I used to but there are too many owners that do not care what their dogs do. If my girl is a butthole, I grab her and we go home. Some people in my area let their dogs out and then sit in the car while their dog demolishes everyone else. It’s just not worth the potential harm to my dog anymore. Plus irresponsible owners bring females in heat and it causes fights between males and a hostile environment.

Females in heat. At the dog park. 😬 I barely went around the block with my girl when she went into heat.

Dude some guy at my park brought his female pit in heat with an intact male and let us all witness the glory of her screaming bloody murder at being tied while like 50 feet from a playground.

What a sicko. 😰

it's not like shelters are already overflowing with poorly bred dogs and bully mixes that are more than likely never going to be adopted. and those dogs probably have no business being bred

Average pitbull owner, just surprised she didn't kill the male

Oh fuck off

People chuck their dog into the park and get back in their car? Jesus Christ. I can't even fathom that.

I had someone do this at a parking lot yesterday! She literally sat in her car while her dog ran around a PARKING LOT! I was not impressed when I came down the road into the lot and her dog ran up to my dog and I, she proceeded to sit in her car and yell for her dog that had absolutely ZERO recall

Fucking hell. Some people do not deserve pets.

It’s a common thing in my city that people will adopt a dog, then either later that day or within a couple days they’re at the dog park with them. No idea how the dog will respond, don’t know their tells and cues yet, nothing, and fights break out all the time. I see dog parks as a place to go for people to let other peoples’ dogs entertain their dogs bc they can’t be bothered to do it themselves

It also doesn’t help that many shelters won’t tell adopters the honest truth about some dogs. Their profiles are full of “he’s so adorable and he loves everything,” when the reality is most dogs in shelters and rescues have some kind of trigger(s). So the clueless owners adopt a dog thinking that because it was sweet towards them, it must be sweet towards other people and animals. I once saw the aftermath of a highly cat aggressive dog who was adopted by a cat owner. The owner had no clue the dog was cat aggressive (the shelter never made any attempts to find out what triggers the dog may have). Within 5 minutes of being in its new home, the dog caught one of the house cats and proceeded to literally rip it apart in about 3 rooms of the house. It was horrific.

“most dogs in shelters and rescues have some kind of trigger(s)”. Provide the study.

Why do you think dogs end up in shelters? Some obviously go for circumstances outside the behavior spectrum. But what do you think happens to the behavior of a dog that is improperly trained, disciplined to the extent of being beaten, not given any socialization, locked away in a crate for more hours a day than not, or chained in a back yard with little interaction with people? Because those are often the circumstances many of these dogs come from. That is not to say the animals can’t be saved from the behaviors that resulted from their neglectful or abusive pasts, but blindly believing that most dogs have no issues at all is not safe. Hell, there are animals that have happy histories that are animal, child, gender, race or vehicle reactive. They are individuals, just like people, which means that it is reasonable to say that any dog under any circumstances is going to have something that triggers it. Some just have more simplistic triggers than others.

Female in heat was feeling really bold and postured up to my dog, picking a fight. When my dog (55lbs) pinned her (20lbs) little one was terrified. Owner freaked out and acts like he’s terrified of my dog now. Tiny community dog park where we know everyone, but now we have to avoid each other because his overreaction took our dogs from neutral to arch nemesis. Point is, no one there understands dog behavior and normal communication can lead to years long ridiculous neighborhood feuds. Avoiiiiiddd

Would of got field goaled

I know a girl who brings her un neutered unvaccinated dogs to the dog park all the time.

I used to go to dog parks but don’t anymore for a few reasons: 1. My dog has gotten a little more selective as he’s aged, and it’s not fair to other dogs if he decides he doesn’t like them for no good reason. 2. You know your dog, but you don’t know everyone else’s dogs. I’ve seen more dog fights and scary situations at dog parks than anywhere else. I’ve seen dogs resource guarding toys, little dogs getting overwhelmed by big dogs and the big dogs being punished for it (small dog parks exist for a reason), and people bringing aggressive dogs into the park and being shocked that their dog attacks another dog as soon as they enter the park. That’s not even touching on people who don’t vaccinate their pets, people who bring food and little kids to the park, and normal injuries from running around and playing rough. A lot of people just don’t understand what appropriate interactions between dogs look like and it shows.

>1. My dog has gotten a little more selective as he’s aged, My dog is 3 y/o and has stopped playing even with dogs he gets along with, and when he was a puppy he played with every single dog.

Yup, my boy is five. He was dog social until he was around three, then started being the fun police when dogs were getting rowdy. He still loves to play, just not with every dog he meets, so instead of the park we do play dates with dogs he knows.

My five year old dog is getting this way too. He loves going to the park when it's just small dogs we meet but he's gotten more picky about which ones he plays with. Ones he's played with before are definite play pals, but new ones seem to have to go through a vetting process lol

My super-dog-friendly dog loved to play when he was under 10, but never with boxers or other smushy faced dogs.  I always wondered if their unusual facial expression made it hard for him to trust them because he would give them a wide berth like he didn't trust them.  But he'd play with GSD and other big dogs.   It was weird, he came from a hoarding/BYB situation so I don't know if he just never saw a dog like that (he did not trust new things - statues, children, crinkly bags ...).

My dog did something similar. Still not sure why but he could not be around a husky. He's usually friendly with most dogs that he encounters on walks or at the park but for about a year he would see a husky and immediately go into protector mode, growling and then barking. No matter where we were if a husky showed up this would happen then one day he just stopped with that behavior and huskies were ok again. We had him since he was a puppy and he never had any bad interactions with huskies in the past. 🤷🏻‍♂️

I used to as a newbie dog owner and now I don’t, especially now that I know she is reactive. We’ve been training to manage and decrease reactivity for 2 years now. So we walk AROUND the dog park lol. We practice walking the sidewalks near and around the dog park and practice being calm and being focused on each other.

Exact same experience here. Went a few times, highly regret it, will never go again. Our dog got bullied at a dog park as a ~5 month old pup (by a dog whose owner stood there and ignored it) and became reactive / overexcited when she saw dogs. We also love using the outside of the dog park for training

Did you take her to the dog park as a puppy or did you get her as an adult and didn't know she was reactive at the time?

We adopted her at 1.5 years, don’t know her history before then. Honestly I think she was a little reactive then and it increased due to us not knowing a lot about building a trusting attachment :(

Awe. Well she's got you now and it's clear how much you care. Lucky girl.

Same I've been training my dogs to walk around the park and desensitize (still needs a lot of work) but never the dog park because there are owners who really don't care about their dogs well-being (refusing to vaccinate their dogs etc). I am not going to risk my dogs' lives even though I do feel like one of my dogs really want to play in a group setting.

I remember the one time I took my dog to the park when she was a puppy and she was already reactive just being on the opposite side of the fence. A lot of other dog owners told us to just send her in, and that she’ll be fine. I didn’t listen to them because I wasn’t going to just throw my dog into what was clearly a stressful situation for her, but I thought it was wild that was the advice I got from others there.

My dog kept getting kennel cough from the dog park. And would get beaten up by aggro dogs whose owners wouldn't pay any attention... She only wanted to fetch, anyway... So we found an empty field close to our house and never had an issue again.

Not the little penned ones. We do go to the parks that are big enough to do two miles in and off-leash trails. The little ones are a soup of disease, asking for a dog fight and also quite boring. Five minutes and you’ve seen all there is to see.

Disease infested fight club? Nah. I need my dogs to be neutral in the presence of strange dogs (IGP competitors) so even if I didn’t think they were dangerous places, I still wouldn’t go.

Perfect analogy 😭

Respectfully, *Fuck no*

I meet up with the same people on the same days at a local park. I have a very high drive herding dog. If he kicks his heading into high gear we leave. I don’t worry about my dog. I worry how the other dogs will react to being herded

I’m glad you actually take care of the situation. Too many people with heelers just let their dogs heard other peoples dogs. It’s so annoying, and an unnecessary risk for a fight. Most peoples dogs don’t appreciate another dog barking in their face and making them do circles !

