Dog Parks: The Real Poop!

Hello friends, today we’ll be talking about dog parks, and why you should or should not visit them with your dog. On the surface, they seem like a great idea for socialization and play, both of which are important, especially if you don’t have a fenced yard or play area for your best bud. However, there are some very real reasons that on average, you should avoid them.

First of all, most dog parks are unregulated, meaning there is no way of knowing that the dogs visiting them have any training, are under control, or have been vaccinated or given parasite control precautions. What does this all mean?

Is your dog trained with a reliable recall, and to listen to you when you give commands? Your response is probably yes. However, what do you know of the other dogs using places such as dog parks? Probably nothing, unless you personally know the owner. The problem is that other dogs may not be as well trained and could potentially harm you or your dog, if off-leash and not properly trained.

Does your dog have fleas? Has he/she been given the proper vaccinations such as Parvovirus, distemper, etc? Of course, most of us are taking all the reasonable and responsible actions with our best friends. Again, do you know that the other users of those dog parks are taking these same precautions? The answer is probably a resounding no.

What does this mean for you and your best fur buddy? Basically, every time your dog sniffs the ground, licks water from a puddle or even another dogs water bowl, they could be picking up parasites or diseases of which you are not aware. Most of us use doggy poop bags and dispose of our dogs elimination in the proper manner, but is everyone else using the dog park doing this?

Maybe not.

Also, are you aware of dogs fear periods?

*Between the ages of 8-12 weeks, and 6-14 months,  puppies become more sensitive and aware of the world around them. They may be more concerned about new objects or experiences, and even things that they previously might have enjoyed can become worrisome.*

This link from AKC has a pretty in-depth description here if you are interested.

The bottom line is that your dog, in this timeframe, could be negatively affected by some stimuli during those ages and you need to guard against that while providing great experience for them in that same time frame.

There are “some” dog parks that do provide a safer play experience, in that they require that users register with whichever entity controls the use of those parks. Most require proof of vaccinations and dog licensing, as well as a swipe card or key access, so that not just anyone can use them. Again, some of the same health and safety concerns are present at even those parks. And there are not a lot of those types of parks available.

You can use most dog parks in a positive manner for training purposes though, from outside of the park. Socialization and distraction training are important at all stages of a dog’s life, and you can do this, on leash at a distance from the park. Your dog can observe other dogs and handlers from the outskirts of the park, while keeping your him/her safe.

Other safe options for play and socialization include a dog daycare facility, which has the proper supervision of playing dogs, or a friend or neighbors fenced yard (with permission obviously). Please be gracious and clean up after your dog wherever you play, and stay safe! Happy training, until next time!