# Anybody with dog park experience?



## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

I don't have a lot of experience. I had more problems with obnoxious dog owners in dog parks than with the dogs...Tess (now almost 6) wasn't really interested in other dogs, she just wanted to chase her ball and anyone who would run with her was welcome (they would lose anyway...). I didn't even bother to take Liza (my youngest, 3)...I decided long ago that it wasn't worth it.


----------



## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Personally we would rather Chloe hang around dogs she knows. My sister has a friend who has a puppy and they get along great. She meets friendly dogs on her walk at night. We have one dog park that isn't even to close. To many chances with bonehead owners. Some people have had good luck but we would rather not take a chance. We have a big back yard for her to run in.


----------



## Rundlemtn (Jan 16, 2015)

Don't take this the wrong way, because I am sure your dog is very sweet. And though it may not be his fault that he now acts this way...to people like myself only seeing the behavior in the moment, its very upsetting. I get very frustrated when owners like yourself bring your dogs to dog parks when you know they do not behave well in those settings. I do bring our dog to dogs parks, and I hate that I constantly have to be on guard for her. When certain breeds come in, we leave right away. And if I saw your dog acting that way, I would not only leave, but, I would also tell you that you should not come back. There is definitely the possibility that one day a more dominant dog rise to his challenge. Then you will have a real problem on your hands. Please keep your dog and other dogs safe and find better places to bring your boy.


----------



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

There are a couple of things about dog parks - one is that everyone thinks their dog is fine and it's the other dogs who cause trouble. Another is that everyone at dog park is an expert in dog behavior (even when they're not). Another is that a lot of people just consider them places to socialize while paying no attention to their dogs.

We used to go. We stopped when I almost decked a girl who told me to pay attention to Max and get off my phone - I had answered a call with "I'm busy, will call you back" - after her dog had tried to take him down.


----------



## Susan: w/ Summit we climb (Jun 12, 2014)

We brought in a new pup when we saw that our Summit was lonely for another dog. He's a dog who needs other dogs. He enjoyed visiting the dog park, but we felt that it would be awfully easy for a harmful encounter to take place before we could step in. 

Two dogs raises the expense and the amount of work for us, but they have so much fun playing with each other, and we don't have to worry about the intentions of stranger dogs.


----------



## Anele (Dec 12, 2014)

clc08 said:


> We've read stories about dog parks (bad) and are thinking we should stop going there before something bad happens.


Unfortunately, it sounds like something bad already did happen-- he is reactive to other dogs at least some of the time.

I get the draw of dog parks-- I dream of a safe place that my dog could explore and run freely in, interacting with friendly dogs! But, there are just too many risks. Some dogs DO bounce back and move on, but some don't, or at least not without a lot of work. I took my other dog regularly, but he was happy just greeting dogs as they entered and didn't get into any fights. There was an aggressive Golden, however, and the owner KEPT bringing him back! I know some people think that dog parks are the perfect place to socialize their reactive dogs, to teach them to "get along"-- such a bad idea.

I would absolutely stop taking him to the park. He is letting you know he does not want to go. Then, consider consulting with a pro for an evaluation of his behavior, to see how serious it is, what should be done, etc. 

I'm sorry this happened to your Charlie!


----------



## Lennap (Jul 9, 2010)

Remy loves dog parks, but I have become very selective on which ones I will take him too. I find that dog parks in the suburbs often have dogs that are less than ideally socialized in them. We used to go every sunday to one dog run in particular where Remy knew al the other dogs and it was good - but periodically a dog would come and try to take him down (he's the biggest and I guess in the dog world that is an invitation to challenge).

Now I will only go to dog parks in the NYC (Manhattan to be specific) - I find that dogs that live in apartments and must be walked every day (vs going in a yard) are far more socialized because they are walking by eachother every single day on the street. So far we have not had a single incident in a NYC dog park.

as for Charlie - I would suggest you start introducing him to dogs you know who have dog savvy owners. stay on top of the interaction and ensure safe good play. Hopefully he will get past his current fears. Then again I am not all that experienced - so I would see what others have to say too.

