# Dog park incident with puppy



## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

I just wanted to share this story to vent a little bit and also potentially warn other owners here about public dog parks. For starters, just don't go to them. Even if the people there have good intentions, they're often unable or unwilling to control their dogs if something happens. Today I took my 4 month old GSD puppy to the dog park. He has been around other dogs a few times now and had no issues. I had to go to work and wanted to give him a good workout before being crated for a bit. Anyways, we spent about an hour there with no issues. Towards the end of our experience, some lady walked in with a husky mix and a great dane. My pup was too focused on fetch as he always is when we go to the dog park, as that is mostly what we do, and paid them no mind. Eventually I began to notice the husky kept wanting to chase my pup. I would throw the ball and the husky would run as my pup chased the ball, but not for the ball, rather for my pup. Anyway, on my last throw I began to notice the husky running over to him and I could see this would become an issue, so I started running over there. Before I knew it the husky had my pup pinned to the ground and he began yelping out for help. I continued running over there and, seeing the owner was several yards behind us and simply walking up slowly yelling "stop it!" I grabbed the husky's collar and yanked it away. I scooped up my pup and he continued to whine and yelp even after I had snatched the husky off. When I was holding him he had his tail tucked between his legs and continued to whimper. There was no blood, ripped fur, or any other signs of bite marks so I assume the husky simply pinned my poor pup. I sat him down inside the dog park, and the husky as well as the great dane ran up to him. I smacked their faces away (at this point not caring what the owner had to say) and picked him up to leave. The husky ran up to us again and I shoved it with my knee, then it finally backed off.

After this experience, I don't know how my dog will be. He has always been an ultra-confident puppy. He was the biggest one of his litter and would often run up to any dog he encountered confidently to play. I feel terrible about this incident and I feel like an idiot for going to the dog park after being warned by other owners that they're not good places for your GSD. I neglected the advice because I wanted him to get a good workout in before I went to work and be happy. I'm personally just hoping this has not ruined his confidence. When we got home I played around with him and he seemed fine. He was nipping at my hands like he always does when I begin to play with him, chasing balls, and running up to me and barking. Anyway, the lesson here is that dog parks are often filled with unpredictable dogs and ignorant and/or careless owners who you cannot rely on to handle their own dogs, and taking your GSD there, especially as a puppy, is potentially setting him/her up for failure.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

I think you will find that many agree.

We pass a dog park on our walking loop and sometimes there is very stressful stuff going on. One time a dog had another one pinned to the ground- the “ underdog” was making high-pitched distress noises and the “ top dog” was snarling. The owners were standing in a circle around them and one lady was saying, “stop it. Stop it.” I can’t believe what people allow their dogs to do. There is a general ignorance about what is dog play and what isn’t. People need to watch videos of dog play so they can tell when their Fluffy is out of line. If the other dog is in distress, call your dog away! But nobody’s dog listens or recalls - that’s probably what scares me the most.

For socializing, Better to go for a walk with another nice known dog or have a play date!


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

Agreed on all points. The worst part (other than your dog potentially being hurt) is the awkward feeling of having to handle someone else's dog because they cant or wont do it themselves. I don't want to be grabbing a strange dog and pulling it away from another one


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Actually the problem was most likely the ball. Toys and treats are both big no nos in dog parks. They cause a lot of dog fights.

If you choose to be fair and give dog parks a chance, take your dog in and let him play with other dogs. He will get a good work out.


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

Perhaps when he is older but at this point he is far too young and uncoordinated, and there are too many uncontrollable dogs with apprehensive owners, from everything i've seen (and this seems to be forum consensus)


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Marley94 said:


> Agreed on all points. The worst part (other than your dog potentially being hurt) is the awkward feeling of having to handle someone else's dog because they cant or wont do it themselves. I don't want to be grabbing a strange dog and pulling it away from another one


You should not take your puppy, at any age, to a public dog park if you feel awkward about stepping in and managing a situation with ANY dog that is getting out of hand or bullying another dog. It isn't awkward, it's essential...it takes a village. 

Everyone there should be willing to intervene if needed, even if your dog is not involved! 

