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?