# Dummy at the dog park... I want your stories too!



## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

I took Addie and K-Bar to the local dog park today around noon (first time I've ever gone during mid day on a weekday) and was disappointed to see the small dog area full of senior citizens and their tiny little fluff balls, while the large dog area was empty. Oh well, Addie and K-bar can get some off-leash time together and we've only had K-bar for about two weeks so it will be good bonding time for them. They are both EXTREMELY well behaved in the dog park setting.
So then I see this older man coming who has a medium sized something-doodle looking dog. I was happy that my two might have someone to play with. I noticed that his dog was wearing an e-collar, so we chatted about that for a moment and he said he had been a dog trainer for 40 years. So he brings his dog in and Addie (12 months old) starts barking at his dog. Happy, play-with-me, puppy barking. K-bar starts sniffing his dog. His dog hides under the bench and will not move. Then the guys says that my dogs are "ganging up on his dog"! K-bar had already gotten bored and moved on to sniffing trees and Addie was watching the dog waiting for it to get up and play. In no way whatsoever were my dogs ganging up on anything. I picked up my stuff and moved to another bench where my dogs followed me and they barely even looked at his dog again (who never came out from under the bench). I mentioned his dog might do better in the other area with the chihuahuas. Some trainer to not recognize playful, friendly normal behavior.

Went back later today and there were about 8 or 9 medium to large dogs and my two, and they all had a great time with no problems. 

Tell me your "idiot from the dog park" stories!


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## Laney (Feb 12, 2012)

I have so many. Rivers and I spend a lot of time at the dog park. One of the most annoying ones was on a busy Friday afternoon (30-40 big dogs at least) a couple college-age guys were spread out across the field throwing a football around. Of course a good handful of the dogs wanted to play too but anytime a dog got near them they would scream at it and swat it away. I in finally got fed up and asked them to move to at least a corner of the park so the dogs could still run. They ignored me completely. Then someone asked which dog belonged to them...not one of them even had a dog!!! They were just using the dog park a a football field


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Besides one of my dogs being attacked when he was a puppy and my other dog getting mounted while the other owner watched I 'd have to say the family that decided to bring a picnic to the dog park..yep they brought everything they needed for a picnic(except a dog, they didn't bring a dog)..I think every dog in the park that day surrounded that picnic bench. I left because that was a fight waiting to happen.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

Laney, hopefully they laid in poop! 

Bringing food in a dog park is a horrible idea! Last week there was a grandmother who gave her 4 year old granddaughter treats to give out to the doggies.... Surprised she wasn't mauled!


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

I just read that they didn't even have a dog! People are crazy.


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

I have lots of these :shocked:

--Woman with two toddlers on the big dog side.

--Plenty of people not paying *one* iota of attention to their dogs.

--Dog aggressive dogs -- plenty of those! Owners sitting around making stupid statements like, "Well that's how dogs play!" as their jerk dogs terrorize others. Ok. The truth is, you're too lazy and stupid to get your large behind off the picnic table, so the rest of us have to deal with your dog/s. 

OR some of them are honest -- they'll say, "Well, my dog doesn't like dogs, but he/she needs to be socialized, so we decided to try it." These folks have good intentions, but they made the worst choice in the world to try socialization in such an environment as a dog park? 

--Woman with milkbone treats getting all dogs amped up.

--Itty bitty pups on the big dog side, scared and overwhelmed, as the owner says, "I want to socialize my puppy!"

--Itty bitty terrorist dogs on the big dog side, as everyone laughs, hehe, at how they "intimidate" the big dogs. Right. Those little yappers are seconds from death.

--Jerks who won't pick up their dog's poop -- even after they watch their dog poop and the bags are only 50? feet away? And still just leave it.

--This will sound really nasty, but I don't mean to be. Some elderly folks bring in their not very nice dogs and are not physically capable of controlling them. They'd never be a lick of help if a fight were to break out. There are a few that also come in in wheelchairs. There would not be a thing they could do, either. Both these types are completely dependent on the other park-goers. 

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have been a fan of the dog park, but our local park is getting out of control (it's new). We may or may not go back again. I'm still thinking on this. I'm leaning towards not.


