Dog Park Etiquette

[Charlies Mamma]

Hi everyone, been awhile since ive been on. I have gone through the search and browsed the old forums on this but didnt see what I am asking about.

We have a new Dog park in our area it is sectioned into 2 areas small and large. I have never had Charlie to a dog park but this one is all gated in so he could run freely.

Heres my question(s).....

What is my responsibility of etiquette in the park, if Charlie jumps on another dog to play do I stop him if he barks do I get him to stop? should I take poo bags? are treats allowd in the park? is there water there for them or do I take him some? I ask about the jumping because when my son brings his dog over he and Charlie jump on one another and kind of wressle now others might not like that but since I have never been to a dog park I need to know the do's and dont's. Charlie is 4 yrs old but he still plays like a puppy.

I did read also in the old forum some posts where some dogs were scared by so many other dogs being around and they were told not to pick up (reward) their dogs fear is this a true fact? if Charlie would be scared do I let him work through it on his own?

ok thanks for the help

[SophieKatesMom]

We go to our Dog Park a lot, the rule regarding playing is really at the owners discretion if one dog is being rougher than lets say your dog wants to play you can either direct your dog to another area or distract the "rowdy" dog.

Treats are discourage at our park, there have been far to many scuffles with dogs over treats.

Water is available but I always take my own bowl and use their faucet.

Picking up poop is required and trust me at our park if you don't someone will say something to you.

We also have a problem with large dog owners bring their big dogs into the small dog park. They are always asked to leave and arguments such as "he loves little dogs" don't fly -we usually will explain that even if you dog loves little dogs they play a little rough and the little guys can get hurt.

One suggestion I have is if your park is busy put a bright color harness on your dog, they makes them easy to spot - Sophie Kate wears a bright pink harness at the park.

[Britster]

If someone gets mad at your dog because they are jumping/wrestling with another dog who is enjoying it... well, then they are dumb. Lol. Dogs will be dogs -- it's how they play. Jackson makes a ton of loud noises while playing and wrestles, etc, I've never had anyone have an issue with it. If he's barking too obnoxiously, I will stop him, but if he is playfully barking at a dog, I let him. It is a dog park afterall.

YouTube - Dog Park Day

Poop bags- I always bring them. Our local park has poop bags usually available and pooper scoopers. But I bring my own just in case. I always bring my own water too usually, just because sometimes the water there is dirty. Treats... I think it just depends on the park.

I belong to one dog park where we pay yearly for it (it's in a state park) and I find it's a lot more strict when it comes to rules. People are a stickler for rules there... and they are enforced. So no treats are allowed there and someone told me off once I go to another dog park that is very laid back and sometimes I prefer it, the people are a lot more normal, LoL. But there's also not as many small dogs there. Anyways... I'm rambling, but I'd skip the treats.

Basically, just go to have fun!!! If for some reason your dog is uncomfortable, leave and try another time. But I can't stand when people pick up their dog for unnecessary reasons in the dog park.. it makes the other dogs curious and they start jumping on the persons legs who is holding the dog, etc. Also, let the leash off asap. When people leave the leash on the dog as they walk in, it often just makes things worse. When I get to the dog park, I unclip Jackson before we walk in, and usually we are greeted by a big group of dogs and you just kind of have to push your way through and continue walking. Don't stop and let all the dogs get out (they have double fences).

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by Charlies Mamma

Hi everyone, been awhile since ive been on. I have gone through the search and browsed the old forums on this but didnt see what I am asking about.

We have a new Dog park in our area it is sectioned into 2 areas small and large. I have never had Charlie to a dog park but this one is all gated in so he could run freely.

Heres my question(s).....

What is my responsibility of etiquette in the park, if Charlie jumps on another dog to play do I stop him if he barks do I get him to stop? should I take poo bags? are treats allowd in the park? is there water there for them or do I take him some? I ask about the jumping because when my son brings his dog over he and Charlie jump on one another and kind of wressle now others might not like that but since I have never been to a dog park I need to know the do's and dont's. Charlie is 4 yrs old but he still plays like a puppy.

I did read also in the old forum some posts where some dogs were scared by so many other dogs being around and they were told not to pick up (reward) their dogs fear is this a true fact? if Charlie would be scared do I let him work through it on his own?

ok thanks for the help

Both the parks I go to provide poop bags- I usually grab one on my way in and stick it in my pocket because my dogs ALWAYS poop as far from the bags as possible.

