Are Dog Parks Worth the Risk?

[Guest]

 

 

If even the most well meaning of people can be confused as to time zones and rules, then what hope do we have of expecting the irresponsible owner to do the right thing?

(actually, strike that, they’ll probably fluke it should a ranger happen to be present). 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Guest

[Guest]

S

Edited February 5, 2019 by Guest

[Maddy]

14 minutes ago, CharbearsMa said:

I was outside the park with dog in tow sussing it out at the time if that makes it any better, we’d just happened upon it, it honestly looked like a skate park more than a dog park. 

I promise I haven’t taken a poo bag since! Although, we don’t even sell plastic bags in lots of stores here, so even if I made off with the whole roll, it’s still not as *that person* level as it sounds ;)

Tasmania has been single-use plastic bag free for years (I can still remember my last trip to Victoria, and the awe of being bestowed a flimsy grey bag at a Coles supermarket. Magic.) and yeah, it's a problem. The bags I linked to are absurdly cheap, very big, black (rather than transparent), sturdy and have handles. It's a shame to not be able to re-use a shopping bag, but on the other hand, Tasmanians also pay for the reusable shopping bags from Coles/Woolworths (usually 15c each) because unlike other states, we didn't demand free bags. What that means though, is that 4c poo bags are actually the cheaper option. And unlike the new shopping bags, intended for single use. Even if you're getting free reusable shopping bags, they're still less environmentally friendly than a bag made for the job.

 

[sandgrubber]

13 hours ago, Maddy said:

Tasmania has been single-use plastic bag free for years (I can still remember my last trip to Victoria, and the awe of being bestowed a flimsy grey bag at a Coles supermarket. Magic.) and yeah, it's a problem. The bags I linked to are absurdly cheap, very big, black (rather than transparent), sturdy and have handles. It's a shame to not be able to re-use a shopping bag, but on the other hand, Tasmanians also pay for the reusable shopping bags from Coles/Woolworths (usually 15c each) because unlike other states, we didn't demand free bags. What that means though, is that 4c poo bags are actually the cheaper option. And unlike the new shopping bags, intended for single use. Even if you're getting free reusable shopping bags, they're still less environmentally friendly than a bag made for the job.

 

IMO trying to solve the plastic problem by banning carry bags is as futile as trying to avoid the greenhouse problem by banning toasters.  Yes, there's a problem.  Piecemeal solutions aimed at minor parts of the problem won't work.  The non-reusable load of plastic packaging remains huge after the much re-used carry bags are banned. Can anyone recommend a user-friendly reusable poo bag? 

[Maddy]

3 hours ago, sandgrubber said:

IMO trying to solve the plastic problem by banning carry bags is as futile as trying to avoid the greenhouse problem by banning toasters.  Yes, there's a problem.  Piecemeal solutions aimed at minor parts of the problem won't work.  The non-reusable load of plastic packaging remains huge after the much re-used carry bags are banned. Can anyone recommend a user-friendly reusable poo bag? 

Oh, I'd agree entirely. It didn't change behaviour, it just means that people mentally set aside a dollar or two to the total of their grocery bill to cover the added cost of the bags. I don't know anyone who actually remembers to re-use the bags as shopping bags. We re-use them as bin bags and occasionally as bags to transport stuff, but that's mostly so we don't end up drowning in them. The new bags are just not that magically useful because they have the word "reusable" written on them. Certainly terrible to use as poo bags because they're huge and made of very thick plastic.

I'm pretty sure Who Gives A Crap make plant-based poo bags, that are totally compostable. I don't think I've ever seen a reusable poo bag though  (unless you mean a bag that has some other use first, and is then reused as a poo bag?)

[JulesP]

9 hours ago, Maddy said:

Oh, I'd agree entirely. It didn't change behaviour, it just means that people mentally set aside a dollar or two to the total of their grocery bill to cover the added cost of the bags. I don't know anyone who actually remembers to re-use the bags as shopping bags. We re-use them as bin bags and occasionally as bags to transport stuff, but that's mostly so we don't end up drowning in them. The new bags are just not that magically useful because they have the word "reusable" written on them. Certainly terrible to use as poo bags because they're huge and made of very thick plastic.

I'm pretty sure Who Gives A Crap make plant-based poo bags, that are totally compostable. I don't think I've ever seen a reusable poo bag though  (unless you mean a bag that has some other use first, and is then reused as a poo bag?)

 

I reuse those shopping bags for shopping. Yeah my stash is growing but they are getting used. 

 

I use nappy bags for poo bags.

 

I don't do fenced dog parks but do go to parks with off lead areas, even those annoy me fairly regularly. 

