# Dog park behaviour and other dog interaction in general



## JHOD (Sep 5, 2012)

Just started going to local dog park over the past week or so once I felt M's recall. 7mth old M faring really well in general but he doesn't seem to get the message when another dog snaps at him and doesn't want to play. He returns for more again and again then starts to bark incessantly
. Am slightly nervous about leaving leash on him as runs well with the other dogs and don't want him to get injured if it gets yanked at full sprint but he's eel-like to get hold of when he's dancing around the dog and/or their owner. Having read the Sept thread re dog park behaviour I feel like I need to wind back a bit and keep him on leash while he's introduced to new dogs which I will do as much as I can. (It is a park where the general rule of thumb is that the dogs flit around in a rather freefall manner so they trot up to one another to say hello). How do I teach him to understand the aggressive snap from the other dogs?


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## flynnandlunasmom (May 28, 2012)

A lot of us on here are not fans of dog parks, mostly because you have no control over the other dogs and dog owners and you encounter a lot of bad manners at dog parks. I would suggest you try to find a few dogs from the dog park that he does get on well with and set up play-dates/walks/hikes with their parents. 

We go to a trainer who hates dog parks and she feels that the best way for 2 dogs to meet for the first time is both on leash, on a walk for a few minutes. Since that is just not a possibility for everyone, I would say that if your dog is on leash and meeting other dogs off leash, you'r dog is at a disadvantage so he may be giving off some signal that is making the other dogs snap? 

if you are going to have him at a dog park where all the other dogs are off leash, it seems he should be off leash too.

Also, I think the other dogs are going to teach him what an aggressive snap is - not sure you'll have to do that.


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## NeverGiveUpRAC (Aug 27, 2012)

I was going to suggest the same thing as flynnandlunasmom. I started going and while Cole does get the message, my mom's dog taught him how to respect other dogs' space (eventually he got that), I did meet a few dogs that were more interested in snarling and lunging at our dogs instead of playing. 

Last time we went a woman there offered me her number so we could meet up and let the dogs play. She has a sweet Golden Retriever,the same age, who Cole just loves. After they played they sat staring at each other it was so cute. 

So, the dog park can be a positive thing even if it was not exactly what you wanted.


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## JHOD (Sep 5, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the replies. M is not on a leash right now when he is meeting other dogs. He is very friendly & I see that his approach might not be to the liking of some dogs. the std poodle that snapped at him yesterday he had met most days and has run around and played with a little as part of the general group and she snapped when he approached her when she had a ball in her mouth. Murray was not that interested in the ball, just wanted to chase her when she was chasing it. Owner approached me with a "I've been watching your Rhodesian Ridgeback interact with my dog.." and clearly wanted to imply Murray was the aggressor,( obviously having mistaken her poodle for a lion! ). So I guess the dog park is also like the playground (my kid can't possibly be in the wrong) so I need to take a step back and observe the personalities for a bit!

I thought the dog park would be a nice way to shake it up for him and he does enjoy it. He runs and plays beautifully with most of the other dogs, inc a Great Dane and GSP so for much of the time it is great. The past couple of days have not been so good with him barking furiously when dogs don't like him or no longer want to play. Time to get the trainer back I think and get some fresh eyes on him!


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## dmak (Jul 25, 2012)

Dog parks are a blessing and of the devil in the same breathe. We don't go anymore. The last couple times was solely to get numbers of other pointer owners and setup playtimes on the levee. I personally don't like them for many reasons (I'm a little biased due to our recent altercation at a dog park). The highest reason being that dog parks are a quick and sure way to pass around diseases and ultimately increase your vet bills. Secondly, while they can be good for socialization, if the wrong dogs are at your park it can have a very negative effect on your pup's temperment. I've seen quite a few dogs ruined because of habits and altercations from a dog park. I know a lot of dog owners that go to the dog park because they aren't willing to take their dogs into open, uncontrolled areas. Its in these open areas that my dog has grown and progressed the most. When we meet up with a few high energy dogs and go for a run in the woods, the socialization has seemed to be much more effective


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

We still go to dog parks, just because there are so few places to go in our area where it's legal to have dogs off-leash. There is also a fair bit of trapping that goes on out in the more rural areas, and there have been many reports of dogs being killed in a certain kind of trap. Unless I know it's an area where no trapping occurs, I don't risk it.

