What are the dog park rules?

[et1phone2home]

I’ve had my pup for 7 months now and his favorite thing to do is play with other dogs. He does great in almost every situation now but when he really wants something he can get pretty crazy.

We’ve tried going to the dog park twice, both times he was barking uncontrollably at a pretty small amount of dogs. I kept making distance between us and the park until I was about 100 yards from the fence. I could redirect him to me for a short moment then he’s back on the park.

He is only doing this because A. He’s never seen this before and B. He really wants to go sniff some tail.

My question, am I allowed to bring a wild, barking , leash pulling 9 month old dog into the dog park? Will people ask me to leave or just judge us silently? He plays very well, gets along with every dog he’s met and I know he’d be fine after a couple minutes, I just really don’t want to break any unwritten rules or ruin anyone’s day.

My brother recently moved in with 2 dogs so they’ve been able to play and we set up play dates with the neighbors often but I’d love to take him to the dog park before his 1st birthday.

He is a 40 lb GSD/blue heeler and has been neutered since we visited last.

Edit: Dog Park Rules

1. No leashes in the dog park.
2. You’re puppy doesn’t need to go to the dog park, let them mature.
3. People aren’t there to train your dog for you, train your dog before you go to the dog park.

We have many other safer and more constructive ways for our dogs to play with other dogs. My puppy is not ready for it and I hope others can learn from this post. Thank you to all that have helped.

 

[toseiwe]

@et1phone2home Are you allowed? Yes

Is your dog enjoying it? Probably not

Is it risky? Yes, for everyone

Your dog might get attacked and behave worse, your dog might nip or herd other dogs and then you are going to get yelled at. Honestly, don't bring dogs to the park because it's like a juvie. He should be - at this time -learning to focus on you. Go outside the park and reward him for seeing other dogs and not reacting, but you should not go inside with a dog in high alert, that could lead to another dog attacking yours or him becoming more reactive.

 

[shell65]

@toseiwe This is the way to go.

 

[et1phone2home]

@toseiwe Understood. That’s been my biggest concern is we’ve done a ton of work on training, I’d hate to take all this caution, go to the dog park and have it all reversed because someone else wasn’t cautious. He’s still young and gets plenty of time to play with other dogs so I’m not aching to get him there by any means.

Really appreciate this take.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@et1phone2home It’s not somebody else not being cautious, it’s your dog provoking a reaction.

 

[toseiwe]

@et1phone2home no problem! This is a critical time where he should learn to chill, so prepare some toys and treats and watch other dogs far away or create a bond playing tug or frisbee away from other dogs, good luck!

 

[lighthouse4031]

@et1phone2home Dog parks are basically the animal version of the Wild Wild West.

Some dogs will be great, but plenty will be untrained and rude.

Your dog may make a friend for potential puppy playdates. Or, they may be harrassed or attacked and become fearful and reactive.

I introduced my puppy to dogs in my neighborhood first. I met a lot of other dog owners by walking my dog locally, and my dog became familiar with the surrounding area too. Once I found some responsible owners with dogs that mine got along with, I asked if they would be willing to walk together or meet up for pupdates. It's been a great experience for my dog and myself. Also, puppy training classes are a good way to socialize your puppy and meet other owners.

 

[et1phone2home]

@lighthouse4031 He has quite a few dog friends around the neighborhood and I have some friends that bring their dogs over. My brother actually just moved into my place with his 2 dogs, so we still have plenty of resources to get him some dog play.

 

[lighthouse4031]

@et1phone2home I'm so happy to hear that! My dog is a pandemic pup, so socialization was tough. She's doing amazingly well now, but I still wouldn't take her to the dog park. It's just too risky with some owners not training or paying attention. It sucks because they are usually large, fenced areas perfect for play and training. I do occasionally go on the off hours when they are empty so my pup can sniff around though.

 

[katie6]

@toseiwe 100% this. I wish I knew this before getting my dog because even though we never go to the dog park now, my dog is so dysregulated around other dogs, and because she doesn’t know when to quit, she turns into a heel nipping mess. And it is so very much my fault.

 

[christopherb]

@et1phone2home I think that in your specific situation I would recommend you don't go to the dog park. There's no reason to want to go before he's 1 -- in fact, it's better if dog parks are only for adult dogs. Puppies cause problems.

That said, the first dog park visit with a dog that isn't well-behaved on leash can be dicey or fine, because you just don't know if they're also poorly behaved off-leash in that context. We rescued our dog as an adult and didn't know literally anyone with a dog, much less a dog and a yard for playdates. What I did was muzzle train my dog with a muzzle safe for playing in, practice "puppy ping pong" (repeated recall between my partner and I) before ever going, and bring a bunch of high value treats in a sealed Ziploc so I could reward an emergency recall if I needed to. It turned out that he's a perfectly fine dog park dog (although we still muzzle since he never learned appropriate nip strength as a puppy), but it helped my own anxiety a lot to have these safety measures in place before our first visit.

 

[et1phone2home]

@christopherb Thanks a lot, I’m in no real rush to get him there. Playing with dogs is his favorite thing to do, but we have plenty of safer and more constructive ways to do it while he matures and we work on his behavior some more. I think we’ll put off the dog park for some tome

 

[bluebike]

@et1phone2home You said he was recently neutered since his last visit - besides needing to mature a bit, if it was less than
6 weeks he may still be affected by testosterone.

Good for you not throwing your pet intoa stressful situation and just telling him to deal with it

 

[onagooddaydevout]

@et1phone2home One rule....Dont go!

They seem like the best idea to socialise your puppy, for but you have no clue of the temperaments of the other dogs there, nor how bothered their owners will be about their dogs behaviour. I regret taking my dog to the dog park, he got bit/nipped 3 times and now cannot be anywhere near a dog he doesnt know, he is now super reactive toward them....just be really on high alert if you decide to visit.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@et1phone2home My advice is don’t bring it to dog park. Nobody consented to your their dogs being test subjects. If I saw a dog like yours entering , I’d pack up and leave. If your dog exhibits same behavior as outside most people will probably leave and judge you. Also for your dogs safety if he does this to wrong dog there is strong chance he’s gonna piss off a larger dog assuming (hoping) your on large dog side.

 

[virtuous77]

@et1phone2home It’s pretty risky. Other dogs could feel threatened by his barking and attack him. I have seen in happen way to often.