[StardustInVegas]

I'm gonna be a little bit ranting here, so forgive me if I sound like I'm "off the wall".

I take my 5 month old puppy to the dog park (DP) frequently. EVERY single time, there's always one male intact dog that has to hump my spayed female dog. I'm sick of it, seriously. Yesterday was a bit of a final straw where a bulldog was REALLY going after Stardust. Stardust was trying to escape (by tucking her tail in and staying on my side. I ended up grabbing Stardust and holding her while in embarrassment as the bulldog started to go after my leg.

I go to two different parks to give her a variety. Both of these parks, there's a handful of male dogs that are intact. It drives me crazy to see them "mark" the picnic benches (one dog actually had the nerve to mark Stardust's water bottle..that was a little gross for my taste), while no one actually clean those benches. I see like 5 or 6 male dogs going after the very few females, and each other, and they're all intact.

I once asked a lady that frequents the park about why there's so many dogs that are not neutered. She says to me that it's all about alpha dog and aggression issues. Many of these people want to have their boy dogs to be tough and not be submissive to others.

I want Stardust to really enjoy going to the dog park, but I always have to keep an eye out for her and scoop her up if a male dog decides to do the limbo. The owners of these dogs doesn't seem to care. There has been a couple owners that would grab their dog and just hit them on the face (yeah, like that's gonna stop them).

Another thing that drives me batty - if a dog park has two separate pens. One for small dogs under 35 pounds, and the other for over 35 pounds. What the heck are these owners thinking that they can bring their 80 pound labs into the small dog pen? On Saturday, Stardust was being chased by a little too assertive 60 pound dog! She's little! Stardust does like to be chased and run around, but when a larger dog goes after her, I get worried, especially when she gets flipped around a couple times.

I understand that many people have two different sizes dog, but I think the larger dog should stay in the large dog pen with EXCEPTION if the dog is a much older dog and very quiet and well behaved (there's a couple that I see that doesn't care about the little dogs). I just wished people would follow the rules. It's there for a reason. I'm always worried that my dog will one day get attacked by a much larger dog that doesn't belong there in the first place....especially one that is not neutered.

Does this happen to a lot of dog parks?

 

[Dogstar]

The other dogs obnoxious behavior has nothing to do with them being intact or not. It has to do with them not being trained.

 

[BentletheYentle]

I completely agree that its a lack of training, not the lack of neutering. I know plenty of intact males who are quite well behaved.

Why don't you try to arrange doggie playdates with some friends who have dogs or maybe even some of the owners from the park that have well behaved dogs? There will ALWAYS be a risk when you take your dog to the park, but that shouldn't stop you from letting your dog interact with other dogs. If these dogs are that worrisome, I would highly suggest creating your own playdates with dogs you know will play nicely with yours.

 

[BoxMeIn21]

The other dogs obnoxious behavior has nothing to do with them being intact or not. It has to do with them not being trained.

Ditto. And why I avoid dog parks all together. Make playdates with dogs you know instead.

 

[wvasko]

Let's see, add dogs + people + stupidity, mix well, pour all of the mixture in small enclosed area =s aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhH!!!!!!!!

One thing I can't understand is when you try a park once and the dog/dogs do things you don't like "and then you go back and it happens again" "and then you go back and it happens again" "and then you go back and it happens again" oh you get the idea. This is not aimed at OP, it is an old story repeated often on DF. If I was of the mindset that my dog just had to be in a park I would be in car and traveling to find different park if possible.

 

[ioreks_mom]

this (dogs with no training) is part of the reason why i never go to dog parks when there are other dogs there. another reason is that i don't trust the owners to watch their own dogs or to watch the gate when they are coming and going. i only go to the dog park (actually a ball field so there are no nice things like benches and air locks at the gates and separate places for small and big dogs) after dark, there are street lights around and my friend usually goes with us so my dog gets to play with her 2 dogs and they all have a blast. i also have fun because if i had to go with other people/dogs i would be stressed the whole time.

 

[Blizzard]

The other dogs obnoxious behavior has nothing to do with them being intact or not. It has to do with them not being trained.

Exactly. My male is intact but he is always under control and I see to it that he bahaves himself.

 

[tirluc]

when i take my dogs to the dog park (which is not often as i generally go to the dog club yard) and there's a dog (or more) doing things to my dogs that i don't appreciate (such as the constant mounting) and the owner is standing by doing nothing, i will step in and do something myself and it is generally not something that the owner appreciates me doing....i have had them say things to me (on behalf of their dog) and just simply turn around and tell them that if i am there to enjoy my dogs (i have no yard and need the space to run them daily, that's why the club rather than the park since i don't have to deal w/ idiots) and if their dog wants to play/run w/ mine that's fine but they really don't want to be beat on/humped/etc...

as for the big dogs in the little dog section, at our parks, if you have both you either run them separate or you take the small dog in the big dog section....