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## kitmcd (Aug 31, 2011)

I like the idea of the dog park and have had some good days there, but the few bad experiences have made me stay away for the last month.

My young dog was attacked the first day I went. This idiot let his pit bull into the "holding" area while i was taking Isa's leash off. He did come in and help pull his dog off (luckily no real injury except Isa was yelping like she was going to die or had lost a limb). I immediately took mine to the car and sat and watched interactions for a while. The guy's dog went after a couple other dogs and finally he left with her. I watched him load his dog (put spike collar back on) into a car that had bumper sticker "Warning: I am armed with a pit bull".

Another time she was attacked by a Golden Retriever (yeah, hard to believe) because even though the dog is a very nice dog, no one told Isa or me that no dog is allowed to get close to one of her tennis balls! Poor Isa just was running by and got too close to a ball and the Golden pinned her down while snarling, hackles up and biting at her neck. Took 4 people to pull her off. Now if your dog is that possessive, why bring her balls to the park?

Ater that last incident, we haven't gone back.


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## LissG (Jun 18, 2011)

i took Wolf to the dog park a couple weeks ago. we've gone many times-he's excellent with other dogs. there weren't many dogs so he walked offleash right next to me. a rot came in and i was like "wahoo a friend for wolf!" the rot was off leash, no collar, no tags, nothing. the owner was right next to him. my dog went up to the rot with his tail wagging, and he did the puppy play bow to try to get the rot to play. i was pretty close to wolf and noticed the rot wasn't moving anymore. he just stood there. the rot went to snap at my dog. my dog was stupid and stayed there and tried to do a puppy bow. the rot started growling aggressively, went to jump/snap at my dog and i jumped in front of my dog and pushed the rot away. the rot got REAL aggressive SOOOOO quickly i'd never experienced that before. the owner just laughed and said "he's not good with dogs hes pretty aggressive." the owner kept *walking away* while i grabbed my dog and tried to get away. the rot was coming at us and i just kept jumping in front of my dog to protect him (yes i AM that crazy-i VERY narrowly escaped bites)..my dog didn't show any signs of aggression back at all-thats just his personality. i was afraid he'd get hurt. a man saw what was happening and came to help get control of the dog and the owner finally got his dog but KEPT WALKING in the park with him. we left.....but the point of the story-why the frig would you bring an aggressive dog OFF LEASH NO COLLAR to a DOG PARK!? like wtf are you thinking!?


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## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

A young man alpha rolled his dog in the middle of the park. An old lady with a central asian ovtcharka went over to him to tell him how impressed she was with his training method. 

People who bring treats or food to the dog park.

People who don't pay attention to their dogs/let them hump/don't pick up poop. I will intervene a humping dog. 

People who watch their dog pee IN the water bowl and don't bother to change out the water.

People who bring in unfriendly dogs.

People who bring their small dogs to the big dog side and are obviously terrified and then get mad at me or scared of my GSD because he's barking at it wanting to play. My little dog does just fine on the big side, but if she was scared I wouldn't force her.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

One time there was this chick standing around with a very tall/large pit bull on a leash at the entrance to the dog park. This dog was obviously fixated on other dogs by its body language, and it was tense at the end of the leash. My fiance's sister's dog approached it and this dog lunged and snapped at her face, but I pulled her back just in time. The owner didn't say anything or leave, she just kept standing there like an idiot. It was the most idiotic thing I had ever seen, this dog was obviously dog aggressive and she was forcing other dogs to greet it by standing in the entrance.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Laney said:


> I have so many. Rivers and I spend a lot of time at the dog park. One of the most annoying ones was on a busy Friday afternoon (30-40 big dogs at least) a couple college-age guys were spread out across the field throwing a football around. Of course a good handful of the dogs wanted to play too but anytime a dog got near them they would scream at it and *swat it away. *I in finally got fed up and asked them to move to at least a corner of the park so the dogs could still run. They ignored me completely. Then someone asked which dog belonged to them...not one of them even had a dog!!! They were just using the dog park a a football field


 
How did a guy "swat" a dog away"


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

AddieGirl said:


> Laney, hopefully they laid in poop!
> 
> Bringing food in a dog park is a horrible idea! Last week there was a grandmother who gave her 4 year old granddaughter treats to give out to the doggies.... Surprised she wasn't mauled!


