Fight at the dog park

I took the dogs for a run today. This small golden mix dog (around Jo's height, but small for a golden) came in. Jo ran up to him, and jumped down like "Lets play!!" and wagging her tail. He just stood there, so she got up and I guess one of them went to sniff the other, and they broke into this big fight. Snarling, and growling and biting! I said "Hey!! Josie off!" and tried to pull them apart, but I didn't want to jump right in and get my arm ripped off, so I tried to wait for a moment I could grab Jo's collar. Anyway, after I min or so, Jo listens to me and comes, with her mouth full of dog fur and slobber from where the dog bite her all around her neck. Both dogs were fine. I though it was Jo, cause she seemed weird around dogs latly..So I put her on her leash to cool off and realize she was bad. The other dogs owner seemed not to care and just walked off. After a while, I let her off again, and she walks up to the dog again and their starring..This time I call Jo, and she comes and stays away from him the rest of the time. So, this other dog comes in, he looks like a bernese mountain dog mix, only a little bigger then the golden. Now, the golden picks a fight with him too, only the BMD doesn't really fight back just runs, and the goldens owner doesn't call him off! It's the other dog owners trying to seperate them..I realized it probably wasen't Jo who picked the fight, seeing she did go up wanting to play and all. That lady shouldn't have that dog in there if she's not going to make an effort to keep him under control! While he was fighting with the BMD, Zeke kept running up and biting at one of them, like playfully..I don't think he gets the concept of fighting?? But he WOULDN'T come, I was scared the golden would turn on him, and Zeke wouldn't know how to protect himself..urg..stessful. I wish Zeke would listen better out there, guess I still need to work a lot with him, when I'm out there that is..

Thats why I don't take my dogs to the dog park as often as I'd like. I am scared to death of irresponsible owners ... and Reece being so small.

Its sad that people are like that.

I'm glad Jo is ok. In away I'm glad we don't have dog parks around here.

yeah :[ I really don't have time to take them for long walks which they need, and the owners are 'usually' good..

Glad Jo is okay, would hate for anything to happen to her.

We don't have dog parks here, but if we did, I don't think I would ever go to one. Rather risky, IMO, especially since I have little dogs with big attitudes.

I have been taking Keegan to the park pretty frequently. At least once a week. And when I don't go to the doggie park I take her to the local park and let her run in the fenced in baseball diamond.

She got into a scuffle a couple weeks ago with Dazzi, Amy's (Cincy'sMom) mom Diane, dog. She is a golden mix and from what they said she has a problem with Goldens and GSP. But of course Diane and Amy are wonderful, responsible pet owners. And quick thinking Amy threw water on them and Dazzi went right into time out, then had to go home :( I didn't know what to do just chased them trying to grab Keegan. Amy and her mom felt horrible about it and Dazzi isn't allowed at the park when Keegan is there. :( Which I feel bad about .... Keegan has a scar on her nose that you will soon be hardly able to notice. I just said "Dogs will be dogs and it could have been much much worse." No harm done. But it is different when you have irresponsible dog owners.
We have a lady that brings her little JRT to the park. She only weighs 9 pounds. And another couple that brings their Boston terriers. Like I said everyone watches out for the little ones.
Actaully this couple brought their 2 dogs and their 2 kids and the youngest boy was more trouble then all the dogs together. Getting in the dogs faces and growling at them (did this to Gabby the great dane), taking their toys. Chasing the dogs. Nagging people who were playing with their own dogs, saying "let me let me let me" and when this one lady that has a 7 week old boston terrier that she wouldn't put down on the ground she took her into the time out cage so she could potty he went over and messed with the latch and his mom said "no don't go in there she is in there for a reason" he went on it and picked up the puppy and proceeded to manhandle her until the owner took her away from him. Surprisingly the owners/parents had more control over their 2 dogs then their one son. The other son wasn't bothering anyone and I never heard him say a word at all. It is people that are like that and what you described in your experience that make it not fun for others and will cause people not to come. Very sad.
I am glad Josie is Ok!

If that would have been me the other dog "owner" wouldn't be walking very well right now...

I think my girls would LOVE to go to the dog park and get to run freely off leash. But there are a couple of problems with that: 1) We have no dog parks, 2) My girls do NOT always come when I call them, and 3) I couldn't trust the other dogs not to hurt my gentle giants. I guess, for now, we are better off walking on the leash and staying somewhat in control (although it often looks as if I am playing Twister when I try to walk the two of them together). We did have a great experience, letting them run free, at the beach last fall. Hardly anyone on the beach, and 4 Goldens, running freely in the water. It was a beautiful sight!

Did I get off topic or what?? Audrey, I'm so glad Jo is ok. You just never know, do you? :)

Logan, I thought the same thing.
Keegan doesn't come very well off leash. I was afraid if I took her there it would take me a week to catch her! But the first day she was around so many other dogs that she didn't know, she stuck right to my side. And whenever I called her she came right to me. But she has really came out of her shell since I have been taking her regularly.
She just has a ball!

We bring our 2 to the dog park every once ina while, we haven't since the last incident though. We were there and we hadn't even taken the dogs off their leashes when this huge dog comes running full force at Chester and wants to fight, Chester is not in the least aggressive and will usually cower but the way this dog came at him he didn't have time so he growled and had his hackles up well this other dog kept on coming and we were trying to drag Chester away while yelling at the owner to get their dog (they were quite far away and were not paying any attention, and than when she heard us made this gesture like it was our fault).

We were so ticked, so we didn't bother taking them off their leashes and walked them away. I just couldn't believe that this woman would just stand by while her dog did this. What if we had had a child with us, this dog would have knocked them down.

So now we haven't gone in a while. might try again soon though.

This rarly happens out there..I've only really experianced it twice, but It still happens..:[ Jo listens extremely well..she pretty much 100% of the time will listen and come. Zeke on the other hand..he won't..I'm hoping to break him of it..Guess you'll never know when you get a dog like that and an owner who doesn't care :[ How can you not care that your baby might get hurt?! It's sick really..