I do bring treats with me but I am careful not to take them out when there are other dogs around. Sometimes the park is dead so I will go off alone with the dogs and do a little training and then I use the treats.

Many dogs don't like being jumped on by strange dogs, so I don't allow mine to do that at the dog park- they can wrestle with each other all they want but if they get start it with another dog I will re-direct them- this is always appreciated by the other owner.

I personally don't believe in forcing a dog to deal with a situation that scares them or overwhelms them. If you find your dog is scared at the dog park I recommend taking them outside the fenced area and walk them around on the leash a little bit, do some minimal training out there to get them focused on you. Once they are calmed down and relaxed (may take several trips) then start taking them back inside. It is also best to start out going at off peak times so there are not as many dogs there.

The most important thing to remember is that you need to protect your dog no matter what- it doesn't matter who is "right". I was at the dog park once and someone insisted on bringing their pit bull into the small dog side- many of the other owners wanted to fight with them about the fact that their dog should NOT be in the small dog section. Yet, in the mean time the dog IS there chasing after their dogs. I just leashed mine and left. Yes, the pit bull owner was in the wrong, but I don't take chances with my dogs safety so we left. I see situations like this all the time. I have never had any issues because at the first sign of something wrong I leave and we find other ways to have fun for the day.

[kdhawks]

The dog park is one of Levi's favorite places in the world! We've been to several, and I am most comfortable in parks with a separate small dog area because Levi is usually the smallest dog there. Levi is definitely a wrestler, but we've never had any problems as he is very obviously playing - wrestling, running, having a good time.

I always take bags, a collapsible water bowl, and a bottle of water. The park we usually go to does provide bags and water; I just prefer to bring our own. The rules around here are that small training treats are allowed, but long-lasting treats/chews (like bully sticks) are not allowed (to prevent possessiveness and fighting). I've never had to pick Levi up at the park, but I think I would only pick him up in an extreme case.

Have fun! Charlie will love running around and playing with other dogs!

[NellieBelly]

Thank you for posting this thread!! I've recently started taking Hudson to the dog park too so it's nice to see other yorkie owners being considerate about asking what appropriate etiquette is.

Hudson plays nice with all the dogs but when I first started taking him I watched him like a hawk. Just because you don't know what the other dogs and dog owners are like and how your dog will interact with all the others. Hudson hasn't been neutered yet (his appt is later this month) and the other day he hopped on top of another dog and started humping. I was a little mortified but luckily the other dog's owner just laughed it off. You never know though, so I always like to be careful.

One other thing that happened to me recently was that a mother had brought her dog and her two little girls. One of the girls (probably 7 yrs old?) asked me if she could play with Hudson and when I said yes she picked him up and walked him over to the other side of the park. I was a little surprised but I can understand (he's so darn cute and little!!). At first I didn't mind, however, she did this a number of times and I had to watch her to make sure she was holding him correctly. She was taking him to the other side of the park where I couldn't see him as well and putting him on a bench. I know she just wanted to play with him all by herself but after awhile I asked her to not pick him anymore so that Hudson "could play with the other dogs and get exercise." She did it again one more time until her mother had to intervene.

Just thought I'd share my story in case anyone else has had interesting dog park stories to share!

[SWHouston]

Every DP I've ever been too, has IMHO set the separation weight
WAY too high. Some parks have it at 30 or 40 pounds, and that
way too big for my guys to be exposed to. That's about the only
complaint I have with them.

[yorkietalkjilly]

My son who takes his dog to Dog Parks regularly tells me that dogs that tend to act scared are often targets of aggression by alpha dog types if their owners let them run loose in the park. I would be very watchful of my baby and keep him away from the other dogs while he is a bit shaky for his own protection as he says some of the more aggressive dogs are sometimes allowed to roam at will.

[Mom to Hot Rod]

In my experience, my 2 are total afraid of the dog park although they are getting used to it. My Maggie is very submissive and I guess other dogs can sense it. I got a bit upset at one owner whose (bigger) pug was barking right in Maggies face as she was cowering and didn't do anything. Yes, it is a dog park but at the same time, you should be aware of what your dog is doing. In my case I would have appreciated it if the owner would have called her dog off. Maggie was all of 4 1/2 lbs at the time and to this day is afraid when she hears dogs barking.

I say let Charlie enjoy himself but just be aware of what is taking place, be it he is being scared to death or bullying another dog (not the normal playing sort of thing).

