DOG PARKS

DOG PARKS

   We all want the best for our dogs and we want to treat them like family. We’d like to take them everywhere we go but we all know that’s not possible. Fortunately there is an alternative that has been growing in popularity in the past decade, enclosed dog parks. But is it really where we want to take our dogs for a worry free outing? Just like in planning to take the kids to a playground or an arcade, we want to make sure is a safe environment for our love ones; we should treat dog parks the same way. We want to do some research about the breeds that frequent the park, incidents reported and memberships required among other things before exposing our four legged companions to a good time without any disappointment.  

   To find the perfect Dog Park for our canine friend we need to keep in mind the benefits and the risks involved in an open area with other dogs that we are not familiar with.

UPS:

      ·         Promotes exercise without leash.
      ·         Promotes socialization with other dogs and humans.
      ·         Promotes dog healthy psychological activity.
      ·         Promotes human socialization between dog owners.
      ·         Promotes up-close learning of other breeds and their behavior.

DOWNS:

      ·         Potential encounter with unruly dogs.
      ·         Potential dog fights.
      ·         Potential accidental dogs injuries.
      ·         Potential fleas/ticks infestation.
      ·         Potential dehydration.

   We also want to make sure we are educated enough to distinguish good playful manners and bulling between dogs. Different breeds play in a different manner here are some examples:

Bull breeds (Boxers, Bulldogs, Pitbulls): Quick chase then lots of wrestling, biting neck and back legs and reversing bully/victim roles.

Non-Bulls (Hounds, Shepherds, Spaniels): Lots of chasing, “arguing”, light biting on legs, neck and ears.

Guards Breeds (Rottweiler, Mastiffs, Chows): Some wrestle and some biting, lots of pushing and bumping.

Herders & Retrievers (Collies, Labs, Hounds): Lots of chasing and bumping while running, lots of barking.

   Some dogs play well with others while some like to bully others, by identifying the dog behavior we can determine rough play or simply bulling. Know the signs and if in doubt call the dog back or remove it from a questionable encounter. Is up to us to manage our dogs and is our responsibility to keep up with their whereabouts and behavior.