Dog Parks

[MHMama]

I have seen others mention problems with aggression etc. at dog parks and I thought I would add something here.
We have two chihuahuas they are usually very friendly but they do become frightened in a situation with several dogs, especially since most are a lot larger than them.
Our park has two areas for dogs, one for medium and large dogs and one for small dogs. Everytime we have gone there, someone will have their very large dog in the small dog area. I asked one man why and he said that his rottie was very aggressive with other dogs so he likes to put him where he won't get hurt.
Now, we never put our dogs in unleashed areas. We just walk around the rest of the park with leashes on and our cute little plastic bags for you know what. My first responsibility is to keep these dogs out of harms way and these places are just too dangerous for the little guys.

[ParNone]

hummmm... if he knows his dog is aggressive, he really shouldn't
be taking it to the dog park, much less putting it in with the lil'
dogs. I've got 2 cairn terriers that are very unpredictable about
which dogs they're going to take a dislike to, so knowing that, I'd
never take them to a place where they're off the leash like that.
I would be so upset if they hurt somebody else's dog, that I
won't take the risk.

Par...

[KYS]

So if he knows his dog is aggressive than why
is he allowing his dog in the dog park period.
I guess it's ok for the little dogs to be subjected
to his aggressive dog. Geesh!

[lizbud]

MHMama,

I will not take any dog to a dog park to run unleashed &
interact with other dogs I don't know personally.Even then,
I think we run a risk. Pack behavior is not predictable and
we run a risk of injury to our own dogs , or other peoples's
dogs.
Walking our dogs on leash anywhere ,allows more
time for bonding & enjoying each others company. We can
learn a lot about our dogs & they can learn a lot about us
by experiencing a walk outside together. As you can tell I'm
not a great fan of "Dog Parks".:)

P.S. Maybe the guy meant his dog was only aggressive
with bigger dogs? I would'nt want to "guess" what he
meant.

[MHMama]

We decided that we too will stick clear of dog parks. Not only are other dogs unpredictable but most owners think that a dog park means you don't have to pick up after them. After one incident where Ricky ended up with another dog's mess all over him, I was over it. I think that is just asking for health problems.
One other thing was this guy with the aggressive dog kept coming over to where we were standing and his dog was doing that whole drooling thing which I know they can't help but he kept shaking his head and Ricky almost drowned in it. What a mess.

[lizbud]

Most Dog Parks here in Indy are very well orgainzed &
they charge a small fee for the service."Potty" pick up is
mandatory. Many people enjoy taking their dogs there.
I think here in Indy, vac. records must be shown before
the dogs can be admitted to the park. It's a personal thing
with me. I just don't think it's a good idea for every dog
and I don't do it.

[Cisco's Mom]

We don't have any dog parks in my area, but they are trying to open a couple. I have wacthed that show on caple that is about dogs and thier people in New York. I think it's called Dog Park. They always meet w/dogs at a unleashed dog park and it looks scary to me.:eek: I would be scared to death my boy would just even be stepped on let alone anything else! Also, I would def. be scared of deseases, because you just don't know how responsible the next person is. Parvo in a chi,chi would be fatel! I just wouldn't risk it!

[MHMama]

I was reading on the internet this morning that two puppies from that show jumped off the roof and one was killed and the other seriously injured. They were taping the dogs playing on the roof. Stupid! I also was watching that show when one of the guys' dogs was attacked by another dog and the owner refused to give his name etc. That just proves my point. No matter what, you will run across irresponsible people and our little guys can't afford a confrontation with the big guys.

[ownerof3dogs]

Originally posted by MHMama
I was reading on the internet this morning that two puppies from that show jumped off the roof and one was killed and the other seriously injured. They were taping the dogs playing on the roof. Stupid! I also was watching that show when one of the guys' dogs was attacked by another dog and the owner refused to give his name etc. That just proves my point. No matter what, you will run across irresponsible people and our little guys can't afford a confrontation with the big guys.

OHHH I watch that show. Do you now which dog it was?

[ownerof3dogs]

We have a offleash/on leash dog park and beach in my town. I don't bring my dogs there though becasue they are too unperditable. They are pretty large and could hurt a smaller dog easily. Felice doesn't like small dogs, Zeus doesn't like male dogs, and Herc likes dogs but not kids...so I don't go. I used to when Zeus was a pup but there were way too many dog fights. It's dangerous. Two dogs start fighting and then 10 other dogs join in!!!!

Accually a couple of years ago a beagle was killed by a shepherd mix dog there. The owner of the shepherd fled and was never found!:( There was a big upset.

[shais_mom]

I go to our local dog park, its about a half hour away from me. I keep a close eye on my girl, and make sure she leaves the other ones alone. They have a time out cage in case that happens, When we had the PT meeting, Kia got put in there with her mommy!!! :( The people I meet there regulary (Cincy'sMom,Amy, and her mom Diana and their dogs) are very responsible with their dogs. Most people are that go there.
There is one case of a husky that the mom is very very heavy and only makes it as far as the picnic table and then bellows at her kid to come and pick up the dog poop. The one time the kid was in there by himself (against park rules, you are to be 16 unless accompianed by an adult) and Balto got to playing too rough with Taggert, Diana, swatted him and this kid says " I don't appreciate you touching my dog" and she said "well I don't appreciate your dog trying to kill mine!!" Most of the time if the dogs get out of hand the owners pack them up and go. I thoroughly enjoy going to the park and Keegan loves it. As soon as I head in that direction she whines the whole half hour drive!!! I enjoy being with people that share a similiar interest like mine. Keegan has TOTALLY come out of her shell since going there. Not that she was shy, but she didn't get to play with other dogs and was very people orientated. Now she likes to play with the other dogs.
I agree tho, I would probably feel very, very different if I had a small dog, especially like Ricki and Lucy2!

