# Done with the dog park



## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

There has been 3 incidents in the past few weeks that leaves me feeling like there's no way to safely include my dog in play time with a group of other, especially unfamiliar, dogs.

Draco loves to play, but it takes him awhile to get comfortable with dogs. The dog park provides play time with other regulars, but also is a nice big area for him to run around off leash because I don't have a big yard.
Typically he is pretty tolerant, I've never seen him initiate a fight or bother a dog that expressed it's discomfort with other dogs. He will immediately back up when a dog snaps at him and he won't bother them at all after that.

First incident occurred when a group of 5 dogs were getting too obsessive over ONE ball, so I stepped in to pull Draco away until he calmed down. Another dog noticed this and decided it was a great time to nip at him and bark repeatedly in his face. after a little back and forth when he tried to tell her off it escalated and she bit him a couple times and he grabbed her by the hide, held on for maybe 10 seconds while I held him then he let go. Both had no injury. Neither dog seemed panicked at all during the whole thing either.

Second incident was very brief, just a small scuffle but the other dog had a scratch on his leg. Another fight over a ball.

Third incident was just it for me, I can't trust other people or their dogs and my dog just isn't the type to tolerate being aggressively bitten. Three dogs, including mine, having a blast when suddenly one of the other dogs gets a stick and runs with it, trips and it slams into the ground and jams into his mouth. He blames Draco who is probably 5 feet away running behind him, Draco has no idea what's going on but this dog is going after him because it thinks Draco did something horrible to hurt him. after about 5 seconds of this dog going at Draco's face he grabs the dogs hide. This time the other dog's owner jumps on Draco and starts hitting him and another owner is up in there and I have NO ROOM to grab my dog. I told the other owner to back up and grabbed my dog from this huge guy and get my parting stick in there and it's over. No one was hurt. Draco doesn't shake his head or repeatedly bite, he wan't the biting on him to stop so all he knows to do is grab the other dog's neck or shoulder hide so it can't bite him. Because backing up wasn't working, the dog kept after him.

No one was mad afterward and the other owner said his dog initiated it, but I will never understand how people can own dogs and lose their minds when a fight happens. I'm 5'2 and 20 years old and I'm trying to push 3 adult yelling/screaming men out of the way so I can grab my dog. Maybe I'm just too confident in my dog and knowing he won't actually hurt another dog? Where we used to live there were strays that would go after us and he did the same thing over and over, just held onto their hide for a little bit until they wanted to run away then he would let them go. It never went pass that. I purchased a parting stick to gain some control and it works great.

Life would be easier if people knew how to handle dog fights, but I get it, my dog's reaction wasn't ideal and I wish things were different. It would be irresponsible of me to continue going. I've seen many of you say GSDs aren't dog park dogs; I don't have a dog park dog and that's hard to admit.


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## le.tetrish (Aug 29, 2016)

Can i ask how old Draco is? I know a lot of members on here are against dog parks but Bane currently loves them (though we only go to one specific park that really is just an tiny island for the dogs to run free) I'm wondering if he will outgrow it when he gets older.


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## Julian G (Apr 4, 2016)

Dracovich said:


> There has been 3 incidents in the past few weeks that leaves me feeling like there's no way to safely include my dog in play time with a group of other, especially unfamiliar, dogs.
> 
> Draco loves to play, but it takes him awhile to get comfortable with dogs. The dog park provides play time with other regulars, but also is a nice big area for him to run around off leash because I don't have a big yard.
> Typically he is pretty tolerant, I've never seen him initiate a fight or bother a dog that expressed it's discomfort with other dogs. He will immediately back up when a dog snaps at him and he won't bother them at all after that.
> ...


Leerburg | Socializing Puppies a Pushy Puppy

What you're doing (taking him to dog parks) does more harm than good. It just teaches your dog to pay attention to other dogs and other humans.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

He may not hurt another dog now, but that could change. I made this mistake with my girl when she was young. It wasn't even a dog park but an unfenced conservation area where many people walked dogs and playgrounds sometimes spontaneously formed.

None of the incidents were instigated by my girl but it changed her. I'll never do it again with any dog of mine.

