Quote:
Originally Posted by SharonSnowbird  Welcome to YT!
You are very brave to take your pups to a park where there are all kinds of big dogs running around, and many of them are not trained at all. I would never take my Yorkies to a dog park. [...] Am just worried for them. |
Hi thank you for your concern, allow me to expand. I don't really know what a 'dog park' is, but our 'manor Park' can be thought of as a collection of large fields, woodlands and ponds around an old manor house with some organised areas like football ('soccer') pitches, a fenced-off young kids playground, skate park and tennis courts. We easily spend an hour walking around it.
I'm really conscious of who/what enters any field we are in. These areas are large with limited entry points. If I see a larger dog appear and can't see its owner my pups go back on the lead and I am aware of our quickest exit long before it gets near us. I don't often see a sighthound, but if I do, the pups are back on their leads and I move them away before these dogs take an interest in them.
It seems 3 types of people visit this parkland: ones who always keep their dogs on lead and walk them on the paths around the house, those who find an empty area out of the way to play ball with or train their dogs (these people obviously don't want to be disturbed by other dogs), and then there are the unofficial doggy play groups that meet on a regular basis and whose dogs make friends: my boys have lots of fun with these. The regulars range from from s**t-zus, japanese chins and other small dogs to retrievers and even an old english sheepdog. All the dogs greet each other and interact, but they tend to naturally play with the other dogs of similar sizes. Its great as Dexter and Gizmo get to really run when playing chase in the park (they always seem to want to run fast - I guess its that terrier instinct!).
Unfortunately atm the days are short and the fields are very boggy, so we see very few dogs unless we go for a walk on the streets. However so long as my mud babies have their fleecy rain coats on they don't seem to be bothered by the wet: they go nuts on the muddy fields, I swear Dexter has a massive happy smile as he runs straight at the deep puddles!
Tbh I hear more doggy horror stories about the nearby large woodland than this park, and have been told just to watch out for one particular dog in the park, who I have yet to see.
If anyone still thinks off-leash in this park is a bad idea or that I need to change the freedoms I allow my pups, please post and I will take on board the comments and reassess what we do on our walkies. Their safety is my utmost concern (you should see all their winter reflective gear!)