Dog Park Etiquette

[Golden Rules]

You can expose and neutralise your pup to plenty of things without ever entering a dog park. It's just not necessary IMO.

You certainly can. There is, however, nothing else like a dog park you can expose your dogs to that will enable you to walk into a dog park some time later and be sure your dog will be comfortable with it. If you intend to use dog parks, start early if you have the opportunity IMO.

I like dog parks (not necessarily enclosed dog exercise areas, not that I have had any negative experiences with them) because you can properly socialise your dog simply by going every day. It's easy and very effective as long as you are aware of what your dog is doing and any other dog around you.

I took my 12 week old puppy out to as many parks and places as I could in order he meet as many dogs, humans, cars, trucks, noises etc as possible. (12 weeks because he had a 2 vax regime which finished at 10 weeks before anyone jumps on that bandwagon).

I go to the local dog park (not fenced) every day for training. I take my dogs many places, and they are confident, happy and well socialised dogs which is what is important to me.

So to the OP, take your puppy, be aware and forever vigilent, and enjoy socialising your pup!

[Keira&Phoenix]

You can expose and neutralise your pup to plenty of things without ever entering a dog park. It's just not necessary IMO.

You certainly can. There is, however, nothing else like a dog park you can expose your dogs to that will enable you to walk into a dog park some time later and be sure your dog will be comfortable with it. If you intend to use dog parks, start early if you have the opportunity IMO.

Well you can it means looking for a suitable dog club or obedience club in your area which provides supervised play sessions in fenced enclosures.

Or like many have suggested just going to the dog park during a non busy period with dogs that are the same age or size of the puppy. It is just too dangerous having bigger, over boisterous dogs with a puppy, its not just the psychological damage it is the physical damage a dog like that can do, or the damage your young dog can do to its growing bones by going overboard with the other dogs in the park.

Hey OP check out your local Vizsla club http://www.hvcsa.webs.com/ also they have fun days (one coming up 2nd of April or around about that date) etc. You may be able to speak to other members about organising play dates etc also.

Edited March 22, 2011 by Keira&Phoenix

[Agility Dogs]

Be very aware that although dog parks look like a great place to socialise your young pup it can come at a price.

The others have posted some very good points and remember not everyone vaccinates or regularly worms their dogs. Not everyone picks up the dogs droppings either and your pup will be running around through this.

We've had several pups through our clinic after they had been to dog parks with a good bout of gastro, we've even had a broken leg or two from big dogs jumping on smaller one, we've had to suture bite wounds from fights etc.

In my opinion. Your local obedience club would be a better place to socialise and learn something while your there. A good dog club will ask for a vaccination certificate to be on the grounds. Why put your pet at risk if you don't have to.

Totally agree with this. Between the health risks and the risk of unsocialised/anti-social dogs and the effect they can have on a young pup I think there are much better ways to socialise a young dog.

My 3 will not set foot in a dog park for any reason and they are certainly not lacking in socialisation or the ability to cope with most situations that arise.

[Golden Rules]

Be very aware that although dog parks look like a great place to socialise your young pup it can come at a price.

The others have posted some very good points and remember not everyone vaccinates or regularly worms their dogs. Not everyone picks up the dogs droppings either and your pup will be running around through this.

We've had several pups through our clinic after they had been to dog parks with a good bout of gastro, we've even had a broken leg or two from big dogs jumping on smaller one, we've had to suture bite wounds from fights etc.

In my opinion. Your local obedience club would be a better place to socialise and learn something while your there. A good dog club will ask for a vaccination certificate to be on the grounds. Why put your pet at risk if you don't have to.

Totally agree with this. Between the health risks and the risk of unsocialised/anti-social dogs and the effect they can have on a young pup I think there are much better ways to socialise a young dog.

My 3 will not set foot in a dog park for any reason and they are certainly not lacking in socialisation or the ability to cope with most situations that arise.

But most dog clubs are on public grounds where anyone can (and do) walk their dogs. In fact people walk their dogs around the same streets so whatever you are worried about picking up is likely gonna happen wherever you go!

I just don't think that's such a good arguement to not use a dog park.

[Jetty]

I take my boy to dog parks for either the exercise or socialisation. Be aware that yes other owners aren't always as good when it comes to controlling and watching there dogs.

When on a walk I would take a look at the park before you go in and just judge whether it would be safe to do so. If there are to many dogs in the offleash park I won't go in. If there are a couple then I usually go in but I do watch the behaviour of the other dogs and people beforehand and make my judgement whether it is safe to do so.

[Mason_Gibbs]

Be very aware that although dog parks look like a great place to socialise your young pup it can come at a price.

The others have posted some very good points and remember not everyone vaccinates or regularly worms their dogs. Not everyone picks up the dogs droppings either and your pup will be running around through this.

