parks favor.

What’s your experiences?
 

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#2 ·
As someone who lives in an apartment, dog parks are the primary way my pup can get some exercise. He also goes to daycare at least for the time-being before I have a better stay-at-home option for him.

Knowing the risks, I think it's all about how you handle it. Of course there are going to be bad experiences, but you can find bad experiences just walking down the street, too. Or on the beach. As long as you are vigilant, I don't see any issues with them personally.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I mean...I guess...but percentage wise it's a whole other ballgame as far as likelihood for something bad to happen to your dog.

I have 3 living dogs, 12, 4, and 15 mo.

One deceased at 10. Of all of them...only one has gone to a communal "dog" area. Unfenced dog park I guess you could call it. THAT one was bullied and had to be worked on to undo social damage. All other 3 never set foot in any such place. All other 3 have never had that kind of bad experience with another dog.

And yeah, we don't live in a bubble and there has been some dog conflict outside dog parks. But nowhere near the frequency or amount of damage done the dog. My old male who is gone now had one conflict to speak in his whole life when he warned off some free roaming dogs to protect me and my other dogs. He handled it beautifully and there was no fight.

My current male has been "gone after" once by a friend's dog. They were friends as puppies but then hers developed male aggression as an adolescent and it was the last time we tried to walk together. Lesson learned. My dog wasn't traumatized by it because we handled it in seconds...two dogs with training , two owners on top of it. Not how it is at dog parks.

My dog had another GSD go after him at an AKC trial and in the ring of all places...but no contact was made. I am not sure it effected him but it did shake me up. I can't tell any difference in him in competition. MY lesson learned there was that dog went after him at the end of ribbon pinning in our first class and I did not report it and thought it was a fluke. Same dog, same thing second class they called us for a ribbon and when my dog moved the other GSD went for him again only this time of course the judge saw it and they were asked to leave. I should have reported the first incident. I should probably not have brought my dog back for ribbon pinning on class 2 either.... tbh I wa sleep deprived and I just didn't think it thru like I should have.

But say I had encountered that same dog at a dog park. No leashes or competent ppl and there probably would have been a nasty fight.

So that's 2 things in the whole life of my 4 y/o dog who continues to be fine with other dogs....has had a very large amt of positive social interaction. Opposed to my other dog had 3 scary incidents in less than a month at the "dog park" type place which did definitely change her personality.
 
#4 ·
They're okay. Jack seems to prefer going to the boarding facility for the day where he interacts with the same small group of dogs every time. The constant strange dogs at the dog park sometimes makes him nervous and uninterested in playing. Though we'll go other times and he'll find a friend to pal around with.

Regarding puppies, Jack was bullied a lot as a pup. Thus, we're probably not going to bring any new puppies we get to the dog park for some time.

However, I did notice he will growl and chase puppies until they roll over. This inevitably happens when the puppy rushes up to him excitedly and gets in his face, begging for attention. He'll intimidate them until they submit, stop getting in his face, and respect his request to be left alone. So long as they show proper "dog manners" (not jumping on his head, not licking his mouth obsessively, not excitedly nipping), he's fine with them and will tolerate some of their antics.

That said, Jack is the type of dog where, were he a human, he'd be annoyingly "by the book" and "prim and proper". He generally has a low tolerance for misbehavior and poor dog manners across the board.


It's entirely possible that sometimes your puppy gets chased and harassed because he got up in another dog's face and annoyed them. Dogs tell each other off by growling and chasing the offender away until they get with the program and submit (showing they understand).
 
#21 ·
That said, Jack is the type of dog where, were he a human, he'd be annoyingly "by the book" and "prim and proper". He generally has a low tolerance for misbehavior and poor dog manners across the board.
Wow, that is exactly my dog's demeanor with other dogs! If the other dog is calm and mannerly, my dog will wag his tail, greet nicely, and is happy and friendly. Any misbehavior (jumping on him, darting around him, barking in his face) will get a long low warning growl. Other owners get very alarmed and think he's aggressive! That's why we stopped after 2-3 visits to our local dog park.