 
If a 4yo girl is "mauled" by a dog, the dog owners should be held responsible!

Not that they should bring treats to a DP, but the dogs in the park ought to be sociable or not be brought to the park! (Reason why i don't bring mine)


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

chelle said:


> I have lots of these :shocked:
> 
> --Woman with two toddlers on the big dog side.
> 
> ...


And what about the people who are too small and/or weak physically to control their big dogs?

Not to mention the ones who don't have any control over their dogs when they are off leash? (OOPS, wouldn't matter in a wheel chair or too old or too small/weak anyway, in this case, I guess!)


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

codmaster said:


> If a 4yo girl is "mauled" by a dog, the dog owners should be held responsible!
> 
> Not that they should bring treats to a DP, but the dogs in the park ought to be sociable or not be brought to the park! (Reason why i don't bring mine)


Guess I should have explained my sarcasm. She wasn't in danger of literally being mauled, perhaps knocked over or caught between two dogs bickering over a treat.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

codmaster said:


> If a 4yo girl is "mauled" by a dog, the dog owners should be held responsible!
> 
> Not that they should bring treats to a DP, but the dogs in the park ought to be sociable or not be brought to the park! (Reason why i don't bring mine)


This should never happen, but signs clearly posted state that its an enter at your own risk kinda area so I'm not sure that the dog's owner should be responsible. There are lots of scenarios that can get a child hurt at a place like this and its not the smartest thing for a parent to bring a small child. I'm pretty sure in a court of law the judge would look at it this way too. I do know in any situation that the park itself won't ever be responsible.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

AddieGirl said:


> Guess I should have explained my sarcasm. She wasn't in danger of literally being mauled, perhaps knocked over or caught between two dogs bickering over a treat.


Whether it was sarcasm or not, its a very real situation and it can happen, especially if two bigger dogs decided to fight, so I would have worded it the same way


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

AddieGirl said:


> Guess I should have explained my sarcasm. She wasn't in danger of literally being mauled, perhaps knocked over or caught between two dogs bickering over a treat.


Good to hear that! Bad enough for a little one to get bumped or run over because of idiot parents!


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Dogs with no recall/bad jumping habits and owners who don't care. UGH.

Yes, I have a pocket full of treats. No, that does not mean your dog can jump all over me and follow me for miles while I walk with my dog. And you can't get mad at me when your dog is the one without the recall! I wear old clothes when I go to the park, but it's never my intention to be covered in mud by an annoying jumper who won't leave me alone. 

Also- Those who have coniptions because there is a four wheeled vehicle in the park "threatening" their dogs so obviously. COME ON, your dog is nowhere near it! 

I also lot the tattle tales who freak out about the slightest things like dogs growling while they (happily, role reversal) play, or someone walking a dog on a leash. NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS OLD LADIES. 

Guh, I've been waiting to get that off of my chest for a while.


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## Chance&Reno (Feb 21, 2012)

I don't ever do dog parks. I don't trust people's interpretation of their dog's behaviors. I also don't trust that their dogs are vaccinated. Even if mine are, I still don't trust them. Guess it's because of my job, I'm let into the inner workings of the "yahoos" out there. 

I set up doggy playdates with 10-15 other dogs, including my own. I know the dogs, I know the owners. We all have fenced in areas so we make a day of it and have lunch or a cookout. I prefer to keep my dogs safe.

One story that I was told by one of my students: Some big guy brought his Rottie to the park, nothing wrong with the dog at all, very friendly, got along with other dogs.. The owner, not so much. She has a 3 yr old lab. The lab was chasing a ball and would tease the other dogs, trying to get them to chase him. The Rottie guy got mad that the dog wouldn't give his dog the ball, went over to her dog, snatched the ball out of his mouth, and then proceeded to alpha roll her dog. He told her that her dog was acting dominant by not relinquishing the ball to the other dogs. She told me that she almost punched him in the face. He was 3 times her size lol She stepped up onto the bench to be eye level with him and proceeded to yell at the guy. The guy was terrified.. hahahah He never came back..


