Off Leash Dog Park Gripes

[mondo joe]

1. It's a dog park - not your private yard. If you try to play Frisbee with your dog, expect other dogs to get involved - they're not renowned for their boundaries. Similarly, if you try to use the dog par to do training you will have to deal with the presence of other dogs - and they will want your treats (see gripe 3).

2. Conversely - watch your damn dog. If you sit there on your cell phone ignoring your dog entirely you're not being a good neighbor.

3. If you have dog treats in your pockets expect dogs other than yours to notice and to be very interested.

4. If you have a bully dog please keep an eye on it.

5. Expect to get dirty at the dog park. If you get bumped into, jumped on, slobbered on - you're at a dog park. It happens.


Please add to the list!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

1. I love dog parks...

And I totally get what you're talking about. People are bastard coated bastards with bastard filling...and nothing will ever change about that.
I live to have dogs slobbering all over me and generally loving on me. I have a weird connection with that part of the animal kingdom and I love it and them.
Duckie

[mondo joe]

2. I met the idea dog park guy today. His little french bulldog that got in a fight with a great dane.

As the great dane got on top of his little tiny dog, the guy just wrapped his arms around the dane, pulling him him off, and then rolled him away. The guy was lying there on his back in the woodchips, having yanked a great dane off his own 1/20th the size dog - and he just laughed and got up. No harm no foul.

[Bennyboy]

3. And it is not a place to....

play with your children. Take them to the other parts of the park, they could get hurt with dogs playing.

To run. Some dogs see that and will chase you. Just because your dog runs with you doesn't mean that other dogs aren't going to try to play when you run.

Grow grass. MY PET DOG PARK PEEVE. Dogs Don't like grass. They lie in the dirt every single time. As soon as you plant grass dogs destroy it. So don't go wasting your funds on trying to plant grass when it will only be gone within a month or so.

[mondo joe]

5. Oh I forgot that. I've seen people put little 2 year olds onto muddy slopes with big dogs tearing

by. What idiots.

[Bennyboy]

7. Worse, I hae seen a parent....

come in the park, unleash his large dog and then put his two year old on his shoulders! My dog is a Great Pyrenees and could take that guy down in no time, so i was afraid for him and his kid. So I kind of suggested that might not be a good idea and the guy got pissed off at me and wanted to fight me! (not the only time I have almost been assaulted at the dog park)

[spindrifter]

4. Please don't bring your greasy burgers and fries

or other people food to snack on at the dog park. You are asking for big trouble.

[flvegan]

6. Oooh, let me open my Gripe Bag...

1. Do not bring an unaltered dog to a dog park;

2. Stay within relative reach of your dog at all times. YOU need to be the one to heel the dog if need be;

3. Be mindful and fill the water bowl/bucket if your dog drinks it down or dumps it over;

4. If you have an unsocialized dog, keep it on a leash for your first few visits. No, strike that. A harness;

5. If your dog is aggressive, keep him/her at home;

6. Leave the very young kids at home. They are prime to get mowed down, bitten, etc. Plus, you probably can't mind both your kid(s) and your dog(s) in this setting at the same time;

7. Clean up after your dog. Don't do the pretend "looking away" while your dog is crapping in the park;

8. Know when to leave.

[demmiblue]

19. Question...

Dog parks in my area do not allow leashes on dogs once the dogs are in the confines of the dog park. I know my dog is far more "assertive" when she is on a leash. Perhaps, she is protecting our 6 foot radius! What is your take on this?

[mondo joe]

20. I believe leashes are not allowed in off leash parks in my area also.

My understanding was that it puts the dogs on unequal footing, so to speak, as some are free to move at will and others are limited by their leash, and that alone might heighten aggression.