We've had several pups through our clinic after they had been to dog parks with a good bout of gastro, we've even had a broken leg or two from big dogs jumping on smaller one, we've had to suture bite wounds from fights etc.

In my opinion. Your local obedience club would be a better place to socialise and learn something while your there. A good dog club will ask for a vaccination certificate to be on the grounds. Why put your pet at risk if you don't have to.

Totally agree with this. Between the health risks and the risk of unsocialised/anti-social dogs and the effect they can have on a young pup I think there are much better ways to socialise a young dog.

My 3 will not set foot in a dog park for any reason and they are certainly not lacking in socialisation or the ability to cope with most situations that arise.

But most dog clubs are on public grounds where anyone can (and do) walk their dogs. In fact people walk their dogs around the same streets so whatever you are worried about picking up is likely gonna happen wherever you go!

I just don't think that's such a good arguement to not use a dog park.

I agree with you GR - my dog goes to the park nearly everyday of the week ( different parks mind you) and has never picked up anything contagious ( ok he had puppy warts but it could have been picked up anywhere, at the specialist vet clinic, at obedience class or at the park we will never know) it was not dangerous and went away in a few weeks on its own.

[Agility Dogs]

Be very aware that although dog parks look like a great place to socialise your young pup it can come at a price.

The others have posted some very good points and remember not everyone vaccinates or regularly worms their dogs. Not everyone picks up the dogs droppings either and your pup will be running around through this.

We've had several pups through our clinic after they had been to dog parks with a good bout of gastro, we've even had a broken leg or two from big dogs jumping on smaller one, we've had to suture bite wounds from fights etc.

In my opinion. Your local obedience club would be a better place to socialise and learn something while your there. A good dog club will ask for a vaccination certificate to be on the grounds. Why put your pet at risk if you don't have to.

Totally agree with this. Between the health risks and the risk of unsocialised/anti-social dogs and the effect they can have on a young pup I think there are much better ways to socialise a young dog.

My 3 will not set foot in a dog park for any reason and they are certainly not lacking in socialisation or the ability to cope with most situations that arise.

But most dog clubs are on public grounds where anyone can (and do) walk their dogs. In fact people walk their dogs around the same streets so whatever you are worried about picking up is likely gonna happen wherever you go!

I just don't think that's such a good arguement to not use a dog park.

I agree with you GR - my dog goes to the park nearly everyday of the week ( different parks mind you) and has never picked up anything contagious ( ok he had puppy warts but it could have been picked up anywhere, at the specialist vet clinic, at obedience class or at the park we will never know) it was not dangerous and went away in a few weeks on its own.

My Grandfather smoked from the age of 14 and lived to 90 as well.

I think we will agree to disagree on this one.

Behaviour is a whole other issue.

[aussielover]

We prefer unfenced parks. That way the dogs tend to be trained and under effective control and the owners are more likely to be watching their dogs

Yes I completely agree. I take my dogs to a huge unfenced park where dogs are allowed off leash, but it's easy to avoid another dog if you choose to do so. I would never venture into one of those small fenced off areas, they're an accident waiting to happen IMO.

totally agree, we only ever go to large, unfenced parks.

People with out of control dogs, who just want to sip their lattes and have a chat tend to use the fenced dog parks.

Be really careful about who you let your dog socialise with. Also don't let your pup run up to any dog, it may get annoyed and have a go at your pup.

It might be nice to organise someone with an older, friendly and well socialised dog to accompany you.

[corvus]

We avoid fenced parks as well. Large, open parks where people walk their dog through or up and back are my choice. Dogs on the move don't get a chance to get into too much trouble. There are always exceptions, but it seems a good way to minimise the risks to me.

Our dog park has a canine godmother. This dog is wonderful with puppies and fantastic at teaching puppies not to panic if a dog is charging up to them. My boys both grew up under her daily tutelage and they think she's the bees knees. Erik still greets her as if he's a baby puppy. She is greeted enthusiastically by many dogs that first met her when they were puppies.

[Kobi'sDaisy]

Thank you SO much everyone for sharing your wisdom!! As always there are always two sides to every story and its great to hear everyones experiences and opinions.

I would like dog parks and any parks really to be a part of our future but there is definitely lots to look at before entering one!

It seems that Kobi isn't too young as long as there are none or smaller dogs around which is what we we're thinking anyway.

For the people that have gone to parks with their dogs young; when did you start letting them off leash? Say if we went down to dog park during the day, no dogs around, could we let him off when he (obviously) doesn't have much off leash control?? What about other areas, say if we were camping?