Once at the dogpark, a lady walked to the gate and was calling her dog, who would not come. My dog got visibly tense and he went over and stood near her dog restlessly. Then he actually tried to herd her towards the gate, running around her and edging her. I realized that he really does not have a good time at these places...too much of a control freak.

I think dog parks really depend on your dog's personality. But based on what I've seen of the dogs who go to our dogpark...very few are trained to come when called, very few listen to their owners...so you are taking a calculated risk every time.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
Pandora’s box indeed. Almost as bad as “the breed who shall not be named.” Lol

Dog parks have their uses. I enjoy them for the outside work. As in, we are outside the fence, and I work my dogs with the distraction of other dogs nearby. If the park is empty and CLEAN (why people can’t or won’t pick up after their dogs drives me bonkers), then I will let mine loose to play together. As soon as I see someone coming, they get the short leash and out we go. I’ve had people tell me “it’s fine, my dog is totally friendly.” I normally respond with “thanks, but mine aren’t.” We go back to outside the fence training, same dog the owner told me was friendly attacked the next dog that came into the park, and the two ladies went into pure panic mode and didn’t know what to do to get her dog off the dog it was death shaking. Had it by its jowls. I clipped Crios and Lyka to the fence, jumped over, and pulled them apart. Pretty sure the friendly dog caused enough damage to the other dog that extensive vets bills were incurred. Blood was just flying everywhere.

I find most GSD’s would be fine in a park setting, IF the other dogs leave them alone. And that rarely happens.

We have 3 dogs parks where I live, and one is by appointment only. So there is a dedicated Facebook page to this park, and people sign up for times with like breeds. I went once, stayed outside the fence line again, and it was a total mess.. All Shepard’s or shepherd mixes, and fights galore. Looked to be more of a social hour for the owners, who just let their dogs go at each other while they all sat and gossiped.

I think most owners see it as a place to let their dogs loose without having to watch them, instead of being engaged with their dogs while they are there. I rarely see people engaging with their dogs when I’m doing outside fence work. When I let mine loose to play, I chuck balls, practice recalls, run around with them. Even if it’s them chasing each other, they come to me as homebase for tag. If the owners would stay engaged with their dogs at the dog park, a lot of the fights would never happen. But 90% of the time, the dog is let off leash, and the owner never looks up from their phone.

That my drop in a bucket regarding the dog park discussion!
 
#19 · (Edited by Moderator)
Pandora’s box indeed. Almost as bad as “the breed who shall not be named.” Lol

Dog parks have their uses. I enjoy them for the outside work. As in, we are outside the fence, and I work my dogs with the distraction of other dogs nearby. If the park is empty and CLEAN (why people can’t or won’t pick up after their dogs drives me bonkers), then I will let mine loose to play together. As soon as I see someone coming, they get the short leash and out we go. I’ve had people tell me “it’s fine, my dog is totally friendly.” I normally respond with “thanks, but mine aren’t.” We go back to outside the fence training, same dog the owner told me was friendly attacked the next dog that came into the park, and the two ladies went into pure panic mode and didn’t know what to do to get her dog off the dog it was death shaking. Had it by its jowls. I clipped Crios and Lyka to the fence, jumped over, and pulled them apart. Pretty sure the friendly dog caused enough damage to the other dog that extensive vets bills were incurred. Blood was just flying everywhere.

I find most GSD’s would be fine in a park setting, IF the other dogs leave them alone. And that rarely happens.

We have 3 dogs parks where I live, and one is by appointment only. So there is a dedicated Facebook page to this park, and people sign up for times with like breeds. I went once, stayed outside the fence line again, and it was a total mess. All Shepard’s or shepherd mixes, and fights galore. Looked to be more of a social hour for the owners, who just let their dogs go at each other while they all sat and gossiped.

