New Dog Park = Recipe for Disaster?

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.

There's no reason to be snotty Sarah. I don't have that many people at my house with that many dogs. But you can do agility, luring, dock diving, basic (and advanced) obedience classes. You can become a part of a dog club. You can take a walk with your neighbor. You can have your neighbor and their dog over for some socializations. There are all kinds of options.

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Originally Posted by Jamielvsaustin

There's no reason to be snotty Sarah. I don't have that many people at my house with that many dogs. But you can do agility, luring, dock diving, basic (and advanced) obedience classes. You can become a part of a dog club. You can take a walk with your neighbor. You can have your neighbor and their dog over for some socializations. There are all kinds of options.

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When I started this thread I wasn't looking for people to come in and be mean and call people out on how they choose to care for their dogs. Randomly jumping in after the thread is a week dead and saying that we are failing our dogs by bringing them somewhere to play with other other dogs is a little out of line in my opinion. There was no need for it. Bringing my dog to a club full of dogs that I don't know if the same thing as bringing them to a park full of dogs that I don't know. There could be a dog there that doesn't like him, and I would do the same thing there that I would do at the park. Remove him from the situation and tell the owner to watch their dog. Dino has bad knees so I cant really put that much strain on him. He gets long walks and play time at the park, per my vet's recommendation. He gets fed, walked, vet care, socialization, and lots of love... So really, how am I failing my dog?

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Originally Posted by sarahlovesmiike

Randomly jumping in after the thread is a week dead and saying that we are failing our dogs by bringing them somewhere to play with other other dogs is a little out of line in my opinion. So really, how am I failing my dog?

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Just so you know-I never once said YOU were failing your dog. I said the guy who keeps bringing his dog back even after he's had issues is.

I'm sorry, I had no idea the threads here had a timeline. I'll keep that in mind next time.

You asked if going to your new dog park was a recipe for disaster, and I gave reasons as to why I thought it was. Then someone else came on and basically said-hey there's been some problems at mine but I love it so I keep doing it.

I think it's irresponsible. It's your dog and your choice. I'm sorry if you're easily offended, but if that's the case maybe you'll reconsider the advice you ask for on a public forum where there are tons of people with different opinions.

You said that the guy who had 1 problem out of 5 times going to the park was failing his dogs. 90% of the time there are no issues but sometimes people bring unruly dogs in and they disrupt everyone else... sometimes they snap at Dino, so we leave and come back later. Therefore, according to you, I am failing my dog.

And I wasn't asking for any advice. I specifically asked if anyone else thinks that they are a bad idea. I didn't say "Should I bring my dog to the park? Why or why not?" I DON'T think they are a good idea for SOME dogs. I will never bring Benny there again, simply because everyone on here stated that keeping him on a leash is a bad idea because he might feel unsafe and lash out. I don't feel comfortable leaving him off leash because he makes people uncomfortable because of his size. But I will continue to bring Dino because he doesn't pose any kind of threat to any other dog.

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Originally Posted by sarahlovesmiike

And since when are distemper and parvo the same thing? All of my dogs are vaccinated for distemper and rabies but somehow I doubt that the distemper vaccine is going to prevent parvo... You could be right but my vet never mentioned that.

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Generally...(I can't speak for sure without seeing your dogs medical records) the distemper vaccine is a 4 in one vaccine...meaning it protects against distemper, adenovirus, parainflluenza and parvovirus...thus calling it DA2PP in veterinary-speak. Puppies should be vaccinated every three weeks, for a series of 3-4 vaccines...just like babies and children.

If you are going to use a dog park, you MUST provide your dog a monthly heartworm preventions (for heartworms and intestinal parasites), a decent flea product (that is NOT sold at wal mart...either advantix or comfortis), and a rabies TAG. Not just the vaccine, but the actual tag that goes on their collar. Those are the basic requirements.

Be aware that there are people that bring dogs to the dog park that are carrying all kinds of diseases which your dog (or you, for that matter) could get. That is why it's so important for your dog to be on as much prevention as possible.

In essence, it might be a fantastic experience for your dog emotionally, but when Dino comes home with fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, it's not so cute.