[Guest]

On 31/01/2019 at 10:53 AM, Maddy said:

Oh, I'd agree entirely. It didn't change behaviour, it just means that people mentally set aside a dollar or two to the total of their grocery bill to cover the added cost of the bags. I don't know anyone who actually remembers to re-use the bags as shopping bags. We re-use them as bin bags and occasionally as bags to transport stuff, but that's mostly so we don't end up drowning in them. The new bags are just not that magically useful because they have the word "reusable" written on them. Certainly terrible to use as poo bags because they're huge and made of very thick plastic.

I'm pretty sure Who Gives A Crap make plant-based poo bags, that are totally compostable. I don't think I've ever seen a reusable poo bag though  (unless you mean a bag that has some other use first, and is then reused as a poo bag?)

Edited February 4, 2019 by Guest

[Panto]

Council provided bags cost more than 4c a bag, and in smaller towns, that's a bigger budget.

 

I recently came across a very open and transparent page imploring residents to remember their own bags, because they want to keep the council rates low, but still be a dog friendly town (etc.) - my words, not theirs, but the takeaway sentiment should be enough for the dog loving community to look out for each other. Those council rates pay for many things.

 

http://www.turosshead.org/Pages/Dogs.htm 

[Malamum]

I've never been a fan of fenced in dog parks where the idea is for the dogs just to play with each other.  To me they are disasters waiting to happen, however I have friends who enjoy taking their dog to the dog park but they seem to frequent one where they get to know the other owners and the other dogs so it doesn't sound like a total free-for-all.  It's still not for me though.

 

The closest offical dog park to us is not fenced and from what I've observed most people use it as an area to play fetch with their dogs or do off leash training, not as an area for the dogs just to play with each other and it seems to work well.  Yes, the dogs do interact a bit but it tends to be more of a by-product rather than the sole intent.  I guess with it being unfenced and near a main road, only people with well trained dogs tend to use it so there are less problems.  Fenced in parks are probably frequented more by people who dogs can't be off-leash in an unfenced area.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Malamum
typos

[sandgrubber]

BTW, here's a web page for the dog park I was talking about 

https://www.dogwoodpark.com/index.html

[kayla1]

13 minutes ago, sandgrubber said:

BTW, here's a web page for the dog park I was talking about 

https://www.dogwoodpark.com/index.html

Wow, fantastic park. Are these types of parks common in the US?

[_PL_]

No not worth the risk. I used to use the fenced park locally but the rough play is scary. I know it's often a nice time of day for park friends to catch up and talk about dogs but I've heard too many 'ooof' sounds as one dog ploughs into another. And seen some really stressful play (I mean it stresses me because the body language and behaviour is really wrong).

Edited February 1, 2019 by Powerlegs

[sandgrubber]

16 hours ago, kayla1 said:

Wow, fantastic park. Are these types of parks common in the US?

This is the only one I know of.  I wish more dog oriented folks would create such places, but it's a big ask, what with land prices in populated areas and council regulations, etc. Wouldn't it just be wonderful if golf courses could be converted here and there 

[karen15]

I'm really happy that in Brisbane we have a small dog specific area next to the large dog areas. This means, now that I've got a Westie and a cocker, that they can go and play safely with small dogs and not be at risk of being attacked by large dogs. If it wasn't for small dog park then I wouldn't take my dogs because I think it is too dangerous for them being so small.

 

When my staffy was young we used to go to a park that had a regular group of four dogs, including him, who all got along famously. A german shepherd, a standard schnauzer and a whippet. I remember one day they were playing and two large dogs came in that hadn't been there before. Everyone played nicely for a little bit and then the whippet and my staffy started running around and having a bit of fun. The other dogs joined in and all was going well, until the two new dogs decided that they were going to kill the whippet. Luckily the German Shepherd saw what was happening and positioned herself between the new dogs and the whippet. Unfortunately they attacked her. The person with the new dogs wasn't their owner, turned out that she was a dog sitter.

 

I remember a time not so long back, with the westie and the cocker, we were walking up the footpath to go into small dog park. Out of nowhere and off-leash border collie raced up to them, I couldn't even see it's owner. When the owner finally appeared I went off like a frog in a sock. She said that it was all ok and her dog was friendly. I very bluntly told that it was not ok and that if she wanted her f****** dog off lead that it needed to be in the off lead park which was right there!  We will literally right next to the off leash park.

 

We've got a weekend Westie group in Brisbane that meets up on a monthly basis to go for a group walk. It's so cute seeing about 50 little Westies in a small dog park running around being wild, before they get their leashes attached and go on a bit of a hike. Amazingly, with so many small dogs, there's never been an incident of poor play or aggression in the group. We always have a really good fun day.