Dog Parks Vent / Discussion / Etiquette Thread

[Scottsmum]

Pick. Up. Your. Dogs. Crap!

Bin it. Bags AND bins are usually supplied.

The end.

[Leah82]

Ooh ooh. I have one. Playing ball! Sometimes I use a toy to do some training with Gus or to play fetch when hes pooped and we are both drying off before hopping in the car, we pick a corner out of the way and do our thing.

If your dog steals my dogs toy and takes off so neither of us can catch hom!/her and you laugh about how cute it is I'll get really crabby!

Gus just looks sad, and if he were likely to react I wouldn't do it at all but toys are a large part of how we train and I shouldn't have to worry about you not being able to call your dog away from mine and his toy.

By the same token, don't play bloody fetch in the middle of a group of dogs. Asking for trouble!

Yep I hate that, my dog is blind, he takes longer to find the ball and if your dog swoops in to grab it he gets very confused and sad

[LisaCC]

I use empty fenced dog parks all the time for training.

If someone's in one of them alone it's probably for a reason, please don't just open the gate and let your dogs straight off and allow them to run up to said dog. Just ask first and give the person enough time to leash their dog and exit if they so wish, or they might be perfectly ok with letting their dog play.

[Rebanne]

If you own a dog who needs to be muzzled, don't take them into a place where they are the only ones who are muzzled. (Talking particularly about greyhounds). My rule for mine is one muzzled, all muzzled. No exceptions.

And think about breed characteristics. I don't run my greys with non greys, apart from prey drive issues. My completely bomb proof guy is not allowed to run with others either because, as a successful racer who still has an impressive speed when he warts to and who weighs 40 kg, basic physics suggests that him at full speed stepping on or bumping into a smaller slower dog is going to result in something going 'squish'. Think about play styles.

Sigh. Too many idiots.

actually with Greyhounds it's know your states laws. Here in Vic Greyhounds are not allowed off lead even in off lead parks. On lead at all times 'cept for private property and Dogs Vic sanctioned events. And always muzzled unless a GAP dog whether they need it or not.

[Two Best Dogs!]

If you own a dog who needs to be muzzled, don't take them into a place where they are the only ones who are muzzled. (Talking particularly about greyhounds). My rule for mine is one muzzled, all muzzled. No exceptions.

And think about breed characteristics. I don't run my greys with non greys, apart from prey drive issues. My completely bomb proof guy is not allowed to run with others either because, as a successful racer who still has an impressive speed when he warts to and who weighs 40 kg, basic physics suggests that him at full speed stepping on or bumping into a smaller slower dog is going to result in something going 'squish'. Think about play styles.

Sigh. Too many idiots.

actually with Greyhounds it's know your states laws. Here in Vic Greyhounds are not allowed off lead even in off lead parks. On lead at all times 'cept for private property and Dogs Vic sanctioned events. And always muzzled unless a GAP dog whether they need it or not.

Pardon if I've misread but I thought greyhound in vic who pass a special test are exempt from the rules? Just there's a person in next suburb over with 2 handsome ones and I've never seen muzzles and sometimes there's greys in the fenced off lead park (we hang around outside the park at a distance for training) and they're offlead and not muzzled so I figured they'd passed this special test?

(They're on lead and not muzzled when out of the park)

Edited September 23, 2015 by Thistle the dog

[aussielover]

There's no benefit in taking a leashed dog into a fenced dog park. I don't see this situation as good socialization.

You can't control other people's dogs and your dog would be more likely to panic or feel threatened as they are unable to escape and run.

I don't like fenced dog parks full stop but taking a leashed dog into one is just asking for trouble. I wouldn't let my dog go up to a leashed dog at the park but you can't guarantee what others would do.

Walking through a off leash area is a different story.

[BarbedWire]

I think expecting the average dog owner who may have a ball obsessed dog to be able to stop their dog from chasing another dog's ball is just asking for too much. I can call my dog back but it is difficult and all dog owners should be allowed to use and enjoy dog parks just like everyone else. I don't take my dogs to dog parks because others throw balls for their dogs and it stresses me out.

Quote from SG in post #3

Food and toys (resources)

Many dog park rules state that food and toys should not be brought into parks. This is because dogs often value these items highly and will guard them from other dogs ("resource guarding") resulting in fights. Many people do so anyway and if managed well problems can be avoided.