I think most owners see it as a place to let their dogs loose without having to watch them, instead of being engaged with their dogs while they are there. I rarely see people engaging with their dogs when I’m doing outside fence work. When I let mine loose to play, I chuck balls, practice recalls, run around with them. Even if it’s them chasing each other, they come to me as homebase for tag. If the owners would stay engaged with their dogs at the dog park, a lot of the fights would never happen. But 90% of the time, the dog is let off leash, and the owner never looks up from their phone.

That my drop in a bucket regarding the dog park discussion!
What kind of "fence training" do you do and for what purpose? Distraction work? To get them used to other dogs? Not criticizing...just learning. Because I think I need to do some of that work too. My dog has had very limited interactions with other dogs since I brought him home, so much so that now he barks at every dog he sees. I usually have to cross the street or give way, because he just looks like an aggressive lunatic. So, any pointers could help.
 
#7 ·
The purpose of dog parks is for dogs to play with dogs and socialize with each other. It seems that the success of a dog park experience often lies in where you live. Some dog parks are huge while others are smaller than most people's backyards. Seems that courtesy and a basic knowledge of dogs is also dependent on location. I live in the city and those who frequent dog parks do closely monitor their dogs and take action if necessary. Of course there is always "that" person.

There used to be a fellow on here that had nothing good to say about dog parks, aggressively advised against them, but did not have much first hand experience with them. One day he came to the realization that he had many attacks on his dogs and they all occurred as he walked his community. Seems that avoiding dog attacks takes more than avoiding dog parks.

Most people who use dog parks are local to those dog parks. Trying to avoid diseases becomes a bit more difficult when the sick dog lives next door or down the alley. Diseases aren't exclusive to dog parks or veterinary offices.

With that said, I frequent dog parks. I enjoy the experience and so do my dogs.
 
#8 ·
I figure anywhere that a Great Dane gets attacked is a bad place.
I have made use of empty dog parks on my journey, so Punk gets some "dog time". I had an issue with cleanliness but since Shadow knows "leave it" I opted to let her enjoy the time off leash.
I have always found that dog parks are a haven for poorly behaved dogs and their clueless owners so I avoid them for the most part.
Bud was actually really ok with the concept, but got targeted a lot and since I assumed his patience had limits we generally avoided them.
Sabi had a dislike of poorly behaved dogs and since her preferred method of dealing with them was to step on their heads she was not very welcome. But she also did not like male dogs specifically so it wasn't a good idea anyway. She was content to ignore other dogs, or allow them to run with her but she reacted fairly quickly to snapping, shoving, growling and posturing. And if anyone thought humping was acceptable things got ugly fast.
Lex liked dog parks, the weirdo. But she was fast and agile enough to run circles around most dogs and if she couldn't out run them she jumped over them.
I think common sense should prevail. GSD's are not known for being social butterflies and while individual dogs may be ok, and individual parks may be well run, I think in general they are a crapshoot and should be used with caution.
 
#9 ·
I only used dog parks when they were empty. We had play dates for my big-boy with dogs that we knew were of good temperament. Most of the dogs nearby were small and older and didn't want much to do with a bigger active youngster. Other than that we just never felt it was worth taking the risk of dog parks. We do take hikes and go on adventures on weekends. We've trained for various sports. We don't miss avoiding dog parks.
 
#10 ·
My experience is, its all about the dogs and the owners who are there. It can make or break the experience...
Both my dogs have loved the dog park. They stay mostly with us but run around, sniff and socialize.

My male was the barking problem child in the beginning but the people who go to our park were open to him being nervous and being a puppy. They welcomed us in and said just to relax and let him be a dog. After he sniffed a few butts he calmed down and he was amazing with everyone. Both our puppies listen and know there commands. There are no problem dogs at our park (so far... ) the owners are very attentive. There are a few people who allow there small dogs in the big section and I really don't understand that but all the big dogs respected them.

