Thoughts on dog parks + toys (Thor)

If you bring a toy it becomes fair game to other dogs, will Thor get upset if another dog takes his toy? 

I wouldn't put a muzzle on him, you are very right, it would give people the impression that he isn't a nice dog, and from what you say he loves people loving on him, so i don't think that is a good idea.

Usually dog parks are terrible places for a dog's personal toys--the other dogs could take the toy or evn get too close and a fight could ensue.

Is the eating of sticks or rocks something maybe a behavioralist should address? Clearly seems unhealthy. And if he is doing it because he is stressed, perhaps he needs some herbs (Valerian?) to calm him?  Just my thoughts--never had a dog do this.

Agnes

Would he be possesive of his own toys at the dog park?  Our dog park has tons of toys, but it's never a huge issue.  I'd think however, if you are bringing something he knows is his he might be defensive if other dogs try to play with it?

Thor is not deffensive with toys he will leave his toy to other dog, but his ultimate goal is to have ALL the toys, and when he has them all he just stares at the other dogs or put his face with toy in mouth in front of the other dog like: "I have it and you don't"... if another dog growls asking for the toy, Thor will drop it instantly. He is not looking for fights, I think he looks for attention.

If we are playing with two dogs and two toys, Thor will want to have the other toy or both, and when he swallowed the rubber balls was pretty much in that situation. He does that only with other dogs, I have tried to take his toys and he won't take the toy from me, but of course I think I'm not competition for him.

Silly dog

i would definately not do the muzzle thing. especially cause you are suspecting him eating stuff out of stress... that could potentially put him in a vulnerable position and trigger agression. probably not, but i wouldnt risk it. trust me, once a dog is DA it  is NOT fun to deal with!!!

if this were me, i guess i'd look at it from a training perspective... if he just likes doing it, and the reason he does it at the dog park, is because he is too distracted to "know" your command, then i would practive drop it and make sure to add distraction GRADUALLY overtime, until he will drop it at the park. if the reason is stress by being surrounded by many dogs, then i'd work on desensitizing him to it. as in, going at times when there are few dogs, and always leaving when you see signs of stress (aka eating stuff). then gradually work up to bigger crowds of dogs...

that's just me... hope you find a good solution...

in the mean time, maybe leave a drag line on him? not sure how practical or allowed that is in a dog park, but it's all i can think of right now....

It sounds to me that, tho you say he is having fun...a dog park is overstimulating him and that is causing some what I would term neurotic/stressed out behavior. I do not mean that as a negative...it's simply a term used as a catch all for these silly things dogs and people do...to ease anxiety.

One thing I would consider is simply not taking him there and instead finding a place you can walk off lead...and possibly forming a SMALL playgroup on his turf or switch houses every week. If he knows the dogs he encounters and environment he encounters weekly will be the same...he will likely calm down.

Because of your breeds risk of bloat...and his prior issues with consuming inappropriate things resulting in his surgery I would really be willing to let the dog park go...in favor of walks that will NOT...stress him out and cause these behaviors. If he does not mind in certain situations off a lead...then keep him on a lead...and put him in a position incompatible with chewing things....like a down stay, while you chat.

IMO a dog that does not "always" mind his owner off lead...even in one specific instance...needs a refresher course and is no longer reliable off lead. So I'd redo some training...give him some concrete expectations to ease his anxiousness...and really...find a playgroup and avoid the dog park altogether until he either completely reliable off lead again to follow commands...or ceases expressing the behavior.

We went yesterday with the rope at the park. He meet Layla and Zoe, and he played a lot with Layla. Is always like that, they both play and Zoe complains. I had the rope with me, Thor had the rope for two minutes, but Layla wasn't impressed, she just wanted to run, so Thor left the rope with me and went to run. Ten minutes later they went away and we continued our walk playing around with the rope, he drop it well and bring it to me as many times as I asked for it.

I think I will avoid large groups of dogs, there is a girl that brings six dogs by herself and I think that is too much! Thor had fun with a puppy but the adults were kind of rough with Thor... I know, his appearance is big and intimidating, and he sometimes is not treated well.

The park is big enough to walk around and not find other dogs, so I will avoid large groups of dogs or the dogs I know are not nice/trained/socialized enough. As janetmichel said, I need to work more with the drop it, now that I think about it, he is not rewarded as much as he is with other commands... we have been lazy about it! So more training and, as rwbeagles said, we need to walk more around until he behaves better and I feel confident about him.

I won't use the muzzle.

 There are MANY dog owners that bring toys for their dogs to the dog park. I think that it can be a good idea if you have a dog that gets over excited or over stimulated - make them carry a toy around. It gives them a purpose and something to focus on.

There's one dog that will carry around a 7' long tree branch. Seriously! People have to move out of the way so he can get through with his tree branch. He loves it and has never been aggressive with other dogs with that in his mouth.

A friend of mine brings a toy strawberry for her dog. The dog never drops it, just carries it around.

I personally bring frisbees for my dogs. It is a good distraction when they get over excited. I can turn their attention to chasing a disc. However, if I see them get protective of it, I take it away. They usually don't mind if other dogs come in on the game. I bring at least 3 frisbees so all the dogs aren't chasing after the same one.

Thank you Jewlieee!! Now I feel way more confident about this, thank you really.

Thor has been doing great with my praises everytime he "drops it" and with his toy. If the toy is motif for a fight I don't care if we lose it.

Now I'm reducing the time playing with not-so-friendly dogs so Thor doesn't feel overwhelmed and when he finds a friend, he can go for a long time without problems. When I see somebody throwing sticks... we just move to another place and is perfect! I''m confident, Thor has a great recall and I'm just eliminating the wood issue of the way We will see how it goes!

Calinisima

Now I'm reducing the time playing with not-so-friendly dogs so Thor doesn't feel overwhelmed and when he finds a friend, he can go for a long time without problems.

The good thing about going to the local dog park is you get to know the players. More often than not people follow schedules and certain people show up at the park at certain times. If you go to the park the same time each day you are going to find (mostly) the same dogs in my experience. So if the toy or rope is not a problem with your group I say go for it. My dog loves carrying things in his mouth and I do use this quirk as a calming tool. I'm not sure what the psychology is behind it is. It could be similar to a security blanket I guess, but having an object does seem to make him calm and confident. Anyways it sounds as if Thor is having a GREAT time. Happy playtime Thor!