She was playing chase me with a pack of dogs, was one of her favorite things when she was young and spry and could literally outrun whippets. When she got tired she'd lay down and say "I give". 3 rhodesian ridgebacks circled around her when she laid down like they were going in for the kill, barking as if they had prey cornered. I panicked and ran into the middle of it to try and protect her, as did the ridgebacks' owner, and she did not get hurt, just scared, and it definitely took some years off my life.

Another time a stupid doodle started chasing her and she began screaming in fear, probably because of what happened with the other dogs, I called her to me because they were going too fast for me to do anything. She came to me but ran by because this dog was on her so I stepped in front of it and about got my leg broken. I had a HUGE hematoma on my leg afterward and couldn't get up for a minute.

Learned THAT lesson.

According to studies and speakers I have heard it does vary between parks and there are some that are okay, although the place where all this happened to my girl met all the criteria for a "good" park according to this speaker I heard who had done a study on it.

So, I'm good. My dogs no longer interact with unknown dogs.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

le.tetrish said:


> Can i ask how old Draco is? I know a lot of members on here are against dog parks but Bane currently loves them (though we only go to one specific park that really is just an tiny island for the dogs to run free) I'm wondering if he will outgrow it when he gets older.


He is 6, far beyond the puppy stage.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> So, I'm good. My dogs no longer interact with unknown dogs.


I KNOW things would get worse if I weren’t there to intervene, but yeah, I’m going to have to make more trips out to my parents to visit my Pyrenees (who I cannot bring with me yet due to rental policies.) We both miss her.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Yeah, it's too bad because dog parks could potentially be great. For some people, they are.

I don't know if our whole dog culture is just a little bit messed up...maybe the way we keep our dogs these days they have lost proper social skills? I don't know.

I have definitely heard the theory too that there is just no proper way for a dog to act in that situation, enclosed with a bunch of strange dogs and valuables to fight over. Basically a recipe for disaster


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> Yeah, it's too bad because dog parks could potentially be great. For some people, they are.
> 
> I don't know if our whole dog culture is just a little bit messed up...maybe the way we keep our dogs these days they have lost proper social skills? I don't know.
> 
> I have definitely heard the theory too that there is just no proper way for a dog to act in that situation, enclosed with a bunch of strange dogs and valuables to fight over. Basically a recipe for disaster


I feel like human social norms also get pushed onto dogs. Dogs can fight then be best friends a moment later, because that is their social norm, but not for humans because we're the ones who pay vet bills and don't like seeing our 'fur kids' fight. The third day I had my Pyr she launched at Draco to protect some deer guts she stole while my brother in law was cleaning his deer. He put her on the ground and she decided that she was done and they were back to playing just a few minutes later (when I threw out the guts, yuck.)


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Dracovich said:


> There has been 3 incidents in the past few weeks that leaves me feeling like there's no way to safely include my dog in play time with a group of other, especially unfamiliar, dogs.
> 
> Draco loves to play, but it takes him awhile to get comfortable with dogs. The dog park provides play time with other regulars, but also is a nice big area for him to run around off leash because I don't have a big yard.
> Typically he is pretty tolerant, I've never seen him initiate a fight or bother a dog that expressed it's discomfort with other dogs. He will immediately back up when a dog snaps at him and he won't bother them at all after that.
> ...


Three rules of a dog park:

1) No toys
2) No food
3) No dog fighting breeds

If any of these three show up, remove your dog immendiately.

Do not fault the men who helped with the dog fight. There may come a day when you need help with removing a dog fighting breed that is latched on to your dog and those same men will most likely be the ones to get the job done. There can be more to breaking up a dog fight than controlling or removing your dog.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Julian G said:


> Leerburg | Socializing Puppies a Pushy Puppy
> 
> What you're doing (taking him to dog parks) does more harm than good. It just teaches your dog to pay attention to other dogs and other humans.


Yes...and other young dogs can become DA as a result of yours. To me the first incident is a red light to stay out of dog parks with a particular dog. OP, thanks for being responsible. Dogs don't really need other dogs to thrive. It is the result of being domesticated :wink2:


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Three rules of a dog park:
> 
> 1) No toys
> 2) No food
> ...


It’s not worth worrying about. I’ll just have to find some other places to go have fun with my pup without unknown dogs, especially a number of them. 