Best of luck to you.


----------



## clc08 (Aug 12, 2011)

I appreciate all the replies! We've weighed the pros (at the dog park Charlie has some buddies... a greyhound, lab mix, and burnese mt. dog he seems to enjoy, against the cons. 

We had done research and read about dog park etiquette and dog behavior, and I thought we were prepared. But...

We've seen the "bonehead" mentality and, unfortunately, that man's dogs were aggressive and attacked Charlie, as well as other people's dogs, while the man just stood there. It was openly voiced by other owners they wished he would *never *come back. 

After that, we noticed that Charlie would react to other dogs who were having problems. He would go into the pack and try to help the underdog, or growl, etc, to the troublemaker. From there, we are now here. 

I don't think I can predict 100% that there won't be an issue and can't risk safety for any of the pups. He seems like he's on a hair trigger some of the time. We're not going back to the dog park...it just isn't working the way we'd hoped. 

They are all so different. Our former 2 goldens had no issues like this, but we had them from the litter. Charlie was a rescue...and we don't know what he may have faced. Anyway, he's a much-loved boy now!

Fortunately, we know of and frequent a large, safe, open area where he can romp off lead, and we will continue our daily walks...

Thanks, all, for your responses. It helped me to see very clearly we need to stop going there, for him, because he is "showing us" he isn't enjoying it as much as we'd hoped, but also for others, so we aren't "problem people/problem dog.." Some of those dogs are totally laid back and deserve to have a good environment. We can't control other people, but we can do our part...

Last night we took him to the open area and let him run and play. He was perfectly happy. I don't think for him it was so much about being around the other dogs as it was socializing with all the people, as was mentioned above...

We have recently relocated from a single family home in the midwest with a nice big yard and neighbors who had dogs we would see on our walks. We now live in a condo, in Florida, and it's very different. We have to keep him on lead while on the property, so we have to be very diligent about providing him the amount of exercise/play time he needs to be happy at the times of day where the heat level isn't horrible. It's a good thing I'm retired! 

Again, thanks, golden-lovers, for your help.


----------



## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

clc08 said:


> Fortunately, we know of and frequent a large, safe, open area where he can romp off lead, and we will continue our daily walks...


Good for you, sounds much better. We go to wide open conservation areas but no matter where you go expect to run into idiots now and then.

I've never been to a dog park but they read like a caged death match to me for the most part. I can only assume some must feel a privilege to be at one and guess being a "dog park" in some minds their dogs are free to do whatever they want. Oh Fluffy always humps, charges, nips at people, isn't it cute? No, get a clue, be responsible.

They can't all be bad I know but you won't ever see us at one. I know too some don't have a choice and we are lucky to live where we do but life is never perfect.


----------



## retrieverbear (Jan 19, 2014)

We decided early on to not go to dog parks. Our friends thought we were crazy although they would also readily admit that their dog park attending dogs have behavior issues. :doh:
One friend who said her dog was a "good player because he's reeeeeally socialized" (from dog parks and day care) invited us to visit. Her dog was so over stimulated and the play could have turned into something else. I had a gut feeling and left the situation.
Instead, we found small group play sessions all over town supervised by trainers. Those are small, safer, and any misbehavior is stopped immediately. 
We also had our trainer come to our house to watch our boy interact with a few pre-selected friends to make sure they were well behaved players he could play with.
We really wanted our dog to have friends and plenty of play in his life so we decided not to take the risk to go to a dog park and we decided to take these alternate steps instead. 
We felt that all it takes is one incident at a dog park and it could turn the rest of his life (and ours) upside down. Just not worth it in my opinion.


