Dog Park Rules / Law

[corrie]

I am quite social but don't want strangers rushing up to me and getting in my face when I am trying to have some personal recreation time at the local park. My dog feel the same way.

[Rebanne]

I am quite social but don't want strangers rushing up to me and getting in my face when I am trying to have some personal recreation time at the local park. My dog feel the same way.

agree

you bad person you, fancy wanting a bit of time out to yourself, maybe you should do that at home if you can't cope with the stranger in your face :laugh:

[ncarter]

See, these are the remarks that irk me the most, such a generalistion, and such a low point of view of the population surrounding yourself! I'm sorry, but what makes you (and everybody else that makes these same remarks) the absolute judge of all? Have you ever sat back and thought that maybe they all think the same of you!?

(the uneducated park people "oh look, here comes that woman with that little pommy that she doesnt even let socialise with the other dogs becuase she is to good for them, well well") a stretch but you see my point?

How do you know they aren't well trained? How do you know that most dont have a recall and good manners? Just by viewing the "big" dogs running arund like nutters with each other? In that comment you are also insinuating that the owners are neglectful in their training and that you are superior in some way?!

BTW, a good friend's wife has a pom, she was nearly in hysterics when her little pooch was put in our backyard when he visited here one day, (could have left lil sammy in the car like a kid at the casino) "they'll eat her" "squash her" "break her little body"...no such thing happened, you stand at his house now and say my dogs names and she runs to the front door looking for her "big friends".

What irks me is people like you who think their dog isnt capable of hurting another animal, who think dog parks should be a free-for-all and that all the toy dog owners are over-protective. I have been standing around calm and minding my own business and my dog has been attacked by another dog for no reason. You have obviously never owned a small breed or been out of your cave much if the roughest you've seen two dogs play is chasing each other.

[iBoz]

My dog is small/medium sized (weighs 9.5kgs) and I can see where both sides small dog/big dog interaction comes in. My dog is small enough that he could easily be hurt by a big dog yet he could easily hurt a toy breed.

When we go to the dog park, we always go in the 'big dog' side and I am very careful when small/toy breeds are around as my dog has a big tendency to chase and mouth them. I know he's playing and he has very good bite inhibition but I still worry that the game might get out of hand and a little one might get hurt so, for this reason, he's always popped on the lead when a toy breed comes in...

I can understand why it happens but I think part of the problem (i.e. feeling like it's big dog versus little dog) comes into it when people become overly emotional about it and it becomes focused on the problem dog (the bigger one) and noone wants to try think of solutions.

For example, I would love for my dog to be able to learn to play with a family member's toy breed but at only 2.5 kgs, our dog is just not gentle enough with it. That being said, I have been a bit put out before when he's been a bit full on with the little one (he's only met him like, 3 times) and they yell 'OMG, he's attacking him!' but then when I put my dog on the lead and make him sit, the toy breed is allowed to jump all over him, nipping him everywhere. I can understand where their fear is coming from, but I feel it a little counter-productive just declaring the bigger dog as a psycho even though the actual behaviour of the dogs is very similar, it's just that big ones can do more damage.

Obviously, most of you bunch would have toy breeds who are probably impeccably behaved and wouldn't do that! :D

I would love to hear solutions that people have for getting bigger dogs to understand to play gently with teeny tiny dogs? Is there any way to do it? I only mean this in the sense of dogs that they know, not just random dogs....

p.s - I also think it would be ideal if there were big dog parks with multiple sections (like how a lot have an informal little dog/big dog sections but like, more sections) so then dogs can easily be separated if they're different sizes, don't seem to get along, the owners just wanna let em run on their own or do training etc. :)

[Crisovar]

I can understand why it happens but I think part of the problem (i.e. feeling like it's big dog versus little dog) comes into it when people become overly emotional about it and it becomes focused on the problem dog (the bigger one) and noone wants to try think of solutions.