Grabbing dogs is great, it gains control, but hitting dogs I feel only feeds into it and makes the dog hold on harder. Not to mention two of these men were on the verge of uncontrollably sobbing. The main thing I would have preferred was for everyone to remain composed and think logically, but when someone isn’t very experienced with dogs the reaction they had was perfectly natural, but no less frustrating. I in no way blame any of the owners for what happened, when he saw his dog attacking mine he immediately tried to intervene but they were too far. We both had apologized to each other after it was over and no one was angry. There can be more to a dog fight, yes, especially when both dogs are equally motivated to attack. My responsibility is to focus on my dog and when I am unable to get to him I cannot properly handle the situation.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Dracovich said:


> It’s not worth worrying about. I’ll just have to find some other places to go have fun with my pup without unknown dogs, especially a number of them.
> 
> Grabbing dogs is great, it gains control, but hitting dogs I feel only feeds into it and makes the dog hold on harder. Not to mention two of these men were on the verge of uncontrollably sobbing. The main thing I would have preferred was for everyone to remain composed and think logically, but when someone isn’t very experienced with dogs the reaction they had was perfectly natural, but no less frustrating. I in no way blame any of the owners for what happened, when he saw his dog attacking mine he immediately tried to intervene but they were too far. We both had apologized to each other after it was over and no one was angry. There can be more to a dog fight, yes, especially when both dogs are equally motivated to attack. My responsibility is to focus on my dog and when I am unable to get to him I cannot properly handle the situation.


Your problem was not unknown dogs in any of those incidents, but in two of the times it was toys, the third was a terrible accident. Why blame the dog park? Why not just remove your dog when the toys come out?


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Your problem was not unknown dogs in any of those incidents, but in two of the times it was toys, the third was a terrible accident. Why blame the dog park? Why not just remove your dog when the toys come out?


Because there are tons of balls are the park, it's connected to a tennis court where the players throw their old balls in the dog park. It's not a matter of blame, I just don't know what to expect from other dogs and their owners and it makes the situation risky. I can't tell people not to bring balls to the park or tell them they shouldn't bring their chuckits, that's the whole reason a lot of people go there. I don't think anyone is to blame, I don't blame the other dogs either they weren't acting unnaturally.

I would just rather play it on the safe side and take my dog places other than dog parks.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

Dracovich said:


> Not to mention two of these men were on the verge of uncontrollably sobbing.


 Lol. This made me laugh pretty good.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

Have you thought about joining some sort of club. Agility, flyball, SCH, tracking, etc... It gives the dog something to do. But it's structured.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

cdwoodcox said:


> Have you thought about joining some sort of club. Agility, flyball, SCH, tracking, etc... It gives the dog something to do. But it's structured.


My dog is 110 lbs, definitely not agile enough for agility or flyball. I've spoken to a local reputable trainer who does SCH, I just have not pursued it. Tracking also interests me but I've not been able to find a reputable trainer to help me with that. I should get back in contact with the Sch trainer though, I think Draco has the proper drive for that (definitely has the grip) and he would benefit from it. Is 6 too old though? I know this trainer trains all ages, but I can't get past the feeling that he is too old to learn a sport.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Dracovich said:


> Because there are tons of balls are the park, it's connected to a tennis court where the players throw their old balls in the dog park. It's not a matter of blame, I just don't know what to expect from other dogs and their owners and it makes the situation risky. I can't tell people not to bring balls to the park or tell them they shouldn't bring their chuckits, that's the whole reason a lot of people go there. I don't think anyone is to blame, I don't blame the other dogs either they weren't acting unnaturally.
> 
> I would just rather play it on the safe side and take my dog places other than dog parks.


That is understandable. But don't blame the dog park itself. Dog parks are supposed to be a place for dogs to run and play together and have fun, and most do.

I just hate to see the dog park getting the bad rap when it is misused for other purposes such as people playing ball with their dogs.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

Dracovich said:


> My dog is 110 lbs, definitely not agile enough for agility or flyball. I've spoken to a local reputable trainer who does SCH, I just have not pursued it. Tracking also interests me but I've not been able to find a reputable trainer to help me with that. I should get back in contact with the Sch trainer though, I think Draco has the proper drive for that (definitely has the grip) and he would benefit from it. Is 6 too old though? I know this trainer trains all ages, but I can't get past the feeling that he is too old to learn a sport.