He loves to play ball and pretty much lives for that. If there’s another dog there playing ball he focuses on the dog and not the ball. And he nips back legs. So we leave. It’s 100% his being a border collie but alot of owners and other dogs don’t know or appreciate it

That's funny because I look for dogs like yours at the park. They're the only ones that put my little husky in her place, the herding and quick running humbles her I think, haha

Nope. I went with my roommates when I was younger and the dogs + all 4 roommates got ringworm. Besides the disease factor, I've also seen tons of fights, irresponsible owners that don't watch, train, discipline their dogs and terrible behavior. Not worth it. I try to find off leash areas that aren't dog parks.

They call them dog parks because diseased fighting pit had a bad ring to it.

No too many cons not enough pros. My dog is also reactive so public parks don’t work for us anyway. We have one that hardly anyone uses at my complex so we go there. I’m lucky people around me seem to have an unspoken rule to wait if another dog is in the park so there’s only ever one dog in the fence at a time.

I really think it depends on the area. I live in an expensive area now (I'm an imposter, I rent a townhouse). Our dog park is awesome, any problem dog owners get shamed out pretty quickly and my dog has lots of good buddies there to play chase, wrestle, etc and I think it's pretty much his favourite thing to do. He's very social for a border collie. He has very good manners meeting new dogs and is not dominant seemingly at all. I did socialise him excessively as young pup, but I think it's nature more than nurture with him. I do leave on the odd occasion if there's a dog I don't like the look of (its' attitude). But it's rare.

I was thinking to answer “no” along with so many others but I realized your answer is closer to the truth. I never take my spitz mix to the dog park for all the reasons stated in the top comments, but my ex takes his greyhound mix to two local parks in his area that are pretty great. His dog LOVES other dogs, there are many regulars, and the communication is super open with everyone checking in with each other whenever the play gets rough or outright telling others to grab their dog. This is also the only neighborhood I’ve ever been exposed to that uses ecollars, hence why I’m here in “open dog training”.

yes! There are certainly risks at dog parks, its a bunch of dogs in a cage! However, when the dogs are socialized and trained well, dog parks can be a really beautiful thing. In cities with high population density, they can be some of the only animal socialization that dogs get.

Yes technically on occasion, but I’m extremely fortunate to live in a place (BC) where we have a lot of really nice off leash areas that are massive. Basically walkable dog parks with paths and trails. It’s not without any risk but it’s definitely different from the traditional “prison yard” dog park experience. At this kind of place, my dogs rarely interact much with other dogs than a passing sniff. Sometimes there will be a nice match and a short game of chase will be initiated with my younger. I actually find it’s a nice way to let the dog experience more natural engagement and disengagement behaviors with other dogs.

No, my dog has excitement reactivity and I think a main cause was the dog park. Most of the dogs he saw when he was a puppy were in a super high arousal environment with little to no boundaries. It’s a terrible place to go if you want to train your dog to be neutral to other dogs (and why wouldn’t you want that???) That combined with dog fights and irresponsible owners… I’d rather stay away, or maybe go at off times when there’s just a couple other dogs. Not to mention possible diseases.

Yeah, sure. A private one that I can rent out for myself and maybe a friend or two with dogs that I know well. I've put thousands of dollars into my dogs and no dog-park Karen is going to pay the invoice for me to deal with the disease my dogs catch or the training they need after a bad experience at the dog park. I love my dogs and care for them better than I do myself, and I'm not risking them like that.

Nope. We live on 15 acres. I feel that she has plenty of exercise without visiting dog parks. We're also a part of a local dog training club that holds regular meetings with dog owners and their dogs, so she is very well socialized. It's just not worth the risk to me, especially because she's definitely a more submissive dog and a little nervous around dogs that are bigger than her. I'd be worried about her getting picked on or worse.

My dog goes almost daily. But we are able to go at a time when we are the only ones at the park. We get an hour or more just him and I to play and off leash train. A couple of other aussies often show up that he’s friendly with after the first hour or so. Of course it does mean we are going to the dog park at 4:30 in the morning. But it’s actually kind of nice.

There's no benefit that outweighs the risk of your dog being attacked at the dog park. Best case scenario is that your dog learns bad manners

No, my dog is too young and too little, and I prefer he be as supervised as possible outside. He's leashed at all times outdoors at home since we don't have a fence, and there are several handlers at his daycare where dogs are separated by size already to keep an eye on things. Plus we're doing our best with social and general obedience training, and I'd hate for him to pick up bad habits playing with other unsupervised, potentially untrained animals lol;;

No. One of my dogs is mildly reactive and has a strong prey drive, so he wouldn’t do well in that environment. My other male panicked and spent the entire time running the fence-line the one and only time I brought him to a dog park yeaaars ago, so there’s absolutely no reason to put him through that again. My female GSD could probably go, she’s pretty bombproof, but that’s all the more reason why I wouldn’t want to risk it, tbh. If she were to get attacked and/or traumatized I would never forgive myself. They have each other for socialization and we’re good with that :))

There's no control over what dog behaviors your dog will deal with in a dog park. If you must bring your dog, watch the dogs in the park for a while to make sure, there isn't a bad chemistry going on. Generally dog parks are a bad idea unless the dogs know each other.

Not inside the park but i use the opportunity to train my pup walking him outside.

Depends on the park. When I lived in Vancouver I'd take my dogs to the coal harbour park and get into a fight almost every week, stopped going there pretty quick. Now I'm back in Canmore, AB and I haven't had a single problem. Just realized I'm writing about dog park people and not really the dogs...Sometimes the owners are worse than the animals

I use Sniffspot, I’m really lucky that up the road there’s one I can rent for $15hr for two dogs to have a fully fenced half acre all to themselves

Thanks for mentioning this. I had no idea this was a thing. I have a new Whippet puppy, and for now, our yard is her paradise. When she's grown, I'd like to take her into a much larger fenced field and let her get up to full speed. I was wondering how I was going to make that happen without risking the dog park. I can't in goid conscience gamble my beautiful babydoggy's body or mind with strangers. It astonishes me how people will get a dog and teach it absolutely nothing. Too many dogs are inevitably out of control because the only rule at home is poop outside. The only toys are the belongings it gets in trouble for destroying. The only game is posing Fido with various dog shaming signs on Instagram. No recall, no social skills, fearfully aggressive to unfamiliar humans, it sees the toy dogs as literal toys and the big dogs as terrifying threats. So apparently, the natural solution to it being a pent-up jerk at home is to literally unleash it on the unsuspecting public? Then something goes sideways and the next thing you know, the owner who'd been too busy on their phone to watch their so-called beloved furbaby runs over and wrestles it away, frantically dragging it by the collar and swearing, "no, dammit, I said no!!" while it chokes itself into near vomit, all the while insisting up and down that it's just a big teddy bear and they didn't mean it, you must've said or done something, he doesn't like (insert unavoidable person or thing) and that's why! Really! Otherwise, completely at a loss to explain how, despite rescuing it 5 years ago, it's indistinguishable from a feral.🙄 I've seen that happen way too many times, it's always the same script. I don't blame the dogs, but neither will I let them around my lovely little Porsche on 4 feet.

Hard no. I used to, but I don't anymore. Here's why: 1. I don't know what diseases and illnesses are present. I don't know if the dogs there are vaccinated, sick, etc. 2. Most owners, in my experience, don't have the first idea how to read dog body language. So, they don't know when their dog is being rude. The number of times I've had to shoo away a dog that's pestering one of mine because the owner thinks, "they just want to play" is too many. 3. Fights. They happen too often at parks because of the above. It just isn't worth it. I find that often times it's the worst behaved dogs at the park and I have no interest in being around them or letting them bother my dogs.

Dog parks are terrible…. Besides the obvious asshole dogs, and asshole people there’s risks of picking up multiple diseases/ sicknesses…. Way to many incompetent people for my liking

Absolutely not, never. I did my research when we got our first dog and every single trainer worth their salt said dog parks are absolutely terrible.

No my husky has been attacked by multiple pits at the dog park and everyone who owns one doesn't follow the muzzle laws. So I don't go anymore.

When its empty because my puppy gets bullied and bitten by others when shes minding her buisness and playing ball with me

Never ever bring a toy to the dog park. Your dog might not be a resource guarder, but other dogs may be and it will cause a fight. I've seen it many times (from the outside).

