Dog Parks

[MJR]

I took my 9 month old Mufasa to a dog park today for the first time. He usually plays in our backyard or by himself at the football field in my neighborhood. I walked him around the park a few times and had him sit as dogs came to introduce themselves to him. He is very well tempered and not dog agressive but I was still worried. Eventually, after about 20 minutes, I let him off his leash. He was a bit nervous , as I was, but we both got comfortable in no time. He played well with Dobermans, German Shepards, Bernese Mt Dog and Huskies. I was so proud of him. No issues.
I'm just curious to see what other CC owners think of dog parks. I know this breed can be dog aggressive and each dog has his/her own personality. I think I will go back again.
Would you take your CC to a dog park?

 

[musicdeb]

IMO, dog parks are a breeding pool for bad things to happen because most dog owners are not responsible dog owners and they have no recall or clue how to handle their dog.

I'm sure the other CC owners will post a reply.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I agonized over going to the dog park, and I posted here looking for guidance. I too was anxious, but hopeful. I wanted my dog to be well rounded, happy and fulfilled. I'm a gregarious and outgoing person and so is my dog, so the thought of missing out on all the possible fun was just too much to bear.

Finally, with much trepidation, we drove to the dog park. Bailey went wild in the car when we pulled up to the fence. At first we were just going to watch, but her excitement was contagious. Not since she had left her litter mates had she seen so many dogs in one place. We went in with the leash on, but in no time it was off and she was soaring and dancing and playing with a joy that took me to tears. We haven't looked back since.

Oh, don't get me wrong, there have been some hiccups, some senseless oafs with dogs that look like they are on steroids, but, generally, it has been dog lovers with their dog children and they have been respectful of the other people and pets there. Having said that, the most aggressive bruiser that Bailey had trouble with was a gigantic brindle CC. He just kept bowling her over and into fences. I was glad to see them leave. My CC is a girly-girl, she's wasn't interested in the big bully.

 

[garlicJr]

I used to take my DDB to parks but was weary.
I was always paying attention to dogs coming at us or near us. I would try to get my brothers to go with me with their dogs and he would just play with them.

I enjoyed the dog park with the space he could explore but I would avoid Sunday afternoons when there were tons of people there

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[khplaw]

IMO, dog parks are a breeding pool for bad things to happen because most dog owners are not responsible dog owners and they have no recall or clue how to handle their dog.

I'm sure the other CC owners will post a reply.

AGREED!Most dog owners get that they have to control their dogs in the park, but basically they either don't know how or don't give a hoot. We've done the dog park thing, but in the end, it was too stressful for ME wondering which undereducated individuals dog would cause me a problem!

 

[raechiemay]

Unfortunately I have not found a dog park worth going to. I fostered a lab puppy years ago that I thought it would be a good idea to take her to (she had all of her shots) to burn off some energy. I was told by a fellow dog park goer that I better not bring the puppy in the large dog part of the park as her dog would attack the puppy. I know comparing a lab to a CC is comparing apples to oranges but given that experience, I will never take a dog or future puppy there. It's just disappointing bc there's no one to enforce the rules. There's no guarantees that all the dogs are vaccinated or in good health. Too many risks for me.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

If your dog doesn't have playmates, the rough and tumble play in the dog park will probably not be for you. Dog's run, chase, bump and grind having fun. A stick becomes a focal point and they'll scrimmage to obtain it. But mostly it's catch me if you can. The park we go to has a large wood lot with lots of trails through it. Owners usually walk the trails in groups and our dogs break into play groups of twos or threes chasing through the woods. We come out into a large sloping field where the dog's can run flat out.

My dog was used to rough housing with the Rottie from the time she first came home, and with being born into a litter of 15, she always was tumbling and play fighting so the "play fighting" at the dog park is just that "play!". But, if you've never seen your dog in those situations, the dog park will alarm you, if not frighten you. And since we telegraph our dis-ease to our dogs and that might telegraph to other dogs as weakness, not a good choice. Fearful dogs will create the negative energy for an attack...It's just the nature of our beasts. Even my gentle girl will follow along when someone acts like a victim. I've seen it happen.

