Our first visit to the dog park and I get attacked!

[Lexi Rae]

i would never take lexi to a dog park.. she snaps at everything, big , small,
medium, any animal.. ducks birds, etc.. cant trust her. especially with the big dogs, you just never know. cant take that chance..

[Yor-Key 2 Luv]

No way would I ever take my Yorkies to a dog park. They just don't have a chance! You can't get to them quick enough. It's not worth it, trust me. I won't even share some of the horrible things I've heard of and some I have witnessed.

[chachi]

Originally Posted by candybaby

I hope nobody gets mad but I think Lucy should also go to a trainer to learn not to snap at other dogs. I'm not saying what the other dog did was right but what Lucy did wasn't right eithier. I say this because there was a dog that kept snapping at my yorkies (made them scared) at the dog park and the owner picked her dog up and left before something happened (which IMO was the right thing to do).

I'm sorry your first experience was a bad one.

I agree!

[happy bunny]

Originally Posted by candybaby

I hope nobody gets mad but I think Lucy should also go to a trainer to learn not to snap at other dogs. I'm not saying what the other dog did was right but what Lucy did wasn't right eithier. I say this because there was a dog that kept snapping at my yorkies (made them scared) at the dog park and the owner picked her dog up and left before something happened (which IMO was the right thing to do).

I'm not going to be mad, I agree completely. She started the whole thing and I'm really kinda embarrased about it also. This is what I feared would happen and it did. I'm going to check around our town and Denver if I have too, to find someone that can help her with the snaping. Maybe that's why she ended up in a field to begin with, who knows. But I can't just have her getting all snappy at other dogs when she's a little unsure. Do the pet classes at PetSmart or PetCo cover aggression in dogs?

[mscat]

Originally Posted by happy bunny

I'm not going to be mad, I agree completely. She started the whole thing and I'm really kinda embarrased about it also. This is what I feared would happen and it did. I'm going to check around our town and Denver if I have too, to find someone that can help her with the snaping. Maybe that's why she ended up in a field to begin with, who knows. But I can't just have her getting all snappy at other dogs when she's a little unsure. Do the pet classes at PetSmart or PetCo cover aggression in dogs?

It is good that your going to help Lucy overcome her aggression issues. Lucy may have been reacting out of fear.
Please take yourself to the Dr. If the dog bite has broke the skin you are at risk of infection just as much as Lucy is . I'd take her to the vet too. When you can, I'd definately contact the dogs owner. Make certain to let them know you have witnessess. Just in case they become defensive.

[happy bunny]

Thank you for the DR advice. My DH thinks I will be fine. It did break the skin and I have a circle about the size of a half dollar bite ring. Lucy is good, I checked her over last night and again this morning and she has no marks at all, no soreness and seems chipper as ever. Me, sore as heck. She bit me on top of my shirt and it didn't tear so I guess that's why DH thinks I'm ok. I am going to contact the owner this evening and get the date of vaccinations of her dog and let her know I'm not seriously hurt.

[lovelylf1]

I know that dog park is really close to your house but maybe there is another one, even if it is a bit farther, that has a better set up. The dog park closest to my house is unfenced. It is huge with all kinds of trails for all different levels of activity. Because it is unfenced, leashes are required. Scooter has had some unfriendly encounters but because most owners obey the rule about leashes, we enjoy going. For a while, it seemed like a increasing number of owners decided to stop using leashes. Animal Control got word because labs and other big dogs began targeting the little guys, on a leash or not. Animal Control would hide in bushy areas of the park or on certain trails and hand out tickets. Believe it or not, they can charge $200+ by city ordinance for not leashing your dog in the park. Long story short, after a bunch of people got tickets, everyone who had ignored the signs started paying attention. I was never ticketed because having a leash with Scooter makes me feel better about being in the park. I do use one of the expandable leashes so he can go exploring 15 feet or so in front of me.

