Dog Parks: A Politically Incorrect View

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

I know that many of you have had very good experiences with Dog Parks and I am very glad that this is the case!!!  I also know that there seems to be more and more stories surfacing on DK about dogs and puppies being attacked and/or injured in public dog parks. We have also had some stories of the same thing happening in private dog parks.

I think it is good to keep this subject in the forefront on DK as more first time dog owners and new doodle owners join our group.

 

This article makes some very good points. The author obviously is not in favor of these parks and I am mainly just posting this to  raise awareness about Dog Parks and their possible hazards so that each of us can make an informed decision as to whether or not we want to take our Doodles to one.

 

Any additional input is appreciated! Let's keep our doodles safe!!!

DOG PARKS. A Politically Incorrect View

S. Greene

Previously Published:
GSDCA Review
Dallas Morning News
K9Coach.com

Introduction

I love dogs. Big dogs, small dogs, compliant dogs and dogs that don't give a hoot about pleasing anyone but themselves all share a place in my heart.
I love parks. Whether the majestic Tetons in Wyoming or the rugged beauty of the Grand Canyon, parks are special. I even like the corner tot lot - it is a great place for puppy socialization.

I love walking dogs in parks. Whether hiking a wilderness area in the high Sonoran Desert or enjoying an impromptu conversation with a child, going with a canine simply makes the trip better.

Yet, I am against Dog Parks. I am not in favor of fenced urban grasslands where numbers of strange dogs are brought to frolic in unleashed bliss. This is especially true when people are oblivious to their dogs' actions, in particular, and totally clueless about canine behavior, in general. With few exceptions, owners of both pet and working dogs should avoid Dog Parks like the plague.
Manure doesn't move out of your way; you must step over or around it. There are enough problems with training and socializing dogs. Without looking for them, some are bound to find their way to your door. No need to invite them in. When you come upon a situation that may land you in deep doo-doo, like a Dog Park, use common sense - avoid it.

Disease

I have yet to see a Dog Park that posts a sign: "No one under 21 weeks admitted." No puppy belongs at a Dog Park. A pup's immune system is immature and cannot physiologically be expected to repel a full frontal assault. Bringing a pup into a Dog Park is playing Russian roulette with its life. Yes, socialization is important. But, you can't train a dog that is either severely brain damaged or dead.

Even when your pup is older, or if you have a dog that is fully immunized, going to a Dog Park is very risky business. Who in the park is shedding Parvo virus or leaving giardia infested stools? Which dog was just exposed to kennel cough? Want to share fleas or ear mites? Is that a hot spot or ringworm on the pooch walking by?

Dog Parks actively facilitate the exchange of contagious diseases and parasites.

Socialization

The People

• Macho Man - "My dog could take yours, if I told him to."
• Little Person - Mastiff accompanied by pre-teen and his friend.
• Clueless - Drinking latte, dog's hackles up: "uh, duh+like, you know+?"
• Show Off - "I can do anything to any dog and it won't bite+watch me."
• Know It All - "You can cure allergies by feeding your dog Vicks Salve. "

The Dogs

• Hackles up, teeth showing, growling at each new dog that enters.
• Ears back, tail tucked, shaking like a leaf, spending lots of time on its back.
• Dig, dig, dig - - China here I come.
• Jump, jump, jump - - on people, on other dogs.
• Climb the fence, get pulled off; climb the fence, get pulled off+
• Mark the gate, mark a tree+oh, no+he just marked ME!

Dogs learn from other dogs. Are you willing to have your dog mimic these behaviors? In an ideal world, only highly social dogs with stable temperaments that are under voice control of their handlers would be found at Dog Parks. The world is not ideal.

To me, utilizing a Dog Park for socialization makes as much sense as using a stick of dynamite to light a cigar. Not only will you not get what you want, you may get results you couldn't imagine - even in your worst nightmare. And, you may have a big cleanup after the smoke clears, plus a scar or two.