I once stopped at a new dog park and there were 80+ dogs there. Walking around I broke up several sniffles between dogs I'd never seen before, and probably never will again. It's not awkward! BUT DON'T GRAB THEM! That's a great way to get stitches.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Marley94 said:


> Perhaps when he is older but at this point he is far too young and uncoordinated, and there are too many uncontrollable dogs with apprehensive owners, from everything i've seen (and this seems to be forum consensus)


And there it is...the whole point of the "anti-dog park" group: you can have the most well behaved, adjusted, and obedient dog, but you can't control other people's dogs. All it takes is one incident and your pup's trajectory in life can change. (Speaking from past experience.) An incident may not happen with your dog, with 2 of your dogs, or 5 dogs, but at some point it's going to happen unless you have a real "utopian" dog park where everyone pays attention to their dog, takes responsibility for theirs, picks up after their dog, no fights ever happen, dogs are all balanced and play well together, etc. etc. etc. I'm not trying to convince the "pro dog park" people. They already know the risks. I'm just trying to make the newbies aware.


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

tc68 said:


> And there it is...the whole point of the "anti-dog park" group: you can have the most well behaved, adjusted, and obedient dog, but you can't control other people's dogs. *All it takes is one incident and your pup's trajectory in life can change. (Speaking from past experience.) * An incident may not happen with your dog, with 2 of your dogs, or 5 dogs, but at some point it's going to happen unless you have a real "utopian" dog park where everyone pays attention to their dog, takes responsibility for theirs, picks up after their dog, no fights ever happen, dogs are all balanced and play well together, etc. etc. etc. I'm not trying to convince the "pro dog park" people. They already know the risks. I'm just trying to make the newbies aware.


Would you mind sharing your past experience that you talk about? I'm curious


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## AlexG. (Nov 19, 2019)

So I've read both active topics/posts about dog parks. And watched a recent youtube video with a "trainer" that is training his dog and brought his dog to a dog park for the first time. Cant vouch for what actually happens cause all you see is the edited footage but 90% good and 10% bad. To me though the 10% bad outweighs the good... Perfect example (and this is only 1 of a few) is seeing his dog hiding under a bench with a woman sitting on it with her face locked on a cell phone and not her free running pooch. Regardless of that, I attend training with my 6 1/2 month old GSD at a park that has a dog park enclosure. We train outside of the enclosure, not inside. I pay attention to what is happening with Nessie and not inside the enclosure so I can't link the sounds to any actions, but it definitely does not sound like good interactions, socializing or whatever else people call it. I'm not sure if it was said here or in the other topic/post but I agree... your dog doesn't need to be friends with strange dogs at dog parks, they need to be friends/companions with you and the others in your house. Teach them a SOLID recall and you can play with them in any open field, play ground, ball field or yard. Stay away from dog parks.


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## Kathrynil (Dec 2, 2019)

Yes, OP, I totally agree. Dog parks are havens of dog fight potential. Kias will never be going to a dog park in the entirety of his existence. If he got into a fight we would be set back with his reactivity towards dogs by years.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

I have been going to dog parks for 17 years and have found them to be the least likely place for a dogfight. Most attacks on my dogs have happened on my property line, walking my community, or hiking trails.


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Marley94 said:


> Would you mind sharing your past experience that you talk about? I'm curious


I've mentioned it several times in other threads so I figured other members were getting sick of hearing about it, but yeah sure.

I was a pro dog park person with my previous dog. He was the friendliest GSD, got along with all the dogs in the neighborhood and even at the dog park. Used to go 2-3 times a week. Long story short, one day at the dog park, he was attacked by a big white "breed." From that day on, he hated all large white dogs and would lunge and bark and growl aggressively at them. Every new dog we came across on walks or at the stores or in public....it was a 50/50 shot if he was ok with them. That incident completely changed him...changed his trajectory. Before the incident, no problems with other dogs. After...completely different. Like I said, you can't control other people's dogs. And all it takes is 1 sec for a dog nearby to snap. No matter how fast you are, you're not faster than a dog.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Help! Dog Park Jerk.


I really need some advice. I adopted my dog when he was a year old. Heathy fixed etc. Went to dog park almost everyday and enjoyed it. I had to stop due to health for a year but now I am trying to go back. He is now about 2 1/2 years old 70 pounds. He loves and lives for his trips to the park...




www.dogforum.com













Aggressive Behavior at Dog park


I have a two year old shephard mix who is very energetic and needs a ton of exercise. Because of this, I take her to the dog park every morning before I go to work to let her run and get some playing and socializing in. She has many friends at the park who she loves to play with and would never...




www.dogforums.com





Here are just two threads (on another forum) showing how some owners _know_ their dogs are aggressive and causing issues and STILL take their dogs to dog parks. These people are the reason dog parks are a bad idea. They’re everywhere. The owners often say their dog has tons of energy, they don’t have any other way to exercise the dog, the dog loves being with dog “friends”, etc. They don’t care that they’re putting other pets at risk. Their dog needs an outlet. ?