I wouldn't worry too much about it. Even if he only gets an BH or IPO 1 it would be good for him. If nothing else let him train and work obedience, protection, and tracking. You don't have to work him hours a day just do it as a hobby.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Leonbergers are 160 pounds and they can do agility. If your dog is overweight, it is best to get that in hand first. But there is no reason why a fit 110 pound dog could not have fun learning the obstacles and going through agility courses. Is he going to win at a trial? probably not. Trials are like one one hundredth of actually working a dog in any venue. The point is not the ribbon or title, the point is the relationship between dog and handler.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

cdwoodcox said:


> I wouldn't worry too much about it. Even if he only gets an BH or IPO 1 it would be good for him. If nothing else let him train and work obedience, protection, and tracking. You don't have to work him hours a day just do it as a hobby.


Isn't it hard to get a BH or IPO 1? By hard, I don't mean impossible, but my impression was that it is not something that just any dog off the street could do. Training just to get the mental exercise would be a different story, of course, although my understanding was that some training clubs would prefer to only include dogs that have potential to title. I might be wrong on that.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

selzer said:


> Leonbergers are 160 pounds and they can do agility. If your dog is overweight, it is best to get that in hand first. But there is no reason why a fit 110 pound dog could not have fun learning the obstacles and going through agility courses. Is he going to win at a trial? probably not. Trials are like one one hundredth of actually working a dog in any venue. The point is not the ribbon or title, the point is the relationship between dog and handler.


He lost 20 lbs since last year and the vet has said he is at a healthy weight now. He could be leaner, but my main goal was to get him healthy in the least. The ONLY agility trainer in my area is one I took basic obedience from when my dog was 5-6 months old and the trainers dog attempted to attack mine and a couple others from her crate when the class was doing circles practicing proper walking on leashes. Resulted in being yelled at by the trainer. She also sprays no chew directly into dog's mouth for bad behavior, of which it part of went into their eyes and I saw several dogs leave with bloodshot eyes. Point being I do not trust the only agility trainer in my area.

I like the idea of tracking and sch though.


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## cliffson1 (Sep 2, 2006)

I don't think that dog parks are bad, but it doesn't mean that it's good for all dogs. Besides food, toys, and balls, the other problem with dog parks are the inability of you to account for the other dogs in the park. I do private lessons at a large Pet resort daycare in major city. They daily have groups of five and ten of the small dogs that have play time together. And there are some medium sized dogs of non aggressive type that also are mixed in sometimes. They would never let five to ten unfamiliar GS or Rottweilers, or Mals run loose together to play. Is it logistically possible.....of course, but are the odds better than fifty/fifty that something will kick off....yep, so they exercise these dogs individually. Now these people have forgot more about managing multiple dogs than me, so I presume they don't make rules out of liking or not liking exercise yard. The last piece is when larger dogs ( really any dogs) become engaged in conflict, very bad stuff can happen....like folks getting bit, ears being bit off, infection from bites, and other things. 
So, no a dog park isn't bad for many dogs, but common sense and breed awareness should be part of judgement. ANY dog fight with adult GS is potential for severe consequences.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

I want to state that I believe dog parks have a good purpose and the issue I have is with my own dog and the combination of him and dogs I cannot predict, not the park itself.



cliffson1 said:


> So, no a dog park isn't bad for many dogs, but common sense and breed awareness should be part of judgement. ANY dog fight with adult GS is potential for severe consequences.


This is why I said I just don't have a dog park dog. There are many people who can go without incident, but I don't have the kind of dog who will take excessive face biting without reaction. I think dog parks are great, but there's too much room for accidents to happen, and they are often misused.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

MineAreWorkingline said:


> Your problem was not unknown dogs in any of those incidents, but in two of the times it was toys, the third was a terrible accident. Why blame the dog park? Why not just remove your dog when the toys come out?


The problem is that I have never seen no toys at a dog park. There are always multiple balls, frisbees, and water toys if swimming is available. 

So unless the dog parks ban toys from the dog parks, they will always be there.

It goes back to common sense with the owners. 