There is a older GSD who goes and he does grump around and bark a lot but never mean to anyone. A lot of large fluffy poodle looking dogs... its funny to see them prancing around.
The only time we saw 2 dogs get into it was 2 medium cocker spaniel looking dogs and it was a quick snap, redirect by the owners and they were fine after that.

Again you have to be in control of your dog, pay attention and know when it doesn't seem right. Leave, go for a walk by yourself and then go home. Both my dogs have defiantly benefitted from it at their age.
 
#11 ·
I think breed aficionados and trainers tend to be against dog parks to a greater degree than average dog owners. I doubt the anti-dog park sentiment here on the forum is typical.

Take that how you will.

My experience with my 8-month old has been mostly positive. He doesn't go there to play with other dogs, he goes there because it is the only place I can legally let him off-leash to run. We spend almost all of the time playing fetch with a tennis ball, which he loves to do. There is one dog, a Rottie-Dobie, who he loves and they wrestle peaceably whenever they see each other. After 30-45 minutes, he's pooped and rests until late afternoon. He doesn't destroy the house, he doesn't cause any problems, he's happy. That's the good side.

The bad side is that Jupiter has the typical chase/nip instinct of a shepherd. He only seems to do it to certain dogs, the kind who like to be chased or very submissive/puppylike ones. And he'll go weeks and half-months without chasing anyone. But then every once in a while, he'll run, he'll nip, the dog will yelp, and hard feelings will result. In almost all cases, that dog gets chased by other dogs, too, but it's still my responsibility, and somehow when a husky does it, no one cares, but if a GSD does it, it's almost a felony offense in the eyes of other owners.

Also, in the 5 months or so we've been going, I have seen two or three relatively serious dog fights, where the owners had to step in and pull the dogs apart. Any of them could have eventually become serious, with someone getting bit or the dog needing to visit a vet. Jupiter was once attacked by an aggressive dog, which chased him and bit him multiple times while he ran and yelped. It was heartbreaking, and I understand that can cause a dog to become fear-aggressive, but he didn't seem to suffer any psychological effects from it. Jupiter has a "hard" temperament, is well-socialized and extensively trained, and comes from stock with good nerves.

But you know, bad things can happen outside of dog parks, too. Jupiter has been attacked in a pet store and several times on the street by random dogs on leashes. We've had people let their dogs come up to our fence and bark and jump on our fence aggressively.

Dogs running free can cause their owner to get a ticket. They can get run over by cars, which are more dangerous than even pitbulls. They can go momentarily crazy and bite a stranger or a kid. They can get lost. Are dog parks really that dangerous, when you look at it that way? If they serve a purpose, maybe the risk is worth it. After all, most of us voluntarily get in cars to drive around, even though that is the most dangerous part of our lives. We drive because it's worth it to us.

I know I have to watch Jupiter to make sure he doesn't hurt or get hurt. Honestly it is a little stressful. Now that he's a "teenager," it's less about him getting bullied and more him stepping out and being a jerk. It's very possible that I'll see that he can't coexist with the other dogs as he gets older and harder. We'll see. But to be honest, I see very little of the awful things that the anti-dog park camp seems to think is common behavior there. Mostly the dogs that go there get along fine.
 
#12 ·
I"m so lucky. I"m in the country, 2 miles from our school grounds. I use the creeks to swim in, the playgrounds and baseball fields to track in and the soccer field to do obedience. I have kids on bikes, seniors on bikes, people flying remote control air planes, soccer practice, runners, others walking their dogs. And we all have 40 acres to do it on.
 
#13 ·
@CactusWren, I know for myself, I avoid dog parks because of MY dog. She’s fine being around other dogs that are chill and leave her alone, she ignores them and does her own thing. But dog parks have a lot of dogs with different personalities, and if one pesters Lyka, she’s not going to move away or even give any warning, she just bites. She’s not the dog park personality. I’ve never had her attacked on leash, because again, if something approached her, she takes charge if I don’t catch it soon enough. I stupidly wore earbuds listening to music and didn’t hear dogs coming up until Lyka hit the end of her leash and bit. Now I walk earbud free so I can place her in a down behind me while I handle the loose dog.