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## GSD246 (Jan 17, 2012)

You didn't ruin your dog. The way you grabbed him didn't do your dog any favors but he'll recover. You care for your dog so you'll keep working with him. He knows that and he'll be looking forward to future adventures with you. We all make stupid choices at times. Just don't let it end there. 

In puppy socialization we all have special treat(wet dog food) in a jar. A time out happens when someone gets a little out of control and then they all get their treats. So the dog isn't going to feel punished for stopping play. It's a good thing with a yummy reward. Of course, food at dog parks is also bad. Toys and fetch at a dog park are both equally bad. See how hard it is to get any work done there?

I guess like me your yard isn't fenced in and that's why you used the dog park for fetch. I used tennis courts and baseball fields. At times the owners would ask us to leave. We always did since they all had very clear no dog signs that I always failed to notice. Eventually I started to hit those areas around 5 am and I'd be gone by 6. Now I have a number of fenced in club areas to use. And yet I miss going to those off limit areas.


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## Megara GSD (Jan 29, 2020)

a Dog park is the best place for your Dog to get sick, parasites, or worse, not all dog owners clean up properly


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## davewis (Jan 7, 2020)

GSD246 said:


> Eventually I started to hit those areas around 5 am and I'd be gone by 6.


I guess I am not the only one who searched out fenced in areas to burn off energy until I can trust Ole's recall.

I have had good luck with the local American Legion baseball field. It probably helps that I am a veteran so I had an in.


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## Jorski (Jan 11, 2019)

Another perspective.....









The Dog Park Is Bad, Actually (Published 2020)


Dog parks may seem like great additions to the community, but they’re rife with problems — for you, and for your dog. Here’s what to know before you go.




www.nytimes.com


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## CactusWren (Nov 4, 2018)

Some constructive feedback: Taking toys to a dog park is considered risky at best, asking for trouble at worst. Picking up a dog in a dog park tends to attract negative attention and should be avoided if possible. Grabbing a dog's collar if he's excited, even if it's your dog, is just begging for a dog bite. Slapping another person's dog is extremely risky and also an inappropriate and usually ineffective way to deal with them. The knee or hip check is a much smarter play and also more respectful to the dog and its owner. 

IMO you were very lucky not to get bitten. Obviously this all happened in a snap and you probably weren't planning on having to deal with it. As you can see, the other owners weren't either--this is common. 

In the six months I went to a dog park, I saw dogs bleeding and I saw owners bleeding (from different incidents). I heard about fights that occurred--between owners--because of things stemming from dog confrontations (I imagine something even less than slapping someone's dog). 

Another thing to keep in mind is that "running up to another dog" is often interpreted as aggressive and not good in dog behavior (nor in human behavior), so while you considered your puppy to be friendly and confident, it's likely that his social skills were poor and contributed to the incident. Dogs run up to Jupiter all the time, and I can see that he doesn't like it and always am a bit afraid he's going to go off on them, and I wonder why their owners allow it. I would never allow him to run up to another dog.

Puppies are sometimes given "puppy license" and given more tolerance for their social failings, but not always. It sounds like the husky and the Dane were simply not very tolerant (but they didn't actually hurt the pup, did they?. 

My analysis of this incident is that there were mistakes on both sides. There are more lessons to learn from it than just don't go to dog parks, or that just the _other _owners screwed up.


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

Just an update on this situation. I haven't taken him back to the dog park since. We found a fenced in football field to play fetch and get plenty of running in. I also leave him at a trusted dog sitting place twice a week thats reasonably strict with what dogs they take in, and only mix dogs of similar size in to play with each other under supervision. 

He hasn't had any problems whatsoever. In-fact, even the same week as this dog park incident, he didnt act scared or aggressive towards any other dogs. This last week, I was walking him through the mountains on the Appalachian trail and a lab twice his size came running up to us growling. He didn't run, whimper, or lash out aggressively at the lab. Both him and I just stood our ground and the charging lab stopped short of us and turned around running back to its owners. 