If any trainer advises you to take a shy dog to the Dog Park and let it learn to play - get another trainer. If any trainer tells you to take an aggressive dog to the Dog Park where it will meet dogs that are even more aggressive to put it in its place - stop payment on your check. If any trainer suggests you take a fearful dog to a Dog Park for total immersion with strange dogs, new people and a variety of situations - cover your ears. And, should a trainer say that you have a really nice dog with good temperament and balanced drives - keep it that way. Don't risk training or socializing at the local Dog Park.

A Dog Park is not the appropriate venue for your canine companion to either learn obedience commands or practice socialization skills. That must take place under controlled conditions.

Control

Many control issues come into play the minute you open the Dog Park gate. Even if your dog is Lassie and fully obedient at all times, things inside a Dog Park are not under your control.

People

You cannot control who comes through the gate. Despite posted rules and regulations, you cannot direct the behavior of other dog owners. You may ask others to watch their dog more closely, but what if they don't? And, what if they take offense at your request?

Size of Dogs

Many Dog Parks are divided into two specific areas: one for dogs over 50 pounds and one for smaller pets. Ever seen a forty-nine pound dog shake a MinPin? When there is one owner for both a toy poodle and a Great Dane, which area will they use? Will you be happy with that owner's choice?

Physical Environment

You enter the Dog Park with an aging pet and find several mud slicks. Will your dog be able to maintain adequate footing with puppies jumping up or other dogs playing chase? Slick footing is dangerous for pups' joint development, as well as for senior dogs.
Is there a gap in the fencing? Are there holes beneath it where another dog tried to escape? Is poison oak growing up a tree? Why did the groundskeeper leave a length of barbed wire inside the fence and how many dogs will try to chew or fetch it?
NOTHING is under your control at a Dog Park - not the people, their dogs or the physical environment.
If you believe your pup has issues socializing with other animals or people, ask a competent trainer for help.

To Treat or Not To Treat

I watched a man bring packages of "mystery" meat into a local Dog Park, offering hunks the size of my fist to any dog close enough to take them. There were eight dogs present and only one pet owner succeeded in getting to their dog before it ate at least some of the meat. I prayed the man was a generous butcher and not mentally unbalanced or cruel.

A friend watched a woman place the contents of two bags of dog bones into a huge pile and then call ALL the dogs in the Dog Park to come for "treat time." Isn't that a new and interesting way to test dominance, aggression and food guarding?

One man's meat is another man's poison. Some dogs share food; other's fight for possession. What risks are you willing to take?

Authority

• Who has authority at the Dog Park?
• Owners who succeed at intimidation?
• Aggressive dogs that snarl or bite?
• Dogs that have formed a park pack?
• Gang members looking for fun?
• Regulars - who ask you to wait until they're finished?
• Park Rangers who may patrol weekly?
• Animal Control personnel who are a 30-minute-drive away?

The only authority you have is the ability to take your dog and leave the Dog Park. But what happens if your exit is blocked by any of the first four on my list?

Setting the Stage

Each outing with your pet should be pre-planned. Not only does this mean taking the necessities, such as fresh water and a leash, it also means having a training plan and setting goals. Perhaps your visit to the park will be aimed at walking on a different surface. Maybe a trip to the tennis court is really a better opportunity to try off-leash obedience in a fenced area.

Setting the stage means deciding what steps you will take to make certain you and your dog reach a specific training goal. The more controlled your environment and the better prepared you are, the less likely you are to need remediation. It is much easier to set your dog up for training success than it is to try and fix a problem that you never saw coming.

A Dog Park cannot meet my criteria as a safe place for dogs to play or learn. There are too many risk factors working against a good training or socialization plan.
To set your dog up for success, you must have control of the training stage. This can't happen at a Dog Park.

True Stories

Can you dig it?

