[chipinmom]

Not all of them.. just the stupid, irresponsible ones!

Took Bentley to the dog park this afternoon. Usually we just go during the week and avoid the weekend crowds, but he was overly hyper/energetic today so I figured we'd give it a go. Bad idea!

So we get there and all is good for a bit. Bentley is playing and running with everyone and all are getting along. All of a sudden out of nowhere this huge labx comes and plows into Bentley sending him flying tumbling over. At first I just let it go thinking the dog was just excited, but it didn't stop. Everytime Bentley would get back up and try to go play with the other dogs, this one lab would come again and do the same thing. Keep in mind that this lab was easily over 70 pounds and Bentley is 17 pounds at the most. I finally had enough when one of the incidents involved Bentley being pushed over head first into a huge tree stump and held there while crying and whining. I freaked out on the owners of the lab (while they were laughing by the way) and all they had to say about it was "Well it's your fault because your dog has a coat on. Our dog hates dogs with coats on". WTF? So because my dog gets cold easily and needs a coat, that's reason enough to just let your dog continually attack him? Apparently, to them, it was. So I just grabbed Bentley and left. No more weekend dog park for us. We'll stick to the weekday crowd.

 

[sscott87]

Coming from a young guy here...were these dumb***es frickin' immature young pricks or what? Heck, that sounds like a 15 year-old, pre-pubescent teen's argument even. "Well my dog hates dogs with coats so its your fault." Umm...so a) their dog has a history of going after dogs with clothes? and b) you simply do nothing to control your dog in such an environment when it is running wild on others?! Screw that ****, I'd have picked a fight with them after THAT argument of theirs and threatened to call animal control, police, or something. Surely, someone else would've backed you up on that bs.

 

[JohnTruthman]

It's unfortunate that anarchy reins at dog parks as there is no effective or timely relief from fools and bullies.

I have a 28 pound dog but take him to the small dog (25#) compound where the ruffians at least are similar in size and have to think twice.

 

[ArlosMom]

That is super frustrating!! That is why I like to keep Arlo in the small dog enclosure. He is good with big dogs, but doesn't take well to bullying and it just makes me nervous because I would hate for a big dog to have an unfortunate reaction to my small dogs (16lbs) warning growls...

Sorry you had a bad day.

 

[chipinmom]

Thanks everyone. I would love to keep Bentley in the small enclosure, and I would no problem, except for the fact that no one uses them. The small enclosures are always empty. And when I say always, I mean ALWAYS. No one ever uses them. And while I can get away with taking Bentley in there for a bit and plating fetch or doing some training, eventually he gets bored and all he wants is to do is go play with the other dogs that he can see and hear on the other side of the fence.

sscott - if they had of been teens it would have been a bit more understandable on my part (still stupid though). But no, they were adults, probably 30's-40's. I talked to a couple people on my way out and apparently they have had issues with thier dog there before but for some reason keep coming back.

Arlosmom - I want to steal Arlo He is super adorable!

 

[ArlosMom]

awww, thanks!! I'm pretty smitten myself

 

[spotted nikes]

Invite a couple of people with small dogs to join you on the small dog side. If they have a small dog side and you don't use it, you can't really complain about a big dog being to rough with your little one. (Even if the large dog's owner is a jerk).

 

[chipinmom]

I don't know, IMO I feel I have every right to complain. Everyone was getting along great, small AND large, except for this one dog. I'm not pissed off that it was a big dog picking on Bentley. I would have been just as pissed off it was a small dog. I just don't think anyone should be bringing their dogs to a dog park if they can't control them. Whether they are big or small.

I shouldn't have had to be the one who left. But I did. To protect my dog. But I was NOT the one in the wrong here.