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## Gretchen (Jan 20, 2011)

I've come to the conclusion its the people you've got to watch out for at the dog park, not the dogs.

There is a man who regularly brings his lunch into the park and eats it. Offers his food to the dogs who are interested without asking the owners. This guy was so creepy, my adult daughter ended up calling the Sheriff. I don't know if they responded or the outcome though.

As others mentioned, people who don't pick up their dog's poop, I get concerned when it's diarrhea, worried about giardia and other contagious diseases.

A woman who knows her dog hates mine, still entered the park while we were inside, not giving us time to leave, fight started. I think the regular attendees asked her not to come back.

Several people who see that I have a GSD, get nervous and call their dogs away from mine, she ends up not having playmates. We've basically stopped going. If we could, my dog would do better in the small dog area with the pugs.


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## SophieGSD (Feb 6, 2012)

I can honestly say that I've yet to have a bad experience at a dog park. The worst experience I've had is that my mom and I were the only two there, and only Sophie and her Husky, Aviee, were there to play. Of course, that was also the day that I found out Sophie likes to jump, so I don't guess it was that bad of an experience. =P

I can definitely say that I'm dreading those people that are too ignorant to properly train their dogs, and end up chasing it all over the park, or the ones that let their dogs hump everyone or poop everywhere.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

Aww I hate when people assume my dogs are aggressive or mean just because they are Shepherds.


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## SophieGSD (Feb 6, 2012)

AddieGirl said:


> Aww I hate when people assume my dogs are aggressive or mean just because they are Shepherds.


Same. My neighbor thinks Sophie is aggressive because she barks at them when they're out in the yard. Of course, it's a playful, "OMG HAI NEW PEOPLE!" bark, but because she's a big bad German Shepherd, she's being aggressive and they have to herd the kids inside.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

OP, I don't think that guy was a dummy. I've noticed my dog get intimidated by two dogs that are in the same "pack." They can sense that the dogs they are meeting know each other and are more of a pack than the others at the park, so him saying that about his dog isn't completely out of the ordinary. Just because your dogs weren't being aggressive, doesn't mean they weren't intimidating to the other dog.

Although I have seen plenty of idiots at the dog park, I've just stopped caring. I'll keep my dog safe and let people do/think whatever they want. It's just too much hassle to worry about how everyone else is raising their dog or how much they know about dog behavior.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

AddieGirl said:


> Aww I hate when people assume my dogs are aggressive or mean just because they are Shepherds.


Yep.  There are some members at my park with small dogs whom do not put the dogs down onto the ground if we're in the park because they just assume he'll kill them or something... Of course logic should tell them that if he were ever aggressive to a dog he wouldn't be a member here... too bad some people don't use their brains!


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

martemchik said:


> OP, I don't think that guy was a dummy. I've noticed my dog get intimidated by two dogs that are in the same "pack." They can sense that the dogs they are meeting know each other and are more of a pack than the others at the park, so him saying that about his dog isn't completely out of the ordinary. Just because your dogs weren't being aggressive, doesn't mean they weren't intimidating to the other dog.
> 
> Although I have seen plenty of idiots at the dog park, I've just stopped caring. I'll keep my dog safe and let people do/think whatever they want. It's just too much hassle to worry about how everyone else is raising their dog or how much they know about dog behavior.


But would you accuse someone's dogs of "ganging up" on your dog? He didn't say, "sorry my dog gets nervous around dogs that live in the same pack", he said mine were ganging up on his, which simply wasnt true in any stretch of the imagination. I think it was a combination of my dogs being Gsd's (k-Bar being particularly large) and him being embarrassed that his dog wouldnt socialize after he bragged about his training skills.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Many folks are intimidated by certain breeds of dogs with GSD's among them.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

SophieGSD said:


> I can honestly say that I've yet to have a bad experience at a dog park. The worst experience I've had is that my mom and I were the only two there, and only Sophie and her Husky, Aviee, were there to play. Of course, that was also the day that I found out Sophie likes to jump, so I don't guess it was that bad of an experience. =P
> 
> I can definitely say that I'm dreading those people that are too ignorant to properly train their dogs, and end up chasing it all over the park, or the ones that let their dogs hump everyone or poop everywhere.