As far as behavior goes, Dino might be wonderful with other dogs, and that's great! But there's always that "one dog" that's questionable, and i'll tell you...at my veterinary practice, we have to put stitches in at least 3-4 dogs a week that were running around dog parks and suddenly got attacked. All i'm saying is, be very, very careful when you bring him there. With the right amount of prevention and knowledge, it can prove to be a very positive experience for both of you.

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Originally Posted by JordanAng420

Generally...(I can't speak for sure without seeing your dogs medical records) the distemper vaccine is a 4 in one vaccine...meaning it protects against distemper, adenovirus, parainflluenza and parvovirus...thus calling it DA2PP in veterinary-speak. Puppies should be vaccinated every three weeks, for a series of 3-4 vaccines...just like babies and children.

If you are going to use a dog park, you MUST provide your dog a monthly heartworm preventions (for heartworms and intestinal parasites), a decent flea product (that is NOT sold at wal mart...either advantix or comfortis), and a rabies TAG. Not just the vaccine, but the actual tag that goes on their collar. Those are the basic requirements.

Be aware that there are people that bring dogs to the dog park that are carrying all kinds of diseases which your dog (or you, for that matter) could get. That is why it's so important for your dog to be on as much prevention as possible.

In essence, it might be a fantastic experience for your dog emotionally, but when Dino comes home with fleas, ticks, and intestinal parasites, it's not so cute.

As far as behavior goes, Dino might be wonderful with other dogs, and that's great! But there's always that "one dog" that's questionable, and i'll tell you...at my veterinary practice, we have to put stitches in at least 3-4 dogs a week that were running around dog parks and suddenly got attacked. All i'm saying is, be very, very careful when you bring him there. With the right amount of prevention and knowledge, it can prove to be a very positive experience for both of you.

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So my dogs are vaccinated for parvo and I didn't even know it! Awesome! And yes, they are wormed and treated for fleas monthly, as well as given a heartworm preventative. Thank you for telling me that because that is what he was given, I just checked :D

I have never nor will i ever allow my dogs to play in a dog park. in a perfect world all dogs would be well trained and get along with strange dogs. They would also all be up to date on shots and deworming and on flea preventative. this isnt a perfect world, so I take my dogs were dogs are welcome, regular parks, lakes, rivers, hiking, walks thru the town, and if there are other dogs at the time, it's still less traffic and fewer dogs poops in one area than a "dog park". too many chances and diseases for me to risk my beloved dogs.

if you want to socialize them, take them to a puppy or dog obedience class or two, as those settings if indoors can be disinfected and more under control than a dog park.

just my 2 cents

We took our last dog Buster to the dog park a number of times and usually had good luck with people and other dogs. Some days were better than others regarding people actually watching or caring what their dogs were doing. But since our dog was a pit bull, (well behaved & social) I didn't want to risk him getting blamed if something happened. Then some dink kicked Buster one day because he thought Buster was doing something to his dog, a fight almost happened and not between the dogs either, so no more dog park for us.

i speak from my personal experience and oppinions when i say that it all depends not only on the area/people/dogs at the dog park but more yourself, your dog and the training it has recieved. i have two dog parks within 10 miles one of which i attend regularly and the other i have atteneded twice and will no longer attend. the latter of the two people do not pay attention or care and are quick to blame wether their dog was at fault or not, the first i have been attending since my lab was 6 months old. i bring up both because my dog has been in a fight at both, and the actions which followed varied greatly.

at the first i know a majority of the people and we know each others dogs by name and its a good enviorment to have your dog, when a bad owner/dog come in we quickly correct the problem and all know to correct each others dogs. my dog has dominence issues and does not like to be mounted which he warns then barks all the owners know this and are ok with it.

as for the leashes i never have my dog on a leash when we enter i watch each dog and am quick to react if i feel one is in the wrong with a simple clap or yell which normally corrects the issue.

i seriously feel breed asside (sadly with people today if a lab and pitbull get into it its the pittbulls fault which is wrong) that the owner has a personal responability to socialize his/her dog and feel a dog park can either be a great idea or a horrible idea. a treadmil doesnt always work espeically not for me which is why i take him to dog park and just correct the unwanted behavior.


i am by no means an expert but niether am i a noob when it comes to dogs lol and no matter who argues what point it boils down to each his own if your in the right area with the right people dog parks can be extreamly rewarding. i and parker have made quite a few new friends from it and also found people/dogs we where better off not knowing and want nothing to do with it