A stupid man brought a small teacup-sized dog, dressed in a reindeer costume into the dog park - I think it was his girlfriend's much hated purse dog - he didn't take it to the small dog enclosure, he brought it in with the big dogs and put it on the ground. The large dogs all came sniffing, it was terrified and cowering. The large dogs started tossing it around with their noses...even my girl started chasing the tumbling frightened ball of fur. I dove into action pulling the big dogs off and using my scary voice, another women helped. We scooped up the little dog and handed it to its (?) owner. He kept saying that it was okay, she was alright, then he dropped it from a five foot height and the pack swarmed it. We saved it again and handed it back to the man with a few choice words. He left. We've never seen him since. Thank God! There is no doubt in my mind that that man was trying to murder that dog AND he was trying to use our dogs to pull it off.

And yet, I can tell you marvelous things too:. A three-legged, blind, mostly deaf dog named Chanel, whose master lovingly brought his girl to the dog park in her walking cart, so she could be in the company of other dogs, walk the trails and just be a dog in a dog's world. Dogs visited with her and she sniffed and enjoyed their company. She enjoyed the visits with the other pet parents. Her energy was calm and the pack respected her.

There's an old gentleman in a motorized chair that rides down the steep hill to the park with his little poodle, he rides into the big field and his little dog gets to walk around near him...she retreats to the chair if there is too much rough play near her, but she too gets to visit and just be a dog instead of a locked up inside with her senior master.

For every bad story, there's a good story.

 

[Th0r]

I've never had a bad experience in a dog park with dogs vs dogs. But I did have an argument with a woman once cause her dog kept bugging me cause he smelt treats. The other 10+ dogs didn't bother me one bit.

Sent from my Nexus 5

 

[DennasMom]

Denna used to LOVE going to the dog park, now she LIKES it... but doesn't seem as excited to play and chase other dogs as before. She did do a play-bow to a 6 month old spaniel last week, that just made everybody giggle... this 150lb mastiff bowing to a 30lb spaniel puppy?... it was pretty cute.

That was at a more controlled "park-like" environment (a large-dog play-date at a boarding facility's back lot). Someone also brought a 9 week old staffy puppy, since she assumed (correctly, in my opinion) the dogs here would be healthy and less risk for her puppy, who only had one or two sets of shots so far. That was the most outgoing, confident little puppy I've EVER seen! She'd put the puppy on the ground, and her feet were peddling before she was down - she was GOING places!! she followed all the big dogs around for a while and then went off to explore the woods. The other dogs treated her pretty well, and all the owners made sure the puppy had a good time.

I enjoy going to the dog park myself, so we'll probably go some more - so far we've gone to the big dog park maybe 4 times in 2 years, so not much... and I don't go on the weekends anymore - that's when the crazy idiots come out and talk on the phone, ignoring what ever their dog is doing.

While we've not had any major bad things happen, there are a few 'arguments' now and then - but I figure that's also a good learning experience for Denna, and I'm there to guide her in that, too... her first trip, she was being humped by a chocolate lab (neutered, just over-excitement)... she started backing up and snarling, confused and unsure what to do (she was about 9 months old then) - I told the owner my dog was reaching her limit... so she called the lab off, and I got Denna's collar, told her to 'leave-it' and started her moving forward again. She shook off the experience, and when the lab came back for more, they engaged in a game of chase instead of the humping... so, a much better ending for both dogs.

Denna also decided to chase a ball-obsessed shepherd one day... the shepherd did NOT want her along for the ride - and the owner and I were talking, and we were both aware of how things might go... so, when I started to see the shepherd getting anxious, I called Denna off - basically telling her to respect the other dog's space, and both dogs went back to having a good time. Denna went off to find another playmate - so I said 'bye to the shepherd's person and followed after her.