Knock on wood but I haven't had a truly BAD or scary experience at one either. I find that generally people in our area do a great job of supervising and cleaning up after their dogs.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

AddieGirl said:


> But would you accuse someone's dogs of "ganging up" on your dog? He didn't say, "sorry my dog gets nervous around dogs that live in the same pack", he said mine were ganging up on his, which simply wasnt true in any stretch of the imagination. I think it was a combination of my dogs being Gsd's (k-Bar being particularly large) and him being embarrassed that his dog wouldnt socialize after he bragged about his training skills.


To you maybe not, but there's one dog in his dog's face and another dog in his dog's ass (from what you described) so I could consider that ganging up. He might've thrown it out of proportion, or used the wrong language, but I see nothing wrong in what he did. Dogs are much more comfortable meeting each other one on one, its crazy how many times I've seen a third dog completely ruin a good time two dogs are having.

BTW, I'm just pointing out that there is another opinion about this situation. If I don't like how another dog is interacting with my dog, I remove mine. If you were in his shoes would you like it if two dogs did that to yours?


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

martemchik said:


> To you maybe not, but there's one dog in his dog's face and another dog in his dog's ass (from what you described) so I could consider that ganging up. He might've thrown it out of proportion, or used the wrong language, but I see nothing wrong in what he did. Dogs are much more comfortable meeting each other one on one, its crazy how many times I've seen a third dog completely ruin a good time two dogs are having.
> 
> BTW, I'm just pointing out that there is another opinion about this situation. If I don't like how another dog is interacting with my dog, I remove mine. If you were in his shoes would you like it if two dogs did that to yours?


Didn't the OP say one dog was off sniffing a tree when the guy said this? 

eta; went back to re-read, sure enough neither dog was even sniffing his dog from the description given. One was away, the other was looking at him.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

martemchik said:


> To you maybe not, but there's one dog in his dog's face and another dog in his dog's ass (from what you described) so I could consider that ganging up. He might've thrown it out of proportion, or used the wrong language, but I see nothing wrong in what he did. Dogs are much more comfortable meeting each other one on one, its crazy how many times I've seen a third dog completely ruin a good time two dogs are having.
> 
> BTW, I'm just pointing out that there is another opinion about this situation. If I don't like how another dog is interacting with my dog, I remove mine. If you were in his shoes would you like it if two dogs did that to yours?


Every dog I've ever seen enter any dog park gets sniffed and or barked at by almost every other dog. Normal dog behavior. Lasts a few seconds and then they move right along which is exactly what mine did. If your dog is upset by normal dog behavior then why take it to a dog park? It's obviously stressful for the poor thing.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

DJEtzel said:


> Didn't the OP say one dog was off sniffing a tree when the guy said this?
> 
> eta; went back to re-read, sure enough neither dog was even sniffing his dog from the description given. One was away, the other was looking at him.


Thank you for your reading comprehension skills!


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

AddieGirl said:


> Happy, play-with-me, puppy barking. K-bar starts sniffing his dog. His dog hides under the bench and will not move. Then the guys says that my dogs are "ganging up on his dog"! K-bar had already gotten bored and moved on to sniffing trees and Addie was watching the dog waiting for it to get up and play.


Oh sorry his timing was off, your dog's were surrounding him and the guy then said that that's the reason his dog hid.

Also...if you think its normal for all the dogs to rush your dog when you come into the park, then you're asking for issues. That is not normal dog behavior, its just accepted dog behavior by the people that you are actually whining about at the dog park. This kind of behavior is what leads to dogs reacting in the wrong way.

I'm not saying the guy was correct, but I don't see a reason to get upset about the comment he made. Your dogs made his dog uncomfortable and he told you why, maybe with the wrong words but I see where he's coming from. And although I don't think his dog should be at the park either, at least its not aggressive and would rather run and hide. It's just interesting to me that now not only should aggressive dogs be kept out, but so are the weaker ones that might just need a little confidence to be fine and playful. You've had once interaction with a dog and want it out of the park for running and hiding...