Be aware that either your dog or other dogs may guard a toy or ball and the safest option is NOT to throw them unless you are alone or know for sure that none of the dogs present will guard the ball/toy.

[Rebanne]

If you own a dog who needs to be muzzled, don't take them into a place where they are the only ones who are muzzled. (Talking particularly about greyhounds). My rule for mine is one muzzled, all muzzled. No exceptions.

And think about breed characteristics. I don't run my greys with non greys, apart from prey drive issues. My completely bomb proof guy is not allowed to run with others either because, as a successful racer who still has an impressive speed when he warts to and who weighs 40 kg, basic physics suggests that him at full speed stepping on or bumping into a smaller slower dog is going to result in something going 'squish'. Think about play styles.

Sigh. Too many idiots.

actually with Greyhounds it's know your states laws. Here in Vic Greyhounds are not allowed off lead even in off lead parks. On lead at all times 'cept for private property and Dogs Vic sanctioned events. And always muzzled unless a GAP dog whether they need it or not.

Pardon if I've misread but I thought greyhound in vic who pass a special test are exempt from the rules? Just there's a person in next suburb over with 2 handsome ones and I've never seen muzzles and sometimes there's greys in the fenced off lead park (we hang around outside the park at a distance for training) and they're offlead and not muzzled so I figured they'd passed this special test?

(They're on lead and not muzzled when out of the park)

GAP greyhounds are the only ones who can go muzzle free in Victoria and they are supposed to wear a green collar signalling they are GAP greys. Laws may have changed since I last looked but no, no greyhound is allowed off lead in a public place in Victoria, unless competing in a Dogs Vic sanctioned event. Not everyone abides by it. I take my greys to my local obedience club (I'm a member) grounds which is fully fenced with 8 foot high cyclone fencing and allow them off lead, but it is owned by the dog club, not a public place and most certainly not an off lead dog park. But they are muzzled for the first 10 minutes or so due to high arousal :)

[Rebanne]

‘3. Exemption: This Order exempts a class of animal, being greyhounds registered under the Greyhound Adoption Program and adopted under contract with ‘Greyhound Racing Victoria’ from the operation of section 27(1)(a) of the Act.’

‘4. Conditions on exempted animals: Greyhounds exempted under clause 3 must wear an identifiable green collar provided by Greyhound Racing Victoria when outside the owner’s premises’

Section 27(1)(a) relates to the requirement for a greyhound to be muzzled at all times when off the owner’s property, so the exemption allows GAP greyhounds to go into public places WITHOUT wearing a muzzle PROVIDED they are wearing their green number GAP collar.

No GAP collar – No Exemption

Relating to the control of greyhounds in a public place:

Division 2 – Particular Provisions for the control of dogs and cats

Section 27 – Restraint of Greyhounds

(1) If a greyhound is outside the premises of its owner and is not –

a. Muzzled in a manner which is sufficient to prevent it causing injury by biting; and

b. Under the effective control of some person by means of a chain, cord or leash –

The owner of that greyhound and any person for the time being in charge of the greyhound are each guilty of an offence and liable to a penalty of not more than 3 penalty units for a first offence and 5 penalty units for a second or subsequent offence.

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(b) control by one person of more than 4 greyhounds at the one time is not ‘effective control’.

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply to-

a. A greyhound which is being raced, coursed, exercised or trained upon land which the owner is authorised or entitled to use for that purpose; or

b. A greyhound while it is being exhibited for show purposes at a fixture conducted under the rules and regulations of the Victorian Canine Association or any successor in law of that association or an organisation approved by the Council of the municipal district in which the fixture is being conducted; or

c. A greyhound while it is participating in obedience trials or classes and is under the effective control of a responsible person.

So although GAP greyhounds are exempt from wearing a muzzle when out in public, it is still illegal to let ANY greyhound (GAP dogs included) off-lead in public except for those times and places as designated in section 27(3).

[HazyWal]

If you own a dog who needs to be muzzled, don't take them into a place where they are the only ones who are muzzled. (Talking particularly about greyhounds). My rule for mine is one muzzled, all muzzled. No exceptions.

And think about breed characteristics. I don't run my greys with non greys, apart from prey drive issues. My completely bomb proof guy is not allowed to run with others either because, as a successful racer who still has an impressive speed when he warts to and who weighs 40 kg, basic physics suggests that him at full speed stepping on or bumping into a smaller slower dog is going to result in something going 'squish'. Think about play styles.

