I personally do not bring any of my dogs to the dog park and I tell all of my students they should do the same thing. Nothing good can come from a dog park, you may get a few good visits in but eventually you will have a negative experience. Now, when I say a negative experience, I do not mean with your dog directly. It could be something that happened between two different dogs while you were there. You are much better off having a one-on-one doggie play date with another dog (or two!) that you are familiar with. This way you have much more control over the situation while teaching your dog the appropriate way to play! If you are still persistent about going to the dog park, here are a few tips to ensure that you and your dog have a safe experience!
1. Does your dog come when called?
First and foremost, do you have a solid recall? When you call your dog to you, do they come no matter what? It’s the no matter what part that people usually ignore. If they only come when you are working at home with zero distraction, while holding a handful of cookies, you are not ready for the dog park. You need to be 100% confident that your dog will come when you call them, no matter what before ever considering going to the dog park. This means that your 3-month old puppy is way too young!
2. See how your dog acts towards other dogs on leash
When you first arrive at the park, you should walk your dog around a bit so that they do not enter the park with tons of pent up energy. Once they calm down, approach the dog park on leash, even if your dog is “dog friendly” you should never walk up and let your dog right in. Take some time to walk around the perimeter of the fence so that both you and your dog can see those already inside. Watch their body language AND the body language of the other dogs inside. Your dog may not enjoy the dog park and that is ok. Do not force them to go inside if you sense that they are nervous. If you have a bad feeling about a certain dog in the park, do not assume that your dog will know to avoid them. Go home and try again another day. Practice a few recalls while still on the outside of the fence so that your dog understands, they must come when they hear you! If your dog and those inside do well through the fence then go ahead and enter the park.
3. Pay Attention!
Just because your dog and those already inside did well through the fence does not mean that this will not change when you enter the park. You should always be moving around the park with your dog. This is not free childcare, you cannot be on your phone or consumed in conversation while in the dog park. You MUST be watching your dog and those around your dog at all times! Watch them the same way you would watch your child in a park. Make sure that they have good manners at all time and that they are not bullying or torturing another dog in the park. Intervene quickly if you start seeing problem behaviors, before the fight breaks out. Be aware of new dogs entering the park. Again, if you get a bad feeling at any point in time, it is better to just grab your dog and leave. Your gut instinct is usually right.
4. Gradually redirect their attention to you
During your time in the park, make sure that every so often you are calling your dog to you. This will help to keep their focus on you more than everything else going on around them. When they come, praise them! Keep them with you for a few moments to work on some commands. You may have to step outside of the park depending on their level of training around distractions. If you never spend time working on obedience, do not be surprised if your dog looks at you and ignores what you are saying. You MUST practice this stuff before coming to the park!
5. Watch for Resource Guarding
Whether it be your dog or another dog in the park who is guarding their toy or water bowl, intervene before something happens. If you are going to bring a toy with you to the park, make sure that your dog will not have any guarding issues ahead of time. If this is a toy that your dog absolutely LOVES, it may be a good idea to leave it at home. When giving your dog water at the park, stepping off to the side with your own small bowl may be a smart idea as well. This will protect your dog from other dogs who may have a guarding issue, or prevent your own dog from guarding. You also never know what dogs are drinking from the community water bowl (or who stuck their muddy paws in), so bringing your own water supply is always a smart choice.
6. Leaving the Park
Before clipping on the leash and leaving, make sure to praise and reward your dog for coming to you when you call them. Because in their mind, you may be taking them away from the fun of the park. Before getting into the car, walk your dog around a little bit so they have some time to calm down a bit.
7. Make sure your dog is getting exercise elsewhere
Only exercising your dog in the dog park is like taking your kid to Chuck E Cheese for exercise – it is a crazy environment with no rules and tons of other dogs running around. Giving your dog some time to walk around before entering the park is vital. Make sure that they are not walking into the park with tons of pent up energy, they should be calm and focused on you.
Training is essential for a successful trip to the dog park. If your dog cannot focus around distraction, then the dog park may not be the place for you just yet. Take them to the park and work on some training near the dog park but not inside. Doing this will help them to focus on you around distraction. Practice makes perfect! Do not let a few successful trips to the dog park fool you into thinking that you do not need to practice this process each time you go!