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

martemchik said:


> Oh sorry his timing was off, at first what had caused the dog to hide was this behavior. The guy then said that that's the reason his dog hid.
> 
> Also...if you think its normal for all the dogs to rush your dog when you come into the park, then you're asking for issues. That is not normal dog behavior, its just accepted dog behavior by the people that you are actually whining about at the dog park. This kind of behavior is what leads to dogs reacting in the wrong way.
> 
> I'm not saying the guy was correct, but I don't see a reason to get upset about the comment he made. Your dogs made his dog uncomfortable and he told you why, maybe with the wrong words but I see where he's coming from.


No one said anything about rushing. One of her dogs sniffed his which IS typical and to be expected at a dog park, and the dog ran and hid. They didn't sniff him at the same time, sniff him once he was under the table, or rush up to him as far as I can tell. You're painting a completely different picture than I'm reading... maybe I'm reading it wrong?


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## OriginalWacky (Dec 21, 2011)

The only negative experience I've had at our TEENY little dog park is a lady who came with with an adorable little Jack Russell on an e-collar, who just kept shocking him for every little move, even normal dog behavior. All he did was try to say HIYA to my dogs, who weren't really crowding him or anything, just having some passing interest - the sniffing was going well and none were showing signs of stress - and blammo, little guy is getting shocked. Not surprisingly, he then started to aggress towards my dogs, who just came back to me for guidance. I did try to open conversation with her on what she was trying to 'fix' but I didn't get much of an answer besides "he don't listen". UGH. 

All the other dog parks in the area cost a fair amount, so I haven't tried them out, even though this one is just an itty bitty little area in a fence. But the store owners do require dogs to be vaccinated and registered to use it, and it's bigger than my fenced in area of the yard, so I do use it. Other than that one little dog, the dogs we've met have been great, and we've had some awesome playing times that have really helped my dogs enjoy other dogs. 

Now that we've got Koshka, we haven't been, since he's just now finishing up his shots (on Monday he'll have his rabies and be all done - I've been spacing them out), but I think we'll probably go back some more, esspecially early morning or late evening when nobody else is there. Oh, and so far everybody has been good about picking up the poo, so that hasn't been a problem either. 

Our humane society has a dog park, but only altered dogs are allowed, so that leaves Koshka out. The only other dog park nearby is nearly an hour drive, and fairly spendy. So really I doubt it's going to be a huge part of our lives, since I can take these guys out to Presque Isle on the dog allowed beaches and just use my 50' training lines to let them get some roaming time.


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

Also fairly recently, someone was walking their dog aggressive miniature pincher on a leash in the dog park. Every time a dog got near this dog, it would go absolutely nuts growling, barking, and attempting to bite the other dog's face. Of course the owners thought it was okay since the dog was little and on a leash, and they tried to pull their dog back in time before it ever bit any of the other dogs. Never mind the fact that every other dog there could have snapped their dog in half just by stepping on it.

I'm so sick of people bringing their unsocialized dogs there to socialize them. Dog parks are for already well socialized dogs. Aggressive dogs need to see a trainer and a behaviorist, not go to the dog park. The least they can do is muzzle their dog.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

I could really care less about the picture, the guy made a statement and is being called an idiot for it. Sorry not everyone on this green earth lives up to the standards you all set for dog ownership and understanding dog behavior. He didn't say OP's dogs were being bad, or that she should have them removed, he just said they intimidated his dog.

Do we need to develop a standardized test to be allowed to own a dog/go to the dog park now? Some of the other stories, I understand, people are stupid, but I don't see anything wrong with what this guy said.

All in all I think my issue with this thread is that I can't stand "dog park bashing" threads. Nothing against OP or anyone else, its just that we never get to hear good stories about dog parks because no one comes back after a good day at the park and feels the need to post about it (its human nature to only whine about bad things). I've gone to the park hundreds of times, and maybe 1% of the time have had an issue or run into a stupid person. But if you search the forum about dog parks, you'll only find bad experiences...so its not representative of true life.