A neighbor takes her high-energy miniature poodle to the Dog Park so that it may use those facilities, rather than her yard, for digging. As the dog dug its umpteenth hole, a woman approached my neighbor and politely asked her to remove the dog and replace the dirt. My neighbor said: "I won't leave and you can't make me." As the woman turned to avoid escalating the confrontation, she fell - - in one of the freshly dug holes - - and broke her ankle. My neighbor paid her medical bills and sent flowers, too.

Who let the dogs out? Who? Who?

A good friend took her Shiloh Shepherd to the local Dog Park early on a Monday morning. The usual weekend crowd was absent and several senior citizens were visiting with their pets. My friend took her dog off leash and slowly walked to the back of the park where she'd spotted an empty bench. As she sat down, she noticed her dog - - OUTSIDE the fence and immediately commanded DOWN-STAY. Then, my gal-pal proceeded to climb the fence and help others call their dogs. Someone failed to secure the gate and it was the owners who were securely INSIDE the Dog Park, while their pets were running free.

Truth is stranger than fiction

I haven't told you about the 160-pound Mastiff rescue brought to the Dog Park by new owner on his way home from the shelter. What about the 3 Dobermans that were dropped off at the Dog Park while their owner drove down the block to pick up his girlfriend after work?

Exceptions to the Rule

Friends would accuse me of undue prejudice if I failed to mention times when a Dog Park may work:

• You live in an access-controlled, gated community that has a Dog Park for residents, only. Your HOA Rules and Regulations or CC&Rs specifically require that a current shot record be kept on file prior to issuing you a pass for the Dog Park. There is individual accountability and responsibility with sanctions or fines for those who do not follow the posted rules.
• Your town allows private groups to reserve the Dog Park and during those times access is by invitation only, checked by a city employee. (This will not lessen health risks, of course.)

Set you and your dog up for training success, not failure. Be smart. Be safe. Be in control.

[Robyn, Greg and Snickers]

I guess we are in the minority here, but we really love the dog park. Our city has one where you pay a yearly fee and only allows entry with a key card, in order to get the key card you have to give them copies of all vaccinations, a report of a clear fecal test and all your contact information.  It really is a secure environment, Snicker really doesn’t play that much with the dogs and after 30 minutes he is done but during that time, he just LOVES the freedom of running in a big space (our backyard is a good size but not huge) there is also a great walking path that allows us to practice his heeling without a leash in a controlled environment.   There is also a 40 acre dog park where our monthly Illinois doodle romp is held, while this is not a regulated environment (no key card, etc) for a once a month experience it is great fun ESPECIALLY in the winter, The first time we took Snickers to this park we were afraid he would run into the woods and we would have to look for him for hours, but it is the opposite, he goes off on his own but if we are not in his line of sight for a few minutes, he will sit down and wait for us!  I think just like doggie daycare and boarding you have to be cognizant of the environment that you are putting your dog into and in the case of dog parks you have to be one monitoring the behavior and if you feel uncomfortable, leave, that is what we do.  However I think it is harsh to condemn all dog parks, they have a place and are not all bad.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Robyn and Greg it sounds like your dog park has more to love about it than most!! LOL!  The measures that your city has taken to attempt to insure a higher quality dog park experience is commendable! Perhaps you noticed at the end of the article the author listed a couple of "exceptions to rule". Your park sounds similar to the author's description of parks within gated communities where safety and sanitation issues are addressed by those in authority. I'm wondering though if you might change your  mind about them if your park WAS like those described in the article which I believe to be the majority? A large parcel of land set aside for people to walk/hike with their dogs sounds wonderful and a way to allow them freedom without turning them loose in a pack of unstable dogs. I hope that the idea of "dog park" continues to evolve and improve over time and we will see some improvements such as the ones your park offers.

