New Dog Park = Recipe for Disaster?

[Lolo76]

Anybody else think that dog park are not such a great idea?

I haven't brought Rudy (5 year-old 40lb mutt) to a "dog park" in years, and will be the first to admit it's mostly because MY dog is a brat. He's fine at the beach, open-land parks, etc, but a fenced-in dog park makes him feel trapped... and if one dog rubs him the wrong way, he'll focus on them the entire time. He's not an aggressive dog, and usually backs down if the other shows dominance, but obviously I don't want to take any chances. So we just stick to the open off-leash areas, and he does great with those.

My dog's issues aside, I just think fenced dog parks are a bad idea... you've got dogs of all ages, breeds, temperaments, and health, with no escape if one doesn't like the other. It's also where most people bring puppies (my dog's main issue, since he hates puppies), and they can carry all sorts of diseases. Not to mention, they generally haven't learned proper behavior yet - which is probably why Rudy & so many other adult dogs are intolerant of them. You can do whatever you want, but mine is definitely not dog park material! Luckily we have a lot of other options here, since all of our beaches and most of the open parks are off-leash friendly.

[Lolo76]

P.S. Before anyone suggests it, we've done plenty of training on Rudy's issues with other dogs... he's a million times better than he used to be, but even my trainer said dog parks are a recipe for disaster (no matter how well-trained your dog is).

[Lolo76]

I guess that you apparently know upwards of twenty people who all have dogs who are willing to come to your house and get a big pack of dogs together... just for the sake of socializing your dog. Must be nice.

As the other poster mentioned, there are MANY ways to socialize a dog... and most don't require trapping him/her in a pen full of unknown dogs. Do you have off-leash open parks in your area? Or how about a doggy social group? Both would offer a safer environment, as long as you know your dog's behavior & training level.