In Summary: hes just fine and gets along with other dogs perfectly. I'm actually amazed at how well hes growing despite some of my mistakes hahaha


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

So in the end, do you realize, beyond being in a dog park, the mistakes you made?

Glad to hear your dog got over it, but I am concerned still about your perspective of the whole thing....the problem was not the dogs!


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

> but I am concerned still about your perspective of the whole thing....the problem was not the dogs!


No I still believe strongly the problem was poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners. I will throw myself in with the lot of irresponsible dog owners for bringing my young and uncoordinated puppy into a dog park though. I understand you’re a big dog park proponent and have argued with others on here about the value of dog parks so I’m not going to be changing your mind here. However, here are some mistakes I believe I made

1) smacking the other dogs faces away. That was unnecessary, they are animals after all with no sense of what they’re doing.

2) grabbing at the other dogs collar. Although, in this situation with my dog pinned down and being unsure if he was being bitten or not, I’m not sure what the alternative is.

3) bringing my puppy there in the first place

You say that bringing a ball to play into the dog park was a mistake. I don’t know if I agree with this statement. Well trained dogs should be able to play co-fetch without pinning other dogs down and snarling at them. Besides, I don’t believe that this situation had anything to do with the ball. It was more of a predator-prey situation in which the husky saw a chance to dominate a younger pup. This would have happened regardless of whether the ball was present in this situation or not, IMO.

I think the one thing you and I could agree on is that perhaps dog parks are valuable when your puppy is at an age where he/she is able to play with other dogs adequately. However, I would still say this is false because you have no idea what kind of dog someone will bring to a public dog park. Joining a club or making friends with other, more responsible owners is a much better choice


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

CactusWren said:


> Another thing to keep in mind is that "running up to another dog" is often interpreted as aggressive and not good in dog behavior (nor in human behavior), so while you considered your puppy to be friendly and confident, it's likely that his social skills were poor and contributed to the incident. Dogs run up to Jupiter all the time, and I can see that he doesn't like it and always am a bit afraid he's going to go off on them, and I wonder why their owners allow it. I would never allow him to run up to another dog.


I agree with the majority of your post except this statement here. I think you’re reading too much into the statement “run up to”

what I mean here is that he doesn’t shy away or get apprehensive around other dogs, he will usually join a group enthusiastically ready to play. He did have some annoying puppy tendencies at first such as jumping on other dogs and what not that we’ve worked through in puppy obedience school and will probably continue to work through for a bit


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

I used to go to dog parks, and there were ALWAYS balls around. My dogs loved to play fetch. The only time there was a problem was when a very possessive little terrier was trying to dig out a ball that was frozen in the snow. My GSD went over to see what she was doing, and she turned and snapped and took a small chunk out of his ear!

The owner was aware of his dog's behaviour, and removed her from the park. I got the feeling he'd come to the park at a time when it wasn't usually busy so he could try to prevent this sort of thing from happening. I think he gave up after that. I never saw them again.

I didn't realize my dog had been hurt until I got home, and started finding blood everywhere... that small nick bled like crazy!!

Anyway, two points: you have very little control over what happens in a dog park, so they are not good places to go. And even if you think there are NO TOYS around, there may always be one lurking somewhere, hidden in the long grass or buried in the snow. So, toy possessiveness is always a risk.


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## Marley94 (Jan 30, 2020)

Also thank you to everyone for their responses. If it seems that I am coming off defensive that is not the intention and I really do appreciate all the constructive criticism. I still maintain that public dog parks have way too many variables for you to know definitively your dog won’t have major issues there


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Marley94 said:


> No I still believe strongly the problem was poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners. I will throw myself in with the lot of irresponsible dog owners for bringing my young and uncoordinated puppy into a dog park though. I understand you’re a big dog park proponent and have argued with others on here about the value of dog parks so I’m not going to be changing your mind here. However, here are some mistakes I believe I made
> 
> 1) smacking the other dogs faces away. That was unnecessary, they are animals after all with no sense of what they’re doing.
> 
> ...


Every dog park I think I have ever been in had toys strewn throughout. So not bringing your own toy doesn't necessarily help at all.

OP, I'm glad you have found a way to safely continue to expose your dog to other dogs. I wouldn't criticize anything you did in the heat of the moment when your puppy was yiping under a big dog. 