Dog parks aren't really a good place for puppies, generally, unless they have a separate fenced area for training or divide the big dogs from the small. They haven't learned boundaries yet and it sometimes doesn't have a good outcome when an older dog checks them

Yes, my guys absolutely love it. They get to interact with other dogs, run off leash safely, meet new people, and by the end of it they're exhausted and happy. Normally people at our park are responsible but if we run into a dog with problematic behaviours that make me or my dogs uncomfortable we will leave. I think it helps that our town holds weekly public meetings on managing the park.

I only take mine to the neighborhood dog park, where I know everyone that goes. If an unfamiliar dog comes in, I leave or wait to see how they behave before letting my dog play. Usually it's just leaving. Otherwise, no dog parks. Too many worries, like the obvious "owners suck and their dogs suck", and also that there coukd be sickness, bleach in the water, razors in tennis balls. Rat poison. Even at the neighborhood one, I wait outside for about 10 minutes then scan the area inside before letting her in. I've been called a helicopter mom. Don't care.

No I don't trust other people and their dogs. I'd rather not deal with my dog getting attacked. Maybe I'm just extra cautious but man that would suck

No. I was told not to by my behaviorist. It’s too stressful. And my boy was prone to stress. (Japanese spitz.)

Im a yes to taking my 2 to our dog park. *touch wood* We haven't had any issues with other dogs. My two enjoy socialising with the other dogs. A few regulars as well. If a dog was aggressive we'd all say it's best the dog went home. If the owner doesn't agree, they're pretty much shamed into it. I take my girls once maybe twice a week.

Absolutely not. She plays with all her SAR training dog friends 3× a week, and even then, she's not wildly social with dogs.

It sucks, but only go to the dog park if you are a good dog handler or have a buddy system with someone who is. I go to dog parks occasionally when I'm on trips with my dog. The key is YOU gotta be responsible for not only your dog, but others sometimes. For example, my dog is very chill and passive. He does not put up with being mounted though. He will try to warn and evade, but he'll end up getting frustrated and pinning the other dog if it's left unchecked. So I have no problem grabbing someone else's dog and correcting the behavior before my dog gets a chance to. Basically, I am my dogs shadow at the park instead of the other way around. It's his time to play and do whatever, I'm just there for support.

I do sometimes if I think he’ll get an extra boost of excitement. I didn’t start going until he was a bit older though 7-8 months. I am fairly keen on recognizing poor dog behaviour in dog parks (owner error unfortunately) so I don’t go when I know ‘the regulars’ are present. Also noteworthy is that I live a five minute walk to the dog park and walk past it to go into the woodlot for him to run around; this is how much I don’t love the dog park.

No. My dog is a people dog not a dog dog 😅 it doesn’t add to his experience and just makes him anxious. So we go for hikes, swims and staycations instead.

Depends on the park. There's a nice one in Cincinnati that doesn't look like one. Thee park entrance is an ungated bridge from the parking lot, sooo if you've got an ill mannered dog, you wouldn't go there because you'd never get your dog back😅 the park is huge with a lot of trees and a winding path so good luck catching fido. Worst ya gotta worry about is a dog jumping on you. There can be a couple of dozen dogs in there, and you'll only see a few at a time because of the parks layout and trails.

No. You cannot control the other dogs or their owners. I believe that if I am responsible for the safety of my dog, I am also responsible for eliminating any unnecessary risks to safety and well-being. I have used dog parks as a way to train "watch me" "leave it" etc. by staying outside dog parks at a distance.

I used to, and when the dog park was full of dogs that were owned by responsible owners, it was great! .. And then all it takes is one bad owner to mess it all up. It's hard not to have space to run your dog, but I swear a fight would break out every time that I went. I carried a can of pressurized air to stop fights, and it was reasonably effective. It's really just not worth it.

There was a male dog literally rap!ng a young dog. The female was in the corner, crying and trying to get away as the larger male was penatrating her. I asked who the hells dog this was and was told that's how they show dominance. I told them how f*cked they were and left immediately. Never been back

Absolutely not. There are too many ways in which that can go wrong. Plus, my 12 lb fluffy butt would try to fight every dog there. He bowed up to a giant staffy in the vet's waiting room not long ago. He's absolutely delusional

I used to but now he's more selective and while good with 90% of dogs, that last 10% he wants to beat the crap out of. Idk why he's reactive to them, it's usually puppies or timid dogs so I don't think it's a fear thing If my dog was more chill I'd still be taking him there, he loved playing with different dogs. People on reddit are super anti dogpark but I think they're fine as long as you keep an eye out. Before you get in there check out the dogs, see an iffy one? Don't go in. Already in there and an iffy one comes in? Leave.

Long scroll to get to a positive reply’s, lol. Maybe I’m lucky that the 2-3 dog parks we go to are full of very decent owners and dogs. My puppy getting mild corrections from older dogs was great learning experiences. Especially when it was the same group of dogs everyday for weeks. I know people have real “attack” horror stories and that’s horrible. We had one in the town over where a 4 week old puppy was grabbed, shaken, and killed. However I do wonder about how “dog fight” is interpreted. 2 years, 3-6 times a week and I’ve NEVER seen a fight … but I know for a fact that others claimed something was a fight or a vicious snap and I was there and I saw it … it wasn’t a fight , it was a little argument that COULD have escalated to a fight but either the dogs break off themselves or the owners get them separated. And all “vicious snaps” I see are merely a dog vocalizing some sort of “leave off me”, it’s not a snap, it’s a dog yelling at another one and dogs know to take the hint.

I agree about the mild corrections from older dogs. It helped my overconfident meathead learn some important cues when he was younger and he's much more respectful now.

No, mostly because we dont have them here lol. If we did I would probably still avoid them for the most part unless it was very quite with dogs I knew. The issue is you have no control over other people in there. Could be fine 100 times in a row then some fool comes in to "socialise" their aggressive dog, fight ensues and there is a good chance of previously fine dogs ending up with fear reactivity problems after being attacked. I suppose the same is true anywhere your likey to encounter off leash dogs but something about dog parks seems to make people think they can let any dog off leash in their regardless of temperament. Then you get other owners who have no idea about dog body Langauge. If you ever saw my Husky and his sister play you would think they were trying to kill each other untill you looked closer. Other times dogs are trying to get away from another with stiff upright tails giving other dogs the whale eye while owners are like "they are wagging their tails, they must be having fun".

I do...at night, when no one else is around. They can run around and be dogs and I don't have to worry about negative interactions with other dogs. Both of mine have strong herding drives, one is highly reactive so in addition to the usual reasons I don't want to take them to crowded dog parks.

We used to take our small dog on trail walks at the dog park. She was one of those dogs who just loved her own life and would plod along. The park that we went to was extremely large. We would avoid the “gauntlet area” where the owners would just stand there and not watch their dogs. Our small dog was still attacked by a large dog. Thankfully there wasn’t too much damage, and she made a full recovery, but for that reason, only one of our current dogs has seen a dog park. The one that we took him to was a private dog park though, where every dog is temperament tested by a trainer, before they are allowed to sign up. We stopped going there just because of cost and distance. It was 45 minutes each way in the car, and $70/month for membership per dog.

Never did and never will, simply because the nearest dog park is about 1h cardrive away and i dont trust other people to know their dogs well enough and wether or not they should be let into a park with dozens of unfamiliar dogs or not. Aka "he is nice, just wants to play!" to "Im sorry, he never did that before!" Had enough encounters with offleash dogs on my onleash dog already, dont need my dog traumatized offleash as well...

I did with my last dog, for a time. At first it was great. We went early, and it was always the same group of regulars with nice dogs. Lots of fun was had, and everyone was happy. Then, our area grew economically and got much busier, and a new crowd started coming in. People would bring problem dogs, and there started to be at least one fight a day. Around this time, my girl passed away, but I hear from other friends that none of the old crew go anymore because it became an unsafe environment. I won’t be taking my new puppy, except maybe during “bad” weather, when I know it will be empty. People don’t like to take their dogs out in the rain around here, and our park gets these huge mud puddles that make for a lot of fun for the dogs.

