Kids at the dog park

[Kfamr]

Does anyone else hate when people bring their kids and let them run around at the dog park?

I absolutely hate it. It's the Dog Park -- Not the local playground. It's for your dog to run around and have a good time.

I don't mind if the kids are sitting/standing around like everyone else.. but I hate when they're running around.

Who knows if a dog there wanted to chase the kid and play with the kid, like he/she does with another dog - or if the kids gets knocked down by the dogs running and playing.. (it IS possible... ask Ramanth. ;) :p )


I love little kids.. but just not at the Dog Park!

[Cincy'sMom]

It depends on the kids.

Running around, harrasing the dogs, no I don't agree with.

If they are playing with the dogs, and understand they doing a wonderful impression of a giant squeeking toy, and that they may get knocked over, that 's different.

It also depends on the parents. Taking children to a dog park could be a wonderful oppertunity to educate them about properly greeting dogs and how to behave around them. But don't bring your kids in if you are going to freak out if the kids gets licked. Also, please don't let your toddler carry a cookie into the Park (yes, I have seen this, and Cincy tried to help herself!)

[Sevens]

Oh yeah, I can't stand the kids in the park thing! There is a little amphitheatre very close to our dog park and sometimes people will drop off their kids and leave them their while they go listen to some classical music. WE ARE NOT A BABY SITTING SERVICE!

Also, it extremely creeps me out when some people bring their tiny babies to the dog park! There was this sort of young hippie girl who has been bringing her 14 month old baby and it's so SCARY to see him walking around in there. We get mostly big dogs in our park, so I am so afraid the baby will get trampled by dogs who are just playing.

Also, she doesn't pay attention to the baby. Last week, she brought it in. Bailey walked up next to the baby to get a tennis ball. Bailey was just standing there munching on the tennis ball, completely ignoring the baby. As I am walking up to them, the baby picks up a stick and jams it into Bailey's side. Luckily, Bailey has a high pain threshold, is good with kids, and completely ignored the baby. When the girl saw me running up, she looked down at her kid and saw him poking Bailey and was like "Honey, give mommy the stick." She didn't even discipline him. She did leave soon after though. Grr......

I'm sorry, but if any of my little baby cousins tried to poke Bailey with a sharp stick, I'd let them know straight away that it was a bad thing to do to a dog.

[Uabassoon]

I hate it when people bring their toddlers and let them walk around. When I'm there with Missy and I see toddlers I feel so bad because I'm scared to let Missy run around for fear that I'll get sued if Missy accidentally knocks the kid over. I don't mind kids that run around and understand that the dog is just chasing them because they think it's a game and they are having fun. But it drives me nuts when kids will start running then cry because the dogs are chasing them.

[ramanth]

:o

I am ashamed. ;) :D

[G.P.girl]

i think it depends on the age of the kid and the circumstances. maybe they are thinking about getting a dog so they bring little johnny to the dog park to teach him about doggies then that's fine, but if the kid is just running around bothering the dogs and the people unsupervised then that's not ok.

[Lixx]

I don't like it either. Granted, where I go there are very few kids, but not all dogs are kid friendly/aware. Dante is not big, but he has knocked kids over, he just wants to play. If the kids aren't dog socialized and supervised, they should not be there.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Yep.
There's always a few kids whenever we take Molly and Daisy to the Dog Park. They'll start running around and screaming when a dog chases them. Well, what do you expect? :rolleyes: It's a DOG park, not a kid playground!

[AngelZoo]

This is why most dog parks in the MD/VA/DC area do not allow kids under 16 in the dog park PERIOD.

It is WAY to much of a hazard if you ask me!

Any time I see something, that just should not be, at a dog park, I do something about it.
Aggressive dog gone, roudy kid gone, unattentive owner gone, owner doesn't scoop the poop, I hand them a baggie and give em a BIG smile.

The key, is to make friends with lots of people at your local parks, and gang up on any new comers whom decide to not abide by the rules. Works very well! Angry mob and all. ;)

I have seen mothers who just want to let their pup out to play at a park, and it's fine when they are the only one there and have a small child in a stroller with them, but as soon as more people start to come in, as long as the mom has enough common sense to pack up and leave, I'm cool with that.

[sabies]

We have a temp dog park right now (2 weeks old! hope they can find a permanent spot) and the rules are strict about no kids. I'd say it depends on the parents - I see it all too often when parents don't discipline when the child does something dangerous like poking or pulling. I hope those parents don't plan on suing if their kid gets bitten!

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by GoldenRetrLuver
They'll start running around and screaming when a dog chases them. Well, what do you expect? :rolleyes: It's a DOG park, not a kid playground!

They probably expect to not get chased. That's unacceptable behavior IMO. Where I live there are hundreds of designated off leash areas. They are not completely closed in like many of your parks seem to be. In fact hiking trails and bike paths run through a lot of them. Does that mean dogs should be able to chase bikers through the park (after all what do they expect, they are biking through a dog park), of course it doesn't. It means that you should have control over your dog.

At the same time I see the point of the dangers of having kids at the dog park and can only say.... parents should control their kids. They should teach their kids the proper ways to behave around dogs. But of course it's not a perfect world....

[Kfamr]

I think what you're talking about is much different then a dog park. I'm talking aobut areas that are fenced in and are specifically called "Dog Parks" - "Paw Playgrounds - " Bark Parks"

My dogs don't chase after children, though - so that's not something I worry about with my own dogs. I do worry about other's dogs though.