[Lillycat]

the park sounds like a good idea, but it is probably important that the humans take care in working out the details.

[MHMama]

They did not name the two puppies that went over the roof because they were going to be introduced on a later show so were not regulars yet. It just proves what I am always telling my husband, "these dogs are like having two year old kids and you have to watch them 24/7"

[Cisco's Mom]

OMG!!!!

I did not see that show! Poor, poor babies:(

I can't believe the owner of these dogs let something like this happen.:mad:

O.K- so why doesn't the producers of the show make sure something like this doesn't happen?:confused:

I'm so mad !! I just don't know what to do with myself. I wonder if we/I can complain to the producers.

Why did they even air this show where the dog was attacked??:confused:
That was stupid on thier part.

[MHMama]

The dog that was attacked and the big lovable great dane and her face was bitten and she had blood. The owner of the great dane who is a regular wanted the other owner's name and address but he wouldn't give it and took off. This is not unusual.
The puppies that fell of the roof was during shooting of the show and they did not show it or mention it on the show. It was just on the News.

[babolaypo65]

we used to go to the dog park. in the end i decided that owen didnt really like it. i went with a friend and her dog. but owen always got pounced on (he's short). i felt that for THAT park the hierarchies were so set that when my little wimpy dog showed up everyone above him (which was everyone) felt like they could bite his bum, steal his ball... he started looking stressed. we switched to a non dog park with fewer dogs, and most on leashes. just my two cents.

[strass]

I'm a big proponent of dog parks! We live in the city and don't have a fenced-in yard, and our Murphy is part basenji and CAN'T run loose...so this is his once chance to be off-leash and play. It's also great socialization time. The key is being a responsible "parent" -- if your dog is picking on another dog, or if he's getting picked on himself, just leave.

The folks who frequent our dog parks and dog beaches seem to be very responsible, so we haven't had any problems so far. I do get annoyed with people who bring tiny poodles and other small dogs, though... they almost always get pounced on. What do their owners expect?

[Uabassoon]

There's a dog park here in Tucson that I go to sometimes when i have my "custody" days with Missy. I've never had any problems there are all. Missy is non agressive so I don't really have to worry about her. Whenever a pack of dogs starts to growl Missy runs away and stands by me until it's over. THe owners at the park I go to are very responsible and the dogs are all friendly. If we hear aggressive growling we all just run up to the pack and grab a dog even if it's not our own. Now that I think about it, it probably isn't safe to just grab a random dog when a bunch are getting agressive, but we all do it and so far I haven't seen anyone get bitten or a dog get serverly injured.

[Uabassoon]

I will admit there is one person who's dogs drive me nuts. They are these two little heelers or cattle dogs I'm not really sure what the difference is. But for some reason they don't like me and they try to herd me. They've done that to my friend before too. And he never bothers to call his dogs away, I guess he feels they aren't hurting anyone. But I don't really like getting cornered by two dogs.

[sallie2]

We do not have a dog park here either. I don't think I would like to take me dog to one unless I knew there was a really well run one around.

[mruffruff]

Our dog park is one big area, no special place for small dogs. I like to take my three bigger dogs, but Bear stays home.

Bear is a shih tsu/poodle mix and is blind. I'd hate to have an over-enthusiastic dog run him down!

Before getting the combination to the gate lock, all dogs have to prove they've had all of their shots. Also, the woman who runs the park has to meet the dogs so she knows they are socialized.

If I want to avoid the crowds, I try to go in the morning. Most people here go after work or in the late afternoon on weekends.

I've never had a problem with any of the dogs. Everyone is pretty responsible about picking up after their dogs and controlling any aggressiveness.

I think any dog park is a tool; use it carefully.

Mary

[Hbrika]

A dog park would be fantastic here.

Gully needs a chance to socialize, she rarely gets to play with other puppies.

She is a rough and tumble dog I would have to be vigilante. She listens and comes when
called but sine she is so playful other dogs tend to want to romp with her.

She leaves little dogs alone, they yap and growl and she backs right off

I am sorry about your little guy getting pounced on, that is kind of unfair
However little dogs that yap a lot do tend to rile the other dogs so I agree with the
other post above :)

[Uabassoon]

I think for the right dog darks parks are a great tool. It think that when I had Missy it helped me to train her. Because before I never had the chance to have her off leash in a distracting setting, so I was able to teach her to come when I call her. THen on the occasion she would run out of the house the second I would call her name she came running to me. Taking her to the dog park also made it so much easier for me to just take her out in general. Before I started taking her to the dog park I had a hard time taking her to Petsmart because she would bark at every dog she saw, not in an aggressive way, but she wanted to play with every single dog she saw. It also taught her patience, because she learned that if she pulled or wasn't behaving we would not go into the park until she settled.