We have just finished puppy pre school and are starting an 8 wk puppy obedience course this week the dog park is a obedience club as well so will look at joining there after the course has finished. Play sessions sound like a great idea at a dog club and hope there are some in our future

Thanks for the concern but at our stage in vac's our vet has let us know were good to go at dog parks.

thanks again everyone, although it is a little disheartening to hear more than a few bad experiences and hopefully we can try to avoid them with all the good help from here!

[huski]

I am dead serious when I say you can tell with my 18 month old dog now what he did not experience as a puppy. He reacts to it by barking at it, usually. Not just barking, but hyper vigilance, maybe over-reactions, and it takes work to get him through it. More work than it would have taken to expose him when he was a baby. If you plan to use dog parks, IMO view it as part of your socialisation regime. List all the things you see dogs and people do in the dog park and systematically isolate each one and expose your pup to it. If you see the slightest signs of fear, lots of happy voice, let the puppy move away if it wants to, and don't forget to use any reward your pup is into, preferably food because you can't beat a primary reinforcer. Scary noise? Well, look! A treat! And another! And keep doing it until they look comfortable again.

Do you think that is a socialisation thing purely or a nerve issue? We can never socialise our dogs to everything, socialisation IMO is about teaching our dogs how to handle new experiences, not just exposing them to them.

You can expose and neutralise your pup to plenty of things without ever entering a dog park. It's just not necessary IMO.

Totally agree. I don't take my adult dogs to dog parks and I would never take a puppy to one.

Edited March 22, 2011 by huski

[Fatsofatsoman]

Our dog park is really lovely and we havent had any problems so dont let other people put you off.

Its a good start if you have been past already and seen how the other dogs interact. When I first took my five month old down in the middle of last year I actually sat on the ground and she used me as a shelter to go out and explore and then come back. She now loves the dog park and cant wait to get in there and have a run. Maybe try and pick a time with only a couple of other dogs of a similar size and start of for small amounts of time ie five minutes.

If you think the other dogs are too big and boisterous then easy enough to leave and continue on your normal walk.

In regards to etiquette, I dont normally stand and chat with the other humans but move around the park, depending on where my dog is. Remember to keep a good eye on them if they stop and do their business because number one rule is to pickup their mess. Otherwise let them have fun and let them be dogs.

If your local dog park doesnt have nice owners and dogs then sometimes it worth a drive once a week or so to another park until you find one you like. We quite often go to a park a bit further away because they have a beach which is good fun for them as well.

Not all dogs enjoy the dog park. I actually have two older dogs that I know are not good around others so we keep them leashed and my husband takes them for a separate walk so if it turns out your dog is one of those that doesnt like the leashfree park then thats fine, I am sure they will still enjoy your company doing other things

out of curiosity is the park with a beach Nudgee? our lab loves it there. he loves our local park but really enjoys his swim after socialising at Nudgee.

[Fatsofatsoman]

Thank you SO much everyone for sharing your wisdom!! As always there are always two sides to every story and its great to hear everyones experiences and opinions.

I would like dog parks and any parks really to be a part of our future but there is definitely lots to look at before entering one!

It seems that Kobi isn't too young as long as there are none or smaller dogs around which is what we we're thinking anyway.

For the people that have gone to parks with their dogs young; when did you start letting them off leash? Say if we went down to dog park during the day, no dogs around, could we let him off when he (obviously) doesn't have much off leash control?? What about other areas, say if we were camping?

We have just finished puppy pre school and are starting an 8 wk puppy obedience course this week the dog park is a obedience club as well so will look at joining there after the course has finished. Play sessions sound like a great idea at a dog club and hope there are some in our future

Thanks for the concern but at our stage in vac's our vet has let us know were good to go at dog parks.

thanks again everyone, although it is a little disheartening to hear more than a few bad experiences and hopefully we can try to avoid them with all the good help from here!

We took our boy down to the parks and straight away off leash around 14-15 weeks old. We did a bit of scoping out of the parks in our area before actually entering so had an idea of the time of day when only 2 or 3 dogs where in (size of the dogs wasn't really an issue for us) and slowly started going at busier times.

We found the parks without a small dog area were actually better - mainly because the bigger dogs were used to interacting with smaller dogs and he got used to mixing it with the bigger boys.

We have our 3 favourite parks we go to - found a couple we wouldn't go back to (mainly bad owner behaviour rather than dog behaviour) and have never had any problems. Again most parks will have 'regulars' and your dog before long will have mates that he likes to play with more than others. We tend to co-ordinate with like minded pups/dogs to meet.

It's really worth the scoping out though - we have made fairly good friends at the parks we attend and most owners seem really vigilent. It really is all about watching your dog closely and keeping a look out for any potential incidents.

But I suppose everyones experiences differ and we were very lucky we had quite an outgoing social boy.

