More Stupidity And Selfishness In Local Dog Park

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

In our local paper, there was a story about a Mother's Day incident at a local dog park. A little dog I have seen when I go there, who is tiny and completely inoffensive, just happily plays ball with his owners and goes home, was attacked by two greyhounds who rushed him from the other end of the park. They were not muzzled, as is required by law but worse than that, was the attititude of the owners.

The young man that owns the tiny dog is a fit guy and he managed to get the greys off (how I don't know), got over a 5 ft fence with his little dog (who required surgery and many stitches) and had his ankle ripped by one of the greys.

The owners of the greys said "You should have come and checked with us before you let your dog off lead". I mean honestly, WTF??? :p They should not have greys in an off leash park and should have yelled, gotten their dogs on a lead and left, but no, they've got to blame the innocent party.

I wish I'd been there because I would have had words with these people before anything like that had happened. As much as I love greys, owners like this give the breed a bad name but whatever breed/dog you have, you must acknowledge that if it isn't good with some or all other dogs, you must not go in a dog park and put others at risk.

The council are looking for these morons, I hope they find them and throw the book at them.

Worse than this was the death of a poodle in the same park 2 weeks before by a "labrador". I hope it's not the dear little mite that I have seen there with his elderly owner.

I hope it is not the same "lab" that is actually a staffy/lab cross that attempted to kill a bigger dog before that. The owner of this particular dog has another really savage dog and let them both off the lead having told the bigger dog's owner that she couldn't do that as they'd kill another dog and then she lets them go.

I only go in if there is noone else there and am vigilant about other dogs coming in - I go every few months. Couldn't go in today as there were two large staffs in there - my dogs are too precious.

Dog parks are so very dangerous.

[Loving my Oldies]

In our local paper, there was a story about a Mother's Day incident at a local dog park. A little dog I have seen when I go there, who is tiny and completely inoffensive, just happily plays ball with his owners and goes home, was attacked by two greyhounds who rushed him from the other end of the park. They were not muzzled, as is required by law but worse than that, was the attititude of the owners.

The young man that owns the tiny dog is a fit guy and he managed to get the greys off (how I don't know), got over a 5 ft fence with his little dog (who required surgery and many stitches) and had his ankle ripped by one of the greys.

The owners of the greys said "You should have come and checked with us before you let your dog off lead". I mean honestly, WTF??? :p They should not have greys in an off leash park and should have yelled, gotten their dogs on a lead and left, but no, they've got to blame the innocent party.

I wish I'd been there because I would have had words with these people before anything like that had happened. As much as I love greys, owners like this give the breed a bad name but whatever breed/dog you have, you must acknowledge that if it isn't good with some or all other dogs, you must not go in a dog park and put others at risk.

The council are looking for these morons, I hope they find them and throw the book at them.

Worse than this was the death of a poodle in the same park 2 weeks before by a "labrador". I hope it's not the dear little mite that I have seen there with his elderly owner.

I hope it is not the same "lab" that is actually a staffy/lab cross that attempted to kill a bigger dog before that. The owner of this particular dog has another really savage dog and let them both off the lead having told the bigger dog's owner that she couldn't do that as they'd kill another dog and then she lets them go.

I only go in if there is noone else there and am vigilant about other dogs coming in - I go every few months. Couldn't go in today as there were two large staffs in there - my dogs are too precious.

Dog parks are so very dangerous.

Oh god, this is just so sad. People are trying to do the right thing by their dogs by taking them to off leash parks which are fenced and supposedly safe and these sorts of things happen.

I sure hope the council catches up with those dreadful people.

[Dame Aussie]

We don't visit dog parks, I think anyone who does is taking a big risk, especially those with small dogs. That risk might be worth it to some, but not to me.

I hate the places.

Hope the little dog is ok

Edited May 22, 2010 by Aussie3

[cointreau]

Rarely go to off leash areas, haven't found a fenced one here and everyone I have seen I think is too close to cars to be safe and have found many people who visit the beach etc don't really care what their dog is doing and have little respect for other dog owners. I have been abused numerous times just because my dog is big, it isn't worth the risk if anything happens I know my dog will be blammed.

[furballs]

This is awful, I hope the guy and his dog were ok. I haven't experienced many aggressive dogs where I go but people tend to band together and tell people with aggressive dogs to leave. This is the kind of story that makes uneducated people think that a breed is aggressive, which is so wrong. My Rottweiler got bailed up by a chi at our dog park and she didn't know what to do... :p Moral of the story though is if that chi had carried on like that with an aggressive dog things would have gotten nasty. Dogs of ALL sizes should be controlled to avoid these situations. And some dog owners, well I can't say what I really think of some people on this forum, suffice to say that some people should be desexed at a young age.

[Tilly]

I kind of see this situation both ways. At our local smallish fenced off-leash area there is the afternoon session when all the doggy owners go in there and let their kids and dogs run feral while they stand around chatting ... the rest of the time there is dog owners who go into the park for some off-leash park when it empty to have some off-leash time with their dogs.

I am one of the owners who use the park in the off time. I also have a friend who has 2 greyhounds - they visit the park at some ungodly hour in the morning so they can have some private time at the park.

