First Time At A Dog Park?

[Things]

So tomorrow I was planning on taking my "pup" to a local dog park and seeing if he can make any friends. I've been to dog parks before with other people and all has generally been fine and the dogs having a blast, but I have heard some stories as well. How do you go about "introducing" the dog? Stand inside with the dog still on the lead until you feel he's "comfortable" or? If you have a larger dog and there's a smaller dog in the park, do you wait until they leave or just be cautious etc?

Just don't want it to be a bad first experience :)

Edited July 18, 2014 by Things

[Salukifan]

How old is your "pup"? How good is your dog's recall?

Adding this to give you some common traps to avoid.

My view is to get the hell away from the gate as quick as you can and let your dog offlead. If you cannot recall your dog or you don't know how he will react to tiny dogs (noting that Huskies often have high prey drive) pick a quiet time to visit.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[Things]

As long as there's treats involved and no major distractions, pretty good. But that's part of the reason I want to get out there with him, I don't really know anyone in the area. He grew up around a smaller dog and a cat and never had any aggressiveness towards them, but he is easily over excitable. I'm more worried about him trampling another dog more than anything :) He's around 8 months.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Things

[Staffyluv]

So tomorrow I was planning on taking my "pup" to a local dog park and seeing if he can make any friends. I've been to dog parks before with other people and all has generally been fine and the dogs having a blast, but I have heard some stories as well. How do you go about "introducing" the dog? Stand inside with the dog still on the lead until you feel he's "comfortable" or? If you have a larger dog and there's a smaller dog in the park, do you wait until they leave or just be cautious etc?

Just don't want it to be a bad first experience :)

In all honesty - I would go to the dog park without your pup at a few different times to see what sort of people and dogs are there at different times.

Pick the best group to hang with and intro that way.

I know that I only attend our dog park between 6.30am and 8.00am any morning of the week. The early morning crew are great - all dog responsible people that interact with their dogs and each other.

I never go later in the afternoon because most that go at that time just let their dogs run amok and it is just a big free for all.

Hopefully you can find a good time to go.

[Esky the husky]

I always tried to pick the quiet time to go. I don't want to socialise I just wanted a bigger area for my dog to run around.

IMO school holidays is the worst time to go ( Is it holidays in QLD? ) My old local place would be overrun by prams and mums leaving the gates open waaay too long to hustle their kids and fido in.

Be aware that a lot of dogs can really misread huskies and huskies can be very rude in play so you'll have to watch for that

[Things]

Holidays are over now so should be OK in that regard.

There is a park just around the corner that I take him to pretty often, I went out and bought a 25m length of rope which I just tie him to and let him roam/run on and practice recalls. It's not so much I need to give him more exercise or a large space to run, but I don't think it'd hurt him to learn a few more manners around other dogs too.

[Sandra777]

Dogs at dog parks aren't there to teach your dog manners.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Sandra777

[Things]

Manners around other dogs I meant He has no problems around people, but I really want to expose him to more dogs.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Things

[_PL_]

Has he got a friend you could go with at a quiet time? :)

[Things]

Has he got a friend you could go with at a quiet time? :)

No, that's the problem, I only moved here a couple months ago, so I need to find him some friends

[Staff'n'Toller]

Is he still entire?

[Things]

Yeah, though no signs of sexual instinct yet, he still pees like a puppy too :laugh:

Edited July 18, 2014 by Things

[Staff'n'Toller]

Just be aware that as a breed, they tend to have a very upright posture in movement, and he will smell like an entire male to other dogs, particularly other entire males. :)

[Things]

Ah yes, good point. Thus why I was asking about maybe restraining him for a while until I see what others dogs reactions might be? A lot easier to control him when he's not being chased :)

[Loving my Oldies]

There are any numbers of threads on this forum about bad experiences at dog parks. By all means give it a go, but remember to keep the safety of your dog and others uppermost in your mind. I am not just talking about physical safety; I also mean psychological well being. The moment your dog seems to be stressing or stressing others, call it off and leave without making a fuss, though.

Even going to the park when one else is there might be helpful in that there will be a million smells for your dog to investigate and hopefully enjoy.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Well, you could let him drag the long lead around but I would be careful about restraining with a tight lead amongst off lead dogs as it may result in you or the dog becoming tangled and/or increasing tension if your dog feels like he can't 'escape' from another dog.

If it were me I would do as Staffyluv suggests and observe the 'regulars' at the time you'd like to be there. Look out for other entire males and see if they interact calmly and what size/s they are.

