[jingle bell]

Thanks for that good info. I should also remember that my dog is just 8 months old and his behavior may not be the same as other dogs. Plus I have only taken him there 4 times. Thanks Again.................

Originally Posted by daniellealberta

Actually, to me it doesn't sound like your dog is anti-social. An anti-social dog would not approach other dogs at all.

very dog is different at a doggy park. Some try to meet every other dog they see, some only want to meet certain dogs, and some don't care at all. When I walk Spike at the doggy park, we meet all kinds.

I think a lot of people who take their dogs to a doggy park expect them to run up to the other dogs and immediately start to play with them. When that doesn't happen, they assume that something is wrong. That's usually not the case. Dogs are pack animals, so when you get a large group of them together, it takes them a while to figure out everyone's place in the pack. Even then, that's assuming that these dogs are together long enough for this to happen. If you watch them, certain smaller groups will emerge, and certain partnerships will develop within the pack. Then they might start to play.

My point is every dog is different. Spike likes to go up and meet most of the dogs he sees, but he's not eager to play with any of them, at least at the park when we're out for a walk. They're strangers, after all. When he's at his kennel, he tends to find a dog of similar size to pal around with and they will play then. At the kennel, however, the dogs spend a lot more time together.

Keep going to the park. It's a great environment for them, and the more time they spend around other dogs, the more confident they will be about socializing with other dogs. In the two years I've had Spike, he's gone from being quite timid to quite bold. The other day, he went up to a Mastiff and said hello. It was hilarious, especially when he tried to sniff the Mastiff's butt. He needed a ladder!