----------



## melinda8 (Sep 22, 2015)

Our apartment isn't very big, so Princess loves when we take her to the dog park and she can run "free." However, we haven't had the best experiences in dog parks. I completely understand that there is no way to control what your dog does, no matter how trained he may be, but the real problem comes in when owners do nothing about bad behavior.
Princess was trying to swim at the park (well, sitting in the shallow water) when another larger dog came up to her and started biting and fighting and she was so scared! WE had to separate the other from Princess and the owner did nothing. We tend to keep her on the "small/shy dogs" side of the park or let her socialize for a little while at a time.

So clc08, I really respect that you know when your dogs behavior might be too much or perceived as aggressive at the park!


----------



## charlie2002 (Mar 4, 2014)

We are in the same situation you/were in. Our Charlie is almost 2. He is a really good dog, very friendly and e is just a happy boy. However, there are certain dogs he has issues with ( he shows aggressive behavior). While at the off leash beach we have had issues with Charlie charging at certain dogs. He is friendly with some dogs but he is not nice to others. Hard to say which ones he likes and which ones he doesn't. However, we have seen that he is mean to darker dogs vs lighter ones IMOP. He was attacked as a puppy by a Dalmatian. I am not sure if this is the cause. 
We decided to stop going to dog parks and off leash beaches but still have play time at day care. 
I would just recommend not taking your dog to these places. I know it's hard but Better be safe than sorry.


----------



## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

We lived right in town for about 2 years and would frequently the dog park weekly when the weather was nice. We had a few really good "dog friends" and knew which dogs to avoid. There were a few small problems along the way but nothing too scary. Archer was always great, but our other dog didn't like meeting some of the new dogs. She just doesn't love other dogs running up into her face or taking her frisbee. She never bit another dog, or even growled but she would make a show of snapping and give a little high pitched bark. We moved into the country about 2 months ago and have only been back once. We went into the park, which was just us until a big yellow lab came in. The dog immediately ran up to lottie while she was holding her frisbee. Lottie snapped once and then grabbed her frisbee and ran away. Then the owner ran over yelling "hey!" Like she was breaking up a fight. I was standing next to Lottie during the exchange and knew nothing would come of it. Then the other owner asked if Lottie was dog aggressive. I responded, "no, she just doesn't like other dogs charging up to her." The other owner told me her dog did nothing wrong and then went with her dog into the small dog area. We continued to play frisbee by ourselves for a few minutes. So in this case, even though the dog wasn't a big problem, the owner was. If the dog left Lottie and her frisbee alone, or just paid attention to Lottie's body language, there wouldn't be any problem. But the owner was so worried that nobody got to play. Archer and her dog would have played together well.


----------



## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Tried a few times and Murphy was bullied. Once by a pack of three dogs owned by one man. He didn't have a clue. Another time an intact pitbull was released into the park.....we got out of there fast.
At one very large dog park a man was using that thing that shoots a ball far and fast for his 100lb german shepard. The dog was running full speed thru a field full of dogs. I was waiting for a horrific collision.
Now we take him to run and sniff and occasionally see a few of his close friends plus his long walk every morning.
My Vet discourages dog parks. Said she's had to stitch up too many shredded ears!!


----------



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

murphy1 said:


> Tried a few times and Murphy was bullied. Once by a pack of three dogs owned by one man. He didn't have a clue. Another time an intact pitbull was released into the park.....we got out of there fast.
> At one very large dog park a man was using that thing that shoots a ball far and fast for his 100lb german shepard. The dog was running full speed thru a field full of dogs. I was waiting for a horrific collision.
> Now we take him to run and sniff and occasionally see a few of his close friends plus his long walk every morning.
> My Vet discourages dog parks. Said she's had to stitch up too many shredded ears!!


Our vet said that he's seen more injuries since the local dog park opened than he'd ever seen before. He was quite happy when I said I don't take Max there anymore.


----------



## bardo (Sep 9, 2015)

MAx "LOVES" to go see his friends since he was tiny, so maybe he just got used to the slight bullying,
He's 65lbs bigger now and will still submit<roll on belly, for even the smallest dogs that come on aggressive to him.
Yesterday there was a mean looking pit-bull that of corse the owner said was a sweetheart.
The pit acted aggressively to MAx so we just left.
The pits owner said it was because Max has not been fixed yet.
But Max is never aggressive towards any dog or person. The only one he plays bite with are myself and my son.