It's really easy to say "you shouldnt do that, or I would never do that" on an internet board but when you think your puppy is being hurt you just want to save them and you tend to just act- and I'll be the last to fault you for it. 

I'm not a fan of dog parks at all. I too had very bad experiences at communal dog areas. It is my belief that not nearly enough benefit outweighs the constant risk of using places like that.

SO many people don't know what can happen and the dog park is the first place they want to take their puppy. You don't know what you don't know.

I'm glad your puppy bounced back. Your puppy knew you were there to help him. I think a puppy with a decent temperament ought to be able to bounce back from one bad experience.


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## Squidwardp (Oct 15, 2019)

I have had mostly good experiences at dog parks, but I use them sparingly. My dog is a 7 1/2 month old female. She is confident around other dogs and will engage them in play if they want. Nevertheless, if I get a bad vibe from the mix of dogs or owners, I either put her in a smaller, separate enclosed area at our dog park which tends to have fewer dogs, or else forego the park altogether. I make the call, as she would ALWAYS vote to go in with the other dogs, the more the better. 

I have had her in a large park with probably several dozen dogs, with no problems. She enjoyed it, ran to her heart's content, and had no dust-ups over toys.
But the dog and owner population at these parks, is, as you say, a variable. On another occasion, a semi-formal pack had already developed when we arrived, and my pup was getting responses more like predator-prey than dogs at play. I got her out of there in a hurry that day. 

Our best experiences there have usually been with smaller groups of dogs where the owners were watchful, and the dogs wanted to play, not aggressively jockey for social position.
Although I have tried to memorize which dogs she had good experiences with, people's schedules vary and so far I have rarely seen the same dogs and owners twice. 

I agree toys can provoke fights, but you could stock a tennis bag with the left-over balls at our dog park . Whether you bring them or not, toys are usually there. 

As far as physically separating a larger dog when he has your pup pinned down, I wasn't there, but if you felt it was going beyond an adult correcting a puppy and into a biting or mauling, then your pup relies on you for protection. You had to make that call in real time, surely in far less time than it took me to type this. If a larger dog had my pup down, I'd try to physically separate them. First, she's a family member, and I didn't sign her up for the Golden Gloves, or Michael Vick's doggie day care. Second, and far less important, but not unimportant, good dogs and good vets are both expensive and I did not pay a premium for her beautifully formed ears or other parts to be some other dog's chew toy. 

Sounds like your pup came out of this OK. BTW, he must have pretty good focus to play fetch when other dogs are present. Mine is more like a kid at the Coney Island arcade with $50 cash. Just too much interesting stuff for her to focus on fetch, sit, heel, stay or anything else.


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Marley94 said:


> No I still believe strongly the problem was poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners. I will throw myself in with the lot of irresponsible dog owners for bringing my young and uncoordinated puppy into a dog park though. I understand you’re a big dog park proponent and have argued with others on here about the value of dog parks so I’m not going to be changing your mind here. However, here are some mistakes I believe I made
> 
> 1) smacking the other dogs faces away. That was unnecessary, they are animals after all with no sense of what they’re doing.
> 
> ...


 I agree the husky would have done the same thing if your puppy just got the zoomies.

Again, I wouldn't beat yourself up for any of this. I once jumped into the middle of a pack of rhodesian ridgebacks who decided they wanted to eat my young GSD and tried to fight them off with my bare hands. Luckily their owner and some other people assisted as well and no one, including me, was hurt. Can you make a good decision in a situation like that? Hardly. That's why these places are terrible ideas.

Don't beat yourself up for protecting your puppy however you thought you could in the moment. 

You learned your lesson, as did I.


