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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.