More Dog Park Issues

[twmoose82]

I brought my pup Moose (2 year old BC/ACD mix) to a fenced in area at the end of my condo that people in my building use as a makeshift dog park. At first I did not want to bring him as his style of play is a bit aggressive and nippy, but my wife convinced me to bring him. There were probably ten dogs already in the park and as soon as I brought Moose in most of them started circling around him and barking. Moose's reaction was to bite the air around him kind of telling them to back off, but once they would back off a bit he would run around and they would chase him again. After a few minutes of this owners starting removing their dogs from the park and we took Moose home too. It seemed like as soon as Moose came around every other dog's attention was on him, but the attention seemed negative and in some cases aggressive. Has anyone experienced anything like this? Can other dogs sense that a BC may come in and try to control the situation so they all gang up? This was the first time I really felt bad for my dog b/c he was clearly outnumbered and it seemed like he was being picked on.

[Laurae]

Yes. That exact scenario has happened to Sophie when she was a pup and I believe it was a contributing factor in developing her reactivity (best defense is a good offense). I would not bring your dog there again, if I were you. It took a long time and a lot of work to deal with her reactivity, and it's not something she will ever be completely "cured" of.

[Maralynn]

I don't like dog parks. Too many clueless owners and dogs. And you create a pack that is always changing dynamics. This can put alot of stress on a dog. The only good thing I see in dog parks is an off-leash area for owners to interact with their dogs. But most owners just come and turn their dogs loose for a free for all.

 

This was the first time I really felt bad for my dog b/c he was clearly outnumbered and it seemed like he was being picked on.

 

Then do him a favor and don't put him back in that sort of situation. It will only make him agressive towards other dogs. If something like that had started to happen with one of my dogs I would have gotten the dog out right away. My dogs are only around one or two other dogs at a time and only dogs that they have shown me they are comfortable with.

[JohnLloydJones]

It seemed like as soon as Moose came around every other dog's attention was on him, but the attention seemed negative and in some cases aggressive.

 

At our dog park, there's always excitement when new dogs come, especially first-timers. I think you might try again when there are only a few dogs there. It's a bit overwhelming for the first time and it takes a while for a dog to feel that it is part of the pack. After two or three visits, the newness wears off and he will be more relaxed.

[JohnLloydJones]

I don't like dog parks. Too many clueless owners and dogs. And you create a pack that is always changing dynamics.

 

 

There's hope for the clueless dogs -- less so for the clueless owners. Our dog park has managed to self-police away the real idiots and the hard-core crowd are good. It does take some care to introduce a dog to a dynamic pack, but my experience is that once the dog learns the rules, it gives them valuable social skills. Senneca was under socialised, shy and submissive, yet she has developed good social skills from our daily visits to the park. She is picky and plays with only a small group of friends. She has learned to handle the dominant males -- first politely, and if they don't take the hint, assertively.

 

I'm the first to agree that not all dog parks are good -- we've visited parks where both Senneca and I felt uncomfortable. Just don't assume it applies to all dog parks.

[MrSnappy]

I think there must be a big difference between "dog run" and "dog park" - because at the dog parks (mostly beaches) that we go to, the area is large, the means of access to the area is large, and no one notices the comings and goings of anyone at all.

 

All of my dogs can be snotty about their personal buffer zones. I no longer correct them for enforcing it, as they simply want to be left alone to play ball (except Woo, he will solicit play from other dogs). If a dog is particularly persistent, I will step in and make it leave, but on more than one occasion I have let Piper correct the stuffing out of on overly annoying dog. They seem stimulated by her intensity and will chase and bite at her, and she will put up with it for so long before she punishes their bad manners.

 

I generally try to intercede on Tweed's behalf before the dog gets even close to annoying because he gets all upset and sometimes throws up. He is SO WORRIED that someone will steal his precious ball.

 

Small dog runs sound hellish, and like something to avoid!

 

RDM

[JohnLloydJones]

Small dog runs sound hellish, and like something to avoid!

 

Agreed, there needs to be enough room for dogs to have breathing space when they need it. It's not the park size, but the dog density that matters. We avoid going when there's a big crowd -- too many dogs and too many of them under socialized.

[mbc1963]

I don't bring my dog to "dog parks," because it's a disaster waiting to happen for him: a whole slew of dogs wanting to meet at one time. It's his worst scenario. But I do bring Buddy to local parks where dogs are off-leash. Meeting a dog occasionally is usually fine. Even two or three, if they're calm and not too "in your face." Buddy can learn to be calm with ANY dog, if he is given the time and space to get to know and trust the dog's reactions. (And if owners of young dogs let Buddy do the correctiones he needs to do to prevent them from being "in his face.")

 

However, I've been taking him to a wooded park lately where two women walk what must be seven or eight dogs. They are pups to middle-aged dogs, all golden retrievers and flat-coat retrievers. There's simply no good way for Buddy to deal with eight large, semi-rambunctious dogs coming at him like that. If I leash Buddy, it just makes him more tense. If I let him go, I risk him going into "GET AWAY FROM ME!" reactivity, which gives him a bad reputation.

 

I'm getting close to saying, "This isn't a bunch of dogs. This is a pack, and it's not fair for you to let them all run around off leash!" ::Sigh::

 

Mary

[twmoose82]

Thanks for the replies so far. Moose has been to this park before a few times and I think the issue is that the group of dogs here is always changing. Also this time there was just too many dogs without enough room to run. Moose has played in there before when there was just him and a couple others and he did fine. He likes to run up to a dog and nudge him or give him a little nip and then they run around and wrestle for a bit and then lay down to relax. The problem last night was everytime he tried to run he ran into another dog and he was visibly overwhelmed, which is why we left. I don't plan on going back to this dog park anytime soon and probably wont visit any other ones either until Moose finishes his training in a couple months. He was a shelter dog and I don't enough about him yet to completely trust him anywhere. I added a pic of Moose so everyone could see him:

 

Moose_3.BMP

[Indydog]

Dog parks more for people than dogs. A lot bad habits are developed at dog parks Off leash parks are better.

[bc4ever]

Dog parks more for people than dogs. A lot bad habits are developed at dog parks Off leash parks are better.

 

Okay...I'm going to ask a silly question (not the first or the last!) What is the difference between a dog park and an off leash park?

[Laurae]

When I think of a dog park, I think of a tiny (an acre or two or even less) patch of fenced-in land where too many dogs congregate in too small an area. There is often little or no grass, since the dogs have worn it down by running in too small an area. Often at such places, the dogs are somehow expected to entertain and exercise themselves playing with each other while the owners drink coffee and chat among themselves.

 

An off-leash park, on the other hand, seems to me like a much bigger recreational area, often part of an established park or beach, that may or may not be fenced in, where the owners are responsible for playing, hiking, running, or otherwise interacting with their dogs. Much more natural and not nearly as stressful!