The dog park solution is simple do not allow your dog small/med/large to play with/approach unknown dogs.

I have large dogs 35kg and I have small dogs so I have to manage the play and exercise needs of both sizes on a daily basis, my large dogs do not play rough games with the littlies nor do they intentionally slam or paw them. However when the large dogs are up for rough and tumble amongst the selves it would be easy for one of the smaller ones to be slammed, usually they are so disinterested they simply stay away. When we are playing ball, tug or encouraging other boisterous excitable games it is done separate to the littlies to avoid accidents. A simple unintentional collision at speed is dangerous and we work to avoid it.

It would be foolish and irresponsible of me not to put in places rules to prevent such things, the same goes for interaction with other dogs and it is up to me again to safeguard my own dogs and those of others.

[iBoz]

I can understand why it happens but I think part of the problem (i.e. feeling like it's big dog versus little dog) comes into it when people become overly emotional about it and it becomes focused on the problem dog (the bigger one) and noone wants to try think of solutions.

The dog park solution is simple do not allow your dog small/med/large to play with/approach unknown dogs.

I have large dogs 35kg and I have small dogs so I have to manage the play and exercise needs of both sizes on a daily basis, my large dogs do not play rough games with the littlies nor do they intentionally slam or paw them. However when the large dogs are up for rough and tumble amongst the selves it would be easy for one of the smaller ones to be slammed, usually they are so disinterested they simply stay away. When we are playing ball, tug or encouraging other boisterous excitable games it is done separate to the littlies to avoid accidents. A simple unintentional collision at speed is dangerous and we work to avoid it.

It would be foolish and irresponsible of me not to put in places rules to prevent such things, the same goes for interaction with other dogs and it is up to me again to safeguard my own dogs and those of others.

Oh yes, I totally agree with what you've said and it sounds like you do a great job of managing having such a variation in sizes for your dogs. Not for the faint hearted, I don't think!

Did your dogs automatically seem to 'know' that the tiny ones are fragile or is that something that you've taught them?

When I said the problem of tiny dogs versus big dogs, I was more meaning the feeling that it an 'us' versus 'them' when it might be more productive if dog owners could negotiate the situation between themselves so that everyone is safe without either feeling put out.

I actually really think dog parks should have lots of signs around to promote this sort of thing, along with rules at the gate (some probably already do that).

I don't go that often, but sometimes people at the dog park seem to think I'm a bit strange if a tiny dog comes in and I either pop my dog on the lead or we go to the other side of the park. Maybe if there were signs with illustrations showing scenarios in a low key way that would promote the correct action.

For example, an illustration showing a teeny dog in amongst huge dogs playing. Then a caption saying, "I might watch you guys from a distance because I'm too little for this!" (or something funny to make light of it). Then it would normalise that sort of separating behaviour without making the seperater seem like a nutter. :laugh:

I know in an ideal world, you don't need this sort of thing (and hey, we probably shouldn't need 'no littering signs either')but realistically, not all dogs at the dog park are impeccably behaved and when negotiating public spaces together everyone has different ideas and sometimes it's tough to know who's idea should be number one! :)

[Guest donatella]

iBoz if a littlie is biting and nipping at your dog that is bad manners on both the owner and dogs behalf. It's not 'cute' and it shouldn't be tolerated, it swings both ways I guess us small dog owners get a little more protective as we know how easy they break, but just because they are smaller up does not give them free reign to bite and nip as they please.

[Odin-Genie]

My dogs (25 kg and 32 kg) play very well with small dogs. In particular my Elkhound. When he is playing with smaller dogs, it is usually chase with the smaller dog chasing him, otherwise he would sit down to be at the same level with the smaller dog.

However, I do worry when my two dogs are playing together and a small dogs wants to jump in and bark at them. My dogs love to wrestle and chase each other and it would be really great if the small dog owners could call their dogs back and not let them get involved. But since that rarely happens, I have to stop my dogs from playing with each other, put them on a leash and walk out. That is why I prefer to go to the dog park when there is no one around, and ask people to wait while I get my dogs out if people/dogs I don't know try to come in.

