Kids And Dog Parks

[Odin-Genie]

My guys are <4kg, so I really don't think most people have a problem when they jump up (most people actually encourage it)

Well, mine is 32 kg , so I have to check her behaviour.

[Cosmolo]

In Melbourne there are no 'dog parks'- there are multi purpose areas where dogs are permitted off lead. They will encounter children and joggers and cyclists and many people who don't have dogs. I believe this is different to the fenced specified dog parks you have in other parts of Aus.

I think children should absolutely be in the multi use areas, but that young children should avoid the fenced dog specified areas.

And i can tell you- if 3 dogs with muddy paws came and jumped all over me, i would be furious! Why do people have to be so disrespectful? Why do dog owners have more rights than someone doing a photo shoot?

[Prydenjoy]

There are a lot of area's that are not designated leash free area's that many people allow their dogs off leash (they are right next to the off leash areas) I'm considering using, but on the same note I do have to wonder why they are using these areas instead of the designated ones, are their dogs not well socialised etc...

I do wish I could just leave Meika at home and go without her, it would be so much easier!

[dogbuddy]

I think that bringing kids on dog parks wouldn't pose any great danger because there are actually specific areas where dogs are allowed off-leashed. So I guess that's nothing to worry about. Just extra care perhaps would really help :D

[ILK]

I think dogs jumping on people are a different matter, dogs will be dogs and I will never apologise for one of my dogs jumping on someone at home or at a dog park...

If a dog jumps on me it gets my knee firmly planted in it's chest. If I have my child with me it gets my foot in it's face.

One of my dogs is a jumper, there is no excuse for allowing it to jump on people in parks.

Dog parks are no place for kids. Throw the baby in a pram, clip your dogs on a lead and go for a walk.

All of a sudden three big muddy dogs (one was mine) came bounding over and jumped all over these models who were wearing white! The photographer and the women went ballistic at us.....we just laughed and said "Well its a dog park? wat do you expect?"

I am surprised they didn't bill you for the dry cleaning, I would have!

I have to agree with Clyde here. Everyones space should be respected and allowing your dogs to jump on someone else is very disrepectful. Doesn't matter whether you are in a dog park or not. It is a public place and everyone should be able to move around freely without disturbance. I would have been horrified had I saw the models get jumped on.

People with no respect are the reason that people like me have been driven away from dog parks

Everyone except for the children you mean - because Clyde said they shouldn't be in this public place :D

Everyone should be able to move around freely. But that does not mean everyone should do whatever they want (including having picnics in the dog park, cycling, skateboarding etc) if that impinges on the rights of dog owners who come here to exercise and socialise their dogs. Running children fall into that category. A dog park is built for a purpose. A road is also a public place, but it is for a purpose. You would expect to be able to drive peacefully on a road without being bothered, but if you expected to have a picnic on the road, you would be impinging on other people's right to use the road. I don't see any contradiction there.

I will clarify my thoughts on this:- Having a picnic in the middle of a dog park is ridiculous, as is taking small children who are terrified of dogs for a bike ride or a walk through the middle of a dog park, especially if one doesn't have a dog. It s a public space that is specifically set out for people to be able to exercise their dogs off leash.

On saying that, the rules of a dog park are that your dog must be under effective control, so if your dog runs off and doesn't recall or jumps on people and doesn't recall then you as an owner are breaching the rules of the dog park and your dog should not be off leash.

This is the reason I believe small children should not be there. It would be a wonderful place for small children if everyone had their dogs under effective control and kept their eye on them. The problem is that tooooooo many people allow their dog off leash when the dog has no recall or discipline because the owner is too busy socialising with other owners & has no clue where their dog is or what it is doing. The other is that people think it is funny if their dog just runs up to another dog and sniffs a bum for far too long or jumps on people and they find that laughable.

Why would you put your toddlers in that type of unpredictable environment.

[ILK]

There are a lot of area's that are not designated leash free area's that many people allow their dogs off leash (they are right next to the off leash areas) I'm considering using, but on the same note I do have to wonder why they are using these areas instead of the designated ones, are their dogs not well socialised etc...

I do wish I could just leave Meika at home and go without her, it would be so much easier!

No Jeanne it isn't because peoples dogs are not well socialised. My dog has been socialised since he was a pup. He doesn't like rude dogs running at him full speed and he doesn't like being over-sniffed. He can become quite D.A with rude dog behaviour. Other dog owners in dog parks seem to think that everyones dog is as friendly as theirs and until you have the experience of owning a D.A dog you may never understand. It has nothing to do with socialisation, it has to do with dog personality. Some dogs are less tolerant than others.

As I said, my dog is well socialised and tolerant of polite dog behaviour, but he won't tolerate rudeness at all.

Edit to add.

He also won't allow a dog to run at me high speed. This is the first dog I have ever owned that can be D.A and it isn't easy primarily because other owners don't understand.