[Becka]

I agree with Robyn and Greg--Sadie and I go to our dog park (which is regulated, though not nearly as well as yours) every day for a couple of hours, and we love it--I think it's been great for both of us. I do think that we have an exceptionally responsible community of dog owners, and I also know that it's a risk and also not for everyone. I'm not sure why this needs to be controversial, though--the article brings up many important points and asks questions that all dog owners need to be willing to answer, but I find it unfortunate that by subtitling it "A Politically Incorrect View" the author has made it needlessly inflammatory.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Perhaps this was the author's way of getting people's attention. But I also think that for the people whose dogs have been attacked and seriously wounded or killed in dog parks (yes that happens!) it is a very inflammatory  and controversial subject. I appreciate the fact that while saying the park has been great for you, you also acknowledge that "it's a risk".  I think it is that very "risk" that those of us who choose not to patronize dog parks are not willing to take. Even if the regulars are a responsible group, if a park is open to the public then anyone can bring a dog in at any time and quickly change the dynamic to something undesirable and unsafe. I hope that your experience continues to be a good one!

[Lorraine Bromley]

My friend was in a hotel room across from the dog park. They were enjoying watching the dogs at play as they had to leave their own dog at home. When a pit bull came in and picked up a yorkie and shook it to death! Everyone was running and gathering dogs to get out of there. The owner of the yorkie was pulling to save it. THe owner of the pit was yelling and wasn't pulling the leash to taught at all apparently. It was mayhem and my friend and her young daughter were completely traumatized and the only thing they saw in the dreams and when they closed their eyes was this play over and over in their head. I can only imagine what the owner of the yorkie must have felt. On the Wednesday when I saw my friend again she could barely talk about it still then. This happened two weeks ago. It sickened me as well.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Oh, Lorraine what a horrible, horrible thing for your friend and her child to witness. I can't imagine how the owner of that poor little Yorkie felt either, it would be just devastating!!  As a child I witnessed a dog kill my neighbors cat and I can tell you it is not something that you easily forget. Fifty years later I can still recall every detail of it.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Becka, Robyn and Greg. I wasn't brave enough to be the first to contradict what the article was all about.

I love my dog park. I unfortunately had one bad experience, but that could have easily happened while walking on leash. The community stepped up to make sure it doesn't happen again. My dog is completely un-phased. Now that I’ve done more work on educating myself, if a dog like that chow ever comes back I will be better prepared to handle it.

Other than that one time, the dog park has been wonderful for Sophie and I. I certainly do not fit the description of 'dog park people' listed above nor do any of the friends I’ve made in the park (ok, maybe one 'know-it-all', but so is the above author, and like others have said, it's up to owners to educate themselves).

My park is not a field of manure, there is no poison oak (wtd? that can grow anywhere, most likely forests...) and if an owner shows up with a 160lb mastiff or a 4lb yorkie I will welcome them all the same as long as they are nice. What was the point in bringing up the 160lb mastiff? There was no story there, or is he just trying to scare people? is the author saying 160lb dogs are bad? mastiffs are bad? rescues are bad? What exactly was the problem? There is one pit bull that comes to my park and he is the nicest gentlest dog that ever walked the earth (his best friends are two kittens, no kidding).

And, some dogs dig. sometimes they dig in dog parks. If you don't like it don't go, and if you do go, watch where you're stepping. You're responsible for yourself. The owners of dogs who dig in my park are apologetic, and fill the holes in, if they don't, others do it for them. If an owner doesn't pick up after his dog (although most do) we ask them to, or someone else does it for them.

I have never heard of a puppy getting sick and dying in my neighborhood ever, and definitely not because of the dog park. There has not been a case of rabies or parvo in who knows how long, probably many years. I have never seen dogs get loose, I have never seen anyone show up with meat, or any kind of food and feed it to another dog, at least not without asking (although there was that incredibly dangerous time when I had Sophie's training treats in my pocket and Toby the hound mix followed me everywhere with unbearably cute look on his face). It sucks about the meat guy, but really how likely is that going to happen in every dog park every time you go? Also, I have never seen an owner purposefully try to get their dog to fight with others. 

There are no gang members in my community, let alone gang members seeking authority over a dog park (this is absurd - if you live in a gang inflicted neighborhood you have far worse concerns then your local dog park). There are no children showing up with 100lb dogs unsupervised.