 

[jbray01]

its a matter of a poorly trained dog and an inattentive owner. i get so peeved by owners in the dp that just take their dog off a leash and check out. when i go to the dp i make sure i am watching my dog like a HAWK. i am taking a little break from the dp simply because the past few times i've gone its been irresponsible owners on parade. it seems like the dp is morphing into a place where lazy owners who dont actually want to work to exercise their dogs go.. not saying thats all people in the dp, but im seeing a lot more of it...

i would also be careful taking such a young puppy to the dp. most parks i've heard of have rules that don't allow puppies under 6 months.

 

[StardustInVegas]

i would also be careful taking such a young puppy to the dp. most parks i've heard of have rules that don't allow puppies under 6 months.

Stardust is 5 months, and the rules says 4 months. She's actually pretty well behaved puppy, very gentle towards the toy breeds. I have seen two young puppies - roughly around 2 months or maybe younger (they still have the bluish tinge in their eyes...i'm not sure what age that would be), at the DP all the time, now that's a bit too young. I just don't understand why though...I can see that they want to interact their pup with other dogs, but that's just too young.

 

[GeorgeGlass]

I agree with the others. If you don't like the way other dogs interact with your pup, you shouldn't take Stardust there.

Lots of dogs are happy and never set a foot in a dog park. (And many, I imagine, are much happier because they never have set foot in a dog park.)

 

[StardustInVegas]

I'm learning as I go along, so I didn't know that dogs can be trained NOT to mount other dogs. I thought it's all about their thoughts set on track.

There *are* other dogs that mount that are neutered. I forgot to mention that, so I apologize if it sounded like I'm against just intact males.

Las Vegas is just ONE city, I'm kind of stuck here. :-D They do have a few dog parks here and there. There's few that has separate pens for the large/small dogs. I'm not against large dogs at all. My dog doesn't seem to care...size doesn't matter to her. However, I've seem some large dogs really go after the toy chihuahuas, that's when I feel a little bad for the little ones. And the other way around. It's funny to see a tiny chihuahua mount a 50 pound dog...but then again, like you guys said that it all comes down to training. I did not see any of the owners try to separate them.

I go to two different parks. One is much smaller than the other one. I actually prefer that one because I've only seen two large dogs (and they were well behaved) come in the small dog pen. The dogs there seem to be a little bit better than the other one. Probably because there's less dogs and smaller space - easier to watch your dogs.

Stardust start obedience class tomorrow, so I probably can set up playdates with them and find out if they have Playdates with the dogs students there (this place teaches agility, obedience, sheepherding (in LV???), and find out about clubs. Thanks for the suggestions.

Don't get me wrong, I usually have better days at the park than those days where I'm just leaving in exasperation. Both of these parks with frequent owners has informed me that nothing ever serious had happened at the parks, so I shouldn't worry about it. But still...when it comes to your baby, regardless in size, you worry.

I agree with the others. If you don't like the way other dogs interact with your pup, you shouldn't take Stardust there.

Lots of dogs are happy and never set a foot in a dog park. (And many, I imagine, are much happier because they never have set foot in a dog park.)

It's not just way the other dogs interact with my dog (the occasion that happened on Saturday was a bit much...), it's how they interact with each other that drives me a little batty. It all comes down to training like the other posters had said. My dog just like to run and play with a couple of the better behaved ones. If I feel that she's had enough of one dog, I pick her up right away.

I kind of have to take her to the DP. Stardust gets a little shy when it comes to walking down the street. She LOVES to run, and I have no backyard space for her to run.

So, I got some good suggestions and hope I can put them to good use!

 

[GeorgeGlass]

I'd be cautious picking her up. When I first got Snyder, I did go to the dog park. Whenever someone with a tiny dog picked it up, all of the sudden all the dogs wanted to jump up after it. It seemed to have the opposite intended effect.

I don't bring Snyder to dog parks any more. (After learning more about the parks, and especially because of Snyder's breed, it isn't something I'm comfortable with.) I have trained Snyder not to jump up on people, even carrying a dog or cat. But most people you'll have trouble with at the dog park aren't the type that will train them.

 

[ThoseWordsAtBest]

Organize a play group. You'll be a thousand times happier. We found a girl online that had two female beagles and her landlord had a male Golden and she was fed up with the dog parks and opening up her three acres to dogs who wanted to play and owners who wanted to hang out and chat about dogs. Every one who came brought their vaccination records and paid attention to their dogs. We had unaltered males and never had a problem. Sometimes there would be as many as 15 dogs there, all different sizes, and great owners. I never had to worry about the safety of my dogs.

 

[MissMutt]

Dog parks and etiquette generally don't go well together, as you'll meet your fair share of idiots quickly.

Fact is, many people just don't know what to do and what not to do with their dogs. At dog parks, where there are dogs all over the place, that shows up quite well.