Anyways, I guess unless you've owned dogs for many years and have studied their behavior, and at least 75% of people on this forum can agree with your interpretation of a situation, you shouldn't be allowed to go to a dog park, or even own a dog.

By the way DJEtzel, I know you generally defend dog parks so this is nothing personal against you. Its just one of my pet peeves on the forum. It also seems like as soon as one of these threads pops up, its followed by 10 more.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

martemchik said:


> I could really care less about the picture, the guy made a statement and is being called an idiot for it. Sorry not everyone on this green earth lives up to the standards you all set for dog ownership and understanding dog behavior. He didn't say OP's dogs were being bad, or that she should have them removed, he just said they intimidated his dog.
> 
> Do we need to develop a standardized test to be allowed to own a dog/go to the dog park now? Some of the other stories, I understand, people are stupid, but I don't see anything wrong with what this guy said.
> 
> ...


Honestly, I think the only reason that this guy was annoying or a "dummy" was because he claimed to be a dog trainer for 40 years and was misunderstanding common dog behavior and over reacting. I probably wouldn't call the average joe saying that dumb, but if you claim to know dogs, well... I hold you to completely different expectations. I did feel as though this was a more light hearted thread about some weird or rude people at dog parks though instead of the typical pit bull attack threads that get started. I work at a dog park so I love dog parks but I definitely have experiences to hare that are not always great as well. The perks of being around crazy dog people.


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

martemchik said:


> Oh sorry his timing was off, your dog's were surrounding him and the guy then said that that's the reason his dog hid.
> 
> Also...if you think its normal for all the dogs to rush your dog when you come into the park, then you're asking for issues. That is not normal dog behavior, its just accepted dog behavior by the people that you are actually whining about at the dog park. This kind of behavior is what leads to dogs reacting in the wrong way.
> 
> I'm not saying the guy was correct, but I don't see a reason to get upset about the comment he made. Your dogs made his dog uncomfortable and he told you why, maybe with the wrong words but I see where he's coming from. And although I don't think his dog should be at the park either, at least its not aggressive and would rather run and hide. It's just interesting to me that now not only should aggressive dogs be kept out, but so are the weaker ones that might just need a little confidence to be fine and playful. You've had once interaction with a dog and want it out of the park for running and hiding...


This is my last response to you, not trying to be rude but I'm bored with trying to explain myself. I never said it is normal for dogs to rush a newcomer, just to sniff and/or bark (playfully vocalize, not aggressively). I am not upset at all with his comment, just amused by his lack of knowledge with the level of experience he claims to have. Which led me to start a light-hearted, funny thread about similar dog park experiences. Not to debate on what happened. 

I am enjoying reading the stories so keep them coming!!!


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## AddieGirl (May 10, 2011)

DJEtzel said:


> Honestly, I think the only reason that this guy was annoying or a "dummy" was because he claimed to be a dog trainer for 40 years and was misunderstanding common dog behavior and over reacting. I probably wouldn't call the average joe saying that dumb, but if you claim to know dogs, well... I hold you to completely different expectations. I did feel as though this was a more light hearted thread about some weird or rude people at dog parks though instead of the typical pit bull attack threads that get started. I work at a dog park so I love dog parks but I definitely have experiences to hare that are not always great as well. The perks of being around crazy dog people.


Thank you. You got it exactly right, and I love my dog park too! How fun to work at one. I work as office coordinator at a spay/neuter clinic and it it great working with dogs, isn't it?


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

AddieGirl said:


> Thank you. You got it exactly right, and I love my dog park too! How fun to work at one. I work as office coordinator at a spay/neuter clinic and it it great working with dogs, isn't it?


I've had a dog job since I started workin at 17, and I could never imagine NOT having a dog related job.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

martemchik said:


> OP, I don't think that guy was a dummy. I've noticed my dog get intimidated by two dogs that are in the same "pack." They can sense that the dogs they are meeting know each other and are more of a pack than the others at the park, so him saying that about his dog isn't completely out of the ordinary. Just because your dogs weren't being aggressive, doesn't mean they weren't intimidating to the other dog.
> 
> Although I have seen plenty of idiots at the dog park, I've just stopped caring. I'll keep my dog safe and let people do/think whatever they want. It's just too much hassle to worry about how everyone else is raising their dog or how much they know about dog behavior.


