What is so bad about the dog park, it’s just like the playground for kids, right?
WRONG! The dog park reminds me of Darwinism because it is quite literally the survival of the fittest. When a fight does break out at the dog park, you usually find a few owners trying to break it up while the rest stand back because “it wasn’t their dogs fault”.
The idea behind the dog park is praiseworthy. It is pretty hard to argue with a fully fenced in area where dogs can run around with one another. With space at its premium, many people lack a fenced in yard so the opportunity to take your dog somewhere that is supposedly safe can be hard to pass up.
But, Is the park really safe? Are all of the dogs reliable? Do they have a responsible handler with them? Are they healthy or fully vaccinated?
Unreliable dogs can make the outcome unpredictable but what alarms me the most about the dog park is the lack of attention on the handlers part. The dog park is not free day care. You cannot let your dog run around so that you can make a phone call or surf the web and answer emails.
What should you do instead?
- You can use the dog park if you do not have a fenced in yard, just make sure that you are going at off-peak hours when no one else is there. If someone else enters the park, leash your dogs and leave. Don’t stick around because “it’s just one dog”.
- Schedule a pack walk with dogs you are familiar with
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- All play sessions should start with a walk so that dogs can become familiar with one another before being allowed to play
- Once you do let your dogs play, you should leave a 4-5 foot leash attached to each dog’s collar so that you can easily intervene the play when necessary
- Make sure that you have your air horn with you at all times!
- Contact the school for more information on trainer facilitated play or pack walks.
Your dog does not have to play with every dog they meet! You can take your dog to other fenced (tennis courts, outdoor hockey rink, baseball or football fields) areas for some exercise. Make sure that you walk the perimeter to ensure that the fencing is intact. If you are letting your dog run in larger areas like a baseball or football field, you should use a long line leash (between 20-40 feet) until you have a no matter what recall.
** If you are thinking about sending your dog to day care, please contact us for referrals in your area if you are not near our NJ location **