Hi Everyone!
Wesley got a nasty bite from another dog at the park that pretty much covers half of his head and face. It's awful.
Scariest part:
It looks like he was brutally attacked, but he was actually just playing with a larger dog when this happened. I see it all the time (Wes does this, too) - holding another dog's head or neck with teeth while playing. The problem is, this time Wesley twisted his head while it was inside the other dog's mouth, and the dog clamped down on him.
What's your general feeling about public dog parks?
Even though I have a backyard, I take Wes to the park every day. He's a one-owner type of dog (could really care less about people he doesn't know), but socializing with other dogs is his FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD. I haven't found any other activity that makes him as excited or motivates him to exercise this much.
Of course, not every pet owner is the same. I have seen some pretty terrible, unprovoked attacks in the past year that made me wonder why ANYONE would knowingly bring their aggressive dog to the park.
So I've always watched him. The entire time. Probably a lot more than the majority of people who bring books, socialize, etc. I honestly just stare at my dog and call him if anything even close to him gets out of hand.
I know there's a risk every time we go, but this incident has made me wonder if I am a bad owner, if I should deprive him of something he loves, or if maybe getting another dog for him to play with at home would be the best thing.
Thoughts?
Wesley got a nasty bite from another dog at the park that pretty much covers half of his head and face. It's awful.
Scariest part:
It looks like he was brutally attacked, but he was actually just playing with a larger dog when this happened. I see it all the time (Wes does this, too) - holding another dog's head or neck with teeth while playing. The problem is, this time Wesley twisted his head while it was inside the other dog's mouth, and the dog clamped down on him.
What's your general feeling about public dog parks?
Even though I have a backyard, I take Wes to the park every day. He's a one-owner type of dog (could really care less about people he doesn't know), but socializing with other dogs is his FAVORITE THING IN THE WORLD. I haven't found any other activity that makes him as excited or motivates him to exercise this much.
Of course, not every pet owner is the same. I have seen some pretty terrible, unprovoked attacks in the past year that made me wonder why ANYONE would knowingly bring their aggressive dog to the park.
So I've always watched him. The entire time. Probably a lot more than the majority of people who bring books, socialize, etc. I honestly just stare at my dog and call him if anything even close to him gets out of hand.
I know there's a risk every time we go, but this incident has made me wonder if I am a bad owner, if I should deprive him of something he loves, or if maybe getting another dog for him to play with at home would be the best thing.
Thoughts?