I will never bring Midnite or Apollo to a dog park, they would never put up with another dog attacking them of nipping at them. I do take Robyn and she has been present while other dogs were fighting, but she stayed in the water playing fetch. I have removed Robyn when certain dogs come because they are just awful. Robyn met a senior male GSD the last time we were there, he got snippy, she put him in his place without injury and I did let her know that it wasn't acceptable--we respect seniors in our home.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

WateryTart said:


> Isn't it hard to get a BH or IPO 1? By hard, I don't mean impossible, but my impression was that it is not something that just any dog off the street could do. Training just to get the mental exercise would be a different story, of course, although my understanding was that some training clubs would prefer to only include dogs that have potential to title. I might be wrong on that.


 Yes, it is a lot of work. And no not every dog off the street will be able to do it. But, if I were starting off with a six year old dog and the dog had the drives and temperament that would be a good goal. The OP looks young. If they like the sport they will have many years and different dogs to title. I find it best when starting something new to set attainable goals then push farther if possible. Simplifies things and doesn't seem so overwhelming.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

cdwoodcox said:


> Yes, it is a lot of work. And no not every dog off the street will be able to do it. But, if I were starting off with a six year old dog and the dog had the drives and temperament that would be a good goal. The OP looks young. If they like the sport they will have many years and different dogs to title. I find it best when starting something new to set attainable goals then push farther if possible. Simplifies things and doesn't seem so overwhelming.


I'm 20 and I do intend to raise dogs to compete in SCH, and the french ring really interests me. When I got my dog at 14 it wasn't really an attainable goal, being so young, I guess I figured protection work was in my future just not with Draco. In the least I should have him assessed by the trainer to know for sure if he even has the potential for that.


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## GypsyGhost (Dec 29, 2014)

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Dracovich said:


> I'm 20 and I do intend to raise dogs to compete in SCH, and the french ring really interests me. When I got my dog at 14 it wasn't really an attainable goal, being so young, I guess I figured protection work was in my future just not with Draco. In the least I should have him assessed by the trainer to know for sure if he even has the potential for that.


You can always shoot for a BH, learn the foundations of the obedience portion, and do only obedience and tracking if Draco doesn't have what it takes for bitework. A BH takes a lot of dedication to achieve, of course, but I would think most dogs with a solid temperament could do it. An IPO1 may end up being too lofty a goal, but if you have a trainer that is willing to do the work with you, it may not be out of the question, somewhere down the line.


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## Liffey (Jan 12, 2017)

My dog sounds like yours. Not a "dog park dog" but not aggressive or unfriendly. I take him to the local dog park with his best friend (a black GSD) and I find that having a friend already set up for him to play with helps. 

I have seen incidents like you describe, a lot. My dog was involved with one the other day - nobody got hurt but it sounded like a dog fight and I ended up hauling a 45lb pit bull off of him by its collar (huge no-no, but I reacted instinctively since the pit's owner was not even closeby or paying attention). The pit bull was repeatedly jumping at my dog's face with his mouth open, despite my dog sending very clear signals to back off. Eventually it escalated into a tornado of fur and growling and when I was able to drag the pit bull away, my dog removed himself from the situation. In hindsight I should have left the park before it got out of hand, but I was with my friend who is the owner of my dog's best friend, and they were playing nicely. I feel like we all have these stories. 

Your decision to stay away from dog parks is fine and understandable. I have found that my dog seems to enjoy visiting with the people at dog parks more so than the dogs. He has a couple of "regulars" as friends but otherwise I think that my dog would be just as happy, if not happier, walking around and smelling things. 

I would rather have a slightly bored dog, or a dog with too much energy, than a dog who has been traumatized or gotten into fights or otherwise had a detrimental dog park experience.

One pet peeve about dog parks... STOP. BRINGING. EFFING. TENNIS BALLS. I wish I could throw all of the toys and balls at the dog park in the dumpster (okay, donate to an animal shelter)! My dog is incredibly possessive of tennis balls and it took me a good 3 months to train him to ignore them at the dog park. One of my proudest accomplishments with him!! I have seen tennis balls start so many fights or scuffles and no matter how many times I throw them over the fence they seem to just keep reappearing out of the ground.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

llombardo said:


> The problem is that I have never seen no toys at a dog park. There are always multiple balls, frisbees, and water toys if swimming is available.
> 
> So unless the dog parks ban toys from the dog parks, they will always be there.
> 
> ...