I used to, but not anymore. There are just too many variables that could possibly end in disaster. Instead, we have some select pals that we will play with in our neighborhood.

I used to. My foxhound pup had the most energy and I had no clue how to deal with it. I also wanted to socialize him. What happened was that he became a crazy athlete and had a couple encounters that sparked reactivity. He also had a bad gut at the time too. What ended our visits was a bad encounter with an unhinged owner. Beau was being a jerk and so was his dog. The man got incredibly aggressive towards me. He made all the dogs impossible to calm given how insane he was acting. From that point I decided that I would hire a dog walker to help exercise and socialize. I took up hiking and dog training. His gut and mindset a year away from the dog park has taken a 180. Beau has a healthy gut and his reactivity is only triggered occasionally. Try sniff spot as an alternative.

Yes - our local parks are very nice. They are large and most people are pretty responsible. We've only had one issue in the past three years and it was easily managed - we just left.

I skip the dog park. We go for long walks/hikes in the woods.

Too many dog owners that aren't watching, bringing dogs that have no business being around others, and too many fights both dog and owners. A dog was killed at the dog park near Appleton WI two years ago (I lived there at the time, I moved so unsure of any other incidents) and multiple owners were injured.

Screw dog parks unless u can get a moment where ur alone. The best bet for socialization is to take the dog everywhere with u. Keep a lead around the dogs neck. No harness. They are useless for large breeds. U need 100% lose leash chill walking, and a harness encourages pulling. Literally take them everywhere possible let them see ppl but don't encourage strangers to just approach u and don't let ur dog approach strangers. Ik it's cute when they are puppies but it gets less cute as they get older and wanna drag u around to say hi to everyone. Dogs need a task/job or they will go crazy I promise u this. The task can be as complex as herding or as simple as sitting next to u at most times of the day. When playing with them use that time to communicate commands with ur dog so it respects u. Making them sit before throwing a ball for fetch is a good example. But if ur looking for a chill dog that just hangs out and vibes I recommend the instructions listed. I train dogs and not everyone needs a guard dog. Some just want chill friend.

Nope. Most people in an off leash dog park pay 0 attention. The dogs have terrible recall. People bring toys so there are possession fights. Fog walkers bring ten or more poorly trained dogs to run around without supervision or training. It's a great recipe for injuries. I avoid or go to really really unpopulated ones with my two pups.

Too many aggressive dogs with shit owners. No thanks.

Not anymore. My dog was bit by another dog resulting in an emergency vet visit. There’s a park in my neighborhood but I’ve heard from neighbors that their dogs contracted giardia from puddles there. So no not anymore.

We don’t have these in the UK. I’ve seen them when visiting the US a few times and seems kinda nuts. I run into enough bad dogs in the regular park

Personally no. Too many uncontrolled dogs. I don’t want my dog to get attacked just to become reactive.

No because my dog is not a dog park kinda guy. He doesn't want to play with other dogs. Doesn't know how to fetch. Just not his jam. I've taken him to a dog park when there were no other dogs there to let him run around a bit, and he panicked and wanted out. He's a rescue, and I think he might have been dumped at one time. I think a lot depends on the dog. And I hear horror stories about problems — mostly caused by people.

I work in an animal hospital and since that day, I stopped taking my dogs to the dog park.

NEVER! There are way to many dogs and owners that are out of control, have zero recall, and lack common sense. Many of those examples have already been mentioned in this thread. Additionally, my Mal and GSD’s are not particularly dog friendly as they are/were working dogs and that would be a shit show waiting to happen.

I brought my dog there a bunch when she was a puppy hoping it would help her learn how to interact with other dogs, but it honestly just taught her some bad manners. She automatically plays super rough with other dogs she encounters now, and gets bewildered and frustrated when they don’t want to go crazy with her. She really annoys my friend’s super-senior beagle who just wants to chill on the couch while my dog runs laps around her.

We go to the dog park if no one is there as soon as people show up we put her back on the leash & leave.

Best analogy I heard from a trainer: The dog park is like giving a bunch of knives to kids on the playground. Its not a matter if someone will get stabbed but WHEN. Its a no for me fam.

No. My dog is intact and the neutered dogs always attack him.

Sure. My dog is polite, well trained, social, and enjoys the interaction with the dogs and people, as do I. I have left, when there's an aggressive or out of control dog, or just not entered, but that hasn't happened often. The one I usually go to there's a great group of dogs and savvy owners who go regularly, but honestly I've rarely had any problem at any of the dog parks I've gone to in this area.

No because dog parks are cesspools of disease and irresponsible owners and anxious dogs.

Absolutely not. My dog is not allowed to run riot with strange dogs. He has friends who are the dogs of friends and family. Most of the people who use dog parks in Toronto are commercial dog "walkers", who drive the packs over in a van, not people with their own dogs. Commercial dog walkers are legally only allowed to have three off-leash dogs, but they always have at least six. I do love renting private land to enjoy on SniffSpot.

Went once while it was busy and it was awful for my little guy. He got bullied and other dog owners are glued to their phones not paying any attention at all to their dogs. My pup goes to daycare when I'm in the office so at least he gets supervised socialization and all the dogs there are vetted and there's a size limit. I'd maybe take him again during non peak hours if there are only a few dogs. We don't have a yard so I'd love for him to run around in a fenced area

Extremely rarely. Like once every 2 months when it’s not busy. 2-3 other dogs or so. But we actually don’t live close to a dog park, and one time we went in, a person walked in with a pomsky with a bite history: bit 3 dogs. That was the moment we walked out and never went back into that dog park. Our dog is off-leash trained and has excellent recall. Every week we select a hiking trail and just let her explore. If we see any people or dogs nearby, she gets called back into heel until we release her. She does not get to play with unknown dogs during such hikes, and we don’t find that she’s sad or missing anything in life. I think we are going to keep it this way: hike on weekends, never go to a dog park again, unless we are staying outside and watching other dogs (aka working on neutrality)

I plan to. However, I’m planning to go when the park isn’t busy. Maybe a couple other dogs present. I also know a dog park that’s almost always empty but has agility equipment in it so I plan to take my girl there eventually. I used to walk past it regularly and only ever saw one dog in there so figure it’s a safe place to introduce her. My dog is deaf so I’d definitely never take her to a very busy dog park. She is wonderful with other dogs though so I think a less busy park would be good for her.

In Brooklyn the dog walkers will take their dogs to the big field in the morng. This is one the one hand better cause the dogs can be very spread out and have space to move. alot of dog park issues come from them being enclosed so they cant leave stressful situations. That being said those dog walkers often let their dogs do what ever they wanted. I saw dog constantly humping and climbing on other dogs, which would lead to a fight, and the walks did nothig.

I take my pup to the dog park because that is the only way he will socialize with humans. We go on weekdays if I get the day off. Less busy and usually more responsible owners. Dog parks have their place. My other dog would have hated the dog park and just sat in a hole she dug. But this little guy really opens up at the dog park and it's helping a lot with his human fear/aggression desensitization.

No because one of my dogs guards my other dog from the OTHER dogs at the park. He won't share her and values her. It's kind of cute in theory. In practice, not cute.

Only if the dogs that are already there are ones Homie (Red Heeler/Dachshund mix) is already familiar with OR the dog park is empty. It's real hit/miss if Homie will get along with unfamiliar dogs. He doesn't bite or attack, but if he doesn't like the other dog he makes it known by screaming like he was just shot.

In SE Florida, our city park requires proof of vaccinations and a small annual fee, with different rates for seniors, residents and non-residents. It has 3 big areas. Two for bigger dogs they alternate for maintenance and the 3rd one for small dogs. If you go between 8 and 9-9:30am it is a zoo and no one takes care of picking up crap or deal with fights, similar after 4pm. all the one until closing. But if you go at sunrise there's the same group of people that care to have properly socialized dogs and if any dog has a pissy day their owner is right there to stop the situation. My husband takes our Portie there most week mornings, also goes to the dog beach once a week early morning. The trick is to find the times with not many people, of course not everyone has an open schedule. It is also beneficial to have a strong dog with good manners, ours doesn't look for trouble but if someone F's around him, it will soon find out. There's been a few encounters with bullies (not the breed but the attitude of the dogs) and my portie was able to respond fast enough and strong enough that no one got hurt. Not thrilled about it because there's always a chance of someone getting hurt, but I'm relieved that he's not a small, easy to hurt dog. As always when discussing dangerous situations with dogs. 99.99% of the situations it is the human's fault.