What I think is irresponsible is when people make decisions after reading an outrageously inflammatory and unbalanced article, written from an extreme and emotional point of view rather than an objective and balanced one. Then, jump on a bandwagon without thinking critically about it. Horrible decisions get made that way every day. Just look at our politics.

There are lots of dangers to dog parks, but dangerous things happen everywhere. Indiscriminately saying that you won’t ever go to a dog park in case there might be a bad dog or a random piece of barbed wire (is this WW1?) or a redneck dude with meat, is like saying I'll never get into a car or an airplane incase there's an accident. That’s not a way to make decisions. Every dog park is different, so you need to assess the park, the neighborhood, the community, and educate yourself about the pros and cons, proper etiquette and behaviour, how to handle a situation, etc. etc. Then make a decision on whether or not using the park will be right for you and your dog.

Fearful owners could end up with fearful dogs; you can't avoid life for fear of something bad that might happen. You educate yourself about the risks and how to handle them effectively and then you make your choices and take responsibility for them. If you decide your dog park is dangerous, good for you for keeping your dog out. If you live in a nice community, need a way to socialize and/or exercise your dog, and know what you are doing, then they should go for it (without being condemned as being irresponsible).

Tara, if you really wanted to educate people about dog parks you could have provided a more balanced picture of the pros and cons and what to look for in a park and how to use one safely for owners who decide to go there.

There is nothing in the world like the pure elation of Sophie Bear running wildly around in circles in the dog park, getting all the other dogs riled up to chase her, and then outrunning all of them. She can’t get that kind of satisfaction, or exercise, from leash walking. It makes her happy, and in turn I’m happy too. Urban dog owners who don’t have back yards need the parks. Even if I had a backyard I would definitely still use the park. It is much better than her running around by herself in the backyard all evening. I think she’s a happier, better adjusted dog because of it.

 

Thanks for listening to my two cents.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I really think that the best part of Doodle Kisses is that we have such diversity of Doodle owners and points of view.  I respect your position Sherri...it's the right thing for you.  I feel differently based on my own experiences.  I guess it's all about "whatever works" for the individual and the dog.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The reference to the mastiff was not about the size of the dog, but the circumstances under which he was at the dog park:

160-pound Mastiff rescue brought to the Dog Park by new owner on his way home from the shelter.

The point was that the dog was an unknown entity and there was no way for this new owner to know how the dog might react, and no way to control him if there was an incident, since the dog didn't know the person. The size and breed make this situation more dangerous.

I have seen this myself at dog parks. People who have just adopted an unknown dog from a shelter bringing him to a dog park, and even worse, staff workers from a shelter bringing homeless, newly rescued dogs to the dog park.

I've also seen dog walkers who are being paid to exercise people's dogs bringing a whole pack of them to a dog park and letting them run loose while she chatted on the phone.

It surprised me that anyone would find this article inflammatory. To me, it seemed to be very humorous, and I do think the author's intention was to be funny while still expressing her (his?) views. Just another illustration of how two people can look at the very same thing and have such different reactions to it. As Jane said,

"the best part of Doodle Kisses is that we have such diversity of Doodle owners and points of view."

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

funny, it comes across that way to me. I guess when you're on the losing end of his brand of humour he comes across as an angry self-righteous know it all. I guess maybe I need to relax an take it with a grain of salt.

 

definitely agree with Jane's statement. I appreciate the opportunity to think about the issue critically and work through my point of view.

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Sherri, thanks for your post. One clarification though I am actually Ricki!! I tell people that Tara is the cute fuzzy one!! LOL!

 

When I posted this article it was not my intent to provide a balanced picture of dog parks. I wanted to give people an opportunity to see the POSSIBLE "dark side" of the dog park issue. I felt that recent discussions and comments have been leaning more heavily in the other direction. This concerned me because there are many first time dog owners on DK who may not even have an inkling of the possible problems that MAY present themselves at a dog park.  It was not my intent to create fear or be inflammatory and I don't think that was the author's intent either. Rather it is both of our desires to give people an opportunity to make decisions based on ALL information available. Even if it is unpleasant to hear.

