Hey Woofa’s,

I’ve personally never taken any of my dogs to a dog park!

Because I’ve only ever owned Staffordshire Bull Terriers and they get shamed A LOT!

As well as I just don’t trust the other dog owners.

Mostly because the ones I’ve seen are never watching what their dog is getting up to.

They’re too busy chatting or on their phones!

And this is an issue when you’ve got a lot of different dogs running around together with heightened energy.

 

DOG PARK CONS!

 

1. When there’s no separation for dog sizes.

You definitely need a big dog park area and a small dog park area.

Some small dogs can feel intimidated by the bigger dog, even if they are friendly and only wanting to play.

It’s purely size related.

AND a bigger dog can cause accidental injuries to a much smaller dog.

Bigger dogs can tend to play a bit rougher than the smaller ones also.

 

2. Other dog owners!

As stated above, many dog owners are not paying attention to their dog at the dog park.

They’re not reading their dog’s behaviour or watching their play.

Does their dog feel intimidated by another dog, or is it being picked on by a few dogs?

Is their dog doing the bullying tactics?

Is their dog standing around the entrance and not letting new dogs come in?

By not paying attention to their dog or reading their dog’s body language correctly, it can cause issues such as potential fights.

 

3.  How well the dog park is looked after?

I’ve seen one dog park in our area and it didn’t look overly cared for.

Hardly any grass, not sure if other dog’s poop was picked up etc.

If there was grass it was really high and not mowed!

I didn’t see any areas for water.

Or separate entry and exits so dogs don’t have to pass each other etc.

How close are the entry and exists to the main road, is there a decent car park?

 

4.  Who is at fault if there is an incident?

This would be my worse nightmare if something broke out at the dog park as in a fight.

And injuries occurred how do you rectify it?

One of my customers had their Spoodle at the dog park recently.

He was playing with a Border Collie and play must’ve got rough (but still playing) and they knocked heads.

The Spoodle started have a seizure at the dog park.

So they rushed him to the Vet and now he’s potentially going to suffer from seizures for the rest of his life!!!

And this was from playing!

 

5. Owners who can’t read their dog’s behaviour!

This is one of my main concerns, people who are taking overly anxious dogs to the dog park and aren’t reading this behaviour.

This may over stimulate the anxious dog and cause it to lash out because it’s all too much to handle.

If the dogs already in the park all rush over to this anxious dog at the same time, it’s going to feel intimidated.

 

6. Other dog’s toys!

If someone has their dog at the dog park and they’re playing with a ball or tug-o-war, is your dog going to chase that ball too!

I remember years ago we took Henry to a dog beach, and he was playing around and all of a sudden he stopped and took off.

Another woman further down the beach had thrown her dog a ball.  Henry loved chasing balls.

He was off and he actually beat the other dog to the ball and took it and ran off.

We eventually managed to catch up and remove the ball from him and hand it back, however we did get a few dirty looks.

In a confined space this may not go down so well.

 

 

7. Your dog could come home completely dirty!

I’ve had dogs come into the grooming salon having been at the dog park and they are very dirty.

 

DOG PARK PROS!

 

1. Good socialisation for your dog!

Dog parks can be great for socialising your dog.

However, make sure your dog is playing with similar sized dogs.

And that they are introduced correctly.

 

2. Be a good owner!

If you watch what your dog is doing and can read their behaviour then all should be good.

If you see that their behaviour has changed or your dog feels intimidated then remove them from the situation.

This will prevent anything escalating.

 

3. Your dog may find some good mates to hang with!

If your dog is an only dog at home, it’s good for them to safely get out and play with other dogs.

Sometimes we can humanise our dogs too much, so it’s good for them to safely mix with their own kind.

 

4.  Great exercise!

If you’re time poor, this can be a great way to exercise your dog.

Running around safely with other dogs their own size.

 

I don’t have a lot of experience with dog parks, however these are the things that I think about regarding them.

I’ve had customers tell me their stories at dog parks, some have been good stories and others not so good.

In the long term you have to do what’s right for your dog.

I know Billy would hate being at a dog park, too much over stimulation for him, so we don’t take him.

 

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN!

You have to do what’s right for your own dog when it comes to taking them to a dog park or not.

Maybe visit the dog park first before taking your dog with you, just to get an idea of what it’s like.

Bottom line is, be a responsible dog owner.  Introduce your dog slowly and watch for any changes in their behaviour.

 

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCE AT THE DOG PARK HAS BEEN LIKE?