I have always had the attitude that if there is someone/dogs in the park that I don't know then I like to introduce the dogs through the fence and speak to the other dogs owner to see if they have a problem with my dog/s coming in. If there is an issue then I simply take my dog/s for a walk and come back later when the park is free.

There are other dog owners who believe they can use the park at any time and just walk in without finding anything about the dog already in the park ... and then complaint because their dog gets hurt.

As a dog owner we all have a personal responsiblity for the wellbeing of our dogs... so why do we put them in unknown situations just because we believe we have the right to use the off-leash park.

While I agree the owners of the greyhound's attitude is the real problem ... I would need to know more details about the situtation.

[Beth.]

Yep, when I first got Lottie and beforehand I always thought i'd take her to dog parks every day!!! Well, I hardly EVER take her anymore - I took her about a month ago to one because she had been SOOO good on her walk, and there was just a couple of bigger dogs playing in the park, and she really does love playing with dogs!! - but she has lots of doggy friends she gets play time with at peoples places most days, and we go on lovely onlead walks everyday....

I hope the poor little dog is ok, and the owners of the greyhounds found!! (and i'm not blaming it on the greyhounds, just the STUPID owners!!!).

[dee lee]

Oh.

That is so awful. I cannot believe that the owner of the greys said that!!! Take some responsibility FFS!!

I completely agree about offlead parks being dangerous. Thats been my experience. I've been (relatively) lucky and I am at pains to avoid dogs other than those I know are safe when I go to the park. Generally speaking my regular park is not very popular and usually there are only a few dogs in a very large space at any time. Its the way I like it as we can, for the most part, control our interactions. Even so Honey was attacked recently by a wayward DA dog. I am just even more "snobby" now (I'm sure thats what the other dog owners think :p) .

[Fleuri]

I can't say what I really think of some people on this forum, suffice to say that some people should be desexed at a young age.

:p

[MelissaS]

I hope the little dog is OK.

Again, a case of bad irresponsible dog ownership.Hope the owner is found.

[shells]

Thats really sad.

I guess I am lucky that our offleash park is used by alot of regulars and whilst I dont know the name of the owners I know the majority of dogs by their names . Yes we have some crazies but they are harmless - just a bit bouncy. Our park isnt technically fenced (its a large reserve) and if I do come accross someone who I havent met before or have their dog on a leash - I leash mine and do introductions that way.

[ILK]

I love off leash dog parks and attend mine regularly, but I go when no-one else is there. People are extremely irresponsible and it is a shame. I have mentioned this many times on Dol, but I think it is worth mentioning regulary.

One of the rules of a dog park is, "You're dog must come when called". This seems to be a real problem in off leash parks. Dogs get excited and don't come when called. If a dog rushes at my dog it will not be a pretty sight. My dog is well socialised and obedience trained with an excelllent recall. Owners need to understand that not all dogs are as friendly as theirs. It is not acceptable to let your dog run up to another and say "He's very friendly, he just wants to play" and then get the s---s when your dog snaps at their dogs rude behaviour.

Edited May 22, 2010 by ILK

[SkySoaringMagpie]

The owners of the greys said "You should have come and checked with us before you let your dog off lead". I mean honestly, WTF??? They should not have greys in an off leash park and should have yelled, gotten their dogs on a lead and left, but no, they've got to blame the innocent party.

suit on

You would not catch me dead at a dog park with any of my kids. That said, I have been in a situation at a dog obedience club where my 2 Salukis, a friend's 2 Salukis, and 2 Afghan Hounds were running together in the back paddock. Someone with a Cav rocked up and calmly entered the gate and was about to let their dog off when I and the other woman ran towards her with waving arms yelling NO NO NO. If we hadn't spotted her entering it could have been a disaster. And we only spotted her entering because nothing else was going on at the time.

I can see how someone might get in the gate, be naive enough to think that any dog in a dog park is OK, and wind up in trouble. And I can see why the guys owning the greyhounds would have thought the person owning the small dog was nuts to let their dog off in a park with two unmuzzled greys. FWIW, muzzling solves some problems but not others - a powerful sighthound can still soccer a small dog into a serious injury even if muzzled.

I think it is the responsibility of a person entering any space with their dogs to check that it is OK for their dog. But there have been a few arguments on DOL recently about where the buck stops, and from my perspective, it stops with me. I would no more release a small dog into a park with running greys than I would fly to the moon. OTOH, I would no more take my dogs to a dog park than fly to the moon either. I suppose I'm just saying I can see why this clusterf*** occurred and it's a good example of why ultimately I agree with you, that dog parks are dangerous.

[furballs]

I love off leash dog parks and attend mine regularly, but I go when no-one else is there. People are extremely irresponsible and it is a shame. I have mentioned this many times on Dol, but I think it is worth mentioning regulary.

One of the rules of a dog park is, "You're dog must come when called". This seems to be a real problem in off leash parks. Dogs get excited and don't come when called. If a dog rushes at my dog it will not be a pretty sight. My dog is well socialised and obedience trained with an excelllent recall. Owners need to understand that not all dogs are as friendly as theirs. It is not acceptable to let your dog run up to another and say "He's very friendly, he just wants to play" and then get the s---s when your dog snaps at their dogs rude behaviour.