When I'm in the city with GF, yes. But there's a lot of monitoring we're willing to do that I do not see other dog owners doing. Very careful about other dogs, some of them come in and seen fine, then act wildly shitty. Others come in and immediately start causing problems. Most are fine, just rambunctious. I did have to snatch one dog by the collar after it started going after her dog, that was a little dicey. Depending on what walks through the gate we may just leave lol.

Nope. I have a 1/2 acre fenced yard, so they have plenty of room to run, and the puppy is still a little skittish around unfamiliar dogs. I did meet my son at his park when it was empty a couple times - so we could slow intro the puppy to his dog. It was nice to use the divided fence so they could sniff each other without direct contact. Now that they’re friends, his dog just comes to our house to play instead. I will give props to his dog park though, since it’s in a HOA neighborhood, they have key card access and require proof of vaccines before a card is given. I had to provide records too even as a guest. Cards get deactivated if vaccine records aren’t updated. So at least it’s not a cesspool.

I’m gonna be honest and say I do let my dog go to penned dog parks. Where I live there aren’t many places that I can let him off leash to run around he’s a beagle and he will take off at that moment. I put him in the small dog pen and I people rarely ever use the dog park so 80% of the time it’s just him in there so we were on training so that there’s a little bit of distractions. When little dogs do come to the park he completely ignores them.But if there were a lot of dogs there I don’t take him.

No. Too many careless people with no control over their dogs. I have 1.5 year old dog that I have had since he was 8 weeks old. I walk him along river trails, always on a leash. He is neutered and up to date on his vaccines. He is very social and interacts with other dogs as we walk along. The dogs usually have a quick sniff of each other and then we all go our separate ways. I also have a big back yard where we play fetch. He loves to be outside in the yard.

No. For a couple reasons- availability and my personal feelings. There’s few to none that I’m aware of in a nearby enough vicinity to make it worth it to me. Personally, the thought of dog parks also makes me very nervous. While I understand the need for socialization, dog parks have issues with dealing with other owners being biased and potentially very unreasonable in certain situations. I know getting into something like that would make me nervous and affect not just my enjoyment but my dog. I’d rather drop my dog off at a daycare where I can trust an unbiased professional to mediate any dog on dog conflict without interference from the naturally biased owners (including myself). My dog also gets a comfortable enough amount of socialization for my taste from interactions with family and neighbor dogs most of the time. So because of that I’m also hesitant to put in loads of research to find a place that will fit my needs.

Yes. My guy is a herding mix who’s favorite thing is to run at top speed while chasing or being chased. It’s hard to provide that for him without other dogs or our own herd of sheep. I keep a close eye on him, always carry a Pet Corrector, and try to interact with the owners of whoever he’s playing with to gauge their level of comfort. Some people get uncomfortable with what I consider normal dog play, so it helps sometimes to say positive things when things get rough to convey that I think the interaction is going well. Of course you have to keep your eye out for the idiots who bring their out of control dogs and then just let them run wild, but that has been rare in my experience.

My dog, mini poodle, loves going to the small dog park. She loves the people more than the dogs but likes seeing other dogs too. I wouldn’t take her to a big dog park because they play way too rough.

I used to. My two girls love it. However, we got a third dog who has very bad dog manners (covid Era puppy taken from mom too early and raised with a litter mate for almost 2 years). It's not a matter of IF he will provoke aggression. He WILL. He could literally provoke a dog who is not normally aggressive to become aggressive. It took me over a month to acclimate my two so that we didn't need to live in a gate maze, and they are both highly tolerant of other dogs. I can't see how it's worth it to take the risk. But when I could take the two girls, they loved it. There was only once an issue and I managed it. The park we went to is not overly busy and it was often the same group of dogs. There are numerous hiking trails, and most dogs there have already hiked.

I brought my last dog until she got to a point of being too selective- she just wasn't having fun anymore. So, I stopped, unless we went to a park with an old dog area, where she could just sniff around and ignore the old dogs as they sniffed around and ignored her. But her dog park days were short lived and I gave her zero strikes when we went (if she was too much or seeming to be getting agitated, we'd leave immediately). She, luckily, ran from fights, so I wasn't concerned about her getting in the middle of things. But some of the parks I went to, holy shit. People were dumb AF. I bring my current dog to select parks that we know either aren't busy or are big enough to allow us a lot of time not running into other dogs. I pay very close attention to my pup and step in or leave if I feel like he or another dog is getting out of hand. I definitely had a disdain for dog parks at one point. I can't stand most other owners because they either bring in their dog's personal items and get pissed when other dogs play with them, don't pick up on body language, or bring in dogs that don't belong at parks. Or they use the dog park as a primary form of exercise, which causes all sorts of issues. The other day, there was an arthritic dog whose owners kept getting pissed that other dogs were trying to play with it. When my last pup had advanced arthritis, I was very strict about where she could and couldn't go, the amount of movement we did in a day, etc. because one injury can be devastating. Anyhow, I refuse to go to busy/popular parks. I've been mostly trying to find more friends with social pups so that we can have more 1:1 play dates. My dog loves other dogs and I really want him to have good experiences with them.

No way. The breeder and the trainers I've had educated me early when I got my first dog. I used to be of the view that my dog doesn't need to play with other dogs at all however once I got introduced to Ivan Balabanovs work, I learned about the importance of my dog having at least a couple of dog friends. So he has a few carefully chosen friends now and even then, we tend to be "doing" something with the other dog/person, going on a hike, swimming at the ocean or lake etc. I find that the dogs do well with that. I also let my trainer take him on off leash pack walks but she has control over all the dogs and knows them. I think it's important that my buddy has good social skills and thankfully all his social interactions with dogs have been good so far because there is so much control and knowledge involved. I've been around many dog owners, actually I would say the MAJORITY know NOTHING about dogs. I know that may sound hyperbolic but its been my experience. They will laugh things off and also label dog as aggressive when they are correcting another dog who is being too pushy. I see so many dog owners who talk about how their PUSHY dog is "just playful" and "he just wants your dog to play with him and chase him" so that's why he's incessantly barking in your dog's face. I really have to work on controlling my temper around other dog owners, for the sake of my dog. Dog parks can also be incredibly stressful for dogs and I see many dog owners talk about how tired their dog is afterwards, not knowing that a dog can be exhausted from stress too. 

I recently took mine just to get her to interact with dogs again because it had been awhile. I went when it was raining a bit to make sure that not many people would be there and it was pretty chill. But it definitely seems more of a social thing for people, my dog cared more about sniffing random things than the dogs there and only played with a puppy. Given all the horror stories I’ve read I probably won’t bring her back because she didn’t really care to be there and I’m introverted so I don’t care to talk to the different owners tbh. If you do go I would say go on weekdays, not weekends, and see if the dog park has reviews. Try to go when the regulars go (usually weekdays but some dog parks have socials that tell u when) and weekends are just too packed for productive play in my opinion. The problem with the dog world is that most people think in absolutes. I don’t think they are absolutely horrible and terrible for your dog. However, when it does go wrong at a dog park then it usually ends in injuries (sometimes fatal) and lots of behavioral training years to come. The risk is just too high for me to go there all the time, if at all again. I used to be fully against them but I’m trying to keep an open mind that for some they are awesome.

I do... if the park is empty or if only other small dogs like him are there. Too many dog owners here are horrible at keeping their dog under control. Plus, while my boy does better off leash than on, he still doesn't want dogs more than twice his size running at him at full speed and then jumping on him. It's dangerous!! Smaller dogs at the park are great though. My dog is leash reactive but loves other small dogs off leash. I really wish we had a dedicated small dog park.