 

[grab]

I don't go to the dog parks here anymore, but I would never take one of my small dogs into the larger dog side. Too much of a chance of a mishap...even normal rough play could harm a small dog.
I'd think a coat could seem foreign to some dogs and trigger a predatory response

 

[spotted nikes]

Except that if your dog had been 80 lbs, you wouldn't have had this issue. He belongs on the small side for a reason. It pisses me off to see people with small dogs go in the large dog side. It's unfair to the owners of large dogs, and you are risking the life of a large dog. How, you ask? Many large dogs can have their prey drive triggered by a yelping, squealing small dog that runs by. Even good natured large dogs that normally are ok with dogs of all sizes. If a small dog accidentally gets hurt by a playful large dog, and runs, yelping, there is a very good possibility that one or several large dogs may have their prey drive triggered, and attack the little dog. Little dog will probably be hurt/killed. Large dog will get blamed, and maybe be labeled dangerous or put down. All because some small dog owner was selfish enough to put their small dog somewhere it didn't belong.

I promise you, that if you and other small dog owners would use the small dog side, more small dog owners would start to do so, and soon you would have all kinds of small dog buddies for your dog to play with. And you would be keeping your dog safe, and keeping the larger dogs safe from being put down. Or having someone get hurt trying to pry a small dog out of a larger dog's mouth.

You might think it can't happen, but there are numerous threads on here about people with small dogs at dog parks having large dogs kill them.

 

[chipinmom]

Right. I was in the wrong. Gotcha..

Aside from ALL THAT.. my dog is not a little puny toy breed dog that weighs 5 pounds. He's almost 20 pounds and still growing. I WANT him to socialize with small and large dogs. No one EVER uses the small dog enclosures here. The only time I've ever seen them used is when someone is doing training exercises with their dog.

Where my dog was in the park is not the issue. The issue is owners that can't control or train their dogs properly. Big AND small!

 

[RCloud]

Right. I was in the wrong. Gotcha..

Aside from ALL THAT.. my dog is not a little puny toy breed dog that weighs 5 pounds. He's almost 20 pounds and still growing. I WANT him to socialize with small and large dogs. No one EVER uses the small dog enclosures here. The only time I've ever seen them used is when someone is doing training exercises with their dog.

Where my dog was in the park is not the issue. The issue is owners that can't control or train their dogs properly. Big AND small!

While I agree the owners of the other dog were real ****s, Spotted Nikes has a good point. The small dog side is there for this exact reason; to protect smaller dogs from getting hurt by the big dogs. By taking him into the big dog section, you run the risk of him getting knocked down by large dogs that like to play rough. That's your choice, and I'm not flaming you for it or anything, but you really don't have anyone to blame but yourself if that's what happens. Perhaps you should try to find other small dog owners or owners of calmer, more gentle dogs and arrange a play date.

 

[sscott87]

I'm torn on this, but not really I suppose, as there doesn't seem to be any real disagreement but rather simply people looking at different sides of the situation.

You're dog was not in the wrong, but yes, perhaps you were in the fact that if there is indeed a small-dog section and you were in the larger-dog area, you were lending your dog to such an issue. Even so, obviously they went about it completely wrong as well, when they easily could have taken control of their dog for the time being and commented to you how there's a separate area where you wouldn't have to be fearful of larger dogs for your smaller breed. But instead, they chose to be completely immature pricks and, if others have indeed had similar issues, the people have no sort of consideration for the safety of anyone else's dogs, and especially at a dog park, that is completely the wrong attitude. I haven't been a dog owner long, and have yet to have a dog park experience, but sadly, I can only imagine that it's not all that uncommon for the owners of bullying dogs to see no problem with it. But if there's nothing you or the others want/can do about it, perhaps you should consider attempting to start the trend of using the designated area for smaller breeds. One or two people start going there, others see you, and over time the numbers will increase.