I think a lot of people who don't train their dogs go to dog parks because they think it's ok to let them run around and interact with other dogs.....no matter how annoying they may be......ggggrrrrrrr, these people give me the sh*ts. My BC will do whatever I tell her offlead but some idiot always has to let their dog run up to her and harrass. Her body language clearly says "back off" and then she'll start growling with teeth baring and some people still don't get it....

[ILK]

I love off leash dog parks and attend mine regularly, but I go when no-one else is there. People are extremely irresponsible and it is a shame. I have mentioned this many times on Dol, but I think it is worth mentioning regulary.

One of the rules of a dog park is, "You're dog must come when called". This seems to be a real problem in off leash parks. Dogs get excited and don't come when called. If a dog rushes at my dog it will not be a pretty sight. My dog is well socialised and obedience trained with an excelllent recall. Owners need to understand that not all dogs are as friendly as theirs. It is not acceptable to let your dog run up to another and say "He's very friendly, he just wants to play" and then get the s---s when your dog snaps at their dogs rude behaviour.

I think a lot of people who don't train their dogs go to dog parks because they think it's ok to let them run around and interact with other dogs.....no matter how annoying they may be......ggggrrrrrrr, these people give me the sh*ts. My BC will do whatever I tell her offlead but some idiot always has to let their dog run up to her and harrass. Her body language clearly says "back off" and then she'll start growling with teeth baring and some people still don't get it....

This is very true furballs. People just don't get it. Please be careful with your BC in the dog park. If she is clearly uncomfortable with other dogs running up to her she may become D.A because of it. It is great for our working breeds to have a free run but not at the expense of their sanity. It isn't good for anyone to be consistently placed in a situation that they are uncomfortable with.

[furballs]

I love off leash dog parks and attend mine regularly, but I go when no-one else is there. People are extremely irresponsible and it is a shame. I have mentioned this many times on Dol, but I think it is worth mentioning regulary.

One of the rules of a dog park is, "You're dog must come when called". This seems to be a real problem in off leash parks. Dogs get excited and don't come when called. If a dog rushes at my dog it will not be a pretty sight. My dog is well socialised and obedience trained with an excelllent recall. Owners need to understand that not all dogs are as friendly as theirs. It is not acceptable to let your dog run up to another and say "He's very friendly, he just wants to play" and then get the s---s when your dog snaps at their dogs rude behaviour.

I think a lot of people who don't train their dogs go to dog parks because they think it's ok to let them run around and interact with other dogs.....no matter how annoying they may be......ggggrrrrrrr, these people give me the sh*ts. My BC will do whatever I tell her offlead but some idiot always has to let their dog run up to her and harrass. Her body language clearly says "back off" and then she'll start growling with teeth baring and some people still don't get it....

This is very true furballs. People just don't get it. Please be careful with your BC in the dog park. If she is clearly uncomfortable with other dogs running up to her she may become D.A because of it. It is great for our working breeds to have a free run but not at the expense of their sanity. It isn't good for anyone to be consistently placed in a situation that they are uncomfortable with.

Thanks Ilk, it's too late for my BC though as she now has too many mental issues due to health problems so doesn't go to dog parks anymore. I know what you mean though, a few bad experiences (or even one) can have a bad effect on any dog.

[Guest belgian.blue]

I only go in if there is noone else there and am vigilant about other dogs coming in - I go every few months. Couldn't go in today as there were two large staffs in there - my dogs are too precious.

Dog parks are so very dangerous.

I rarely go to dogs parks now and when I do it's the least busy time and I keep to one end away from other dogs. They just aren't any fun these days The dogs have more fun running around the backyard safely together.

[GardenofEden]

I would believe that it is up to owners of 'suspect' dogs to ensure that no harm comes to other people's well behaved dogs! How ludicrous, enough to raise my frickin hackles! I must admit though that I am also annoyed with the owners of the

little dog, I would never ever place my small dog in such a predicament; I would prefer to walk away than to allow it to run off lead and run the risk of being attacked. Where are people's common sense at times? Some of you may very well think that in a park one should feel safe but this is the real world and it is far from being ideal. The moral of the story? better be safe than sorry.

Edited May 23, 2010 by GardenofEden

[GardenofEden]

This is awful, I hope the guy and his dog were ok. I haven't experienced many aggressive dogs where I go but people tend to band together and tell people with aggressive dogs to leave. This is the kind of story that makes uneducated people think that a breed is aggressive, which is so wrong. My Rottweiler got bailed up by a chi at our dog park and she didn't know what to do... Moral of the story though is if that chi had carried on like that with an aggressive dog things would have gotten nasty. Dogs of ALL sizes should be controlled to avoid these situations. And some dog owners, well I can't say what I really think of some people on this forum, suffice to say that some people should be desexed at a young age.

No commendations for the owners of the chi . Their IQ must be totally non-existent.

[GardenofEden]

I would have thought that the greyhounds should have been wearing muzzles? isn't it illegal to have greyhounds in a public place without muzzles?