# alternative view on dog parks



## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

different strokes ... so here's why i like and use dog parks 

1. it's the ultimate distraction environment for testing and proofing focus and a wide variety of OB drills. for me it's a "trial field" of sorts, but i sure don't consider other owners trial judges, nor do i care what they say or do 
2. great place to let a dog be "around" other dogs, especially if your dog(s) rarely see other dogs and is overly reactive to other dogs. i've found that no matter how many idiot dogs and owners are running loose, there are usually a couple decent ones you can single out and select
3. since there are almost never DA dogs there, and most are just socially friendly out of control tail waggers, it's a good place to take DA dogs i'm working with
4. i stick to myself and the dog i'm working with and don't socialize with the "humans" much at all. the less the better

- do i get upset and pissed off at all the idiots and clueless owners ? of course not, since i am already expecting just that 
- do i have criteria for entering ? of course :
1. it must be fenced in to allow me to keep the dog i'm with outside and monitor the place before entering, and sometimes i don't enter 
(but much better than street encounters i can't control as easily)
2. it must have someone in charge of the grounds
3. all dogs must have their owners on the grounds with a leash on them ... iow, no "drop off and forget" policy

as far as being an accident waiting to happen ... maybe, but i try and keep my head out at all times 
and i also DO steer owners away from taking their dogs i'm working with to a dog park, but will let them come along and watch sometimes. in fact it's a rule that is not negotiable 

* * i'm just stating why "I" sometimes use them for a variety of dogs **

and of course, i don't expect any agreement here, but for anyone why might want to consider using them, PM me


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## Marta Wajngarten (Jul 30, 2006)

rick smith said:


> different strokes ... so here's why i like and use dog parks
> 
> 1. it's the ultimate distraction environment for testing and proofing focus and a wide variety of OB drills. for me it's a "trial field" of sorts, but i sure don't consider other owners trial judges, nor do i care what they say or do
> 2. great place to let a dog be "around" other dogs, especially if your dog(s) rarely see other dogs and is overly reactive to other dogs. i've found that no matter how many idiot dogs and owners are running loose, there are usually a couple decent ones you can single out and select
> ...





RE your first #3, I have seen plenty of very DA dogs taken to dog parks, no not just rude under exercised airheads. One park near me has a local Great Dane breeder bring her three dog aggressive males and just tries to stay out of the way or yells at people to keep their dogs away. Her 3 dogs have now on multiple occasions ganged up and seriously attacked a few dogs. It's been a stupid run around with animal control and the city regardless of multiple complaints, she thinks she has every right to be there and takes no responsibility and keeps coming back. 


and your 2nd #2 and #3 I have never seen a city run dog park that has a person in charge unless you are talking about privately operated indoor daycare type "dog parks" which is a completely different animal. I've seen people chuck their dog into the fenced off dog park and walk away to go to the parking lot to get some thing from their car, but people generally don't treat a dog park as a form of daycare. Some one in the park would have quickly picked up the dog and taken it to a shelter as lost.


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## Thomas Barriano (Mar 27, 2006)

Marta

Are cattle prods available in Canada? ;-)


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Marta Wajngarten said:


> and your 2nd #2 and #3 I have never seen a city run dog park that has a person in charge unless you are talking about privately operated indoor daycare type "dog parks" which is a completely different animal. I've seen people chuck their dog into the fenced off dog park and walk away to go to the parking lot to get some thing from their car, but people generally don't treat a dog park as a form of daycare. Some one in the park would have quickly picked up the dog and taken it to a shelter as lost.


I have never ever seen this combo:
_1. it must be fenced in to allow me to keep the dog i'm with outside and monitor the place before entering, and sometimes i don't enter 
(but much better than street encounters i can't control as easily)
2. it must have someone in charge of the grounds
3. all dogs must have their owners on the grounds with a leash on them ... iow, no "drop off and forget" policy
_
Ever. EVER in my life!

I live in a very dog-friendly town (to a fault, even), and there are four dog parks in the area. 

My daughter lived in a very dog-friendly area of San Diego and had more than four dog parks in the area.

My sisters on the East Coast have dogs and have dog parks in their neighborhood.

NEVER have I see such a combination. 

I know I'm beating it to death, but I was really surprised to even read a list like that, because I know dog parks that don't even have ONE of those factors in place.