Sigh. Too many idiots.

actually with Greyhounds it's know your states laws. Here in Vic Greyhounds are not allowed off lead even in off lead parks. On lead at all times 'cept for private property and Dogs Vic sanctioned events. And always muzzled unless a GAP dog whether they need it or not.

Pardon if I've misread but I thought greyhound in vic who pass a special test are exempt from the rules? Just there's a person in next suburb over with 2 handsome ones and I've never seen muzzles and sometimes there's greys in the fenced off lead park (we hang around outside the park at a distance for training) and they're offlead and not muzzled so I figured they'd passed this special test?

(They're on lead and not muzzled when out of the park)

Once they have passed the GAP testing they can be muzzle free but still not allowed off leash in Victoria except for the places Rebanne mentioned. Not that anyone obeys those laws down here, they even refuse to wear the green collar that shows they are legally allowed to be muzzle free. I'd be in a very small percentage of people down here that muzzle my greys and I would never let them off lead anyway...just asking for trouble.

[Dame Aussie]

Just reading this thread makes me anxious :laugh: so many ways for things to go wrong. I couldn't relax in an environment like that.

[twodoggies2001]

Wiggles, I think it actually does depend on the reason why the dog is not let off leash in the dog park. If the on leash dog is being trained or socialised but is ok with being approached by other dogs if it happens then of course people have no call to be b**ching. And I don't like the idea of "just let them off and let the dogs sort it out".

However, if the dog is on lead because it is reactive or doesn't tolerate being approached by other dogs then I am not sure an off leash park is the right place for it

No, this is people who not knowing why your dog is on a leash,in an off leash area, immediantly start to complain. Apparently your dog should never be on lead in an off lead area!

That just strikes me as guilty conscience then! "I can't deal with my dog on lead so how dare you have yours here on lead!"

Another peeve of mine is dogs in parks without collars and/or people without leads for them. Quinn's ACD "frenemy" (being polite) who I mentioned earlier is apparently worse on lead than off when it comes to her aggression - when we were moving them apart today one of their family suggested putting her on lead and the others said "no she's worse then".

I\Our family has owned a standard Schnauzer in the past and at the park, he would always lunge at joggers whilst he was on leash. Once he was reliably trained at recall, he was allowed off lead. Never again did he lunge at joggers. He never batted an eyelid. My feelings are that if a dog is on lead, he/she feels vulnerable and the 'aggressiveness' is a defence mechanism as there is no escape whilst on lead.

[Simply Grand]

twodoggies, I think you are exactly right that some dogs do feel vulnerable on lead and because they can't escape they do resort to aggression. I guess for me the ideal situation would be to work with your dog to get it to the point where rather than show aggression it turns to you as the owner when it feels vulnerable and defers to you to sort out the situation as there will be times when the dog has to be on lead so what happens if it's worried then?

But I understand that that kind of training can take time and as long as you are following the rules and your dog isn't causing problems then it isn't anyone else's business how you manage it.

In the case of the ACD with Quinn, she was aggressive off lead and apparently worse on lead so while I could leash Quinn and easily move her away and stop her from focusing on the other dog, they relied on sort of herding their dog away and she was still intently watching Quinn until we were well away. What worries me is if they come across another dog like theirs neither party can necessarily get hold of their dog to de-escalate the situation. But again, that's not really my business.

[Simply Grand]

I think expecting the average dog owner who may have a ball obsessed dog to be able to stop their dog from chasing another dog's ball is just asking for too much. I can call my dog back but it is difficult and all dog owners should be allowed to use and enjoy dog parks just like everyone else. I don't take my dogs to dog parks because others throw balls for their dogs and it stresses me out.

Quote from SG in post #3

Food and toys (resources)

Many dog park rules state that food and toys should not be brought into parks. This is because dogs often value these items highly and will guard them from other dogs ("resource guarding") resulting in fights. Many people do so anyway and if managed well problems can be avoided.

Be aware that either your dog or other dogs may guard a toy or ball and the safest option is NOT to throw them unless you are alone or know for sure that none of the dogs present will guard the ball/toy.

Yes, I think with things like this and lots of other things, if we are going to use these parks we need to be realistic in our expectations of how other people will behave.