 

[chipinmom]

Believe me, I understand what you guys are saying. But what I'M saying, and maybe didn't explain it well enough in the first post, is that this dog wasn't playing. If he was just "rough" playing, I could understand. I would have probably still left, but I would have had no issue with the owners since it was MY choice to bring my dog there. However, he was attacking my dog constantly, without being provoked, by slamming into him and knocking him over at full speed. He would growl and snap when Bentley tried to get up and then do it all over again. Bentley may only be 20 pounds, but he can hold his own while playing with the bigger dogs. There has never been an issue before now, whether at the dog park or anywhere else with other dogs. This wasn't just an issue with a big dog trying to play with my dog. It was an aggression issue.

IMO, it's not fair to my dog, or the other dogs for that matter, that we have to give up his play time that he LOVES and enjoys so much, just because one dog ruins it for everyone else.

 

[RCloud]

Believe me, I understand what you guys are saying. But what I'M saying, and maybe didn't explain it well enough in the first post, is that this dog wasn't playing. If he was just "rough" playing, I could understand. I would have probably still left, but I would have had no issue with the owners since it was MY choice to bring my dog there. However, he was attacking my dog constantly, without being provoked, by slamming into him and knocking him over at full speed. He would growl and snap when Bentley tried to get up and then do it all over again. Bentley may only be 20 pounds, but he can hold his own while playing with the bigger dogs. There has never been an issue before now, whether at the dog park or anywhere else with other dogs. This wasn't just an issue with a big dog trying to play with my dog. It was an aggression issue.

How was the dog in question behaving with other dogs in the park?

 

[chipinmom]

How was the dog in question behaving with other dogs in the park?

He was being rough with everyone, but pretty much set his sights on my dog and wouldn't let up all because he was wearing a coat apparently. And no, I don't think I should have had to remove my dogs coat just to get this dog to stop attacking. I chose to leave instead.

 

[chipinmom]

And just as a side note for those constantly saying my dog should only socialize with other small dogs.. I feel MUCH more comfortable having my dog around big dogs than I do small dogs. Usually, 95% of the time, I find that it's the small dogs I have to worry about. They are temperamental and nippy (not all of them), and don't really seem to want to play or have the energy that my dog has.

 

[RCloud]

He was being rough with everyone, but pretty much set his sights on my dog and wouldn't let up all because he was wearing a coat apparently. And no, I don't think I should have had to remove my dogs coat just to get this dog to stop attacking. I chose to leave instead.

And you did the right thing. While I personally would never bring a dog to a dog park with a sweater or coat on (don't need something expensive getting ruined from rough play/running in mud), I certainly don't blame you for choosing to keep it on and leave. It's very possible the other dog was still young and just didn't understand the concept of manners and boundaries, in which case the sweater probably had very little to do with the issue.

It's hard for me to really make any kind of solid judgement because to me this kind of thing is just far to common in dog parks. We stopped going to them along time ago for that very reason. Those places just ATTRACT idiots and trouble, and by choosing to go, you run the risk of getting dragged into a situation you shouldn't have to deal with.

 

[chipinmom]

If I had other options to socialize my dog, I wouldn't be going to the dog parks either. But being as we know no one around here (new area), and I don't trust places like Petsmart or Doggy Daycares (I Like to be there to see what is going on with my dog). So this, at the moment, is our only option.

Either way, it was a learning experience. I've never seen this dog there during the week, so I will just continue going on weekdays and stay away on weekends, like I was doing previously. Bentley wasn't seriously hurt, thankfully. But he could have been. And that scared me so I just needed to vent a bit.

 

[sscott87]

Like I said, I haven't yet had a dog park experience. New dog owner and while I know of one being built at a new park, I don't know of another nearby, so I stick to 2 large local parks and keeping Jax on a leash like most every other dog at said parks. It's not the same interaction, but he does get a little socializing in with other dogs while in a very controlled environment. I have a feeling I will have very mixed opinions on dog parks due in part to Jax's high energy and in part to idiotic people there with aggressive dogs such as you've described. In any case, sorry you had such an experience. That definitely sucks and I'm with you on the fact that one idiot couple with an aggressive dog shouldn't be ruining it for everyone else, but hey, what can you do?