PS

Even so, I wouldn't go. :lol: There is no way to know what idiot will be prancing in with his DA dog (or dogs) and there's no reason to trust the control all those strangers have over their dogs.

One bad experience ..... one attack ..... I do not want to deal with dog-reactivity or fear that triggered from a dog-park attack.

I do use dog parks, however. Outside the fence, opposite the entrance, is one of the places I use when doing desensitizing work.

And I will now tiptoe out of the thread. :lol: I'm not open-minded about off-leash dog parks.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Oh, wait. I do agree with this part:
_
of course, i don't expect any agreement here_

:lol: :lol: :lol:




(Just teasin' you, Rick.)


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Dog parks are a great advertisement for why we should spay/neuter............ people! ;-)


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Connie Sutherland said:


> I have never ever seen this combo:
> _1. it must be fenced in to allow me to keep the dog i'm with outside and monitor the place before entering, and sometimes i don't enter
> (but much better than street encounters i can't control as easily)
> 2. it must have someone in charge of the grounds
> ...


Standing with a DA dog at the front entrance of Pet Smart on a Saturday is a lot of fun. I did that with my female Dutchie to break her of the problem. You should have watched peoples faces when she used to go ballistic at another dog and I hung her.:grin:

It cured her!!


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## Gerald Dunn (Sep 24, 2011)

dog parks were invented by vet's so that the people that don't take care of there dogs can give diseases to the people that take there dogs to the vet to get over being sick just saying


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## James Kotary (Nov 14, 2012)

The only dog park in the city I live in charges $45 a year and you get a key for the gate. You have to of course have proof of vaccinations. There are two separate areas. One is for aggressive dogs to run around. (One at a time lol). The other area is the general area and even has sport dog obstacles. 
If your dog or you are confrontational you are banned from the park by the City Park and Recreational Department. 
Over all as far as dog parks go, it is pretty good. The people I know that do there have told me there is very rarely a problem and the Animal Control Officer does make rounds daily and often.
I do not go because I live out in the country side ad have ample room for my dogs to run. When it comes to socialization I go to the pet stores I work at on the weekends during the week because of lower traffic. I will go in first to make sure there are no aggressive dogs because of my Rottweilers. They are usually calm but if snapped at my female will go for hers. It does some times give me the chance to work on her control, which has gotten a ton better since her rescue nine months ago, but I'd rather not chance her defending herself and making the papers so they can spin it into Rottweiler attacks...


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## Howard Knauf (May 10, 2008)

rick smith said:


> different strokes ... so here's why i like and use dog parks
> 
> 1. it's the ultimate distraction environment for testing and proofing focus and a wide variety of OB drills. for me it's a "trial field" of sorts, but i sure don't consider other owners trial judges, nor do i care what they say or do
> 2. great place to let a dog be "around" other dogs, especially if your dog(s) rarely see other dogs and is overly reactive to other dogs. i've found that no matter how many idiot dogs and owners are running loose, there are usually a couple decent ones you can single out and select
> ...


 This is exactly how I use them as well. I don't allow interaction, just use the fence as a barrier. The job gets done just fine without actual physical contact.


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## brad robert (Nov 26, 2008)

James Kotary said:


> The only dog park in the city I live in charges $45 a year and you get a key for the gate. You have to of course have proof of vaccinations. There are two separate areas. One is for aggressive dogs to run around. (One at a time lol). The other area is the general area and even has sport dog obstacles.
> If your dog or you are confrontational you are banned from the park by the City Park and Recreational Department.
> Over all as far as dog parks go, it is pretty good. The people I know that do there have told me there is very rarely a problem and the Animal Control Officer does make rounds daily and often.
> I do not go because I live out in the country side ad have ample room for my dogs to run. When it comes to socialization I go to the pet stores I work at on the weekends during the week because of lower traffic. I will go in first to make sure there are no aggressive dogs because of my Rottweilers. They are usually calm but if snapped at my female will go for hers. It does some times give me the chance to work on her control, which has gotten a ton better since her rescue nine months ago, but I'd rather not chance her defending herself and making the papers so they can spin it into Rottweiler attacks...


That sounds like a great place your town is lucky to have that facility.


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## Natasha Keating (Apr 8, 2010)

None of my dogs had been INSIDE the fence at the dog park but we had done a lot of ob work just outside the fence.


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