Dog Parks: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

We hear so many polarizing thoughts on dog parks, but who is right?

I know, we all love the idea of a place we can take our dogs to run and play with others. That is why we have created to dog park, they are widely popular. Some dog parks require many licenses and are heavily regulated by towns they are in. Others are pretty wide open with pretty much anyone being able to go in with their dog. Many dog trainers do not like dog parks, other do, they are both right.

The Good

Dog parks can be great places to go and socialize your dog around many different dogs. These can be dogs of different shapes, sizes and temperaments. Your dog can learn more from other dogs then we can teach them in a whole session. That is because dogs can obviously easily communicate to one another. Dog parks can also truly tire your dog out in ways we never could. Dogs running and playing, can exhaust one another. This is great for your pup because as we always say “a tired dog is a well-behaved dog”. Lets face the facts, dog parks are a great place if you’re looking for a place to meet other dog owners, tire your dog out, and have them learn in the process.

The Bad

So these dog parks sound like perfect places, right? Well, I had to some a lot of information for this section. Dog parks have some major drawbacks. The first is that most park parks do not require dogs to be up to date on vaccinations or spayed or neutered. These can cause a lot of problems for your dog. The other bad part of dog parks is that your dog is learning from other dogs, both good and bad behaviors. Your dog can pickup on some not so pleasurable habits from their time at the dog park. It really does come down to risk versus reward for your dog and you as their owner.

The Ugly

What could possibly be ugly about dog parks? Well with a group of dogs comes dog fights. Dog fights are a common occurrence at dog parks and can be due to a lot of different reasons. One is that owners are simply not watching their dog and seeing the signs that their dog is giving off that may trigger a potential fight. The other is that owners do not have complete 100 percent control over their dogs while they are in the park and cannot stop their dog from starting a fight or call them away from being too much for another dog.

The best way to enjoy a dog park is to be observant over your dog and make sure you have complete control over them, even when they are off leash. This way you can prevent a situation from ever occurring. Dog parks are great places, just be sure to be smart, be observant, and always be ready to break up a scuffle or help your dog. We are our dogs biggest advocates, they need to feel safe and protected in order to enjoy the park.