The idea of taking your dog to a dog park sounds like such a great idea. What could be wrong with your friendly dog playing with other dogs? They can have fun while socializing, getting some exercise, and enjoying the outdoors.
There are some good dog parks out there, but there are also some not-so-good ones. Before you decide whether you should take your dog to a dog park, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Is my dog social? If he isn’t, taking him to a dog park where you don’t know the personalities or behaviors of the other dogs isn’t going to make him social. It may make him scared, aggressive, or submissive. Learning to be social when one may not be should be handled carefully with a skilled, professional dog trainer.
2. Does the park require behavior evaluations for the dogs before they let them play? If the answer is no, stay away from that park. If you don’t know whether the dogs at the park have passed a basic behavior evaluation, you don’t know if your dog will be exposed to Lassie or Cujo.
3. Does the park require proof of vaccinations? Make sure that whereever you take your dog to play, you check to make sure all dogs are properly vaccinated.
Once you have asked the basic questions about the park, you should go investigate it yourself before taking your dog. Make sure that the park is free of doggie dooty. Dog waste can have parasites in it, and you don’t want to unknowingly expose your dog to it. Take a look at the people at the park. Find out if they seem interested in the care of the park themselves, and are they watching their own dog’s behavior?
Finally, does the dog park have areas for different sizes or temperaments of dogs? If you have an Italian Greyhound, it’s best not to let it run around an area of very large, high energy dogs. Not out of fear of aggression but out of safety for your little guy.
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