I guess what I'm saying, is there is risk involved, but if you recognize it, and have a plan on how to guide your dog through it - 'leave it' is a great command, along with redirection, i.e. "let's go" to get them out of a bad situation - you won't get worried, your dog won't get frightened or feel a need to get guardy, and everyone should have a good time. And, if you meet strange dogs off-leash in other areas, I think your dog and you will be better prepared to deal with it in a calm, non-reactive manner.

Idiots like the dude with the little dog in the costume... Geez. Glad the good dog people ganged up on him and got him to leave.

 

[jersey girl]

Dog aggressive isn't how I would describe a corso. Now granted, ANY dog can be dog aggressive, but it's not a typical trait in a corso. With that being said, a corso will not typically start a problem with a dog, but they will end it. There can be so many crazy dogs at the park with clueless owners. I do the dog park once in a while during off times or when Crickett has a play date with one of her friends. I'm glad it went well with Mufasa. Keep in mind he is only 9 months and has lots of maturing to do.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

Dog aggressive isn't how I would describe a corso. Now granted, ANY dog can be dog aggressive, but it's not a typical trait in a corso. With that being said, a corso will not typically start a problem with a dog, but they will end it. There can be so many crazy dogs at the park with clueless owners. I do the dog park once in a while during off times or when Crickett has a play date with one of her friends. I'm glad it went well with Mufasa. Keep in mind he is only 9 months and has lots of maturing to do.

I agree, Corsos aren't naturally dog aggressive. The Large brindle CC that my girl had trouble with wasn't an aggressive dog, he was just massive and he hadn't a clue about how hard he was hitting. He was definitely playing...play bow, etc., but he just over ran the dogs he was playing with. He'd crouch down almost flat against the ground stalking his playmates, then he'd explode and tumble the other dogs. My poor girl tumbled into fences a couple of times and she looked up at me asking me to intervene or to tell her what to do. I spoke calmly to her and told her it was okay, to go play. And she did.

If that Brindle CC had been aggressive, instead of just muscle bound idiot, I would have swooped in like an avenging angel, but he was just playing. Would he have benefited from more discipline? Should his master have been more engaged in limiting his exuberance? Yes! Emphatically, yes! But, letting Bailey know that she could be calm and okay even when it seemed unfair, that was an important lesson. No need for aggression, get up, shake it off. Play better...run faster...life isn't always fair - and she won't always be the largest dog - as long as she's considerate of other dogs and their size (and she is) it's okay to learn the art of disengaging with a playmate OR out-witting/out-manouvering their bully asses.

Don't you remember the playground when you were a kid, there was always someone who acted badly...the group usually froze them out until they could behave...kids wouldn't play with them. Dogs do the same thing. They either play nice or they get left alone in the middle of the field. Their owners get frozen out too. It's the playground all over again.

 

[lizzymoo]

Our CC has LOVED dogs parks since we first started taking her at about 8 months old.

Some parks are better than others, some owners are better than others, and some dogs, too.

Non-neutered males should NOT go. They tend to fight with other non-neutered or neutered males.

You'll have to see how your CC does. If he enjoys it and gets along well with most other dogs - go for it. If a bully (dog or human) shows up, you can leave. Otherwise, you can look forward to your CC tiring himself out - at least for a few hours.

Good luck.

 

[MJR]

My dog is not neutered and has a great personality. I was just nervous about another dog being overly aggressive and my boy responding with force . He is very well behaved . Another concern of mine was dogs with no vaccinations. Those are my 2 biggest concerns. Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[Kujo]

Non-neutered males should NOT go. They tend to fight with other non-neutered or neutered males.

