Opinions on dog parks?

[Nik]

I was wondering what everyone's opinions on dog parks are ? My 7 month old DDB/pit-mix puppy Diesel is not da and loves playing with other dogs (particularly he likes to be chased). But I have been warned that he can become da without any prior sign. We socialize him in multiple ways (walks, hikes, trips to the store, eating out with him, lots of classes etc) and so far he is doing wonderfully. He is just the sweetest friendliest pup you could possibly imagine. But if that is something that can change without warning then I certainly would not want to put him in a situation that increases those chances.

What is everyone else's take? Do the rest of you avoid dog parks?


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[Max's mom]

Wish there was one closer than 40 minute drive so I could have an opinion!

 

[Smokeycat]

I do go to the off leash with both dogs. There are no fences and therefor very few people bring untrained dogs. One thing I've realized with Kryten is that I need to be hyper aware of what and who is around us because Kryten certainly is. Also Kryten has a very good recall, although not perfect, and I can call him away from other dogs if the energy of any of the dogs isn't right. I will tell you that around the same age Diesel is Kryten lost the privilege of being off leash because he entered his teenage phase where he thought he could make the rules and it took a couple of months for him re-earn that privilege.

 

[angelbears]

I will be in the minority here but I hate the damn places. Do a google search for dogs killed at dog parks you might be surprised at how many pop up. Below is a link to what happened at one of our local dog parks.

DA unhappy with grand jury's decision on man who shot dog at park

 

[xcrazydx]

Dog parks are idiotic. No one should go to them

 

[SG1]

Does this answer your question?

Dog killed in St. Louis dog park fight with another dog

dog fights at dog parks - Yahoo Search Results

dog fights at dog parks - Yahoo Search Results

 

[QY10]

I will NEVER take my dogs to off-leash areas. There are way too many variables that are out of my control. If anything were to happen (even if Angus didn't start it), he would be the one who was blamed because he's the big dog that's already been stereotyped at vicious/aggressive. Not only that, but he could pick up bad habits from other lesser trained dogs.

Also, Thalia (Staffordshire Bull Terrier) was SUPER friendly with other dogs when she was a puppy. I took her to the dog park before I knew better and she used to have a blast. As she matured, a switch flipped and is now VERY DA. We have another female and they have to be crate rotated otherwise they will fight nonstop and to the death if someone isn't there to intervene. Thalia gives no warning that she's going to attack. Her body language looks happy and friendly; tail wagging, smiling face, prancing around, loose body language... then without warning and without a sound, she attacks. She's been in plenty of accidental fights and luckily, despite being only 26 pounds, she can hold her own otherwise she could have died getting into fights with dogs 20-30+ pounds heavier than her. Thalia was very well socialized and is very confident in all situations, which makes it even worse when she happens across another dog that she's able to fight with.

I'm on the pit bull forum as well and saw your post. They're definitely upfront and blunt with their opinions and unfortunately, I have to agree with them. I would not risk taking my dogs to a dog park. It is true, once your pup matures, his personality could change without much warning. All it takes is one dog to piss him off and the odds are good that your dog will do a lot more damage than the other dog will.

 

[DDSK]

What I noticed with both my Cane Corsos was that due to needing to keep them away from strange dogs as young pups until their vaccines kicked in they were too big to go into the small dog section, yet in the big dog section they got picked on by semi social big dogs whose owners neglected to supervise their dogs.
It was no fun for them or for me either.
With my back and knee issues I'm not able to get across the park to save my pup from getting her ass kicked.
My older girl, Zoey is very social especially with small dogs, but my younger girl Abby is not.

 

[KimT]

I wont take mine to a dog park, EVER, Norman is 185 pound pussy cat, very social, I don't want that ruined by some dog that the owners don't train or watch as carefully as I do mine, I have enough of that at dog shows. And if somebodies dog decided to want to challenge him Im sure he would protect himself and Im not strong enough to do anything about it, JMO

 

[JamieHalverson]

Never, never will I take my dogs to a dog park. I have a male Staffy X, 2 y/o and a 10 week old Bullmastiff female. My Staffy is not da in the least, loves other dogs and I hope to keep it that way. And I intend to keep all interactions with other dogs as positive as humanly possible for the BM pup, therefore NO strange/unknown dogs for her. Adult dogs do not need to "socialize" with other, strange dogs to be happy. Mine play with family member's and friends dogs from time to time, who I know and trust. And the puppy meets dogs at puppy K.

 

[Liz_M]

Not a mastiff owner yet (bringing my EM puppy home in late July) but a 30-year owner of Rottweilers, several of which were a$$holes with other dogs.

No. No. No! on dog parks. If you have a bully or any "bad boy" breed, no matter who starts an altercation, your dog will be blamed. Too many variables an owner can't control, and no way I would risk a puppy having a bad experience in such an uncontrolled environment. My dogs socialize with each other, with dogs they are with in performance events and classes, with friends' dogs, and that's it. They don't have to like and frolic with every dog they see, they just have to be controlled and polite. Many dog breeds are not expected to be social with other dogs - not sure about DDB but Rottweilers aren't, even in the show ring. Off the top of my head from the standard, "...belligerence towards other dogs in the ring should not be faulted."

That said I have a Doberman-owning friend who takes her two to a dog park...BUT it's a private earn-and-pay deal to get in. All owners and dogs have to have completed obedience classes at the facility and the dogs (and owners I suppose) have to have proven themselves responsible and knowledgeable. Depending on my dog - and if that place was closer than 90 miles away - I might consider it.

 

[DennasMom]

Well... I love going to the dog park, and so far, ALL my dogs have enjoyed it, too.

I use it at a teaching tool.