Because you can't control the dogs you are around, maybe you should look at a new park that has that option or one that has trails, even if it requires leashes, so that you can still let your babies meet others but get a nice walk at the same time. I would definitely, like everyone else has recommended, get you and your baby to the doc/vet. You may also want to call animal control and report it. They will make contact with the owner of the other dog and start a file. I know you just moved to town so things can be confusing but animal control can be a great resource. Even if nothing comes of it, you need to make sure the right individuals are aware of what happened. You were at a DOG PARK....you and your dogs deserve to come and go as you wish without worrying about others causing harm.

Good luck.

[butterfly]

I really don't know why people with little dogs want to take the chance of having their dogs hurt or killed by taking them to these parks.

Maybe I am just too paranoyd and just love my little ones too much but my little yorkies can just be agressive and I would be afraid they would be hurt or killed.

Also, my vet says that it isn't smart because you don't know how healthy or what the other dogs are leaving behind that your dogs could get.

He has also told me NOT to take my dogs into the pet smart, pet co stores.

[dagibbie]

Originally Posted by happy bunny

I'm not going to be mad, I agree completely. She started the whole thing and I'm really kinda embarrased about it also. This is what I feared would happen and it did. I'm going to check around our town and Denver if I have too, to find someone that can help her with the snaping. Maybe that's why she ended up in a field to begin with, who knows. But I can't just have her getting all snappy at other dogs when she's a little unsure. Do the pet classes at PetSmart or PetCo cover aggression in dogs?

I think there are classes at PetSmart that cover it. You may have to have private lessons for a bit until she gets over it.

[zenzele]

I am always baffled by dog owners that allow their toy dogs to roam free in a dog park with larger dogs on the loose. Not being judgemental but really am curious as to why they don't see potential danger in this? So all you yorkie owners who allow your yorkie to roam free with the "big dogs" give me a sense of perspective. Earlier this year, our local newspaper had front page headlines and a series of articles recounting how a maltese was killed by a larger dog at a local dog park. It was heart breaking, and happened in the blink of an eye. It was the maltese (a puppy also) first time at the park. As a parent, I often think that when my kids were toddlers I did not allow them to play unsupervised around older children. I've never taken my yorkies to a dog park and won't unless they set up a separate area for toy and small dog...that was the one thing that came out of the death of the maltese puppy... the local dog park is looking into setting up a separate area.

[zenzele]

Originally Posted by butterfly

I really don't know why people with little dogs want to take the chance of having their dogs hurt or killed by taking them to these parks.

Maybe I am just too paranoyd and just love my little ones too much but my little yorkies can just be agressive and I would be afraid they would be hurt or killed.

Also, my vet says that it isn't smart because you don't know how healthy or what the other dogs are leaving behind that your dogs could get.

He has also told me NOT to take my dogs into the pet smart, pet co stores.

Butterfly I did not see your post until after I posted mine...3 to you!! Also the terrier and small dog complex in yorkies make them very assertive and aggressive to larger dogs...it's call the "Yorkie Sucide Mission" and as a Yorkie owner I can't tell you how many times I have seen my two try to start the fight that they could not possibly win! I keep them on a short leash for their sake not the other dog's!

[zenzele]

Here's the link to the article about the maltese puppy being killed at the dog park...anyone that loves their Yorkie should think twice before taking them to a dog park that does not separate dogs by size.

Pit bull attacks, kills puppy at dog park - The Post and Courier

[zenzele]

Fencing on fast track - The Post and Courier

New dog park fences expected within 30 days - The Post and Courier

Pit bull attacks, kills puppy at dog park - The Post and Courier

Pit bull attacks, kills puppy at dog park - The Post and Courier

[happy bunny]

Zenzele, when we lived in KS we had a huge fenced back yard that the dogs could play fetch, run and just enjoy being free. Since we moved to CO, we now live in a town home on a golf course and they have to be on a leash constantly. The idea of letting them run free and have a chance to do that once more seemed like a good idea at the time. Yeah, not so much now. I know we did not think it though, and I do regret it.

[happy bunny]

Originally Posted by zenzele

Fencing on fast track - The Post and Courier

New dog park fences expected within 30 days - The Post and Courier

Pit bull attacks, kills puppy at dog park - The Post and Courier

Pit bull attacks, kills puppy at dog park - The Post and Courier

Yes, you have made your point. Thank you for the information, I do appreciate it.