----------



## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

In a word "no". Most dog parks are not worth the risk for so many of the reasons already stated. We took our lab to a supposedly good dog park when she was 5 months old and had a very negative experience. Within seconds of entering, a pack of the regulars chased her down the field against a fence where she trembled and whimpered. It was not a friendly meet and greet or even normal wrestling around. To this day, there are certain types of large dogs that she reacts very negatively to.

We never took our Bentley to a dog park. He died a few months ago. We now have a new puppy in our lives and will arrange private playdates for him even though it takes more of an effort.


----------



## Marcus (Aug 24, 2014)

Ben LOVES the dog park more then anything... It an amazing place to interaction and socialisation, between dogs... sure, there are altercations amongst some of the dog, but you're going to get that...It how they learn. Wrapping your dog up in cotton wool isn't good for the dog...

Just like children. They need to fall over, eat dirt etc etc...

Don't be precious about it. Unless its out of control of course...


----------



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

Marcus said:


> Ben LOVES the dog park more then anything... It an amazing place to interaction and socialisation, between dogs... sure, there are altercations amongst some of the dog, but you're going to get that...It how they learn. Wrapping your dog up in cotton wool isn't good for the dog...
> 
> Just like children. They need to fall over, eat dirt etc etc...
> 
> Don't be precious about it. Unless its out of control of course...


Well, when some idiot sends his dogs to chase down another dog, time after time, and thinks it's amusing, and another idiot can't get off her phone long enough to get her doberman, whose mouth is clamped on your dog's throat, off your dog, and when there's a fight that results in at least three dogs being severely injured, I'd say that avoiding all that isn't wrapping my dog in cotton wool. 

Dog parks can be very dangerous - when you can make friends with other dog people and have visits at your home or theirs, why take chances?


----------



## Marcus (Aug 24, 2014)

laprincessa said:


> Well, when some idiot sends his dogs to chase down another dog, time after time, and thinks it's amusing, and another idiot can't get off her phone long enough to get her doberman, whose mouth is clamped on your dog's throat, off your dog, and when there's a fight that results in at least three dogs being severely injured, I'd say that avoiding all that isn't wrapping my dog in cotton wool.
> 
> Dog parks can be very dangerous - when you can make friends with other dog people and have visits at your home or theirs, why take chances?


I understand what you're saying. And I'm sorry that happened to you.

My point is. You can talk to these people or report these people, go at another time of the day when those people are not there. If your park is big enough, go down the other end of it. All of which I'm sure you did and I'm not picking on you at all.

I love dog parks. They are fantastic places. And this is just my opinion. People at dog park generally care for the safety of their dogs. 

It like life... there will always be one idiot out there, but that shouldn't ruin your experience

My posts represent the other side of the coin. Rather then all the Dog park negative posts in this thread, Mine a about the positive aspects of a dog park


----------



## Anele (Dec 12, 2014)

I have no data to support this-- but-- I have been told by a reliable source that dog temperaments vary by country as a whole. For example, in Europe, don't many (most?) dogs remain intact, are out with their owners frequently in public (in places we generally can't bring our dogs in the U.S.), etc. and it's not seen as a problem? I've been told that there are more "issues" among dogs at agility trials in the U.S., for example, vs some other countries.

I can see many possibilities for the reasons, but the end result would be: dog parks in countries where dogs have more solid temperments would = better potential vs. the reverse. So, maybe Marcus experiences fewer problems because Australian dogs are overall less prone to issues.

Also-- as people here have shown-- it could also be human issues and part of this must be cultural. At least there haven't been any dog park shootings in the U.S. -- yet. 

Again-- no data to support this-- just an idea. 

Anyway, I can say that my dog has suffered no ill effects from not going to dog parks. In training class he easily focuses his attention on me, doesn't bark at other dogs, etc.


----------