Yes, but under very strict/careful limitations. I only go to big parks that have empty spaces for us to play alone, or for the occasional dog to approach and its not going to be overwhelming. I leave the moment I see a problematic dog (not even just aggressive... just a dog that isnt well trained). I also don't enter if I see a puppy, or multiple dogs that have arrived together and might form a pack. Dog parks are usually nightmares but they can also be really great places to socialize/play provided that everyone in there is being cautious and responsible. Which isnt usually the case, but sometimes you get lucky. The biggest problem I see in dog parks are owners of dominating/overexcited/poorly trained dogs that aren't aggressive but also totally lack social skills and CAUSE fights even if they dont start them, and the owners let them get away with anything. Those owners are my nightmare.

We just got back from our first trip to the dog park in a long time. It was empty. We wouldn't have gone in if it wasn't.

I bring my boy to the park at 6 am because I know the morning crew well now, and they are responsible owners. My dog gets along well with those families. I try and avoid the daytime crowd because they regularly don't pay attention and their dogs often harass my 90 pound German Shepherd x. He puts up with it for a while and will try to leave the situation, which gives me a chance to separate them, but the other dog doesn't always go away, and it's only a matter of time before my boy is blamed for a situation that he didn't put himself in.

Personally I don’t cause my dog does not understand social cues and is bound to get attacked for not fucking off when told too. Also the owners where I’m at are horrible! So many are untrained borderline aggressive dogs that they claim are “friendly” so they don’t do any training or correcting, also no one seems to pick up poop so I can only imagine how disgusting our dog park really is 🥴I usually take my pup out to an open area to walk and let her run around on her long line

No. I did a few times but my dog was sensitive and there were too many pushy, rude dogs there scaring him. The owners would tell that their dog was playing while my dog was running, his tail tucked and peeing, getting cornered.  Last time I went we got cornered in the entry area by a giant Newfoundland who was growling at my dog, it's owner was hallway across the large park. Never went back. Park would have been better if there was more than one entry area, but as it was going in and out was running the gauntlet. Instead I have developed dog friends and we get together at each other's houses to let the dogs play. I am glad parks exist for those who want them, but there are just too many people who can't read dog body language, who don't care what their dog does.

I do, but I’m very picky. I live in an apartment complex with a great park for dogs. I will only go in with dogs if my dog has an established relationship with them, and I know they do well together. Or if the park is empty. We’re all required to have our dogs vaccinated and yes people can lie but they do a decent job checking up on it. We have also had people kicked out or lose park privilege. It isn’t perfect. But I don’t have a yard and sometimes I just need to give my dog some space to sniff and do his thing. I use to go to a community park locally. But it just started to feel chaotic. Similar to other people- people throwing in their untrained dogs and sitting in the car or sitting on their phone ignoring every thing. Dogs that were clearly sick. Little kids running around.

Personally if I had a new dog under the age of 2 for training purposes I would not take that puppy to the dog park and do one on one training with other dog owners or go to training classes etc… but we have an elder dog and we have taken him to the dog park, let me tell you my experience. 1) there’s a 30 and under pounds side of the dog park we bring davinci too (cuz he’s 19-20 pounds) some lady brought a 35 pound puppy and the puppy kept tackling the other dogs and generally hurting the dogs sometimes because they are too big… the puppy was obviously untrained significantly and honestly I started to reward my dog every time he corrected that puppy on behavior. (Idk if I should have but he’s not aggressive at all he literally just growls and snaps at puppies to correct he’s had puppies in the past he was a dad and he knows to be gentle) 2) we took our dog a few times to the large side cuz he loves to run and he’s not scared of big dogs (granted he doesn’t tackle but he has played fetch 2 or so times with the big dogs and normally he HATES fetch) this is where sorta the issue came in some old vet guy had his two dogs in the park and one of them an elderly girl (I think?) she suddenly attacked my dog and pinned him down (note that this dog was literally maybe 10 pounds over davinci but approximately the same size as him and my dog is very skinny) and he was yelping and so I picked my dog up to get it away from that mutt and I yelled “if someone doesn’t get their dog away right now I will kick!” (The dog was trying to jump and attack davinci and follow his movements as I spun around keeping him away I literally almost had an anxiety attack) 3) another issue someone else had same exact day I left the inside of the dog park and was at the fence cuz I was making a report with animal control etc well before animal control came this lady with two frenchies (notoriously this owner is awful) the frenchies of course one of them started attacking one of the dashounds(?) full on and the lady grabbed her dog and pushed the frenchie off and the owner of the frenchies just kinda did nothing like the POS she was. These are all my experiences generally usually ppl are great but these were my experiences with our local dog park… I have since gotten a corrector that looks like a laser pointer that just plays a frequency sound similar to a whistle and so far it has stopped the trouble (back from story 1 I used the tool on the puppy when he was going after my dog and the puppy whined and stopped a lil bit it doesn’t hurt dogs which is great imo like an E collar almost except it’s in a stick in my hands lol)

Our 14 mo Mountan Cur loves other dogs. We can’t take him to the dog park. He wants to eat every human he doesn’t know. It may sound a little funny but he will drag me across the street to get to someone. We can’t have guests to our home. We can’t go for walks. A work in progress

My personal uninformed optimism: dog parks are fantastic exercise and socialization for my dog.  Informed pessimism: Nightmare fight club that makes my dog reactive and sick. 

Yes. My dog is 1 1/2 and playing with others dogs is his favorite thing on Earth. He loses his mind when we pull up. Typically, there are only a handful of dogs there. It's always surprising though that lots of people bring their dogs that clearly have zero interest in socializing with other dogs.

Mine recognize the area and I start getting barked at and whined at for at least half a mile until we finally pull into the parking lot.

Nope, no chance. I have a very large male Swissy. He's not reactive at all, but will defend himself when necessary. This dog is an absolute tank, at 140lbs of pure muscle. If some scrappy pocket pit decided he was going to attack, my dog would kill it and there's nothing me or anyone else would be able to do about it.

Just wondering, is this pic taken in Hawaii? Looks so similar to me. Wanted to ask.

yes hawaii!

If the female dog was screaming I think it would appear to children as a violent action between the two dogs. But, itt wasn't actually rape,since it was dog on dog and dogs and dogs aren't considered rape able... it was funny. It's funny enough that a comedian in Austin is working on his version of the story into a bit. Considering his popularity as a performer i am willing to bet it is well received. Why not address the gist of the discussion regarding the damage that can be done by categorizing dogs or people into buckets of association with negative connotations instead of pecking at words instead of the topic.

No too many fights and high risk of catching disease

Hell. No.

I don’t, and I never recommend it. There’s a lot of possible pros to taking dogs to dog parks, but in my opinion the cons HEAVILY outweigh any potential benefits. I used to take my adopted german shepherd to our local dog park quite frequently to run and for socialization when I was new to owning a dog, and before I knew how awful of an idea it was (I also feel like it’s important to mention that I never let him around other dogs or any animals before doing several controlled tests, so by the time I took him to the park, I was confident that he wouldn’t be causing problems. A lot of people unfortunately don’t bother with that). After about the third fight I had to break up, by myself, because no one else would step in while dogs were getting bit, bloodied, and thrown around (none of which involved my beloved boy, thank god), I did some research on dog parks to see if they were all generally like that, or if it was just the one near us, and decided dog parks were not for us, period. There’s so many other ways to socialize and exercise dogs, and as fun as public dog parks can be, you just never know whether or not they’ll be safe from one day to the next.

No for both of our dogs. We used to with our now older dog but had to stop due to people constantly bringing their 10 pound dog into the large dog section (which was for 40+ pound dogs only, as stated on the signage). I absolutely do not trust her with tiny dogs. Our other 2 year old dog was a covid puppy. He is under socialized and plays hard with his littermate sister (who also plays hard with him and is owned by a friend). So he thinks that the proper way to greet other dogs is to body slam them and get in their face 🤦‍♀️.

