Dog owners should always be watching their dogs while in a dog park. Sure, a large part of the enjoyment is catching up with our human friends, but we must be mindful in watching our dog’s behavior and the behavior of other dogs. Why? Keeping dogs safe should be our number one concern while in a pack environment.
Good Human Behavior includes making sure that your dog is playing appropriately with other dogs and immediately removing them from the park if their behavior is not appropriate.
Today’s tip: How other humans tell you that your dog shouldn’t be in the dog park:
Very few people will ask another person to remove their dog from the dog park until there’s a fight or a bite. This is understandable human behavior but it doesn’t help the dogs who are at risk and it doesn’t help the other human understand that their dog shouldn’t be in the dog park environment. If people say things like, “Wow, he’s really fired up today! “ “Does he always play like that?” or “He sure doesn’t take no for an answer does he?” you may want to take a closer look at your dog’s behavior.
The clearest signal is this, are people leaving the park to escape your dog? Pay close attention to this “human behavior”, especially if the dog that’s leaving was just being “played with” by your dog. Humans find it a lot easier to avoid a problem than to address it head on and this is especially true at dog parks where no one wants to offend anyone else. Not every dog is suited for an off-leash, pack environment. This doesn’t make the dog bad, it just means that this environment is not a good fit for him. It’s up to the human to make the right decision for their dog and the safety of other dogs at the park.
Good Human Behavior at Dog Parks
Day 2 tip
Leashing in Dog Parks
In a pack environment such as a dog park, leashed dogs are at a disadvantage when the rest of the dogs are running free. A dog’s lead should be removed as soon as the gate closes behind you and shouldn’t be reapplied until you’re back at the gate, ready to leave. If you’re thinking to yourself, there’s no way, I have to keep the leash on for control, then your dog isn’t ready for the dog park experience yet.
Dogs have two ways to deal with stress and other dogs…fight or flight. We take away the flight option when a dog is leashed and that’s the last thing we want to do when there are 10-20 roaming dogs in very close proximity. Even if our dog loves the park and knows everyone there, they have to feel safe and know that they are able to move away and move around at their discretion. If they feel trapped by their lead and dogs come running toward them, they may give off offensive body postures to the inbound dogs in order to protect themselves. What they think, “Oh boy, dogs are running toward me! Do they mean harm? There’s so many of them…this isn’t good…I can’t move! Better tell them to stay away from me!” Dogs react in kind to the gestures of another dog so we don’t want to put our dogs in the position of having to send warning signals to other dogs.
Next time you’re at the park, observe the behavior of your dog and other dogs when new dogs come in the gate. Watch how they rush the newcomer as they arrive and how they behave differently if the dog is free to roam immediately as opposed to if they are leashed. Another great observation time is when people are leaving with their dogs. If they leash the dog to walk them out of the park, watch how the other dogs follow or circle around. If you were the dog leaving, would you feel safe?
If you see a dog in a dog park who is already in and remains leashed, it’s best to take your dog out and come back another day. If an owner chooses to keep their dog leashed in an off-leash environment it’s typically because the dog cannot be managed without a lead and this is going to create dog disputes and a frustrated dog (the leashed one).
Folks remember, dog parks aren’t the place to begin dog-to-dog socializing. They are a place to enjoy the benefits of being socialized. Have a great and safe day at the dog park!
Your Paws in Training Editor
Comment by admin — July 31, 2009 @ 7:44 am
Good Human Behavior at Dog Parks
Day 3 Tip
Sometimes people see something they don’t like in a dog park or they are concerned about the behavior of another dog. With the best intentions, they pick their dog up to protect him from this threat.
What most people don’t realize is that a “dog in arms” does not ensure their comfort or safety in a pack environment. Often, it has the opposite effect and makes the held dog bait.
Dogs need to control some aspect of their environment and this typically includes allowing them to activate their flight or fight reaction at will. A dog in arms is restrained and will not feel comforted in a pack environment…even if he is in your arms…arms he loves.
The rest of the pack watching, views a restrained dog as weak and it’s normal dog behavior to dominate and closely investigate a dog which is weaker than themselves. A restrained dog is a quick and easy target.
If you frequent dog parks enough, you’ll have ample opportunities to see this behavior in action. If someone is holding their dog or walking out of the park with a dog in arms, watch how the other dogs jump up at the restrained dog repeatedly, follow in a group and possibly circle.
This is a really unsafe practice and a good example of how using human psychology to deal with a dog can backfire. Your dog will be much safer and will feel much safer if he is free to move around and flee in a pack environment. Restraining him in arms, invites a lot of unnecessary and problematic attention.
Have a great and safe day at the dog park!
Your Paws in Training Editor
Comment by Paws in Training Editor — August 5, 2009 @ 10:59 am
I was in the park the other day and came across a golden retriever mix that has been recently adopted. We have come across this dog several times in the park and several times at the beach. Each time he is in the park, the owner allows him to upset numerous other dogs by humping, pawing, chasing relentlessly without giving another dog a break, nipping at the hind quarters and neck/shoulder, taking dogs down and not letting them up…to some it looks like the dogs are having fun, but to me, if you look closer, the play is not reciprocal and is fairly relentless. My 9-month-old German Shepherd will not play with him because I think she does not view his “play” as real or safe play even though she is very playful at the park. As mentioned in one of your other posts, this dog owner is not recognizing that his dog is not playing appropriate. So, the other day when he was relentlessly chasing, knocking another German Shepherd dog down, nipping at the GSD’s neck/shoulders, and the play was not reciprocated, I could see that the other dogs were either avoiding the relentless dog or joining in his dominance of the GSD. I’ve seen other dogs do the same with my GSD, and worry that the rough play can lead to a joint injury if not a dog fight, and with that in mind, I suggested to the dog owner that his dog was not playing well with the GSD because he wasn’t giving the GSD a break and was trying to dominate the GSD. I told him that his dog was a good dog, but just needed to learn how to play correctly and safely and that he needed to stop the behavior. The owner’s response was, “Oh, they’re just playing, that’s what dogs do.” I tried to tell him that was not the case. Another dog owner tried to step into the conversation on my behalf saying that I was right. The relentless dog owner decided to leave, but didn’t appear to really listen. Can you confirm my assessment that this is kind of behavior and humping is not appropriate dog play in the dog park? It’s probably a rhetorical question as many of the dog owners started to leave, but I would love to hear your assessment.
Comment by Sara Shorin — November 21, 2009 @ 1:55 pm
Sara- it’s hard to assess behaviors that you haven’t witnessed personally. That said, any dog behavior which makes other dogs or other dog parents uncomfortable should be addressed ASAP. The best way to handle that is probably to leave the park. In dealing with many parks and many dog parents, we’ve learned that most people don’t want to hear that their dog is behaving inappropriately. In some cases, no matter how nicely it’s worded, dog parents can quickly take offense and heated exchanges can take place. In other cases, the pet parent really doesn’t understand what appropriate play is and it’s unlikely that they’ll listen to someone whom they think is criticizing their dog or them by default.
I believe you and the others did the right thing in leaving the park. We cannot change other people or their beliefs nor can we make them listen. The only environment we can immediately change is our own. Leaving as you did was the best and safest thing you could have done.
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