Other dogs WILL join in when balls are in play

There WILL be kids running around

If you take food in other dogs WILL show interest in you

If you pick a dog up other dogs WILL be interested

Some people WON'T be able to recall their dogs

Some people WILL bring in dogs that really shouldn't be there

People WILL have dogs on lead in off leash areas and some other people WILL think that's a bad thing

Some people WILL laugh and let their dogs do inappropriate things

Some people WILL go around giving advice to everyone else when they are actually totally clueless

So basically I think we as responsible owners need to be prepared of all of that and manage our own dogs accordingly. And that's kind of the idea of the thread! Come in here and whinge to people who understand about the dumb things other people do :)

Edited September 23, 2015 by Simply Grand

[Simply Grand]

The other thing is we all make mistakes and sometimes things happen that aren't anyone's fault but get our hearts racing. Like I said yesterday, I should have known better than to let Quinn get that close to the ACD, and the other week she had another fight (again all noise, no damage) with a dog I knew guarded sticks who then got hold of our ball and snapped at Quinn to,guard it when Quinn just happened to be standing there (she didn't care about the ball but she did care about being snapped at). I should have thought the other dog might guard the ball and kept my dogs away but it just didn't occur to me. Lesson learnt!

So share your own mistakes too and we can all learn.

[Simply Grand]

Thanks for the greyhound info guys, great to know

Edited September 23, 2015 by Simply Grand

[Two Best Dogs!]

If you own a dog who needs to be muzzled, don't take them into a place where they are the only ones who are muzzled. (Talking particularly about greyhounds). My rule for mine is one muzzled, all muzzled. No exceptions.

And think about breed characteristics. I don't run my greys with non greys, apart from prey drive issues. My completely bomb proof guy is not allowed to run with others either because, as a successful racer who still has an impressive speed when he warts to and who weighs 40 kg, basic physics suggests that him at full speed stepping on or bumping into a smaller slower dog is going to result in something going 'squish'. Think about play styles.

Sigh. Too many idiots.

actually with Greyhounds it's know your states laws. Here in Vic Greyhounds are not allowed off lead even in off lead parks. On lead at all times 'cept for private property and Dogs Vic sanctioned events. And always muzzled unless a GAP dog whether they need it or not.

Pardon if I've misread but I thought greyhound in vic who pass a special test are exempt from the rules? Just there's a person in next suburb over with 2 handsome ones and I've never seen muzzles and sometimes there's greys in the fenced off lead park (we hang around outside the park at a distance for training) and they're offlead and not muzzled so I figured they'd passed this special test?

(They're on lead and not muzzled when out of the park)

GAP greyhounds are the only ones who can go muzzle free in Victoria and they are supposed to wear a green collar signalling they are GAP greys. Laws may have changed since I last looked but no, no greyhound is allowed off lead in a public place in Victoria, unless competing in a Dogs Vic sanctioned event. Not everyone abides by it. I take my greys to my local obedience club (I'm a member) grounds which is fully fenced with 8 foot high cyclone fencing and allow them off lead, but it is owned by the dog club, not a public place and most certainly not an off lead dog park. But they are muzzled for the first 10 minutes or so due to high arousal :)

Cool! I do not recall the colour of their collars but I'll assume in good faith they have passed, since no interest in getting up close anyway ;)

The ones I've seen off lead seem to actually listen to their owners in the park. Pretty sure I read somewhere dogs are only allowed off lead in parks if they're obedient but unfortunately not enforced like so many other things so you'll never know what you're getting.

Thought of another etiquette: if your dog is sick or recovering, don't go in. To prevent both contagious and dog being more sore than usual.

[Steph M]

Oh I totally don't mind the joining in, we just stop the game and Gus has a play or a sniff and everyone goes on their way, but when they take off having pinched the toy and owner can't catch them that pisses me off. Plus if someone is up the other end of the park in a corner and you let your dog race across the park to join in I think that's poor form, ball or no ball.

[BarbedWire]

I don't know if you have seen this but it is what some dogs do with balls. :)

https://www.facebook.com/Unexpected.Ent/videos/692798214070066/

eta or sticks

Edited September 23, 2015 by sarsaparilla

[twodoggies2001]

I don't know if you have seen this but it is what some dogs do with balls. :)

https://www.facebook.com/Unexpected.Ent/videos/692798214070066/

eta or sticks

Funny that. There is a Cocker Spaniel that does that with a tennis ball. She doesn't want her owner to throw the ball but urges anyone standing near her to do so. It's so funny really. I'm always afraid I'll kick her in the head.