That said, we now only go to one specific park. It is a 35 acre park full of walking trails, and nearly all of the natural forest has been left, along with one big "prairie" area. There is a reedy swamp full of ducks (stinky, though), and two other small swimming holes. A stream in the spring/early summer. We go there because it's so huge, we can just keep walking. I've found that in a smaller dog park, where there's nowhere to go...things happen. Dog fights are common. Owner fights are common (someone pulled a gun out at one of the parks). At big parks, you can just keep walking away. There is an "escape" of sorts. Your dogs can easily be on the other end of the park from each other. There's a less likely chance that your dog will pick up bad habits, but it still gives them a regular chance to socialize with other dogs, just on a less intense scale. It lets dogs that don't want to play better "get away" from dogs that do want to play. It lets Jasper escape from humping dogs before he gets mad, which is what almost always precipitates a very noisy altercation (like a human shouting match--lots of growling, snarling, barking, showing of teeth, and boxing, usually ending with one dog pinned, but with no intentional physical harm). Fights do still happen, especially if owners dawdle or folks bring an aggressive dog that shouldn't belong there in the first place, but with much, much, much lower frequency. For that reason, I don't like to go to any off-leash area less than 10 or 15 acres. Most urban parks are somewhere between 0.5 to 5 acres, so I count my blessing that there's this huge park within 30 miles from me.

Anyway, that was a really long way of saying that I understand the many reasons people take their dogs to off-leash parks. It allows the dog to exercise and socialize and learn doggy communication rules. There simply may not be easily accessible, legal, and safe areas to take your dog off-leash that aren't dog parks. However, I strongly recommend that you find the biggest dog park you can find, and just keep moving. Even if it's a slightly smaller one, just keep walking the perimeter the best you can. Go early in the morning or late at night, when it's less busy. If you meet dogs that play well together, go at the same time as them, or arrange alternate play dates outside of the park (if those places are available to you). If you know anyone that owns a significant amount of property (such as a farmer), ask if you might be allowed to walk their land/fields--that's what I have to do when I'm visiting my folks back home. Only works when the crops aren't in, though.

You have to make the dog park work for you, which might mean trying out different parks and different hours. Your dog will eventually learn what a snap means. Don't leash your dog in the park--it can make them leash aggressive, puts them at a distinct disadvantage when meeting other dogs that every dog is aware of, and can be dangerous if you, your dog, or other dogs get tangled up. 

And yes, the personalities are pretty ridiculous! Again, I've found that they're better at the big park, because the owners have to keep moving! So they're usually better about dogs and dog interactions than the folks that just walk inside the park and sit or stand around. They pay better attention to their dog, and they're not usually as neurotic about rough play or mean-sounding, but physically harmless, corrections.


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Wow redrover, 30 acres??? That sounds great!! Where do you live? We live in North County San Diego and definitely have a hard time finding places for Miles to run off leash. We try to avoid small dog parks as well, as Miles has been bitten a few times at parks.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

We currently live in Minneapolis. We go to Battle Creek Park in Saint Paul, for any other MSP folks looking for a good place. It's truly an amazing place. Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis is also very large, but we have to pay for parking, and for whatever reason I just don't like it as much (no reasonable explanation for that one, just less comfortable with it).


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

35 acres, uff da! As if I needed another reason to move back to Minnesota. I might think differently come January though when you're dealing with -40 degree days.


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## redrover (Mar 17, 2011)

Hahaha, oh...they're not too bad. Relatively. 

There are actually a good chunk of off-leash areas that are 20+ acres, though most are in the fringe suburbs. Those are more of a weekend trip, since some are a 40 minute drive and I can't get out there, stay for an hour, and then back, in time to make work happen at a reasonable hour.

But there really are a lot of lovely off leash parks in the metro area that I've been meaning to try out! But trying new dog parks always makes me apprehensive. Maybe they're not as nice, maybe the people aren't very good, maybe the dogs aren't very good...sigh. But variety is the spice of life, and new places tire him out faster! I will admit to probably trying these places in the early morning, dead of winter though, when there are likely very few people there.


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