I don't bring my dogs on the children playgrounds, swingsets, jungle gyms and the sort -- there's children playground RIGHT in the same park, but in a different section. Children go there, Dogs go in the dog park.

[Shelteez2]

Ahh I see. That makes a bit of a difference then. :)

[Dixie Belle]

Where I live, we don't have dog parks. But I do agree with what ya'll are saying. Matter of fact, my vet has a dog in holding right now because someone let their child pull and tug and yank until the dog snaped at the kid. Of course the parents scream "rabies":mad: Poor dog. He's had all of his shots, and is normally fine. My vets are pissed about the whole thing.

I can't stand people who refuse to teach their kids how to be with animals. My vets pick on me because I take my 5-month old in to see Thor, but I sit there the whole time stopping him from grabbing and pulling, and showing him how to correctly pet Thor. He'll probably be the only kid in my town that knows how to treat an animal before he's a year old.:p

[guster girl]

I'm yet to go to a dog park. But, I will say this....I am cool with kids as long as they are well behaved and are with intelligent parents who have control over them. I will say, as well, that the same goes for dogs. As long as the dog is well behaved at a non dog park, and, is with intelligent owners who have control over them, I'm cool with them being at the park not specifically for dogs. :) I know I'm cool with kids coming up to Finn at the pet store that know how to approach a dog, etc. I'm not cool with out of control kids running around the store and having a parent freak out when a puppy jumps up on them (don't bring your kid to a store that allows dogs then). Anyway, as long as other kids and other dogs and other adults are respectful, I'm cool with them being wherever. :)

[slleipnir]

Omg, yes, it's annoying. I'm not saying ALL kids, but I was there once where a bunch of kids were. I also would use the agility stuff they have with Jo for fun. Anyway, the kids thought it was pretty fun too. You know, running up and down the dog walk, pushing jumps over (or jumping over them) and even playing on the teeter totter thingie. Urg, it was annoying especially seeing the parents never said anything.....No offence, but our dog park is just an attachment to the HS, and they really don't have a lot of money for replacing broken equipment had the kids broken something....

[Tonya]

I bring Jaden, but he is a big kid and he's well behaved. I wouldn't even dream of bringing a young small child there. He only gets free roam when the dogs are regulars... I think it is a good experience for him because he learns how to act around other people and animals. He knows the rules and he just plays fetch with the dogs that he knows. I have had Jaden knocked over once, but I wasn't upset at all. It was my decision to bring him to the park, I brought him at my own risk.

On the other hand, this one lady has this crappy 3-4 year old. He throws temper tantrums and rubs his face on the ground in the process. It totally grosses me out because the park is small, so poop has touched everywhere. And she just lets him roam free, even when strange dogs show up. He moves abrubtly towards the dogs, he is clumsy, and he hangs on them sometimes. He's going to get bit someday.

[GoldenRetrLuver]

Originally posted by Shelteez2
They probably expect to not get chased. That's unacceptable behavior IMO.

I never said my dogs chase kids, if you thought I did. They don't. :) But, you'd be surprised how many dogs do if a young child starts running, especially a young dog/puppy.
The one we go to is all fenced in, and is specifically a Dog park. There's a grassy area on the other side with a few picnic tables, where dogs aren't allowed, but people and children are.

[Shelteez2]

Originally posted by GoldenRetrLuver
I never said my dogs chase kids, if you thought I did. They don't. :) But, you'd be surprised how many dogs do if a young child starts running, especially a young dog/puppy.
The one we go to is all fenced in, and is specifically a Dog park. There's a grassy area on the other side with a few picnic tables, where dogs aren't allowed, but people and children are.

No I didn't mean yours, just dogs in general. :)

[K9soul]

No dog parks in my area, but if there were I would probably feel similar. Of course well-behaved children who are taught manners, i.e. asking permission to pet the dog first, not screaming and yelling and running wildly around the dogs, etc, I would have no problem with. However, there's no way to keep those types in and the other types out really. So I would think there should be a section at least where kids under a certain age were not allowed at all, for dogs who aren't used to small children to go.

As far as expecting no dogs to not chase a running child, I think that's unreasonable at a dog park. There are probably young pups there to get socialized as well as older dogs to run and play. If someone runs it's a natural instinct to chase after it. Of course if I was in an off-leash area that is not designated specifically for dogs, then in that case they should be trained and expected not to chase people biking, running, etc.

I gather the park is totally a place to let the dogs do what dogs do, to play and just be dogs. It sounds like a very nice socialization tool. If I had a young pup I would take him or her purely for that aspect, and gradually work up to better manners and obedience while there.

Just my thoughts.

[Tonya]

Originally posted by K9soul
I gather the park is totally a place to let the dogs do what dogs do, to play and just be dogs. It sounds like a very nice socialization tool. If I had a young pup I would take him or her purely for that aspect, and gradually work up to better manners and obedience while there.

Just my thoughts.

Exactly right. Which is why I think that dogs should be allowed to be dogs at dog parks. It's a place where a pet owner shouldn't have to worry about children and other distractions. I have no problem with children coming there, but if a parent wants to bring their child, they need to keep in mind that it's a dog park, not a playground for kids. My son has fun there, but he also knows the rules and I know that I'm totally at fault if something happens to him.