Canines First - Dog Park Safety
Dog Park Rules, Etiquette And Disaster-Averting Tips
Rules are posted at many dog parks. I’m going to take you
through a few of them pertaining to behavior and safety and discuss
each rule’s relevance. When I’m finished, I’ll add some rules of my
own.
1. Remove your dog’s leash once inside the park.
This rule is important because leashed dogs can cause fights; there are three reasons this can happen.
- First, a leashed dog does not have the option of flight if he becomes afraid. His only other option is to fight.
- Second, a leashed dog can cause a fight if his owner (or as the dog sees it, his submissive pack member) makes him stay too close. The dog is supposed to be submissive and therefore should not feel the burden to protect his owner because protection is the job of the pack leader (owner). However, many dogs feel they are pack leaders to their unknowing owners. Some dog owners are unaware that their dogs protect them. Sometimes dogs do this subtlety by simply herding, chasing, charging or barking at dogs that come around its owner. If you take away the dog’s options of herding, chasing, charging or barking, the only option left is to fight.
- Third, a leashed dog can cause a fight by accident. Occasionally, when other dogs come to greet a leashed dog, play ensues and dogs become tangled. This entanglement can lead to misunderstandings between dogs. A dog might find itself in a dominant position, such as landing on top of a dog, that it had no intention of dominating. The disrespected dog could discipline the dominating dog, and if the dominating dog cannot get away because it is tangled, a fight may follow. Other dogs that become entangled might simply become frightened by their predicament and lash out at any dog near them in that moment, causing a fight.
2. No more than three dogs at one time per human visitor.
Clearly, a canine professional was consulted on this rule. It doesn’t seem to make much sense to the average dog owner, but professionals know that it becomes very difficult, if not impossible, for someone to effectively control more than three dogs at one time. I would never bring more than three dogs because I know the limits of my capabilities. While I can control more than three dogs at one time at my facility, there are many unknown factors at the dog park when other people’s dogs are thrown into the mix. Also, the larger the pack, the more likely for that pack to cause trouble with outsiders. There is strength in numbers, and your pack is fully aware of its advantage when sizing up strange dogs. This rule is truly for your dog’s safety.
3. Pick up after your pet.
Does it really need to be said? For your enjoyment and to maintain a clean and healthy park, please watch your dog for bowel movements, and pick it up immediately before another person or dog steps in it. Some dogs eat feces (I’m embarrassed to say that one of my dogs has this awful habit), and this is a common way for dogs to pick up parasites. The city provides the bags and the receptacle, so there is really no excuse other than laziness and disregard for others.
4. No bitches in heat.
This is especially important and needs little explanation. Males, yes even neutered males, fight over bitches in heat. It’s hard enough to maintain peace at the dog park without throwing reproductive issues into the pot. If your bitch is in heat, please leave her at home until her cycle has completed itself.
5. No food, human or canine.
Again, this rule is created to put the odds in our favor that there will not be a fight. If you want to train your dog around other dogs with the use of food, please do it on the other side of the fence. That’s what I do. It’s not even good enough to hide it in your purse or in a tightly closed treat bag. I see it all the time. Dogs will guard their treat bag or your purse with ferocity. It doesn’t even need to be your dog to cause a fight over food brought into the park.
6. Park is closed on Monday.
The park needs at least one day per week for the grass to recover. But most important, this is the day for city workers to maintain the park. Please do not make their job difficult by bringing your dog on the park’s designated “closed” day.
First, believe it or not, some people are afraid of dogs, and they do not want to work when dogs are present. Second, the workers do not need your dogs in the way when they are working on the electrical components and the sprinkler system. Third, it is a safety issue for your dog. At times, workers are securing the gates and must leave them open while they are working on them.
7. Do not bring a known aggressive dog into the park.
Seems like a no-brainer. Here’s what to take from that rule. If your dog has had an aggressive incident with another dog outside of its pack, consider contacting a behavior counselor before going to the dog park. Don’t wait for the second, third or fourth incident before you get the behavior under control. A behavior counselor can help you assess the cause of your dog’s aggression and give you tips on how to move forward in ridding your dog of aggression. Once you feel you’ve gotten the aggression under control, I would encourage you to take your dog back to the park.
8. Keep the dog under visual and voice control at all times.
This is a very important rule. Taking your eyes off your dog for just one second could have disastrous results. Make sure your dog is behaving appropriately at all times, and thwart any unwanted behavior from other dogs directed toward your dog. No dominant posturing, no mounting, no charging (this includes the charging of dogs and people in or outside of the park). If you want true control over your dog, train with a remote training collar. My dog cannot hear me over all the noise at the park. I communicate to him via his remote training collar when he is engaging in behavior I have deemed inappropriate.