[jackie_a1]

I think some breeds of dogs are more suitable to a dog park than others. Regardless of what others think I do not think bull breeds (or similar breeds) should visit dog parks. It's not about whether your dog is socialised or not it is about whether you are responsible enough to not place your dog or other dogs in that situation. Because animals are unpredictable creatures you CANNOT predict if a fight will occur and owning (genetic) fighting dogs it is YOUR responsibility to keep other dogs and pet owners safe. So basically don't put yourself or your dog in any situation that may leave room for error or injury.

My dogs love the park and meet many dogs just on their daily walk and it is much easier to control one dog then it is six. It is your responsibility to know YOUR breed and advocate for them

[corvus]

For the people that have gone to parks with their dogs young; when did you start letting them off leash? Say if we went down to dog park during the day, no dogs around, could we let him off when he (obviously) doesn't have much off leash control?? What about other areas, say if we were camping?

Young puppies usually have a handy desire to stick close. I don't let them off until I am confident they won't bolt. I let them trail a long line for a while as we figure out what their typical responses are. We try to get the long line off pretty fast, though. They are hazardous IMO. Just be ready for adolescence when puppy suddenly decides the world is a lot more interesting than you!

[Kavik]

I think some breeds of dogs are more suitable to a dog park than others. Regardless of what others think I do not think bull breeds (or similar breeds) should visit dog parks. It's not about whether your dog is socialised or not it is about whether you are responsible enough to not place your dog or other dogs in that situation. Because animals are unpredictable creatures you CANNOT predict if a fight will occur and owning (genetic) fighting dogs it is YOUR responsibility to keep other dogs and pet owners safe. So basically don't put yourself or your dog in any situation that may leave room for error or injury.

My dogs love the park and meet many dogs just on their daily walk and it is much easier to control one dog then it is six. It is your responsibility to know YOUR breed and advocate for them

Agree with this I don't think Kelpies are suitable dog park candidates either. They generally like their personal space and while they may run with other dogs at the park they may not like wrestling/full body slams which is how some breeds play. Knowing which play styles work together and which don't is also important.

[Agility Dogs]

I think some breeds of dogs are more suitable to a dog park than others. Regardless of what others think I do not think bull breeds (or similar breeds) should visit dog parks. It's not about whether your dog is socialised or not it is about whether you are responsible enough to not place your dog or other dogs in that situation. Because animals are unpredictable creatures you CANNOT predict if a fight will occur and owning (genetic) fighting dogs it is YOUR responsibility to keep other dogs and pet owners safe. So basically don't put yourself or your dog in any situation that may leave room for error or injury.

My dogs love the park and meet many dogs just on their daily walk and it is much easier to control one dog then it is six. It is your responsibility to know YOUR breed and advocate for them

Agree with this I don't think Kelpies are suitable dog park candidates either. They generally like their personal space and while they may run with other dogs at the park they may not like wrestling/full body slams which is how some breeds play. Knowing which play styles work together and which don't is also important.

Yep, and you can't always predict what others who come into the park are going to bring with them - in terms of temperament.

You dog might be fine as it is right then and there, but another dog in the mix can quickly and unpredictably change that.

[Staranais]

There are dog parks, and then there are dog parks.

e.g., in my city there is a river side trail 10 km long & is designated "mixed use", so off leash dogs, bikers, walkers & joggers all use it. I have taken my dog to it regularly since she's been an adult. We do come across other off leash dogs there, but since the place is unfenced, and is used by non-doggy exercisers too, the dogs that go there necessarily have to be reasonably well behaved.

That's different to going to one of those dog parks which is merely a small fenced area where a high density of unknown dogs are thrown together off leash and expected to play or interact with each other.

ETA, I didn't and wouldn't take a little puppy to any dog park, though.

Edited March 23, 2011 by Staranais

[Agility Dogs]

There are dog parks, and then there are dog parks.

That's different to going to one of those dog parks which is merely a small fenced area where a high density of unknown dogs are thrown together off leash and expected to play or interact with each other.

These are the ones I am talking about. You need to be really confident in your dog and it's ability to avoid problems regardless of how they present themselves (and not always their fault) to go to one of them.

We do go to unfenced off leash areas like the beach etc.

[Staff'n'Toller]

There are dog parks, and then there are dog parks.

That's different to going to one of those dog parks which is merely a small fenced area where a high density of unknown dogs are thrown together off leash and expected to play or interact with each other.

These are the ones I am talking about. You need to be really confident in your dog and it's ability to avoid problems regardless of how they present themselves (and not always their fault) to go to one of them.

We do go to unfenced off leash areas like the beach etc.

I think it also raises the question about whether the dog is actually enjoying it's time if it constantly needs to avoid problems whilst it's there.