This is why we stopped going. Kujo absolutely loves the dog park, probably his favorite place, but at about 9 months old I started noticing a dominant behaviour he was displaying. He would pick one dog and focus all his attention on them and try to dominate/mount that dog. Usually the dog in question was neutered (weird, I know), no matter how many times I would redirect him he would always end up focused on that one dog again. He never attacked or bit the other dog, he just HAD to dominate it. He even did this once when there was a 2 year old intact bullmastiff there, he didn't give a damn about the bullmastiff, but just focused on this neutered blue heeler. After a few repeats of this with no improvement, I decided no more dog parks not to mention I noticed other dogs starting to target him as he lost his puppy smell, mostly these were dogs with people that either didn't give a damn, or an extremely overly cautious owner which just told everyone to watch out for that dog. WHY BRING YOUR DOG IF YOU KNOW THEY'RE DOG AGGRESSIVE!? rabble

If there was a dog park just for bitches, I would take Kujo every day, he loves bitches

Also, another reason we stopped going is because he got Kennel Cough from the dog park.

 

[Boris the Blade]

Yep we stopped going because my big suck of a dog was getting picked on like crazy! All the dogs would target him and he is very submissive so he'd just run and cry.
There were only a few times where he was successfully playing with another dog without it trying to attack him so we stopped. I didn't want him to become even more anxious/submissive or go the other way and snap from just having enough.

 

[Smokeycat]

Non-neutered males should NOT go. They tend to fight with other non-neutered or neutered males.

I'm going to disagree with this statement. I don't believe the problem lies with intact vs neutered. It all depends on the personality of the dogs. In my experience it is the dogs that are either nervous or pushy that are the problem. A dog that is confident and friendly but that doesn't try to force that attention on a dog that isn't interested is a dog that should be welcomed. The only time that Kryten had any sort of problem was when he was between 6-12 months when he was as big or bigger than the other dogs but still had the puppy mentality. Today he was playing with several dogs including intact and neutered males and once they accepted his size everyone got along.
The most important thing about an off leash area is to stay alert and watch not only your dog but the all others as well. They can be great fun for the dog but typically aren't relaxing for the owner.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I too will disagree re neutered males. Much of the reality depends on the owner. If the owner has raised a calm and sociable animal there will be no mounting/domination issues.

Our London dog parks are posted and the rules state clearly that to use the park your dog must be a minimum of 6 months old. All dogs must be fully vaccinated and licensed. All tags must be on the dog. No un-neutered males allowed. No sticks (unenforcible when the park incorporates a wood lot), No balls or frizbees (to cut down on confrontations over toys.)

Of course, no dog owner has a problem with intact males if they are calm and non-aggressive. No one so far has made a big deal over balls or frizbees, but I have seen people put away toys when too many dogs are getting interested. And, Animal Control visits the parks occasionally making sure everyone is playing fair. Repeat offenders are charged. If this isn't the case in your city, call and find out why not. Lobby for it.

Obviously, more people would use their dog parks if they were staffed and dogs were vetted for their licenses and shots. Having said that, from what I know, Kennel Cough can spread even when dogs are vaccinated. It isn't perfect protection.

 

[season]

Dog Parks are a joke.

 

[jmmesq]

Hi I would love to take my dog to a dog park but I am worried that he may turn on a dog if the dog showed some aggression towards him. I have never ever seen that happen and he does play nice with family members dogs but he is so strong that it just worries me. Perhaps I am overly cautious. I don't know

 

[Siloh]

Hi I would love to take my dog to a dog park but I am worried that he may turn on a dog if the dog showed some aggression towards him. I have never ever seen that happen and he does play nice with family members dogs but he is so strong that it just worries me. Perhaps I am overly cautious. I don't know

Obviously dog parks are fairly contested on this forum. I can only say that you being nervous is going to be bad for all dogs around you at the park, especially yours. If there is anything I learned from going to a dog park nearly every evening for over a year, it is that remaining calm and collected at all times is integral. Dogs really can sense your uncertainty and apprehension or anxiety.

You or your dog could be seriously injured, even if you feel you take precautions. My beagle was jumped by two coon hounds and a plot hound. She would have died if she wasn't so ridiculously adept at defending herself. I caught a full grown German shepherd in the stomach at full speed and was completely airborne.

You need to keep your cool no matter what.


"Nothing is neither good nor bad, but thinking makes it so."
Hamlet Prince of Denmark