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Dog Parks
By Kathy Diamond Davis,
Author and Trainer
Q: I hear a lot of good things and bad things about dog parks. I very
much enjoy taking my dogs to an off leash park because they get far more
exercise than they would on a leash, and it's very social for me and
for them. My two dogs like people and other dogs. But I've seen some
fights, some injuries, and lots of people yelling at each other over
the behavior of their respective dogs. I was bit once breaking up a bad
fight the wrong way. What do you think about off-leash dog parks?
A: Dog parks need to be a personal choice for each person with a dog.
It's a choice that needs to be made for each of their individual dogs,
because some will function well in dog parks and some will not. Here
are some points to consider in making your decisions:
- Dogs can become ill from the contaminated soil of dog parks, and
dogs without strong immunity should be protected from this exposure.
- Dogs can become injured or even killed in dog parks, and this is
a risk each person must seriously consider. If you know your
dog is likely
to injure or terrorize other dogs, that is a dog who doesn't belong
in an off-leash dog park.
- Dogs have had their temperaments ruined through
dog park experiences. If your dog's working ability is important
to you, there's
a good chance
that after a few dog-park experiences, you'll decide to keep your dog
out of such places. Sadly, some dogs' temperaments are too far gone
to rehabilitate, by the time their people understand what is happening.
- Dog parks need to be responsibly run. People should be able to walk
by the dog park with their dogs on leash or their young children
without
being accosted by loose dogs. Dog parks should be fenced, and the off-leash
activity kept inside the fence. Dog parks need to be cleaned frequently.
There need to be rules that are enforced, to prevent malicious people
from bringing fighting dogs to the park just to watch them maim and
kill other people's dogs.
- After a perfect day at the dog park, realize
your dog is probably going to need a bath! Churning dog feet and
dog waste that isn't
promptly
cleaned will leave the ground both dirty and contaminated. Be prepared,
too, for injuries even when dogs have not been engaged in fighting.
Hard running with dogs of widely differing weights can cause orthopedic
injuries--especially
in the lighter dogs, but also in any dog with an orthopedic weakness
you might not have known was there.
- Keeping your dog out of off-leash
dog parks doesn't mean the dog can't enjoy exercise and dog-to-dog
social time. A playdate with
a compatible
canine pal in a clean fenced area, such as someone's well-kept lawn,
is a safe alternative to the dog park.
- Dog parks should be a choice.
I'm not in favor of taking this option away from people, but it needs
to be an option that isn't
forced on anyone
or any dog. A great many mature dogs with temperaments perfectly normal
for their breeds can either be dangerous to other dogs in dog parks,
or can be irreparably mentally damaged by these experiences. Dog parks
are not for everyone.
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