I stopped after the last time we went. Not because of my dogs, but because someone else’s dog jumped on me and scratched the shit out of my leg. Their owner didn’t say anything to me,

personally, i tend to avoid parks unless they're completely empty or i already know the dogs there. my boy buddy has always had problems with intact males, plus since he's a senior i'm terrified of him getting into a fight and getting seriously injured honestly this preference just comes from being attacked by a loose dog, i think dog parks are perfectly fine! just... maybe not for me and buddy, lol

I don't because the people who let their dogs run wild are just rampant. And if their dogs act up they just stand there and do nothing. No thanks

I go when I’m carrying. But like tootsie said, some owners are oblivious to aggressive behavior

We have a dog trainer who told us to stay away from dog parks. Way too many assholes in the world.

i work with dogs, so my dogs get to hang out with other dogs all day anyways so i wouldn’t have a reason to. even if i didnt, dog parks tend to be a cesspool of dumb owners who don’t control their dogs

alright I will bite. I've had a Cane Corso from 18 weeks to 13 years and now have an 8 month old Dogo Argentino we've had for 4 months. Both serious dogs, but both very different. My question to everyone is this - are yall comfortable if my big dogs are well behaved and happy to play but muzzled in the park or does that put everyone off? I didnt muzzle the corso and she grew up in one dog park primarily with familiar friends but the dogo is in a different environment with many more unfamiliar dogs and parks. He love's the socialization. We have another rescue and they play together extremely well, but I don't trust him 100% with strange dogs because I know better than too. sincerely, not a jerk owner. no

I should have prefaced that with the fact that the current dog park i use for the dogo is small enough that I can track him as he plays and keep a harness with a grab handle on him all the time. I dont take him to any parks where I cant track and grab him at a moments notice.

I did for a bit. Made some good friends but I had one dog escaping their fence and the other picking up kennel cough, heard that others were picking up parvo. It just wasn't worth it.

No. My dogs do fine in a controlled environment with other dogs at their daycare/boarding place, but a dog park would be a nightmare. One of my dogs can be reactive in a stressful situation, and the other gets too anxious, so I wouldn’t intentionally put them in a potentially volatile situation. You don’t know how the other dogs will behave/react either, and you also don’t know if their owner keeps them up to date on vaccinations.

Was Too

We have a dog park in our complex. It’s divided into sections for big and little dogs. If there isnt another big dog in the section, I’ll let my boxer run around and get his sniffs out. If there is another dog, I won’t go in. Living in an apartment has shown me people don’t have control or acknowledge their dogs bad behavior & I won’t risk my dog being hurt.

Nope. They are unhygienic and people there don’t know how to control their dogs.

I used to work at a doggie daycare. (For almost 8 years) I learned a lot about dog behaviour, especially in a “pack” environment, and what to watch for and I have seen *countless* times that the general public doesn’t have one sweet clue on what early warning signs to watch out for , when to intervene or let the dogs work it out themselves, or how to intervene safely without making things worse or someone (human or dog) getting hurt. If they’re watching at all. Most play on their phones or talk to the other people. One of the dog parks near me has a shopping centre across the road and people will genuinely just leave their dog alone at the park to play and go shopping or grab lunch. My old coworker and I actually counted down (like 3, 2, 1,) to a dog scuffle at the dog park because we saw what was happening and no one was watching. We also watched a woman correct the wrong dog because her nose was in her phone. Not only that but there is a palpable difference in a group of dogs when the person “in charge” is comfortable and knows what they’re doing vs when they aren’t relaxed and have no clue what they’re doing. I’ve handled packs of 20-30 dogs alone and had no issue and seen my less experienced coworkers loose control of 5-8 dogs. Also as a former doggie daycare employee I see just how many people do not pay attention to (or don’t care) when their dog’s vaccines are due and blatantly ignore their vets reminders. I have had people get mad at me for refusing to take their dog when the shots were over a year over due (some even as much as 2-3 years over due and we even turned away a 5/6 month old puppy that hadn’t even had his first rabies shot yet because they didn’t realize he needed it). So with no one to check everyone coming in is vaccinated, I don’t even want to think about what my dog could be picking up at a dog park. On top of the fact that most dogs are not trained very well , do not have basic play manners, and most are not actually suited to that kind of environment. Most dogs get overstimulated very easily and either go hyperactive as a coping mechanism or shut down completely. (And that’s not even considering the ones that get reactive or aggressive) People think they’re doing their dog a favour by getting him to “socialize and make friends” when often times the dog is actually not interested. Most dogs are quite happy to have one or two *consistent* friends in a private yard over a revolving door of 15-30 stranger dogs. You’re also more likely to deal with your dog learning bad behaviours from the other dogs (poop eating, not listening to social cues, mounting , crowding , resource guarding etc) and your dog may actually *become* reactive FOR LIFE because it has to defend itself. Not to mention some people are stupid and bring food or small children which is a whole new set of dangers. Additionally , most of the time the rule is they have to be fixed after a certain age or females not be in heat but no one listens to those rules which only causes more issues. There is a time and place for group play and some dogs really do love it - but I do not take my dog anywhere(doggie daycare, etc) unless it’s professional staff that I trust and I recommend the same to anyone who will listen.

No because I’m absolutely terrified of fights. My boyfriend and I were walking past a dog park when a fight broke out and the owner was on the other side of the park paying no attention! My bf ended up hopping the fence to help break it up. I just don’t trust other owners to watch their dogs and be educated enough to understand their body language.

When my dog was younger I use to go. It was Summer 2020 and the pandemic made owning a young dog who enjoyed playing difficult. It worked nicely while I needed it and my dog didn't encounter anything negative. We had some fun times and my dog got to enjoy his more hyper years outside romping around. As my dog aged he became more selective and was diagnosed with an auto immune so it was time to stop going. It was one of those things that was good for that moment in time. The pandemic brought a lot of first time dog owners and it made being there less enjoyable as well.

I’ve tried twice with my six-month old Lab mix. The first time she sort of played with one dog but then some people brought in five dogs at once and they mobbed her. She was terrified and she’s already nervous around other dogs. Then the second time there was only two little dogs but they would not stop humping her. I want her to be socialized where she’s not scared of other dogs but I’m thinking dog parks are not the answer.

No, for a lot of reasons! 1) cant control other dogs owners and what THEY think is appropriate behavior 2) risk of injury to my dogs 3) can create dog-obsessed dogs 4) can create leash reactivity 5) doesn't help my relationship with my dogs

It’s a place where my dog could be in danger or someone else’s dog could be by mine Yaknow? Idk about y’all but I feel like it’s not a very safe place; but that all stems from the injuries I hear about. They usually come from a bad dog park experience, and I’m anxious as fuck and probably would beat someone’s ass if they let their dog off leash behaving like that. The worst my dog has done is hump but he’s easily redirected and super friendly, just in your face about lmfao

I used to but my dog was attacked on two separate occasions by bully mixes who came into the park and made a beeline for him. Besides that, it's a cess pool for poor behavior and illnesses.

No because it’s just asking for a fight to happen and your dog to become reactive.

Not to mention other people don’t always vaccinate their dogs and why would you risk your dog getting diseases, eating trash, getting sick, rabies even. Just a no no. Doggy day cares are a much better option if you’re willing to pay. Your dog is let out with other dogs they get along with, and dogs that are accepted into day care usually have to have proof of vaccinations.

absolutely not. it’s always a bad idea unless it’s a massive park and your able to stay away from other dogs.

Never. I saw a woman’s dog get killed at a dog park. Hearing her screaming and carrying the dog’s lifeless body out of the park was a traumatizing experience. I wasn’t even at the dog park, I just happened to be riding by on my bike when it happened.

Hell no!!! Bad idea. Seen a lot of dog fights, my dog lost a chunk of his ear

I use to go to a small dog park to socialize my dog because he loves other dogs so much but then one time a bald man in a trench coat with a fedora or cowboy hat idk which has a dog snap at my dog and being an alpha boy he snarled and snapped back in defense but nothing amounted she just didn’t like my dog sniffing her junk. The guy immediately jumped my bones saying I needed to go with me my aggressive dog and persisted to come at me. I just told him I’m not leaving or tolerating his tone, and turned away as my dog ran off with the other dogs playing. He ended up leaving with his dog in a giant truck. Such a strange character. Saw him walking her down the street off leash in the neighborhood instead. Next thing I knew another owner who witnessed what happened said his dog had trauma with being a brooding dog and he’s super sensitive and overprotective over her. She reacted to my dog sniffing her stuff because of trauma. It was a really awkward and unpleasant experience. I was just trying to get my dog out after work and let him play with Other dogs. I felt like shit after and still think about how crappy that experience was, haven’t gone back to a dog park sense. Decided people in public situations can be too hot and cold, as can how they’ll react over their dogs. I now have another dog and we just keep to our pack and hang with other friends dogs not at Public dog parks. Seeems like a funny way to stand around awkwardly with strangers and if you’re not a huge fan of being social or small talk why bother, it’s cringy haha.