I made sure Denna was mature enough to handle the attention before we went. She was probably closer to 10 months old for our first visit.
Our off-leash park is 40 ACRES... not completely fenced in. LOADS of space, so if you don't like a certain dog, it's easy to walk away (which is what I want to teach my dog... WALK AWAY from conflict, don't "finish it").

Our first visit, Denna was "attacked" by an over-amorous lab who just wanted to hump her.... she couldn't back away fast enough. I went in and rescued her - basically, stopped her from backing up and shoo'd the lab away. He did go away and rejoin his owner (and her other dogs)... and we followed after them along the path - where Denna and the lab re-connected in a more polite way and had a fun game of chase. SO, first "negative" encounter ended on a positive note! Teaching accomplished!

I do stay extra-vigilant when there are off-leash dogs around (at ANY location). Denna is pretty good at listening to other dog's signals, but I don't want other dogs to ignore her signals... and I want to be ready to step in if needed, and move us away from trouble - hopefully before anything bad happens.

Denna was VERY social until about 1.5/2 years old, then she got less interested in chasing other dogs (or being chased), and more into just running around, swimming, and sniffing butts as they passed by. She still has a great time when we do go. I love letting her have space for some MAJOR, unending zoomies - she can really move! (at long as it's in a straight line)

We only go about 6 times a year, and always during the slow time... but the group of dogs and people at the big park (Marymoor, for people in the area) is always attentive and responsible, or so I've found.

Denna also boards at a place with daycare during the day... so keeping her attuned and polite around strange dogs is important to me. Our park excursions help with that effort. But - it's the right park, at the right time, with the right people & dogs there... which is always subject to change.

As for becoming DA without warning... I think you'll have plenty of warnings, as long as you're looking for them (body language, excitement levels, etc.). And as long as you acknowledge them and take appropriate action, the DA should never become unmanageable - although excursions to the dog park may be off the list at that point.

 

[STEVSH]

Uncontrolled dogs with no training what so ever running around all over the place doing whatever the heck they want and the owners can do nothing about it. I can't stand dog parks. I took Topaz up until about a year old when I learned she was picking up some horrible habits (rough play, possession guarding, etc).

 

[Oscar'sMom]

I like pretty picture of happy go lucky dog parks...but I hate what they are in reality. We took our EM to one that was separated for big dogs and little dogs. Reality: mad house and no separation. We went to the side with less dogs and kept our boy on leash. There were nice people and maybe 6-8 dogs? After 5 minutes, we were approached by a growling mutt and then a bunch surrounded Oscar and nipped at him. Some little pug mix was trying to bite him while the owner talked about how cute her baby was. I said "f*#%# this" and we left . Never again...we
'lol be weird at home ha

 

[RockstarDDB]

I do take mine to of leash parks. I do not make habit of it and as my male has matured he is less tolerant of bad attitudes. The main issue is having bordeaux people see this big intimidating dog and immediately become tense with their own animals. this can cause issues. My main reason for Of leash is socializing , by the time your bordeaux is 6 months you want to have him completely comfortable with other dogs and not view them as a threat.

Having a bordeaux with dog/people aggression triggered by fear is just a horrible experience. The dog does not enjoy walks , they are constantly on alert and you have problems just riding them in the car. Sure dog fights can occur at parks. these are pack animals and as owners we have responsibility to watch and correct our dogs. mine enjoy it though i have to be vigilant with my male . at 18 months un neutered he is massive 145 pounds and will answer any challenge any other male issues him. Dog parks are not bad in my opinion, just be vigilant and watch your dog .there can be social cliques at the park amongst the dogs as well as the owners lol. One of the best tools for any type of dog park is a compressed air horn if things aree tense or a scramble begins. blast that air horn and the whole mess will stop to take notice of what that loud noise was and scatter.

 

[Nik]

Thank you everyone for the input and advice! I really appreciate it. We are erring on the side of caution right now and haven't been back after all of the horror stories. But, there are some open areas that are leash free that are large enough to enjoy without necessarily being around other dogs that we may later explore. As for now I am concentrating on our latest training classes which I am pretty excited about.

RockstarDDB - I do really like your idea of using an air horn. That was something I hadn't heard before but it is just brilliant. Thank you for the tip!

 

[Liz_M]

Another alternative (though not free) is doggie daycare at a well-run facility. I've had DA Rottweilers have very fun days playing appropriately with proper supervision and come home worn out. Also where I live (Michigan) some state and county parks have off-leash areas for dogs - not dog parks but more like areas one can train hunting dogs off-leash legally.

 

[Nik]

Liz_M - I had a doggy daycare that I really wanted to go to but because Diesel isn't fixed yet since he's only 7 months old he isn't welcome. I understand the policy but I'm trying to do right by him by waiting until it's safe to have him fixed. I was thinking of doing the off leash areas here (not dog parks as you mention above). There are some just a bit more of a drive. I'm thinking we will check those out on leash first with him one of these weekends.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

I don't take mine to dog parks even though they are both dog friendly. There are too many variables and you just can't trust everyone that thinks their dog is friendly or trained.

 

[cj-sharpy]

Agree with all the above comments. There are far too many badly trained dogs running about that don't have good manners and if anything were to happen (and it has for us) then the big dog will always get the blame.
Good point about the other owners getting tense and their animals picking up on that, Max is not over fond of other dogs getting too close but through a dog group page that organizes a dog park of sorts, that we dont go to any more, I met one lady who just dored Max, she was never afraid of him and understood that he was a daddis boy. We often go for off leash walks and max is fine with her three little dogs running between his legs and sniffing him. Even her kids gave her a ten minute lecture about "Mummy, you cant play with Max, Mummy you cant touch Max, Mummy Max is not a pet etc etc".
So I'd say no to parks but yes to socializing in a smaller more controlled group.