Originally posted by Twisterdog
Well, honestly ... since you asked ... I think dog parks are a bad, bad idea.

Sure, sure, some dogs have fun, some play well, etc. etc. I'm sure dozens of people are going to respond with stories to refute what I said.

However ... the people and dogs you met and the stories you told are so very common. The sad fact of the matter is that there is always at least one rotten apple in the barrel at any time.

Do you really think that every person in a dog park knows how to train a dog? Knows how to control a dog? Do you really think that every person in the dog park has kept their dogs vaccinations up to date? Has had a fecal sample checked for worms?

Every time you go in a dog park, you are trusting the health, safety and very life of your beloved pets to a bunch of strangers. What if her chow mix had killed the pug, while she was still running to catch up?

I have small dogs, so I take these points very seriously. I will NOT trust my dogs' lives to people I don't know. A large portion of the general public are morons, I'm sorry to say.

My son's friend's chocolate lab was killed by two pit bulls at a park, right in front of him. Nothing anyone could do. One of my customers shih tzus was killed by a malamute ... a malamute with extensive obedience training, BTW. It happens.

Not worth it to me. I'll take my dogs somewhere else any day. I will never use a dog park. I can exercise, entertain and socialize my dogs without them being in danger.
You took the words right out of my mouth. I have to say though, that I really enjoyed the park we went to for the TX PT meeting. Dogs were allowed, but had to be on a leash. I was much more comfortable with that, and I'm grateful to Aly for finding a lovely park to accommodate my needs.