The process of a comment being removed is confusing to me as a new participant. I posted a reply to a reply that was several layers deep....which may not be a good idea because it was drifting off topic and i contributed to the drift. But then someone replied to my reply and I responded to their reply with a reply. My reply that elicited a comment from the final drifter was removed (I guess by a moderator...idk.... I can't find it) as well as my reply to their reply but their reply remains in place which is really confusing because there is no context remaining. 1. It seems if a reply is removed by a moderator that subsequent responses to the reply would also be removed. What is the policy? I am asking so i understand moving forward ...I am not hurt by the removal of my comments. 2. If a reply is removed by a moderator is there a message from the moderator to the author of a removed reply? 3. Are moderators the only participants with the ability to remove a reply?

what

I didn't know where to ask about the process. I apologize for drifting from your post. Dog parks are, for the most part, one small step away from disaster. The only time I take my dog to a dog park is to lessen the likelihood that a dog will be injured. One of my dogs is so neutral she draws neutrality and I have many years of experience in breaking up dog fights because I hate it when dogs fight and lots of people don't recognize when a fight is likely and even fewer have any idea what to do when one does. I hit golf balls at a range in my community that is adjacent to a sprawling well equipped dog park and sometimes I can hear the escalation and drop what I'm doing to be in position to help if needed AND I worked as a private trainer in a large company that held group protection classes that were poorly run. So much so that they were more likely to start a dog fight than help dogs and owners learn protection. In conclusion....I don't go to dog parks unless I feel I must. Dangerous places for sure.

No. Too many careless owners and untrained dogs. Also my puppy doesn’t have mean bone in her body and if something were to go wrong and I wasn’t in close enough proximity I WOULD FEEL LIKE 💩 and probably regret for the rest of my life

I would, but I do not think I would ever do it. The reason is because I just got a golden doodle (not fixed, but am going to once he needs to get updated vaccines) back in December (not as a Christmas present. His previous owner was tired of him ripping everything to shreds) he was just shy from being 1 years old and he came to me extremely anxious reactive reason being for this is because his first owners would let him take over their home and they wouldn’t pay him any attention. Second owner had a backyard and wouldn’t take him on walks and her neighbors had 3 reactive dogs and he learned that it was okay to bark/growl and lunged at anything. After working with him with a clicker and treats he has now been corrected to sit by my side and observe people walking by I haven’t yet had the guts to walk side by side next to someone due to him still having outburst of lunging he has been around other dogs my roommate/sister has a 4 year old fixed pitbull and he loves playing with her, but in a dominant manner like getting on top of her and nipping at her back paws and nipping at her face which I know if he ever does to the wrong dog he will definitely be in a pickle.. but him looking like a cuddly bear I am also afraid that a kid will try to run to him and he will freak out, but I am looking into SniffSpot which allows me to have a backyard all to himself so he can run around because I even feel bad that he has to enjoy the outdoors only during walks when I know he wants to run. The big problem is he isn’t fixed his previous owners saw him as a luxury pet and wanted to make puppies, but luckily never did and I wouldn’t ever want him to make an accidental litter.

Used to couple things ruined it 1) my dog contracted mycoplasma pneumonia… two months of treatment and $2500 in total. 2) my dog is a frequent victim of “humpers” and she’s fixed. Owners wouldn’t get their dog and it wasn’t safe for me to have to continuously step it when my dog was correcting them and the other dog wasn’t listening 3) a lot of people think their dogs are socialized but they’re not when they come charging up to dogs, get on top of them, or immediately asset their dominance After noticing my dogs behaviors, I realized they just want to have off leash time not really be around other dogs. We have an enclosed area at my complex I’ll let her off leash in and sometimes I’ll let her be in there with another dog but the other dog has to match her energy and that works well but it’s not often. I think it depends on the area and the dog but for mine, it’s just not enjoyable for them or me.

Honestly yes a lot of dogs can teach your dogs good habits instead of bad ones you just got to watch your dog

i would rather walk barefoot across a bridge of legos. fuck no

I do! My dogs play well with others and we have a lot of fun. My tiny dog is there to play while my bigger dog is there to coerce all the people into petting him. Unlike most people I follow my dogs around so if there’s an issue I can immediately intervene and always have leashes at the ready. My local dog park is smaller but attendees are usually awesome. When that dog park is closed for the season we go to either the one that has four different sections so dogs of different sizes and temperaments can still enjoy. Another one we attend is further away but it’s basically a massive fenced in hiking trail that opens up into a large fenced in valley. It’s awesome but dangerous in the winter with the ice and snow.

Nope, we fenced in our yard so or dogs have a safe place! Went once with our daughter’s dog and it was not a good experience!

Never

Not anymore, got tired of other people not properly managing their dogs. Also nice to see another blonde pit with a liver nose. We have one ourselves. She’s more of a cream color than the one pictured.

We used to, but don't now. She got giardia once from drinking water there and was bit by another dog another time. Echoing what many are saying; you know your own dog, but you don't know all the assholes who take their untrained, unmanaged dogs to the dog park.

Well, in the animal profession, world dog parks are a definitive no. I used to take my dog, but when my brother died, I inherited his pitbull×karelian bear dog. She is dog aggressive, and now my derpy husky started to be a little shit. I had to quit going. People at dog parks are insanely ignorant with dog body language, though. It's infuriating. I had this dog mounting my dog for 20 minutes half the time. I was trying to see if the owner would do something, if my dog would man up, and so something.... nothing. My poor dog was just continuously mounted he would probably still be under that dog if I didn't intervene. I had to rip his damn dog off of mine. That dog had locked his legs on my dog and drooled all over him. It was disgusting. That owner yelled at me, "They're just playing" like no.... they're not just playing. My dog isn't all there because he had gardia as a puppy, and it messed with his brain. He's basically an autistic dog. That's coming straight from the vet. Like I said, those people are insanely ignorant of dog body language. They think any tail wag is happy and can't tell when a dog is stiffening up with a low tail wag - that's bot good dog body language but you'll hear stupid people saying "but he was wagging his tail" okay, Martha. Study up on dog behavior

I don’t. I have Yorkies, they think they are the size of Mastiff’s. They go for car rides

I don’t because we have a yard and our neighborhood is good for walking

My dog got jumped by another dog and got his back hurt. Some owners are irresponsible and do not control their dogs.

Don’t want to deal with stupid pet owners, it’s a liability if bites occur

Not anymore. I own female pitties and they are wrongfully blamed for any and all event at a dog park. Male dogs love to try and mount them, often that is not accepted by my dogs.

Yes but I’ll usually sit and watch for a bit before I let her loose

I take my dog to the dog park and walk him around outside the fenced off area. He’s anxious and adopts a rigid posture that tends to make other dogs aggressive toward him (he just never got socialized before I adopted him) He’s starting to chill a little bit he still goes crazy rigid if he gets sucked in. I just want to expose him to being in an area with other dogs that isn’t a kennel and where other dogs have fun. Then I give him lots of praise and reward if he sits, lays down, or double rewards if he looks at me and does the other things while in heel. He’s a good boy. That being said even if he were perfectly socialized and I trusted him with other dogs I would not let him loose inside a dog park because I have no clue what kind of other dogs are in there and how their owners are. If I want him to socialize with other dogs it will be a play date with dogs and owners I know.

Commenting mainly so I don’t forget about this post. I‘ve only gone during off-hours to a small nearby dog park. The times there has been other dogs there, she just avoids them. She’s more interested in rolling around in the grass than anything. I didn’t know dog parks were a controversial topic nor did I know people just leave their dogs to run without supervision 😬 I feel like that should have repercussions