[iBoz]

donatella: ohh, I know. ahh..family, hey! It was actually ages ago coz since then I haven't taken my dog where theirs would be but they seemed to have the view that "oh, they'll sort it out and he'll let him know if he doesn't like it". Luckily, my dog is very gentle in that kind of scenario but I was like, err.. he's almost four times the size of your dog.. I don't think so! :laugh: the mind boggles...

But really, I think that sort of thing happens every now and then, like in Odin-Genie's scenario, and in that situation the onus is put on the owner of the bigger dog instead of it being a mutual thing.

My situation isn't really related but in terms of a dog park encounter, I really do think signage would be useful in enforcing the 'rules'. Do any councils actually have something like that? Like, council decided 'rules of etiquette' that are visible at the park?

[Simply Grand]

Our ACT government fenced dog parks have rules/etiquette posted near the gates but they're not always that visible and even if they are I don't think many people take the time to read them. They're also pretty basic rules - dogs must be "under control", no aggressive dogs, no food etc.

I think some signs like you suggested iBoz would be pretty good, somewhere visible, might make people think and help educate people that just don't know any better. Unfortunately I think that many of the people whose dogs cause problems aren't too interested in learning.

I find myself talking out loud "to the dogs" a lot at the dog park, where I'm actually telling people what I'm doing and why...eg 'Riley come here, we'll go down this way coz you're a bit small to play with them'. And actually to other owners via their dogs too, as in (intercepting and holding their dog as owner eventually approaches) 'ok buddy you're a bit big to start a game with Saxon, you go over that way and we'll go this way'.

No doubt I sound like an idiot but it usually works quite well and stops things escalating.

[iBoz]

Our ACT government fenced dog parks have rules/etiquette posted near the gates but they're not always that visible and even if they are I don't think many people take the time to read them. They're also pretty basic rules - dogs must be "under control", no aggressive dogs, no food etc.

I think some signs like you suggested iBoz would be pretty good, somewhere visible, might make people think and help educate people that just don't know any better. Unfortunately I think that many of the people whose dogs cause problems aren't too interested in learning.

I find myself talking out loud "to the dogs" a lot at the dog park, where I'm actually telling people what I'm doing and why...eg 'Riley come here, we'll go down this way coz you're a bit small to play with them'. And actually to other owners via their dogs too, as in (intercepting and holding their dog as owner eventually approaches) 'ok buddy you're a bit big to start a game with Saxon, you go over that way and we'll go this way'.

No doubt I sound like an idiot but it usually works quite well and stops things escalating.

haha - you might feel a bit crazy but I actually think that's a really good way to go about it! It lets the other owner know what you're thinking without making a big deal about it and just focuses on the logical side of it "you're a bit big, he's a bit small". And in all honesty, dogs totally understand english anyway, right?!? :laugh:

That's good that your park has some signs at least. I've only been to two before and they both had none which I think is really weird... Although I reckon you'd be right in saying that some people don't really want to learn.. sigh... but if we make it S.I.M.P.L.E then maybe more people will take notice...

[TheCheekyMonster]

It has absolutely nothing to do with size, but actually the dogs manners in general.....I had Gus on lead and an 11 month old Dane came galloping towards us..... I didnt run or hurry Gus along...I walked as usual... this Dane was sooo well behaved he approached Gus very slowly and read his body language very well he did a very polite sniff of the bum and got right down to Gussys level to say hi, Gus was very confused as to why there was a giant in his face, the Dane picked up on this and shuffled back (still at Gus's level) but Gus reacted so well by not jumping around like a fool or engaging in play straight away he waited..... I dont like it when dogs run upto Gus while his on lead... but if they are well mannered and know how to engage another dogs properly then I guess I like it better then a dog charging full steams ahead and jumping all over us....