I think its safe to say that when anyone goes to a dog park with any type of dog, there is going to be greeting and sniffing everywhere. If this guy has a "weaker" dog as someone put it in another post, then the owner needs to socialize it better or not go to the dog park...the purpose of a dog park most of the time is for the dogs to play The dogs don't know which dogs are playful, old, shy, etc until they do greet them. Would you think it would be intimidating if it was two poodles smelling the dog? This had everything to do with the fact that the intimidating dogs were shepherds.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Do we need to develop a standardized test to be allowed to own a dog/go to the dog park now?*This isn't a bad idea from what I have seen at the dog parks-maybe there should be proof of socialization for the dog* 

All in all I think my issue with this thread is that I can't stand "dog park bashing" threads. Nothing against OP or anyone else, its just that we never get to hear good stories about dog parks because no one comes back after a good day at the park and feels the need to post about it (its human nature to only whine about bad things). I've gone to the park hundreds of times, and maybe 1% of the time have had an issue or run into a stupid person.*These are good statistics for you but some people including myself can say that I have seen issues every time I've gone* But if you search the forum about dog parks, you'll only find bad experiences...so its not representative of true life.*Maybe it is for the person that is posting the bad experiences or for the person/dog that has been attacked*

Anyways, I guess unless you've owned dogs for many years and have studied their behavior, and at least 75% of people on this forum can agree with your interpretation of a situation, you shouldn't be allowed to go to a dog park, or even own a dog.*No people shouldn't if they can't stop their dogs from mounting other dogs, their dogs hide because they are afraid(this is a fight waiting to happen), there is rough play and its not stopped before it progresses, a dog could be attacked in a split second, etc. A person who owns a dog should be responsible enough to read their dogs behavior and if they can't they have no right to subject other people to that behavior*


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## chelle (Feb 1, 2009)

martemchik said:


> To you maybe not, but there's one dog in his dog's face and another dog in his dog's ass (from what you described) so I could consider that ganging up. He might've thrown it out of proportion, or used the wrong language, but I see nothing wrong in what he did. Dogs are much more comfortable meeting each other one on one, its crazy how many times I've seen a third dog completely ruin a good time two dogs are having.
> 
> BTW, I'm just pointing out that there is another opinion about this situation. If I don't like how another dog is interacting with my dog, I remove mine. If you were in his shoes would you like it if two dogs did that to yours?


All I want to chime in here with is something I left out of my original response on annoyances with the dog park.

The two dog scenario. It happens. The two bonded dogs going after the newcomer. My dog has been the newcomer on this end of things, and I didn't appreciate it one bit. Naturally, the owner was nowhere to be found. 

This also happens when a group has been playing and in comes the newcomer. I've seen several + unrelated dogs "go after" the newcomer. I've also watched their owners giggle and not step in until the newcomer was literally being mauled by 5, 6 dogs. 

The newcomer's owner is usually very taken aback and not sure WHAT to do. Some stand there with a deer-in-the-headlights look, like HEY! come get your dogs already! Some are wiser and step in the middle of the pack with authority and shut it down with very little fuss at all. Then, the "regulars" of the park get snotty and make fun (later, out of earshot) of the "sensitive" new visitor. 

No doubt I've been talked about plenty (out of earshot), and I couldn't care less. 

I guess I'm "the one" referred to earlier as the tattle tale or however that was said.? I don't care. I absolutely ensure my dog behaves properly or he is corrected and stopped. I am not afraid in the slightest to do the same to another dog unsupervised by an idiot owner. Doesn't bother me one bit.

I've been a dog park advocate, and I'm not changing my opinion there at all... BUT I am leaning against the dog park lately, just due to what my park is becoming. We haven't been there in at least a month. I'm not sure if we'll go back or not. I'm leaning towards joining the private dog park that of course costs a lot more, but each dog is "screened" and bad behavior is not accepted.


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