Not the parks in my area, people learn fast. If they come in with food, toys or dog fighting breeds, everybody else leaves. If they turn around and leave immediately because everybody else left, everybody else turns around and goes back in. You can tell by the look on their faces they are getting it.


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## cdwoodcox (Jul 4, 2015)

They put a dog park in my small town. I took the dogs down once. There were no other dogs there. But I got the feeling that they had claimed the park as theirs and if another dog had showed up it would have been no different than a dog entering out yard. Maybe it would have been different if it was just one of my dogs. We just don't go.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

There are 4 dog parks in my area, the one I went to regularly is the worst for tennis balls, especially considering the tennis court literally 5 feet from the fence to the dog park. It's also the busiest. 

I don't know, would it be irresponsible of me to just go to a different park with no toys and less dogs, considering the experiences I've already had? I don't think my dog is vicious, I'm sure you all know the damage a GSD can do if they really meant harm. 99% of the time he is having a great time and he has a solid recall. This last experience was only yesterday, maybe I'm just shaken up from watching a 250 sum lb man beat on my dog preventing me from helping.


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## maxtmill (Dec 28, 2010)

Dracovich said:


> There has been 3 incidents in the past few weeks that leaves me feeling like there's no way to safely include my dog in play time with a group of other, especially unfamiliar, dogs.
> 
> Draco loves to play, but it takes him awhile to get comfortable with dogs. The dog park provides play time with other regulars, but also is a nice big area for him to run around off leash because I don't have a big yard.
> Typically he is pretty tolerant, I've never seen him initiate a fight or bother a dog that expressed it's discomfort with other dogs. He will immediately back up when a dog snaps at him and he won't bother them at all after that.
> ...


I would rather avoid dog parks!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Why not find a quieter place to exercise your dog? Does he really need to interact with dogs to be happy? Though I know in a larger city that is hard to do often, but I personally would not bring my dog to a place where negative incidents seem to continually happen.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Dracovich said:


> My dog is 110 lbs, definitely not agile enough for agility or flyball. I've spoken to a local reputable trainer who does SCH, I just have not pursued it. Tracking also interests me but I've not been able to find a reputable trainer to help me with that. I should get back in contact with the Sch trainer though, I think Draco has the proper drive for that (definitely has the grip) and he would benefit from it. Is 6 too old though? I know this trainer trains all ages, but I can't get past the feeling that he is too old to learn a sport.


There is also AKC tracking. Many tracking clubs do a spring beginners clinic so if you check around now you might be able to get signed up for one. I train with two different AKC tracking clubs. It's a great sport for older dogs, although currently I am only doing it with my younger dog

Both clubs that I train with...the money is negligible....it's like $15 membership in the one group for the practice season, and $10 each time you attend a practice. I think my state's club yearly fee was like $50. I get to train with AKC tracking judges in both groups.


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## giebel (Jul 28, 2016)

I'm not a fan of dog off leash parks. To many latte drinking hipsters standing around socializing and not paying attention to their dog in my area. i did it once when my dog was young and that was enough. Packs of dogs running around and no one paying attention and giving corrections.Treats and toys a big no. A huge accident waiting to happen. I did bring my dog to parks where dogs had to be on leash and it was in a controlled safe environment. My dog always preferred one to one meet ups with other dogs , when it was 2 dogs on my one it was a recipe for possible disaster. Also dogs off leash wanting to approach my dog on leash was a big no.You made the right decision.
Join a local club with responsible owners is my best advice.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I once watched as a large male GSD tried to put the kill bite on the neck of a small lap dog. The owner was standing drinking coffee with some friends, and totally oblivious. The lap dog's owner grabbed him up, and the GSD tried to rip him out of her arms. 

When she finally shooed him away, he went after MY young GSD pup, and tried to grab her by the neck. I grabbed his collar to pull him away, and he tried to bite me. 

That did it! I put the boots to him.

That FINALLY got the owner's attention! Mama Bear was on the warpath, and descended on me screaming....how DARE I kick her murderous B****D of a dog??

He was a rescue, so of course, that let him off the hook, in her eyes.

I also made the mistake one day of taking my fanny pack with some treats in it into the park. Not that I was planning to USE the treats, but it was just something I wore when I took my dog out. I also had other things in the bag: poop bags, spare change, keys and a ball.

