Some of the comments on that article... *smacks head*
Honestly, it's very rare that I find a dog park around here that DOESN'T have a separate small dog/big dog section. I find it amusing that some people think it's such an odd thing???
I did used to let Jackson on the big side, but as he's gotten older (and I
) I don't do it anymore. Jackson stopped having fun, he was too nervous with certain types of big dogs (he doesn't like bully breeds, and their play style) and it simply wasn't worth the risk anymore. I saw too many fights and questionable behavior. I think I was maybe naive when he was younger. OR, a lot of times the dog was not being aggressive, just simply trying to play... but very obnoxiously. Jackson doesn't appreciate it and will stick him for himself, which is what scares me.
He is a very well behaved, well trained dog. It has nothing to do with 'training' as some commenters said. It's literally a safety issue. I am fine with Jackson playing and hanging out with big dogs that I know and trust. A bunch of unknown dogs loose together in a big thunder-dome style fenced in area? Umm, no thank you.
As the years have gone on, I've kind of become somewhat indifferent on dog parks in general. I used to LOVE them, see nothing wrong with them, etc. To be honest, I've had mostly positive experiences at the dog park (on the small dog side).
But I've seen way too many clueless people who walk in, and either don't understand dog body language at ALL or maybe are looking a little too closely into it, or a bit of both.
There's two extremes, really. You have the people who allow their dogs to just run wild, humping everyone, jumping on everyone, growling (not playfully), etc, who are all "oh they're just dogs! Let them play!" Then the other end of the spectrum, person walks in with their dog, won't take them off the leash, a dog goes up to sniff their dogs butt and they immediately pick them up off the ground and think the other dog was being aggressive. LOL...
I do not think it's a great place for puppies, especially in crowded parks. It can often make or break a dog liking other dogs or traumatize them. And people have this idea that ALL dogs must love ALL other dogs, when that's simply not the case. Some dogs simply aren't 'dog park dogs' and there is nothing
wrong with that.
I occasionally bring Jackson to our dog park still (used to a lot more when he was younger). We have two close ones, and frequent one more than the other. The one we go to is regulated and in a state park, so there are park rangers, etc, available close-by. Most people here tend to follow rules, and sometimes can be a bit snobby, but sometimes it's better that way. I am very good at reading canine body language and I also know my own dog very well. If he is not enjoying himself, we leave. If I see a questionable dog, we leave.
I definitely find the small dog side to have less problems overall and *I* feel a lot more ease only having small dogs under 25lbs or friendly elderly big dogs.
It doesn't seem like a far fetched request to me to have fenced in areas for both!
And for little dogs not being REAL dogs... pshhh... it always amuses me because most of the time it comes from people who have huge, fat, lazy giant dogs who don't do anything more than sit on their couch and chill in their backyard anyway. But your dog is more "real" than mine (who hikes, swims, runs, etc, with me?) because he's 80+lbs? Ohhhkayyy.