09/04/2023
Spring has sprung! And I'm sure your doggos, like mine, are ready to hit the outdoors! So I want to talk a bit about dog parks.
This can be a controversial topic these days. Even myself, I have a love hate relationship with them. I love giving my dogs a big area to run free and make new friends but I don't trust other people with their dogs. I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you to not use them because I know that just won't work so instead I will cover a few topics to help you and your doggos time at the park safer and more enjoyable.
Diseases in dog parks. There is no real regulations on vaccines to go to a dog park so you never know what dogs may be running around with. With that in mind, please don't ever take your young puppy to the park because you think it needs socialization, it doesn't. There are safer healthier alternatives when they are young. At the very least, wait until they have 3-4 sets of shots in them, and then wait a few more days.
Recall. Have you ever noticed dogs not listening to their owners at the park? Most people aren't properly training their dogs on this basic before releasing them. To me, it's humourous to watch sometimes. When you're at the park, practice calling your dog to you randomly and praising/rewarding them and then releasing them again. Do this alot! This will make it so much easier to get them to come when it's time to go.
Pack mentality. I don't care what all the FF/PP trainers are trying to get you to believe, this IS a things. Those of you that have multiple dogs, have you ever noticed how they behave and listen better when they are by themselves? They feed off each other's energy and believe me, they know their odds being alone vs with a partner in crime. So if you have more than one dog, I recommend starting out taking them one at a time to the park in the beginning and working on the above mentioned things. Once they are great, then it's time to join them together but always be mindful of tag teaming. If it's a problem, back it up, slow it down and try again!
Aggression in dog parks. No one wants to think their dog is going to be that dog. But they can be. Dogs can be selective, the same as people. You don't like every person you meet, don't expect your dog to either. Even if your dog is the most friendly of dogs, that doesn't mean everyone else's is too. Take a air horn with you!!!! I cannot stress enough how life saving this little tool can be in emergencies. Guaranteed you set that off and you're gonna stop the dogs long enough to intervene. Other dog owners might get offended by this but is that more important than safety?
So with all that being said, if you feel like you and your dog are ready, go out and have some fun! If you have any questions about anything I haven't covered here (because I'm sure there is a few things I just need to get this posted and I've been trying to type it for days LOL) feel free to ask me and I'll do my best to answer your questions!