Offleash Park question

[bckrazy]

I don't think anyone should freak out at you at all. But, I wouldn't do it. A rule at both dog parks I go to is to remove your dogs leash in the entrace area between 2 gates. Not only will other dogs pick on your dog much more with him being on a leash, your dog is much more prone to get defensive. On leash, HE is attached to YOU, and he most likely feels the need to protect you. He also can't get away if he only has 6 feet to run and a hyper puppy is barreling into him. Not only that, but a dog's posture when he's straining on-leash (even if he means to be friendly) can appear rigid and aggressive and could start a fight out of nothing. At our Obedience classes, we couldn't allow our dogs to even sniff each other on-leash, but they were allowed to play off-leash in a fenced area.

Gonzo is much more snarky with other dogs on-leash than he is off. If he's off, he'll just ignore an annoying dog... if he's on, he has no escape from them!! Which, in turn, can lead to a tiff.

[Rachel]

I don't think anyone should freak out at you at all. But, I wouldn't do it. A rule at both dog parks I go to is to remove your dogs leash in the entrace area between 2 gates. Not only will other dogs pick on your dog much more with him being on a leash, your dog is much more prone to get defensive. On leash, HE is attached to YOU, and he most likely feels the need to protect you. He also can't get away if he only has 6 feet to run and a hyper puppy is barreling into him. Not only that, but a dog's posture when he's straining on-leash (even if he means to be friendly) can appear rigid and aggressive and could start a fight out of nothing. At our Obedience classes, we couldn't allow our dogs to even sniff each other on-leash, but they were allowed to play off-leash in a fenced area.

Gonzo is much more snarky with other dogs on-leash than he is off. If he's off, he'll just ignore an annoying dog... if he's on, he has no escape from them!! Which, in turn, can lead to a tiff.

This has been my experience with Tucker as well. When I first took him to the dog park where it wasn't completely fenced in, I kept him on a leash and he too was snarky with the other dogs he met. I was very doubtful about whether he would be able to go to a dog park off leash, but he had been good with other dogs in our fenced back yard, so that had me wondering. When the fenced in dog park opened and we took him there and let him off leash, he got along just fine. Everything BC says really applys to my Tucker as well, so I'm thinking that there are dogs who do better off leash than on in such a setting.

[.sarah]

This has been my experience with Tucker as well. When I first took him to the dog park where it wasn't completely fenced in, I kept him on a leash and he too was snarky with the other dogs he met. I was very doubtful about whether he would be able to go to a dog park off leash, but he had been good with other dogs in our fenced back yard, so that had me wondering. When the fenced in dog park opened and we took him there and let him off leash, he got along just fine. Everything BC says really applys to my Tucker as well, so I'm thinking that there are dogs who do better off leash than on in such a setting.

That's odd and I've never looked at it that way. Thanks!

[grybai]

At my obediance class the instructor also recommended always having dogs meet each other off leash for the reasons bckrazy described.

[finn's mom]

Yeah, I think it's a better idea for the dog to be off leash at a dog park. For the reasons already described. Just like with most other things, though, it's better to politely explain to people why it's better than to be mean about it. The last time Finn went to a dog park, I had to leash him because he was just behaving badly and I didn't want him running around, causing problems. But, normally, he'd always be off leash. I don't think I'd take him if he had to stay leashed. But, if it works for you and it's not breaking the rules of the dog park, then go for it. From what I've seen at parks, the leashed dogs get picked on more than any others.

[lv4dogs]

I agree with everyone and their reasons about NOT leashing the dog.

My dogs are WAY more subbmissive OFF leash. There's no way I' personally would walk into an offleash park with my dogs on a leash.

[4 Dog Mother]

We have also found that dogs tend to be a little more defensive when leashed. It seems to work better if they are off leash but as Anna said if you know your dog has problems it would be better to keep them on leash. Sometimes when there is a new dog, I will leash Dazzi until she meets the new dog one on one and if she doesn't react then I let her off the leash again. There is also something about the way they enter the park - all the dogs have to come meet the new one, sniff each other, check each other out and if that one is on a leash, he/she can feel overwhelmed by the numerous greetings and get defensive.

At one of the Pet Talk meetings, there was quite a number of huskies and as a pack they wanted to chase Pippi (a small Jack Russell mix) - one of them in particular put her on the defensive. She was scared and so was I - so I kept her leashed until I could take her home later.

On the other hand, some dog owners who only have one don't understand how dogs play and they are afraid to let their dogs loose. Two of my dogs have grown up together (Taggert and Snoopy) and so they get very rough with each other (or so it looks like) and snarl and growl and chase and grab. But they don't do it with other dogs. They will try to get other dogs to play and chase them though and a dog on a leash can be a problem if the owner is always worried that one of the other dogs are going to attack theirs when the dogs are just being curious and not going to hurt theirs at all.

The bottom line is that I would do whatever feels comfortable to you - you know your dog best and not worry about what others say.

[elizabethann]

When Fenway goes to the dog park, I always take his leash off.

[CagneyDog]

Thanks for your replies He usually is offleash but he hasn’t been listening to anything lately and I thought it would be better to keep him on a leash. This is some interesting information.

[IRescue452]

Pepper has to stay on a leash becase she is deaf. People occasionally ask, but they don't freak out.

[tricollie4me]

Interesting thread. Bijou is very friendly but submissive when off-leash - she'll engage play with every dog she sees but lets them know almost immediately - through her play - that she can be dominated. She's also much more likely to simply plod along and sniff and investigate independently when she's off-leash at the dog park. When on-leash (at least for walks in the neighborhood, I haven't taken her to the dog park on-leash) she's enormously intense about getting to other dogs, people, squirrels, fluff, whatever's moving! She strains at her leash and leaps up on her hind feet. Now, she's just one year of age so she'll settle down, I'm sure, but if she were to meet dogs at the dog park like she interacts with dogs when she's on-leash, there would be barking and challenges and all kinds of "different" behaviors than when they can simply roam, sniff, trot along for a few yards together and then do something else. I sometimes feel anxious when I'm at the dog park, to be honest, because I don't know any of the other dogs or their owners and I have to hope that their dogs are friendly and curious like mine, but I try to go anyway, and give Bijou some "normal" doggie exposure. She doesn't ever appear scared or angry, so I try to follow her cues and stay very close to her when we're there. I always wear her leash around my neck so if I should need to leash her immediately I can. It's a tough call.

You might consider making a little badge to wear (you know those dorky, "Hello, my name is..." type badges?) - yours could say, "Pup in training" so that folks understand your decision to keep your dog on leash.