Dog Parks

[Sandy]

I think dog parks are great for dogs getting rid of excess energy, etc. Up until recently I was a huge fan, and really enjoyed the times we went. However, a couple of times ago, Toby was attacked by a Doberman who was toy possessive. Fortunately Toby hadn't had his hair cut then, and I am convinced his shaggy hair protected him from being injured. He was terrified, of course. We found out from another dog park user that after we left she muzzled her dog. Obviously if she had a muzzle with her, her dog had known issues. Grrrrr. Anyway, the next time we went there was a dog that wouldn't leave Toby's ears alone. It's owner was great at stopping it, but when he released his dog, it came right back at Toby. We went again last night, and I really feel like Toby is hesitant to play with other dogs now, as he headed for the people, laid on people's feet, etc. He did play a little, but there were a couple of dobermans there (not the same one), and clearly Toby was timid around them.


Dog parks can be wonderful, but these experiences have soured me. I wish I had another way of exercising him. Any thoughts?

[Adina P]

Same here...I will no longer go unless Clark is with me. I'm no help to him but he is to me. He will not hesitate to step in if a dog attacks another dog. He's pulled large attacking dogs off of several dogs (including ours) -- something I can NOT do safely.

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

Our local dog owners are always trying to get us to go to the dog park when they see us out walking - they meet there every evening... we have been twice, but all the dogs there are tiny, and Cooper (a standard) is way bigger than all of them, even though she is only 4 months old. The small dogs tend to just chase her, and she gets nervous. There is occasionally a husky pup a little younger than Cooper and they have a great time playing... but for the most part Cooper, my fiance and I much prefer the walks to the dog park, saying hello to the dogs we meet on our way

[Kate and Maci]

We have a dog park in our town (I can walk to it where I live - in a townhouse) and when it first opened (about 2 years ago) we used to go quite a bit. Unfortunately many of the people who take their dog to the dog park are people who live in my townshouse community and use it as a babysitter for their dog. They get there, let their dog off leash and then get on their cell phone and have no idea what their dog is doing. Maci and I had a problem where one dog wouldn't leave her alone and I kept taking Maci away from the dog (other owner watching to see) - the dog wouldn't leave Maci alone, she gave a low snarl (which I was not happy about) was going to leave but figured Maci really didn't do anything wrong other than to voice her opinion she didn't want to be bother (again owner totally clueless about what his/her dog was doing), I took Maci to the far end of the park, dog followed - same scenario - Maci gave a low snarl - no response from owner of other dog - decided it wasn't worth a dog fight and we left never to return. I think the idea of dog parks is a great thing but alot depends on the owners and I have found many owners use it as a social environment for themselves and don't pay attention to what their dogs are doing as for me and Maci, when we are somewhere and she is off leash, i.e. beach or whatever, I am like a fly on you know what with her. I have also found that for some reason, most doodles seem to get along just fine together - maybe create a site on here for your area (like I did with Jersey Doodles) and find a place where you all can get together. We have get togethers down at the beach a couple of times a year and all the doodles have a blast together.

[Tammy & Gracie]

Gracie and I visit a dogpark several times a week. There are spats there and certain dogs should never go there as well! I usually plant myself somewhere around the outside perimeter and don't stay with the chatty crowd that is totally unaware of their dogs. Gracie picks a safe dog and plays but she usually stays fairly close with me. I agree that when in the park, you must be vigilant every second. I like to chat as much as the next person but I must be aware of where Gracie is and what she is doing every second. You must always be on your toes in case there is an event that must be dealt with quickly. We also try to stay out of the main crowd because their dogs are mostly large, (Gracie is a mini) The large guys can overwhelm her quickly and make her snappy. We do have to stay on the large dog side because Grace plays way too rough for toy dogs!

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Our dog park has trails so we don't hang out where everyone is huddled chatting. We pick a trail and off we go. It is good to socialize them with strange dogs as well as dogs they know. I go with a fellow DK member and our dogs play and run into the woods and explore and have a blast. I want my dogs to be prepared to deal with all situations. Yankee has been jumped and we dealt with it. I just can't imagine not going to our dog park anymore. It's a beautiful walk. Here some pics.

[Tammy & Gracie]

Wow, what a lovely park!!!!

[Sandy]

May I just say - you guys in the states are so lucky! Our "dog park" in Cambridge is literally a fence thrown up around a plot of ground. No mature trees, no water, one picnic table (which most owners sit at, and dogs congregate underneath, and problems start), a couple of garbage pails, no shade at all. I dream of a dog park like you go to.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Sandy,
The park above, I believe, is in Canada, not the U.S. We do have some awful dogs parks in the US also. There are many nice ones, but we have our share parks that even our dogs do not want to go into. :)

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

This park is in Ottawa Canada. It is very well maintained. In the spring, they pass out bags and ask whoever is willing, to pick up poop that was left by irresponsible owners. There are numerous trails so you can avoid certain people if you want. There are some trails that go way back into the bush if you have enough bug spray. I love it there and so does my dog.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thanks Linda. I think Sandy is also from Canada. Is she near you? Maybe you could write her, invite her, or send her information on this great Park you both have! :)

[Sandy]

Sandy is in Canada, but in Cambridge, which is a LONG drive from Ottawa. So unfortunately I don't have access to this park. But I can be glad for Linda!

[Linda,Yankee & Finn]

Let me know if you ever visit Ottawa, I'll take you there.