It’s important to maintain obedience within the dog park. Many of my clients complain that their dogs are well-behaved everywhere except within the dog park. This is because the clients have not exercised any authority over their dogs within the park. I encourage my clients to attend the park when it is not terribly crowded to drill their dogs in obedience commands. It is also a very good idea to make your dog behave prior to going into the park. I always make Nitro sit and stay at the first and second gate before I allow him to go inside. I also take the opportunity, once inside, to call him to me every time a new dog is entering the park. During this time I’m ensuring that Nitro is not guarding the gate, and he is practicing his sit or down-stay in a challenging situation.
9. Remove the dog from the off-leash site at the FIRST SIGN of aggression.
I find this rule a little tricky. There are many forms of aggression, and each form slides up and down on a spectrum of intensity. I don’t agree with this rule wholeheartedly. I’ll set up a scenario: A dog has mounted my dog time and time again. On its umpteenth attempt to mount, my dog unleashes a torrent of canine obscenities at the offending dog, ultimately holding the dog down in submission. Finally, the submitted dog runs off whining. Whose dog was in the wrong? In my opinion, it was the mounting dog. However, the trouble would have been avoided if the owners of both dogs would have participated in keeping the mounting dog from exhibiting that behavior. But should the dogs leave the park? No, not in my opinion. The owners should simply be more vigilant, and the mounting dog should be corrected upon its next attempt. On the flip side, if a dog is being outwardly aggressive, attacking dogs with the intention of hurting them, it should be removed from the park.
This concludes the end of the dog park rules I feel are of particular importance in regard to safety and behavior. Now I’ll add some proposed rules of my own.
A. Only one guest and his dog(s) shall be between the two entrance gates at one time.
I suggest people have patience when entering and exiting the park. Allow others to enter and exit with their dog(s) alone. The space between the two gates is too small for strange dogs to interact. Not to mention, owners’ inexperience at controlling their dogs, particularly in tight quarters, and the level of stimulation at which the dogs are operating while entering or exiting the dog park. Ignoring this proposed rule is a recipe for disaster.
B. Remove your dog’s leash while between the two gates BEFORE entering the park. Additionally, a guest should wait to leash his dog between the two gates when exiting the park.
I witness many people trying to observe the “no leash” rule while in the park but, unfortunately, they do not understand the purpose of the rule. Having the leash on during entrance into the park is the worst time for a dog to be on leash. This is the time many dogs rush to meet the new dog. To make matters worse, the owner usually leans over to remove the dog’s leash at this time, creating a more claustrophobic and tense scenario. Dogs leashed upon exiting the park, prior to being confined between the two gates, are likely to be met by very excited dogs entering the park. Same problems pertain.
C. No person shall try to interact with a dog that is not their own unless the dog has made an overt attempt to interact with the human.
This is a major pet peeve of mine. There is a particular man at our local dog park who likes to hold his arms out, growl and chase the other dogs. One day I was attending the park with my fearful-aggressive German Shepherd (don’t try this at home kids). We were making progress at our rehabilitation and enjoying our time at the park. But after a few minutes of being chased by the aforementioned man, my dog, who before was running around and ignoring the humans, was now hiding behind me and lashing out at any human that came near him.
One might draw the conclusion that my dog should not have been at the park, but I take liberty with certain dogs I take to the park on behalf of my profession. I would also encourage my students to take their fearful dogs to public places where dogs are allowed in the name of rehabilitation. But, if people cannot understand that many dogs do not want to interact with strange humans, some dogs will be pushed back into their shells or worse: Someone could get hurt.
How do you know if a dog wants to interact with you? Well, if he’s not bumping your hand with his wet nose, he doesn’t want you to touch him. Even when a dog is smelling you for the first time, he does not want you to touch him. If you do, you have crossed the line. Furthermore, do not lean over and speak with a high voice in an attempt to get a scared dog to come to you. This only scares the dog more. And please, for the love of dog, do not approach a dog that is barking and showing its teeth to you. You are not going to win it over with your love.
D. Do not bring toys into the park.
Possessions are triggers for aggression. The only time my Golden Retriever has ever acted aggressively toward another dog was over a toy at the dog park. I see it every day. I’m going to let you all in on a little secret: Dogs don’t know that you brought the Frisbee to the park for your dog and your dog only. In the dog world, it’s “may the best dog win.” And, fortunately or unfortunately, some dogs are sore winners or sore losers and take great offense to another dog attempting to separate them from their prized possession. The dog park is a volatile environment without adding possession-based aggression to the mix. Leave your toys at home. If you insist on bringing them, please do not be upset when my dog beats your dog to his tennis ball time and time again.
This concludes my dog park manifesto. I hope you have found it helpful. Please email me with questions or comments.
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