Spend a number of sessions on the outside of the fence if there is one, and practice recalls until you are very comfortable he will come back when in close proximity of other dogs.

Recalls with no other dogs around is one end of the spectrum (easy) and recalls whilst off lead with a bunch of other dogs is basically the other end of the spectrum (difficult +++), you need to build up the distraction levels in between. :)

And yes, it's not up to other dogs to teach him manners, it's up to you to intervene in rough play BEFORE the other dog needs to tell him off.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Staff'n'Toller

[persephone]

..LOL My bet is , that if you let him explore a dog park - those manly peeing and noticing female behaviours will magically appear! It doesn't take much to kick things off .

What has been said I will re iterate - it is not 'other dogs' who will teach him manners ....

he also doesn't really need to race around with strange dogs at the park -

if you are taking him to classes , he will get to see and interact with, other dogs there - and you can also practice your control :)

have you read this about "socialisation" ? CLICK HERE

[Things]

He has been to puppy classes and I was able to recall him without a lead around the other dogs, but it was a very controlled situation. The puppy class seemed to lack socialization a lot. I have seen him playing with a much smaller dog, and he was in no way aggressive, but he forgets how big he is sometimes. I wouldn't trust his recall in a place like a dog park, but on the other hand it's really one of the only places with such distractions I could teach him. He walks on the side of caution if we pass another dog while walking, but he's fine with humans/bikes etc. He's just so eager to play so I want to try find a playmate or 4 he can get along with.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Things

[persephone]

I have some more reading for you - yes, you will probably take him - but it will help you to be very aware of what may happen - before it does!

CLICK HERE excerpt :

As if this weren’t enough, I also avoid the dog park because of what my dog is likely to learn there. The average dog park attendee is an adolescent, setting the stage for a canine version of The Lord of the Flies since there are few adults around to keep order. Rude, pushy, and over-aroused behavior is often the norm. Practicing such behaviors teaches the dog that this is how he should interact with others of his species, and now we have a canine Tarzan or bully in the making.

Recall issues (where the dog refuses to come when called, or worse yet, plays “keep away” from his owner) are common at dog parks, and are a common reason why owners call me for training help. Dogs quickly learn that coming to their owners ends the fun, and start to avoid being caught. One client recently called me after she had to spend nearly four hours trying to catch her dog! She was finally able to snare the wayward pooch after her dog darted into the smaller fenced-in entrance area to greet a new dog.

and CLICK HERE excerpt:

Be aware that when a male pup starts sexually maturing, he exudes testosterone, which can lead to dominance issues and disrupt relationships with other canines. This is one of the many good reasons for neutering dogs at a young age, before sexual maturity. If a male dog is intact (not neutered), that increases the potential for conflicts and fights.

Out in public:

Taking a dog out in public to meet other people and dogs is an essential part of socialization.

When dogs meet on-leash, keep the leash loose as much as possible. Restraining the leash tightly telegraphs your tension to the dog. A dog will be more relaxed if he thinks his owner is not anxious and that he has some room to maneuver.

Dogs in neighboring yards might be territorial. Carefully introduce pets on neutral ground. Keep your pup on a leash and never approach another dog until you have asked the owner if it is OK.

If you see a dog off-leash, watch for body language. For example, a wagging tail and relaxed posture are more welcoming signs than raised hackles, erect tails and staring. If you sense any tension, change your walking route or pick up your young pup and prevent the animals from having eye contact.

It does a disservice to all to let a dog off-leash in public, since dogs can rarely figure out on their own how human society expects them to behave. As for the attitude, "my dog just wants to say hi!" - in many cases, the objects of the dog's interest don't want to say hi back ... and in some cases, the dog himself actually wants to do more than say hi, possibly leading to an aggressive encounter. Even the assumption that an off-leash dog approaching another canine just wants to play is often wrong. The approaching dog may be more interesting in establishing him- or herself as alpha or declaring "this is my territory." Some dogs may work it out without owner intervention, but most often, they need human intervention and control.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not normal for adult dogs to instantly come together, bond with one another and play. It's not even normal for humans; watch children and you'll notice that kids are typically selective about who they wish to fraternize and play with. Forcing a dog into a social situation for which the owner has not thoroughly prepared him for can be a plan for disaster.

Now you've done puppy class - what about other classes , where you both can meet & greet & learn :) ?

[Things]

Thanks for the reads, of course I'm not going to do something that is detrimental to my dog or anyone else's, either physically or mentally, but I do feel he could use more socialization with other dogs.

I'll probably end up doing an obedience course with him anyway, but dogs need non human friends too :)