I immediately became the slavish focus of attention from a beagle/bassett mix, who followed me around the park, drooling. His owner could NOT get him to stop fixating on me, and I kept tripping over him and was very annoyed. So was HIS owner, who yelled at me for bringing treats into the park...

He eventually gave up, and took his dog home!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

giebel said:


> I'm not a fan of dog off leash parks. To many latte drinking hipsters standing around socializing and not paying attention to their dog in my area. i did it once when my dog was young and that was enough. Packs of dogs running around and no one paying attention and giving corrections.Treats and toys a big no. A huge accident waiting to happen. I did bring my dog to parks where dogs had to be on leash and it was in a controlled safe environment. My dog always preferred one to one meet ups with other dogs , when it was 2 dogs on my one it was a recipe for possible disaster. Also dogs off leash wanting to approach my dog on leash was a big no.You made the right decision.
> Join a local club with responsible owners is my best advice.


I still get a kick out of this sketch:


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

LOL! Yes, some people don't belong in a dog park.


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## ksotto333 (Aug 3, 2011)

onyx'girl said:


> I still get a kick out of this sketch:
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9S-Dt2tWf4


That was so funny, loved it. Our local dog park definitely has certain hours that it's empty. I would take Tess during those times before her recall was perfected. We'd just leave if others showed up.


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## Nurse Bishop (Nov 20, 2016)

I only take Inga to the dog park to proof her, and only when one side is empty. I put her through her paces in spite of the seething chaos on the other side of the fence, especially to ignore the fence fighters. It is a great place to proof a dog under heavy distraction.


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## Chip18 (Jan 11, 2014)

Sunsilver said:


> That did it! I put the boots to him.
> 
> 
> I immediately became the slavish focus of attention from a beagle/bassett mix, who followed me around the park, drooling. His owner could NOT get him to stop fixating on me, and I kept tripping over him and was very annoyed. So was HIS owner, who yelled at me for bringing treats into the park...
> ...


Sorry that happened but People also underestimate how clueless a lot of "Dog Park" owners are. Most likely the truly lame "Dog Parker's" load there dogs up and head to "Petco" to buy more dog park toys to leave at the "Park" on there next adventure??

But ... the Basset mix ... "LOL" "Rocky and I on our second venture to our local Dog Park (proofing thing) he does not play with others he just follows me. But ... we got tracked/followed by a "Basset hound!" I really did not want them to meet, but there was a brief meeting went fine and we went on our way walking along and guess who followed! 

The dog was harmless and cute "Rocky" did not want to play and the "Basset" was good with that but he was like well ..."i'm going to follow you guys. And that he did, he just plodded along behind us step by step and your just not gonna lose a "Basset Hound" on your trail in the confines of a "Dog Park." 

Not a tale of "trouble or tragedy" just an interesting observation. I have always been fond of "Basset's" since childhood but never got one.


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## Dracovich (Feb 24, 2017)

I want to thank you all for not tongue thrashing me and telling me my dog is vicious or unmanageable. I've had people tell me he should be euthanized because he can't be trusted with chickens. I'm glad I found this forum where people here know that dogs are dogs not humans!

He's a rough old guy and we both had had bad experiences with stray dogs. He is great with puppies and kids and that's the part I see of him


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## kimbale (Mar 7, 2017)

Dracovich said:


> I want to thank you all for not tongue thrashing me and telling me my dog is vicious or unmanageable. I've had people tell me he should be euthanized because he can't be trusted with chickens. I'm glad I found this forum where people here know that dogs are dogs not humans!
> 
> He's a rough old guy and we both had had bad experiences with stray dogs. He is great with puppies and kids and that's the part I see of him


I get the same comments about my girl, which is ridiculous because she is an absolute sweetheart. Loves puppies, loves kids and is incredibly gentle with them. However, because she's a GSD she is very very vocal when she plays with dogs her size and owners often mistake her play for aggression. I try to explain that she is mouthing, not biting, and that the sounds she is making is just her having a good time (as are the other dogs that are playing with her.) If people want to own a dog they need to do some studying up on dog behavior. So many uneducated owners think that the tiniest growl means that dog is vicious.

Honestly, to the uneducated you'd think my GSD and my dad's lab were trying to kill one another when they play. They just play rough. lol!


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