Visiting Dog Parks

Visiting Dog Parks

A dog park is an off leash area usually designated by a local government agency, such as a parks and recreation department. The primary purpose of a dog park is to allow a dog the opportunity to socialize with other dogs. Because the secondary purpose of a dog park is to allow dogs to get vigorous exercise with others of their kind, most dog parks are fenced in, especially if they are located in an urban or suburban area. Many dog parks can include access to a beach, which would not be fenced in. 

In addition to the exercise that the dogs get with other dogs, having access to a dog park allows many owners to exercise their dogs by throwing a tennis ball or flying disc. If you have a dog that is not entertained by the thought of playing with other dogs, but would rather chase a ball for hours, access to a dog park gives the two of you the opportunity to play ball in a safe environment. 

The tertiary purpose of a dog park is to allow dog owners to socialize with each other along with their dogs. Dogs and owners alike can benefit from the exchange of ideas that can occur when everyone is relaxed and having fun.

Author’s note: I have been going to dog parks for over 20 years, and 99% of my experiences have been extremely positive. I like the opportunity for my dogs to play with a wide variety of dogs of all shapes, sizes and personalities. I believe it helps with their overall socialization and adaptability. I also like the training opportunity to practice off leash control. I always carry a bag of treats with me and constantly practice recalls in a variety of situations and distraction levels. 

I have heard a variety of comments from other dog owners who will not take their dogs to a dog park. Usually their reason is that they personally, or have heard of somebody who has had a bad experience at a dog park with a problem dog who was aggressive. In over 25 years in going to dog parks, I can only recall two experiences with problem dogs; however, these dogs also had problem owners. In both situations, the dog and its owner were unfamiliar to me. In both of these situations, I never saw them after that one time. Although unscientific, my guess is that they were one time visitors and their single negative experience with other dog owners at the parks was enough to prevent them from returning. 

Some breeds of dogs and some individuals become easily overstimulated by the high energy and frantic activity at a dog park. This activity may cause the dog to act in an aggressive manner and overreact to normal rough house play. It is also possible that a dog may misunderstand the actions of two dogs from the same house who play with each other that the stranger dog may not understand. Some dogs are temperamentally unsuitable for a dog park, but such dogs should not be allowed to tarnish the reputations of a lot of great dog parks. 

If you own a toy breed or a breed of a similar size, you might want to select a dog park with a separate area for small dogs. There is a safety factor when big dogs play around little dogs. Many dogs like to play hard and run around fast at dog parks (isn’t this the reason why we take them there?). Unless your little dog has experience around big dogs, he or she may not have the knowledge to stay out of the way of a fast moving, ball chasing Labrador. In addition, many little dogs feel intimidated by the overwhelming size of dogs many times their size, so why not provide a separate place for them to relax and play with dogs like themselves?