Dog Park

We have a large pack of Show and Therapy dogs. They are very well behaved however I would not consider allowing my dogs to run at a Dog Park.  There are a few places where we show that rent large paddocks in which we can run our pack and then we have friends with property where our hounds run full out blissed to the max.

I would not take the chances of the major problems affliliated with dog parks.  The obvious one would be aggressive and un supervised animals.  I know my dogs will not start a fight but I would bet the house  payment that they would finish it.  It would not be a pretty site to have my Ridgebacks which average from 70 to 100 pounds tangle with a dog who started a problem.  Not only are they efficient in battle they also pack as all hound breeds tend to do.

I would also be concerned with the up keep on the park.  A dog running flat out enjoying the freedom is less likely to watch for a broken stick or glass.

I avoid areas where fleas and ticks can be an issue.  As I prefer to flea comb my dogs rather than apply a topical poison I would not feel certain that the other dogs playing in the park were flea/tick free as mine are.  I also tend to avoid areas where people may not be vigilent about scooping their dog mess. Worms are the least of the parasites that can be picked up thanks to less than gracious owners.

As with any activity you will meet some people who are wonderful and some who are jerks. I would prefer to avoid a situation where I may have to deal with a jerk .

And finally unless you have a rock solid recall and can with great certainty count on your dogs returning when called the chance that they may extend the walk is just too frightening to me. With a great deal of money, time and love invested in my fur kids I would no sooner put them them.  Any unforseen action can cause even the most steady of dogs to bolt. Unless the park is securely fenced the chance of loss is simply too great for my peace of mind!

Bonita of Bwana

 I don't care for dog parks.  Too many people who know nothing about dog behavior.  So, they either let their dogs bully other dogs, or they force their timid un- or under-socialized dog to suffer the advances of dogs he or she would really rather not interact with, or they like it when their dogs bully other dogs because they think they have an "alpha" (how many times have I heard that from owners of frightened dogs????)   One of my dogs, Quanah, would do fine at a dog park, although he'll probably never get the chance.  The girls, like most herding dogs, would have nothing better to do than police the playground;-))

What I DO like are supervised play groups, which is why I run one.  Owners who bring dogs to our group become educated about dog behavior so that they can know, if they do go to dog parks, what normal play looks like - and when to stay, when to get out, and how to deal with the playground bullies before they make it to the door.  

I don't use dog parks.  The nearest is 10 miles.  I have several MN state wildlife management areas within 5 miles or less, and use them when legal.  My ESS likes people, but is very picky about who she plays with. She does lots of air snapping.  She will hunt with any other dog, but I am picky there about what dogs we work with.  I worry a bit about the health of strange dogs, and as my dog is a wimp, the chance of aggression bothers me. 

spiritdogs

 I don't care for dog parks.  Too many people who know nothing about dog behavior.  So, they either let their dogs bully other dogs, or they force their timid un- or under-socialized dog to suffer the advances of dogs he or she would really rather not interact with,

That sums up how I feel. 

I don't do dog parks either. Honestly, as adults and a stable family, my dogs are not interested in playing with other dogs and are most interested in just running, hunting, digging, and chasing each other. So I found outlets for that area, like fields, trails, and beaches. Plus, I have one female who can be aggressive towards strange dogs in her face so she's definitely not dog park material!

Zipper does enjoy meeting other dogs, so he has come with me a few times to dog parks when I go with my clients for a multitude of reasons. But watching how a lot of the dogs interact just reminds me why I choose not to go.

If I had only one dog, and needed an outlet, I might consider their use. But I'd still probably look for other avenues before going to a dog park.

Like Kim said, my dogs are their own pack and prefer just to play with each other and run and jump and wrestle with each other. They could honestly care less about playing with other dogs, so I find other areas to take them to let them run/play. We go hiking and depending on the area I do hike with them off leash or on a long lead and we also have a huge dog run so we can play fetch in there and they can wrestle and be silly in there.

The chances are just too high for conflict/failure/whatever to go wrong in a dog park, IMO.

We go just about every day. We live in suburbia and most places we like to go with our dogs have other dogs turning up, often off leash. I did lots of careful socialising with my puppies so they were given the chance to become comfortable with a lot of loopy stuff that happens at dog parks. Yes, most people we see there have no idea, but it rarely impacts us. We stay out of fenced parks and stick to places where there is plenty of room to spread out and get away from any dogs that harass the boys. I've only actually had to do that about 3 times in the last 3 years. 

I love dog parks. And I've even had some bad experiences. My little one has been literallly run over by active dogs at dog parks, which wasn't a great thing. It scared her really bad, but eventually she would venture out again. Unfortunately, she now can't go at all because she has an auto-immune condition and therefore isn't vaccinated for kennel cough. Can't be around all those dogs without that vaccine.

My other (healthy) dog is 30 pounds and loves the park. He loves having the option to run free and explore. It's so good for his socialization and we do some training there with all the distractions. It's really good for him.

I have never been to a dog park.

My first reaction is to be wary of other dogs who may be aggressive; and also concerned about my dog picking up some sort of disease. I don't like the whole aspect of "socializing" with dogs when you don' know anything about their background, temperment, training, medical issues, and care they may or may not receive at home.

 That said, the 2 dogs I have owned as an adult would not have been good dog park candidates even under ideal circumstances.

 My Basset Hound did not like other dogs. She was not aggressive, very defferential in fact - but she would shy away from them and hide behind me if another dog approached her.

 My pit bull (well that rather speaks for itself; I personally wouldn't take even an extremely dog friendly bully breed to a dog park, because if a fight does break out, or my dog defends itself - we all know who will be blamed). However, Veronica is not extremely dog friendly. She craves a certain amount of interaction with dogs under specific circumstances but she is very reactive; so her best interactions are highly supervised one on ones with dogs she knows well.

 Tootsie, my corgi, who is definitely a herder is known as "the fun police".

So many thoughts here.. all the above are true and I agree with all...however most people that posted have more than one dog...so us people with only one dog don't have the oppertunity to let our dog run and play with the others....maybe tire out and exercise. We have a dog park in our city..if fact I was on the committee to help build it...but never really got to use it until Gibby came along.  But I only like going there when its not crowded...because things get confusing and out of hand when there is too many dogs.   And I have to say... Gibby doesn't really care one way or another about the other dogs..he likes to play ball with us when he is there... and has gotten mad at other dogs if they bug him while he is trying to play ball with us. He could care less about the ball as much as " don't get in my way!" And THAT doesn't work either.    But on the other side of the coin...I like to take him by the other dog and run loose so he is always used to being by them.  I also take him to play days at Camp Bow Wow for the same reason.   Just like anything else..... when you let your dogs be with other dogs...you keep your eye open all the time and don't let your guard down.

 Corvus, I am like you when it comes to dog parks. We go almost everyday. The park is large and open so there is lots of room to spread out. It's interesting to me how the dogs form their own little group of playmates and simply ignore the dogs that don't match their play style or personality. While there could be up to 15 -20 dogs at the park on a given day, Buddy only interacts with his regular 2 or 3 friends. Occasionally a 'problem' dog does shows up that simply is not a good fit. Most often the owner is open to the groups feedback and we all try to give them a chance and help them develop and improve their socialization. It's rewarding to see the owners learn how to properly train their unsocialized dogs and become a welcomed member of the park. Those who are unwilling or unable to do the work or take any advice are soon gone to greener pastures.