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## islanddog (Jun 27, 2016)

In the thick of things, people will protect their dog, hopefully someone elses dog too if it comes to that. Logic doesn't usually apply.
Pre-emptively, the moment you get that bad feeling about this, leave.
I train my dog outside of a dogpark. I now have time to observe what happens inside of the dog park, and what I see are plenty of dogs/owners doing just fine. They are watching their dogs, they'll gently interrupt or leave, their dogs are having fun and/or working things out in a normal way.
I've also owners getting into dust-ups when their dog gets pinned (literally, what you said happened to you) and other owners laughing at him. I felt so sorry for him, I think he was right, but in the end, the 1st time his dog got rolled, he should have left with his dog, and called it a day, or gone for a nice leashed walk with me, as that is what I go there for.
So yes, stuff happens, mostly, if the wrong dog and or person, walks in, leave. If an incompatible dog comes in, leave. And if you don't have a dog park dog, it's absolutely fine. Dogs don't have to be dog park dogs to be fabulous and have fabulous lives.
Me, I've been enjoying my visits a lot, because, oh the irony, when I try to avoid off-lead dogs it is the worst that come running (this happens on forest trails), but when I hang out at the dog park, the dogs, even the off-lead ones are pretty savvy and cause no trouble (I walk in the leash only area/trail) and often end up walking with other 'not a dog park dog'.

PS. to @Kathrynil thank you for not overtly naming and shaming 'that' trainer. Very nice manners, makes me feel a little better about the state of the world. That video is an excellent one to watch for the nuances of dog behaviour and how to spot a 'not a dog park dog'.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I was just going to let this go. But I'm hoping a little more detailed response here might help someone else reading this thread now or in the future!



Marley94 said:


> No I still believe strongly the problem was poorly trained dogs and irresponsible dog owners. I will throw myself in with the lot of irresponsible dog owners for bringing my young and uncoordinated puppy into a dog park though. I understand you’re a big dog park proponent and have argued with others on here about the value of dog parks so I’m not going to be changing your mind here. However, here are some mistakes I believe I made
> 
> 1) smacking the other dogs faces away. That was unnecessary, they are animals after all with no sense of what they’re doing.


Not important IMHO, but yeah unnecesarry. It's the motivation for doing so though, that is in error in my view. You're angry at these dogs and probably the dog's owner, when you caused the problem (no offense, see below).



Marley94 said:


> 2) grabbing at the other dogs collar. Although, in this situation with my dog pinned down and being unsure if he was being bitten or not, I’m not sure what the alternative is.


Personally I like to stay as far away from those flashing teeth as possible, so if I truly felt that voice and/or proximity wouldn't be enough to snap the dog out of it (in cases like you describe it usually is!), I would go for a tail! 

The main thing is to remain calm, and approach the dogs intently but not in a frenzied state. To them a rapid, direct approach signals an attack, so you're much more likely to get bitten!



Marley94 said:


> 3) bringing my puppy there in the first place


Yes, we covered that. Still, it was more what happened while there that I was referring to in my previous post.



Marley94 said:


> You say that bringing a ball to play into the dog park was a mistake. I don’t know if I agree with this statement. Well trained dogs should be able to play co-fetch without pinning other dogs down and snarling at them.


That was MAWL, I said nothing like that! And in fact I always bring my own rubber ball to the dog park with us. As others have mentioned, most parks have numerous balls laying around anyway, so if a toy is going to spark a fight there's always ample ammunition whether you "bring" one or not!



Marley94 said:


> Besides, I don’t believe that this situation had anything to do with the ball. It was more of a predator-prey situation in which the husky saw a chance to dominate a younger pup. This would have happened regardless of whether the ball was present in this situation or not, IMO.


This is where you're really wrong IMHO! The husky was playing like a huskie initially. I'm guessing you maybe haven't been around many? 

It was your choice to continue throwing the ball for your puppy, while expecting the husky to be some other breed. You just kept throwing the ball, watching the husky chase your puppy. You somehow thought the husky wouldn't get more and more amped up...but it did, and did what huskies like to do, went for a back of the neck take-down. Your puppy got bowled over for the first time (which can be disconcerting I'm sure! Trust me, they get used to it LOL!) and yelped - more out of surprise than anything. But from your description you were already on your way to help...what's wrong with this picture? 



Marley94 said:


> I think the one thing you and I could agree on is that perhaps dog parks are valuable when your puppy is at an age where he/she is able to play with other dogs adequately. However, I would still say this is false because you have no idea what kind of dog someone will bring to a public dog park. Joining a club or making friends with other, more responsible owners is a much better choice


All dogs act up. All dogs, like people, have good and bad days. Or calm and exuberant days. So, learn to read dogs and what sets them off. Any dog anywhere can cause your dog problems. Most problem dogs don't go to dog parks! But you'll see them when you're out and about. As a dog owner, you NEED to learn dog behavior, try to understand the motivations, and above all react correctly when bad things happen!

