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Dear Daphne: Dog park basics
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Anonymous user Mon Jul 23, 2007 13:00:44 PDT
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0 responses 0 comments Despite the recent article about a dog park incident where a dog lost its life, dog parks can be a wonderful way for you and your canine friend to spend time exercising and bonding — provided you do a little research, make an honest assessment of your pooch, and use a little common sense.
Your dog should be current on his or her vaccines, and puppies under the age of 16 weeks should not be taken to the park as they have not received their full compliment of vaccinations and are susceptible to life-threatening diseases such as parvo and distemper.
I also advocate that dogs visiting off-leash areas should be spayed or neutered. Intact animals have a much greater chance of getting into fights, simply by having all of those hormones coursing through their bodies as they also find themselves off-leash and around other excited dogs. If your dog is intact, the place for them is safely on a leash.
Another thing to remember is that just because the park is off-leash it doesn’t mean you are relieved of the need to have a leash, and to keep it on your dog at all times except when inside the dog park. Most dog parks are next to, or within, people parks. There’s no faster way to get the general public to rise up against dog parks than to have your wooly beast charging through the sandbox where toddlers are playing.
Before entering the park, spend some time viewing what’s happening inside. How many other dogs are there? What behaviors are they exhibiting? Is there any bullying? Do you have a large breed, but only small breeds are inside? Don’t place your dog into a situation where you don’t feel confident. If all seems good, head on in.
Once inside, take a minute to remove choke or prong-type collars from your dog before releasing them to play. It is possible for a tooth or nail to get caught while dogs are playing, which can result in injury or a possible panic fight.
While in the park, always monitor your dog. Dog parks are not pet care drop-in centers. You should no more drop your dog into a dog park and walk away than you would drop a 4-year-old child at a park and drive off — and for much the same reason: bad things can happen when pets are left unsupervised. Situations can happen in an instant when dogs who do not know each other get together.
If your dog is more of an alpha type, be especially watchful of his or her behavior among less assertive dogs. If you have one of the less-dominant dogs in the park, keep an eye on what’s happening around them. If your dog becomes rough with other dogs in the park, or is becoming overstimulated by all that is going on around, your best bet is to leash your dog and remove him or her from the area. Dog parks have their own rhythm, and you may find that some times of the day are better than others for your dog, based on the size and social skills of other dogs in the park.
Another dog park no-brainer is to always clean up after your dog. Failure to clean up after your pet is the No. 1 complaint heard from both non-dog owners and responsible owners when it comes to dog parks. Although some parks keep a supply of bags handy, make sure you bring some plastic bags with you in case the park’s supply is out. If you see another dog owner failing to pick up behind their pup, politely offer them one of your bags. They may have forgotten a bag of their own, or are new to the park system and unaware of proper etiquette.
Remember to bring water for your dog. There currently aren’t any dog fountains in the Bakersfield dog parks (but there are a few great ones at the park in the Panorama bluffs, FYI), and after a good play session your dog will be thirsty. Treats, however, are something that’s best left at home. Food can bring out the beast in some dogs in public settings, so it’s best to save those tempting tidbits for when they get home.  And as long as we’re talking about feeding, refrain from eating or smoking while inside the dog park. Food wrappers and cigarette butts are tempting, but unhealthy for dogs.
Finally, a note about children. Seriously consider leaving small children at home while you take your dog to the dog park. Kids can easily be run into, knocked down or scared by large dogs romping freely. It is extremely difficult to monitor the behavior of both a small child and your dog at the same time. As all of our off-leash parks are housed within larger multi-use parks, if you want to bring your child along, invite another adult who can monitor your child at the playground while you watch your dog in the dog park. If your child is older and wishes to join you inside the park, make sure they do not incite or provoke other dogs using the park.
A little advance work and thought can create a great time for people and pets alike.
Bow-wow for now,
Daphne
Send Daphne your questions and comments at daphne@northwestvoice.com

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