Dog Parks

[Mansi]

My Mini GD Joy is 10 months old and she loves the dog parks. We generally let her play in the big dog area, since she is big for the small dog section and she loves to play with big dogs. She also loves to run in grass and romp like every other doodle. But, every time we enter the dog park and let her off leash, she just riles up other dogs by running too fast around them, and in most cases the other dogs gang up and start barking at her. Today she almost got bitten buy a huge GSD, we had to pick Joy up and walk away. She settles down eventually and plays normal with other dogs, but we dont know how to control this initial burst of excitement. How do we help her control this excitement burst ? What is the appropriate etiquette here, should we let joy play in dog parks with other big dogs or just let her play in the small dog area ? Does anyone else have similar experiences at dog parks?  

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I ran into a lady at the park (for kids not dogs) who had a 2 year old child and a 1 year old Belgian Malionois....I was thinking to myself "well this seems like a very bad idea" lol.  Getting Riley when I was 7 months pregnant wasn't the brightest either but she isn't exactly in the same category as a malinois.

I find many dog owners in general around here have no clue what they are getting into nor how to control their dogs in dog parks.  Lawsuits are way less common here so maybe that's part of it.  With Luna it was bully breed dogs harassing her, Riley it's  GSDs and herding dogs like aussies.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm going to hope very hard that this lady (or her spouse) is a very experienced dog owner who is up to the task of owning a Malinois. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

I hope so too, just looking at them I was having visions of that poor pup in a rescue situation :(

[Mansi]

In this case where the large dogs are honing on the smaller doodles, is it just better to go on a 1 on 1 play date with dogs her size instead of taking her to a dog park and putting her in danger? 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Play dates with trustworthy dogs are always safer but can be less convenient.  If you were able to do the play dates regularly I would go for it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

If 1 on 1 playdates with dogs her size are an option, absolutely!!!!! If I had that option, I wouldn't ever set foot in a dog park. 
There are many, I would even say a majority, of dog trainers, vets, and other canine professionals who will tell you that you should never take any dog to any dog park. Horror stories abound. They can be very dangerous places for dogs. They can also teach your dog some very undesirable behaviors. 
Most dogs do need some form of off-leash exercise, so dog parks can be very helpful for those who don't have a big fenced yard that allows their dog to run safely off-leash. 
But there are much better ways for your dog to interact with other dogs if she likes to do that. 
Keep in mind that dogs do not need to play with other dogs. They are not human children. They need to be able to be around other dogs without going ballistic or crazy, because there are going to be other dogs virtually everywhere they go for the rest of their lives. So they need to learn to behave appropritely in the presence of other dogs. But a dog can be very well socialized and never play with other dogs or have much interaction with them at all. 
If you have access to people with dogs of similar size and age and can make arrangements for your dogs to get together on a regular basis, that trumps any dog park, ever. 

[Nancy]

I am on the on the advisory board of a soon to be built dog park in our community and have done a lot of research on dog parks.  Here are some of my suggestions:  Dog parks are not for every dog and there is definitely an etiquette that needs to be followed.  A lot of small dogs love to play with big dogs, however, keep in mind of the size difference.  If a big dog is running and playing, there is always a greater chance that he or she can inadvertently injure a smaller dog because of the size difference.  I would only allow her to play in the small dog area with dogs her size until she settles down and start with small groups of dogs.  It is a good idea to go to the park during "off" times when the park is not crowded and maybe meet dogs her size and arrange "play dates" in the small dog area.   Dogs who attend dog parks SHOULD know basic commands and respond to them as well as able to behave around other dogs while sharing the space.  Dogs that are overly excited, territorial, pushy/bossy and disobedient are not suitable for a dog park.  Puppies are really too young to understand etiquette and could get hurt learning.  Also dogs who are shy and hesitant to enter a dog park should never be forced to go in.  Owners should make sure their dogs are wearing collars (no spikes) and should always have their leash in hand.  Never leash your dog in a park unless you are removing him or her. 

[Adina P]

I really dislike dog parks.  I've had too many bad experiences with too many of my dogs to not feel a certain level of anxiety every single time I go.  I was even once toppled over by two sweet great danes who happened to be running in tandem with each other and just clumsily didn't see me.  I expected them to stop and bent my knees to brace in case I got bumped.  Woah was it a BUMP!  Ass over teakettle!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Um, I had a similar incident at our dog park last October and left the park by ambulance. I was knocked several feet into the air and came down on my face. Lip split completely open, tooth knocked out, I have a scar that makes me look like the Joker. Hand torn open too but no broken bones! Unfortunately, I did not bend my knees. :(
And I wasn't even the first person to leave that park by ambulance after being hit by a dog. One man had his knee broken by his own huge giant schnoodle. He now has a permanent limp and uses a cane to walk. 

Most of us worry about our dogs getting hurt at the parks, it never occurs to us that we are also at risk. 

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

We play with fetch with Riley in the back yard because we can't have a fence yet...she has clotheslined me a few times when she changed direction suddenly and once she ran into my knee when I wasn't expecting it...my knee still hurts months later and my ankle has a scar from where the tether rope burned me a month ago!