My dog is now 3 yrs old. Last week at a dog park we were playing fetch and a new arrival came to say hi just a few feet before my dog got to her ball. So she paused and did the required sniffing and greeting stuff, then turned to get her ball. The other dog, not knowing followed. My dog warned him off, but not understanding he took that to be an aggressive affront and the fight was on! Both of the owners, myself and the newcomer, were right there. He got to them before me and just slowly waded through them to break the spell. 

My response? I calmly walked over and picked up my dog's ball. Had a short exchange with the dog's owner...then went for a lap around the park. 

When that was done I settled on a bench a few feet away from this dog and owner playing fetch.

Shortly, his dog came over to greet me and my dog, and we talked a bit more while both petting both dogs. Problem solved! Happy ending...

Point is, your actions can cause a problem, or a problem can just happen. Either way, your reaction to something like this very much can determine what your dog learns from it! 

Of course if you see your dog fixating, or getting riled up again, move away! Sometimes males, more so than females, do that! So pay attention!

Anyway, I hope someone finds something useful in my response. Dogs can be pretty volatile. When they get in a fight it causes many people to panic; it's loud and looks so vicious. Most of the time it's all show and pretty harmless. But, it's ALWAYS dangerous to break up, so it pays to learn how to act if/when it happens!

Good luck to all of you, and enjoy your dog!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I want to add here that I met a young lady at the dog park that I frequented with my puppy, who seemed a bit apprehensive. In talking to her I learned why. She was attacked at that very same dog park, by a male GSD, and both her and her bully breed dog had to be transported by ambulance to their respective hospitals for treatment.

The GSD jumped her bully dog, and she went berserk and charged in and tackled the GSD. Reasonably he responded in kind and she ended up needing 36 stiches. Her bully dog came to her defense, so also needed multiple stiches to close his wounds.

The GSD was put down for his offenses.

Her actions CAUSED a reaction that cost that dog his life!

Had she approached in a less threatening manner, her puppy and that dog, and her herself! could have avoided the whole thing!!!

Ahh, but that poor dog, just being a dog, is dead. Think hard about that!

Namaste!

ETA: What I'm seriously trying to convey here is, learn dogs, learn their habits and their signals, and their triggers.

Work, work, work on their "soft" spots. Train, train, then do it again.

They are what you make them...so!


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

I didn't even add, picking up your dog in a dog park is the absolute worst thing you could possibly do...so there's that...


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Honestly, not being critical, just hoping folks can learn from these mistakes! All understandable, but again, all avoidable as well. Best of luck to you and your puppy!


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## Kathrynil (Dec 2, 2019)

islanddog said:


> In the thick of things, people will protect their dog, hopefully someone elses dog too if it comes to that. Logic doesn't usually apply.
> Pre-emptively, the moment you get that bad feeling about this, leave.
> I train my dog outside of a dogpark. I now have time to observe what happens inside of the dog park, and what I see are plenty of dogs/owners doing just fine. They are watching their dogs, they'll gently interrupt or leave, their dogs are having fun and/or working things out in a normal way.
> I've also owners getting into dust-ups when their dog gets pinned (literally, what you said happened to you) and other owners laughing at him. I felt so sorry for him, I think he was right, but in the end, the 1st time his dog got rolled, he should have left with his dog, and called it a day, or gone for a nice leashed walk with me, as that is what I go there for.
> ...


You're welcome, but I don't even remember what I did say in the first place! Which post did I say/not say that in? (Sorry, I'm just curious.)


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Kathrynil said:


> You're welcome, but I don't even remember what I did say in the first place! Which post did I say/not say that in? (Sorry, I'm just curious.)


This is funny to me, because I was curious too, so I went back through the entire thread and didn't see anything. Must have been another thread...


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## Kathrynil (Dec 2, 2019)

tim_s_adams said:


> This is funny to me, because I was curious too, so I went back through the entire thread and didn't see anything. Must have been another thread...


I looked too. I didn't know I was that polite!


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## WNGD (Jan 15, 2005)

Not a big fan of dog parks at all, just seen too many of fights and idiot irresponsible owners. Balls/frisbees are big contributors and the dog parks that I have been to didn't have "a bunch laying around anyways".

The entrance/exit is another high alert area. There's always that "one dog" and a bunch of bad owners in a crowd

It's not all bad but I wouldn't go back personally.


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