Regarding the manure/disease issue. Even if people clean up after their dogs,  if a dog has giardia or other parasites there will often be contamination remaining on the ground after the poop is scooped.  If a dog walks through that area the contamination could transfer to its paws and then be licked off. So picking up is not always the complete answer to that issue. 

As for the 160 pound rescued Mastiff, I understood the author quite differently. If the dog had JUST been picked up from a rescue shelter then it is likely that the new owner knew very little about it and probably had very little control over it yet. Not a good candidate to be let loose in a dog park. Also, the dog could very well have been under a great deal of stress due to being in rescue and being rehomed. You have probably read about some of the rescued doodles and how difficult rehoming can be them. So again, a very large, stressed out dog with a new owner who knows little about him sounds to me like a recipe for disaster in a dog park.

 

I can also say that I have never heard of any puppies or dogs dying of parvo in my neighborhood. But if I called my vet who lives a few houses away I would probably hear a different story. When Tara was tiny he came to my house to vaccinate her so she wouldn't have to go to the clinic and be at risk of exposure. Yet to my knowledge there was not a parvo issue in my area. So just because we haven't heard of something happening doesn't mean that it is NOT happening.

 

You are right that people need to become educated about dogs and the parks  but many peoples experiences dictate that that just isn't happening on a wide spread basis.

I am glad that you live in an area without gangs but many people do not and gang members do travel outside of their own neighborhoods. Any of the scenarios presented by the author could become REAL at many dog parks at any time. The dog parks are not a "fixed" situation. They are constantly changing so what happened one day will not necessarily happen the next. In the story that Lorraine shared about her friend witnessing a dog being killed in the park, it would be interesting to know if the Yorkie owner was a first time visitor or if she had brought her dog there often with out incident.  In either case...

 

I think that it is possible to read this article without becoming fearful of dog parks but rather having your consciousness raised about possibilities. A fearful person will find fear where it may not be present (NOT accusing you of this!!). A sensitive person may find condemnation where there is none.  The article is just INFORMATION the rest of it is what the person's mind does with the information.  So some people may become fearful from reading this article and others will take the information that is helpful from it and leave the rest.  Yes, the author presented her case in an extreme but no more so than you saying "there is nothing in the world like the pure elation of Sophie Bear running wildly..." and that urban owners "need the parks" as absolutes.  In the end, they are still just your thoughts and opinions just more "information"  and thanks for sharing.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Ricki. You make all very valid points. Sorry if I got a little up on my high horse, I just felt like the author wasn't being balanced and was making it seem like those bad things happen in all parks  everywhere, everyday. I did understand the gist of what he was getting at about the mastiff, but without providing the context it sort of sounded like he threw that in there irrationally for effect (i.e. creating fear).

 

I haven't seen any postings lately that speak positively of dog parks, actually quite the opposite. I feel like I'm a bit of a minority here. I guess I am lucky to have a good one.

 

I still think it's important that people don't avoid a potentially perfectly nice park and the opportunity to meet new friends (canine and human) because of something they heard happening to someone else (like somebody they know on the internet who has a friend who saw a dog...). I had a roommate in university who's parents' yorkie puppy was killed by a pit bull - while walking on leash. It would of course be ridiculous if i decided not to walk my dog on leash in case this happened to her. I realize it's a lot more likely that something will happen in the park then by walking on leash, and after going through this I am a little more cautious than I was yesteday, but I still feel good about using my park.

It really is a shame that they can't all be great places and all owners aren't DK owners. There really should be a test, and people who get dogs and fail to take proper care of them should be fined. I'm bringing home a doodle this week-end who's owners have badly neglected him and are now abandoning him. I met him for the first time at the dog park :)