[demmiblue]

21. That is my thought, also.

The first time we went to a dog park, I put a muzzle on my dog because of what I saw as mild aggressive behavior towards other dogs when we went for walks (snapping, barking). I know... stupid idea--she couldn't defend herself if she needed to! Needless to say, the muzzle was history, and in the garbage, within 5 minutes! In fact, I was surprised at the fact that she, for the most part, ignored the other dogs! Alas, the muzzle incident still shames me as a dog owner!

[flvegan]

22. My take?

Different parks have different rules, I suppose. None of the parks in my area have any rules against them.

As for your dog's assertiveness on her leash, many dogs feel more "on duty" when they're leashed to their person, so I agree with your take on her being more protective. That really *shouldn't* be as much of the case at a dog park, which is probably the most neutral ground I can think of.

[China_cat]

25. Our dog parks require that you HAVE leash

and clean up bags on your person while in the park and that the dogs be leashed before coming in or leaving.

[China_cat]

8. Our dog parks (3 of them now)

don't allow you to do training there. It's a place for fun. (And the powers that be understand that unless everybody is doing the same thing, you aren't going to get far with your own dog)

My biggest gripe is that it is clearly posted that puppies under 4 months old are prohibited...due to immunizations AND because puppies can end up as lunch for bigger dogs. So here come people with 6 week old tiny breeds who probably haven't even had their first shots yet and look more like a squirrel to chase for the bigger guys.

That and those that bring intact, IN HEAT, females to the park and can't understand why every male dog in the area is mobbing her.

[dropkickpa]

10. A dog park is ideal, though

if you are working on advanced obedience stuff and the aim is to work with distractions around. You WANT the chaos of the dog park in a way, to help you proof your dog in very distracting conditions. But this type of work is a far cry from simple sit and down type stuff.

A peeve - make sure your dog has good recall and basic manners/obedience. It more courteous to the other patrons AND a safety issue for your dog and others.

That said, I'd never take my dog to a dog park. Seething pits of illness from worms, to parvo, to kennel cough, dog flu, etc etc. Not everyone takes care of their dogs health, and dealing with a wormy dog, while not too hard, isn't fun. I carefully vet all of Agatha's playmates, they are people who I know well that are up to date on their dogs vaccinations and general health, the dog's temperments and activity levels are similar, etc etc.

[youthere]

15. Okay..that last part bringsto mind a question...

Does an in heat female dog..um....INSPIRE (for lack of a better word) a neutered male?

[China_cat]

16. Not necessarily but it does inspire aggression in the

intact males against any other males in the area...or anything or anybody that might get in their way.

[youthere]

17. did not know that...thanks!

[SallyMander]

9. No balls!

And i don't mean the kind you play fetch with! :evilgrin:

[KG]

11. no dog parks for me, TYVM. it's why i spend extra rent on a house with a fenced yard.

nice long 30-45 min walks followed by romps in the back yard keeps my buddies in shape.

i'd rather not deal with the diesases and dolts at a dog park.

[Wcross]

12. Dog park?

This is my "dog park"! You got to love country living!

[Redstone]

13. We don't have one in our town, but if we did, I'd agree with your gripes 100%.

Redstone

[China_cat]

14. One of our dog parks

(The one our dogs like the most)
(r-l)Jake, Daphne, Elwood


Elwood, Jake and a Boxer friend


Elwood and friends

[mondo joe]

18. Nice! Have a waterfront dog park too. My standard poodle - who's supposed

to be a water dog - won't go in more than a foot deep, and usually not more than 6 inches.

I stood out in the water like a damn fool trying to encourage him to join me. Never happened.

[xchrom]

23. i think some of the best times i've ever had have been at dog parks.

if i have one to add to your list it would be people who are over protective of their dogs.

dogs are dogs and need to be dogs.

[mondo joe]

24. Yeah. The worst people take it to one of two extremes - they're uninvolved

and oblivious, or hyper protective.

Several times in talking with other people at the dog park I've had to say "well...if you look at their tails you'll see they're wagging...I'm pretty sure they're having fun playing and not actually fighting."