Crios is the annoying dog that chases, jumps over people and dogs, thinks everyone and everything in the world loves him. The manic energy that most dogs have a problem with. So while Crios might be happy at the park, he makes all the other dogs miserable. It’s also the reason he’s been trained to leave Lyka alone, or approach with a calm energy. Between me and Lyka showing him the no’s of the household, he caught on quick that hyper would get him rolled and bitten by Lyka. I don’t allow them together unsupervised either. The do play fight, but when I notice it getting a little too ramped up, the get “enough” command and separate rooms to cool off in.

I think dog parks are great for some dogs. Just not my two dogs. Seiran still isn’t fully vaxed, so it’s not even a possibility that she will experience a dog park anytime soon.

I’ve seen plenty of dogs get along and have a great time while I’m working outside the fence with mine. But the times I’ve seen serious damage done to a dog during a fight makes it not worth it to me. My dogs are perfectly fine not having dog friends outside of our home.
 
#22 ·
This is the best analogy I've ever heard. I love it!

Personally I love dog parks. I make a very good living thanks to dog parks. And doggy day cares for that matter. The apartment thing to me isn't an excuse. I lived in an apartment with my SchH dog. She got lots of exercise. Every day, because I couldn't be lazy and just throw her in the yard. We did lot's of hikes, walks and of course training/club every day.

Socialization does not mean your dog needs to meet and play with every dog or person it sees. It means the dog is exposed to many different situations and is shown how to act in them. It should be about teaching a dog to be neutral in various environments and distractions.
 
#15 ·
We've started to do some obedience training on the outside of the dark park fence because it's highly distracting. I would never/could never let Kona loose with strange dogs in a dog park - there would be blood. She won't bother dogs that mind their own business (like in obedience classes), but she's not the type to back down at all if one of them decides to start something.
 
#20 ·
Yes, I do fence work to train them to ignore other dogs and handlers, and have them fully focused on me and what I’m expecting of them.

Lyka was leash reactive and dog aggressive when I first got her, now we can walk past a dog on the street, and so long as the dog isn’t an ahole, she’ll pass right along with no issues now. If I see the owner being pulled along, or the dog hyper focused on Lyka, I can put her in a heel and move to the street to avoid the dog.

With Crios, it’s the opposite, he wants to play with ALL the dogs. I want him focused on me when we are working, so again, fence training helps to gain focus with distractions. He’s actually a lot harder than Lyka was. He’s the “squirrel” type dog, so he easily loses focus. But he’s gotten much much better at it, probably half because he’s just maturing, and have because I work him in dog heavy environments.

Essentially, they can see and hear the other dogs, but can’t engage with them.
 
#25 ·
The typical story line I've seen here over the years is it all goes well while the dogs are puppies/young dogs. When they hit maturity, the fights start and people come back here with "OMG my dog was attacked!" or "OMG, my dog attacked". I've seen it twice with members in the last year. Super adamant about how awesome dog parks are and then Boom! They weren't.

Really, to each their own. We all make our own choices and no reason for one side to attack the other over it. It will either work for you or it won't. I don't try to convince people one way or the other anymore.

I don't feel my dogs need to play with other dogs. That really is a general pet owner mentality. I used to. I kept trying to force that on my previous girl until I really watched her one day and realized she had zero desire to play with other dogs. My boy? He only cares about me. And my youngest is kind of a jerk with other dogs. She's not mean, just really rough so that would not end well with strange dogs. Nope. Here's your pack. But then again, when I take the field for obedience, I don't want my dogs thinking they can go play with the other one. That ends badly.
 
#29 ·
Bad weather - blizzards and downpours - are when dog parks are my jam. Acres and acres all to myself.