I think I was with Britster at the part when someone got upset about the treats. Yeah, there are some people who can be sticklers. I usually try and go with someone I know so at least I know my dogs know other dogs there.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by ArmaniMan

The most important thing to remember is that you need to protect your dog no matter what- it doesn't matter who is "right". I was at the dog park once and someone insisted on bringing their pit bull into the small dog side- many of the other owners wanted to fight with them about the fact that their dog should NOT be in the small dog section. Yet, in the mean time the dog IS there chasing after their dogs. I just leashed mine and left. Yes, the pit bull owner was in the wrong, but I don't take chances with my dogs safety so we left. I see situations like this all the time. I have never had any issues because at the first sign of something wrong I leave and we find other ways to have fun for the day.

People have tried this crap at our park too sometimes! It irritates me... I don't mind big dogs at all, and I let Jackson hang out with ones that I know, but there's a reason I bring him into the SMALL dog side of the park... and when people bring a big dog in, it makes me The only time I don't mind is if it's an elderly big dog (the rules state old big dogs are allowed) who just sits around by their owner anyways.

I'll do the same thing as you... if I come across an owner that I don't like or a dog that is not behaving, I simply just leave. Believe it or not, a 4lb yorkie causes me to do this. He is the most annoying little guy, he constantly is humping Jackson (not neutered) and causing fights with all the dogs and the owner just laughs about it... every regular knows who this Yorkie is and always leaves when she gets there.

[ArmaniMan]

Originally Posted by Britster

People have tried this crap at our park too sometimes! It irritates me... I don't mind big dogs at all, and I let Jackson hang out with ones that I know, but there's a reason I bring him into the SMALL dog side of the park... and when people bring a big dog in, it makes me The only time I don't mind is if it's an elderly big dog (the rules state old big dogs are allowed) who just sits around by their owner anyways.

I'll do the same thing as you... if I come across an owner that I don't like or a dog that is not behaving, I simply just leave. Believe it or not, a 4lb yorkie causes me to do this. He is the most annoying little guy, he constantly is humping Jackson (not neutered) and causing fights with all the dogs and the owner just laughs about it... every regular knows who this Yorkie is and always leaves when she gets there.

Oh yeah! We have some annoying small dogs at our park too... There are these two Boston terriers that are just the most aggressive things ever and the owners just sit on the bench and do nothing! It is so annoying, I drive 30 minutes to the dog park so i hate when my dogs fun has to get ruined or cut short because of an irresponsible owner.

[deonk1]

Always bring your own water, and bowl even if they do provide it (a facet is ok) because you never know if a carrier of kennel cough or something has drank from the water. It is better safe than sorry, I got a great bottle that the lid flips and turns into a bowl for $10 and it's stainless steel, dishwasher safe and the opening is big enough to fit icecubes in.

Other than that, everyone else have give great advice.

[Charlies Mamma]

I really appreciate all this advise, Do the park post rules??? maybe I need to go alone first and see what all the rules are maybe go with my son and see what goes on.

Now Charlie is not the submissive type he believes he is a yorkie in a sheperds body and he is neutered so that should not be an issue. I had to chuckle at the post above whos dog started humping another. I too would have been mortified and I would have had to leave right away

Maybe when I take Charlie for the first time he could go with my sons dog so he can have a familiar friend, is this a good idea???

I also like the suggestion to put a bright colors harness on Charlie, he has never worn a harness but he does have brightly colored clothing.

Are there certain breeds that I should be concered would be aggressive towards yorkies?? I had never though that.

I hope people keep posting to this it is really helpful

[kdhawks]

Our dog parks have rules posted outside them, but the rules are also posted on our city park departments website. Maybe yours has a similar website with rules posted?

I will occasionally take my brother's dog with us to the dog park, and Levi REALLY enjoys that. So maybe Charlie would enjoy having his little friend with him as well.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Charlies Mamma

Now Charlie is not the submissive type he believes he is a yorkie in a sheperds body and he is neutered so that should not be an issue. I had to chuckle at the post above whos dog started humping another. I too would have been mortified and I would have had to leave right away

The humping itself doesn't bother me, per say... I understand that dogs are just being dogs and humping is going to happen. So don't be too mortified because it happens alot. And if a dog tries to hump Jackson a few quick times, I just laugh it off... but these owners are always quick to take their dog off of mine and being responsible about it. However, it's when the dogs owner is just laughing away as her dog will NOT leave mine alone the WHOLE time we are there... yeah that is annoying!! And don't get me wrong, it's def. not just un-neutered dogs that do the humping thing.