We do group obedience and agility. My dog is very well trained with a brilliant recall and I can call him in the middle of a game or chase, he turns on a dime. The problem occurs when I call him the other dog continues to chase at high speed, the other owner will be calling & calling to no avail.

Edited April 1, 2010 by ILK

[shells]

Our dog park is a "multi-use" park but is well known in the local area as being a designated off leash area.

As I have said I supervise my toddler and make sure she isnt running around ruining others enjoyment and I also make sure my dog arent randomly jumping on people to me both are just as bad just because 2 are dogs and 1 is human makes not difference both are unacceptable behaviors.

Why does it seem for some people that you cant have a well "controlled" child and well controlled dogs at a dog park together - it is one or the other?

Now I understand the point about others peoples dogs so to counter this I make sure I am "aware" of my surroundings and not talking on my mobile or listening to an ipod like alot of dog walkers seem to do, I also make sure that when we are in "the thick of things" she is in her pram or in a backpack.

TBH I often get alot of positive feedback when with my girls and it has been a great way to introduce my older daughter to the many different dog breeds.

I can see how one of those smaller, fenced dog areas could be different but still if the parent is willing to think about it - it isnt a hard situation to manage.

[Prydenjoy]

What is D.A? Defensive Aggressive or something like that? That's what I've been working on with Berri, building an association between other dogs and lots of goodies. He's come leaps and bounds but other dogs like the one that always tramples him set him back. He doesn't behave aggressively to other dogs like he used to before I started taking him to the park.

I went to a quieter park yesterday but there is an un meshed gate (stops the big dogs, not the little houdinis like Berri) into a neighboring paddock full of rabbits, Berri did a runner for a good 40 minutes! Wont be going to that one again, shame, it is a really nice area (might get onto council about that gate). That's the park we first had a run in with that dog, so I stopped going there and he started going to the one we were going to!

[Kavik]

I don't bring my dogs to dog parks (fenced designated dog parks) due to the fact it can be busy and some dogs rush yours and can be quite rude in their behaviour. I certainly would not be bringing my toddler!

[huski]

DA = dog aggressive.

[Prydenjoy]

Thanks for the clarification. Berri used to be extremely dog aggressive (fear aggressive), took a lot of hard work to get him out of it!

[Adnil444]

My trips to the dog park are for the dogs, not so that the toddler can run an uncontrolled muck. If there is an issue with a dog there jumping on her (which there hasn't been, because I don't make it an issue) I would just leave.

Yes, but not all parents are like you Jeanne

Some will lets there kids run around screaming (which might frighten or trigger prey drive in certain dogs), others bring food in there, others yet will be too focussed on the kid to watch the dog or vice versa...

Some parents will abuse you if your dog barks at their kid, or knocks them down. Some parents will let their children behave in a completely unacceptable manner towards the dogs (eg, let them stare or bark or pull faces) and laugh and think it's 'cute'.

I wouldn't allow my dog to bark and run and carry on inside a fenced childrens playground and I think most parents would be offended to see that happen, so why is it okay to let kids do that in a dogs playground? (not directed at you Jeanne, just saying that some parents wouldn't give a hoot.)

Personally I think that the only way to fix the problem is simply not to have kids under a certain age in fenced dog parks You can have the most well behaved dog savvy children but all you need is for one irresponsible dog owner to come along with an aggressive or hyperactive dog and it's all over.

If everyone had perfect dogs and perfect kids it wouldn't be a problem - but we all KNOW that's never going to happen

Surely the parents can organise a play date for their kids when they want to take the dogs to the park? Why not set that up with another dog owner with young children and take it in turns? It's really not that hard. And on the days when you cant go to the park there are plenty of other things that you can do with your dog. The park is not the be all and end all. My dog doesn't go to dog parks and he is absolutely fine.

Agree - it depends on the parents. There are lots of kids that come to my regular off-leash park and they are mostly fine, which is great as some of the dogs don't have kids living with them, so they get to mix with kids - if I see kids acting inappropriately, I nicely suggest to the parents that the behaviour may cause some dogs to chase, or their prey drive may kick in etc and I generally think alot of parents have no idea - they usually are thankful that I have suggested that the child/ren don't squeal or make sudden movements and always ask to pat a dog - I personally would not take a small child into a dog park unless I knew I could totally supervise my child - not other dogs. I do think it is unfair that dogs have to be put on leashes because of children in dog parks. Just as I believe some dogs should not be in dog parks, some children also shouldn't be there. (I can't tell you the amount of timid, shy little dogs that come into the dog park which run and squeal and the owners wonder why lots of the dogs are chasing it!)

Dog parks are for confident, well socialised dogs and for confident, well dog-socialised children in my opinion.

[Prydenjoy]

I do think it is unfair that dogs have to be put on leashes because of children in dog parks.

I would leave before I saw a dog put on a lead, I do understand the park is for the dogs. However I do wish people would put their dogs on a lead when they were bullying other peoples dogs, that is just curtosy. It isn't fair that one person should have to leave because another persons dog isn't behaving itself.