The differences between "Dog Parks" in different areas is night and day, it's really inaccurate to lump them all together under one label. Some are gorgeous sprawling natural areas, clean, with self policing considerate people. Others are filth pits and/or ticking time bombs.

Every time this topic comes up, I feel like it's the same as asking "Are bars ok for kids?"

Well..... maybe.... maybe not.
 
#34 ·
When I reply on these, my posts fit with what you're saying. One slight difference though, I tend to look at going to a dog park in a more broad sense like more of an activity then just location. I think out here, what you're describing is more of an open space and there are some off leash is permitted, but its not a dog park.
 
#35 ·
Dog parks drive me crazy. There was one I was dying to take my dog to a few years ago but she didn't like children and there were signs everywhere children under 10 shouldn't be inside or unattended. People would bring lawn chairs and let their children and dogs run. The children would chase and harass other peoples dogs. The park itself was cool (hence why I wanted to take her in) but the people who frequented were a menace.
 
#37 ·
To be honest, I had a bad day at the dog park this morning. I just bring Jupiter to chase the ball since it's the only legal off-leash area. Things were going fine except then a couple of puppies came in. In the last few weeks, Jupiter (who's only 8 months) has developed a dislike for puppies and has gone after 2-3 of them. It's really mean; he rolls them and nips and barks at them frantically. Two of the puppies were really hyper and ran around like rabbits, but one of them didn't do anything wrong at all, as far as I could see.

So after Jupiter was nipping at this husky puppy (probably 40 lbs), I physically restrained him and apologized to his owner. We left the dog park and walked around. When we came back to the parking lot, it turns out that another dog I knew had gone after the other puppy (one that Jupiter had also messed with). And then _another_ dog had gotten involved, and the owner got bit and was going to go to the clinic.

I kind of wish people wouldn't bring puppies to the dog park.

Anyway, it's probably time to take a break. Getting Jupiter his exercise in the summer in Phoenix is going to be a challenge.
 
#52 ·
To be honest, I had a bad day at the dog park this morning. I just bring Jupiter to chase the ball since it's the only legal off-leash area. Things were going fine except then a couple of puppies came in. In the last few weeks, Jupiter (who's only 8 months) has developed a dislike for puppies and has gone after 2-3 of them. It's really mean; he rolls them and nips and barks at them frantically. Two of the puppies were really hyper and ran around like rabbits, but one of them didn't do anything wrong at all, as far as I could see.
Well, as far as you could see, but we humans are out of the doggy loop. The puppy could have been highly disrespectful to an older dog - the classic move is a puppy older than 5 months or so (when "puppy license" to get away with murder is starting to expire) just going up to an older dog without invitation. Unthinkably rude! You must avert your eyes and wait to be approached. Otherwise, expect to be corrected for your hubris, and it's gonna be scary (though not painful - that indicates a seriously maladjusted older dog). It is necessary if dogs are going to get along in a pack structure, which is generally organized by age. Rude puppies make rude adults, which are seriously disruptive to getting things done.

That being said, sometimes it's not the case, and the older dog is just a jerk. But as a trainer I see a whole lot of "My puppy has been fine for weeks/months but then was attacked at the park for no reason!" or "My dog attacked a little puppy for no reason! [no physical damage done]" when often it's just completely normal conspecific education. The puppy did the equivalent of flipping off and mooning the older dog.

I wonder if your dog "rolling" the puppy is what you really saw - when it happens fast, it can look that way, but usually it's more psychological pressure rather than any forcing into position, and pup quickly rolling himself over in willing appeasement.
 
#41 ·
I know a lot of people here have their reservations about dog parks. For Mei and I, we've had nothing but good experiences going to the dog park. She really enjoys it and is friendly with not just the other dogs but the people there too. I feel lucky about the one we go to because the owners are also very good.

She goes nuts with excitement right as I make the turn to go into the parking lot! Sounds like a banshee!
 
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