Dog Park Conundrum

581 Views 2 Replies 3 Participants Last post by tigress, May 20, 2009

Trixie

Discussion Starter · May 20, 2009

Oh, the dog park. I love the dog park, as does Pepper. She gets to run, play with other dogs, and have some free play time which, with 2 people working, obviously doesn't happen during the day.

Many people who frequent the dog park are great and have great dogs. There are a few with problem dogs, but they don't tend to return.

Then there are the people with dogs that are fine, but its the PEOPLE I take issue with. Dogs play. They play-fight. I know the difference between play and aggression. So does my dog, by the way, and if a dog is genuinely aggressive towards her, she comes back to me.

But there are a few dogs who, when playing, the owner goes ballistic. Starts yelling at their dog, pulls the dog off, scolds, hits even. I try and say "it's fine. They are playing" and the owner will snap back at me "SHE NEEDS TO LEARN!" Learn what? That if the dogs play they will be punished?

Poor Pepper will then give up and come back to me and we leave. It's sad for her.

I guess, I don't know -- is there anything I can say/do? It drives me nuts. Seriously, it takes away the fun of the park.

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3212

· #2 · May 20, 2009

I don't really go to our dog park much anymore. But we generally have an awesome group of owners and dogs that frequent ours.

I have made friends with a lot of the owners and when we see people who have dogs that get snappy or aggressive we work together to send them packing. The park has the rules posted that simply states "no aggressive dogs allowed" and we are able to call animal control if the problem elevates. I'd look into the rules at your park if they are posted.

It has really worked at our Bark Park to weed out the people who should not be bringing their dogs there.

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tigress

· #3 · May 20, 2009

I honestly will kinda do this if my dog gets overbearing. She's not got a mean bone in her body but if a dog is really submessive to her she tends to grab on to them and pin them down and if htey don't call her on it she won't let them get back up. I don't think it's good manners on her part. And no I don't hit her for it but I will try to get her to let go and if she persists on being overbearing (and the owner doesn't tell me they think they're dog is fine with it), I'll lead her elsewhere.

Plus while I honestly don't mind if a dog does that to mine as long as she isn't complaining (I know that she would say something if she didn't like it), some people are more squeemish and I kinda worry that they'll freak if I let her get too overbearing.

But for the people I've met who get upset if the dogs even mouth each other, I just leave because I agree, that's how they are playing and though they'll be griping at their dog not to mouth I realize they'll expect me to teach my dog not to do any normal dog playing plus they don't allow their dog to get much playing in and I bring my dog to the park to get tired out. Doesn't work if she doesn't get to play with the dogs or I'm not walking with her so she's running around exploring (some of the parks I go to have trails you can go on).

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