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Dogomania

Dog Parks


MajiesMom

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Mei Mei wrote

[quote]It's not appropriate for you to tell me to 'get real.' I am rarely, if ever, impolite. Unless you are 100% sure of my dog's history and the way they have been treated, please address me with the respect I deserve, and I will do the same to you. Thank you.[/quote]

I apologise if that came over more aggressive than I intended we read the written word but we don't see the body language. :-?

The problems I deal with daily in these cases where dogs have fear or aggressive tendencies both on and off lead are in the majority of cases more handler that the actual dog problems, and I suppose I come over quite exasperated because of it, once again please accept my apologies.

I you have a fearful or timid dog that reacts badly to other dogs then quite often it is a combination of things, removing the puppy from it's siblings before 7 weeks is one of the main reasons. this is a small part of an article I wrote on Puppies Psychological growth:

[quote]0 to 7 Weeks
Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialisation. Puppy is with mother and littermates. During this period, puppy learns about social interaction, play, and inhibiting aggression from mother and littermates. Puppies must stay with their mother and littermates during this critical period. Puppies learn the most important lesson in their lives--they learn to accept discipline. [/quote]

Early lack of socialisation is also a major cause. also take your dogs to puppy classes, these should be before the dog is 18 weeks before the start of the course
[quote] 7 to 14 Weeks
Human Socialisation Period. The puppy now has the brain waves of an adult dog, but his attention span is short. This period is when the most rapid learning occurs. Learning at this age is permanent so this is a perfect time to start training. Also, this is the ideal time to introduce the puppy to things that will play an important part in his life. Introduce the puppy to different people, places, animals, and sounds in a positive, non-threatening way. [/quote]

In the case of a rescue their is nothing you can do about these periods and I accept that.

However their is things that you can do to help a dog get over it's fear aggression/dog aversion/ Timidity. You can start by adding 4 drops of Dr Bach's rescue remedy in the dogs food daily and possibly purchasing a DAP diffusor ( Dog. Appeasing.Pheremone. )Diffusor this helps along with a socialisation program to help the dogs fear.

One of the best ways is to reduce your dogs Alpha standing in your pack this then allows it to not have to worry about it's or your status and it doesn't feel the need to defend. If anyone wants a program to do this E Mail me.

Gooeydog wrote
[quote]I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "maniacally aggressive", as very few people (if any) here have dogs which I would see as falling under that term. [/quote]

Dogs that will attack any other dog for no reason whatsoever ie the dog has not approached but the manically aggressive dog will run across the park to get at another dog and will not differentiate between the sexes it will attack both.


[quote]Are we talking in a dog park type situation, or in a walk around the neighborhood situation?[/quote]

Dog park! This whole thread is about Dog Parks I always have my dogs on a lead round the neighbouhood because of traffic etc.

However they are never on a lead in the parks, and I can control all three with no problems, They are working English Springer Spaniels not the easiest breed to control as the hunting and prey instinct is extremely strong. The point is they hunt for me! Not themselves.

One of them was a rescue with some very strange and difficult habits and was extremely unconfident, I have now had it 11 weeks and it's tail is up I have started working it and it's confidence has soared it is a different dog.

Having said that most would have given up on this dog after a couple of weeks because of it's problems and peculiarities, however with perseverance this dog will be extremely happy and a very capable and a good working dog it has an excellent nose and a great working style and ethic.

It had never been worked before ie Pheasant Partridge and Duck yet has taken to it like the proverbial duck to water.

Stimulate your dogs give them something that will make them think and enjoy work on it and you will see a confident and happy dog emerge.

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Goo that was an excellent post and I agree with every word of it :wink:

DL I have a dog that was terribly nervous and unsocialised at 9 weeks I worked very hard to socialise him but still this is a nervous dog,once the damage is done at such an early age it is very difficult to turn them around. :(

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Mei-Mei wrote
[quote]trying to walk my dogs and fifteen dogs will run up to me while their owners are chatting on cell phones or basically paying no attention. And then I get tense because it's a high stress situation, and I know that Lhiannon Sidhe feels my tension and it raises her level of anxiety. [/quote]

I find it disgusting when I go to my parks and I see people constantly on the phone when supposedly walking the dogs. I never have my cellphone on over the parks that is my dogs time with me and they get my undivided attention.

Mei-Mei wrote
[quote] I am frequently the only one I see carrying plastic bags to dispose of my dogs' waste. As a matter of fact, I heard one gentleman say "Hey, it's natural. Why pick it up?" That attitude seems prevalent in our 'dog park.' [/quote]

It is classed as antisocial if you do not pick up after your dog in the UK I would think 955 do it. I wonder if the guy who said "Hey, it's natural. Would like a years worth of his dogs droppings deposited in his yard and see how natural he feels it is then. :lol:

I understand what you mean by a dog park now, especially if it near roads or rail. Our parks ar massive and have woods, lakes, wildlife and are Doggy Heaven. One of them Richmond Park is so big you are better off with a compass as you can get lost. We are a bit spoilt for that round here.

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Guest Anonymous

I think the point is being missed from most of these responses. It isn't how well YOUR dog "gets along" with other dogs. It how well the OTHER dogs get along with yours. Keep taking the chance and, sooner or later, your dog will get attacked or attack another dog. They're dogs, not children. All it will take is one bad experience and your happy, friendly, gets along great with others dog will turn into a scared, timid and/or aggressive monster.
Of course there's the hygiene thing too.....Ug! Do you want your dog running thru feces? Being sniffed by every mutt with mange out there? Being mounted by every dominant dog in the park?
Every time 2 or more dogs get together they have to establish rank. Now add a third and it starts over, take a way one, ditto. So you end up with a constant power shifting and eventually somedoggy's going to get hurt. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't (just like the California earthquake :wink: )
You can take that to the bank.

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[quote]I think the point is being missed from most of these responses. It isn't how well YOUR dog "gets along" with other dogs. It how well the OTHER dogs get along with yours. [/quote]

de ja veu>???????????????????????????????????????

I must be nissing something or I am I in a different planet??

Please read the poasts again and hopefully you WILL get the point!

Thanyou

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I can vouch for Rescue Remedy for timid dogs - I have been using it on Laurel and gradually she is getting bolder and less scared. We're not there yet, but I think eventually we will be. It does take a long time, along with
timidity training and socialization, but I can tell that when she has had her
"meds" she's less scared.

She was raised in a pack, very little if any people socialization, she was
field trialed, (Foxhound) and the only "people" interaction she ever got was from the handler/hunters who ran them. She was also Omega, not a good place to start. I;m bringing her around now, but it takes time. I think the Rescue Remedy is definitely helping some.

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  • 4 weeks later...

just like with many other "dog topics", i don't think there is a "one size fits all" answer to whether dog parks are good or bad. it depends far too much on too many individual factors in each individual case of dog and owner.

one thing i'd like to reply to is those arguments that bring up "disease issues". i firmly believe that dogs who are "pampered" by their owners to an extent where they are barely ever exposed to pathogens, they will be a lot more susceptible to actually contracting parasites or diseases. the immune system [i]needs[/i] stimuli that cause a response in order to produce antibodies. a healthy, uncompromised immune system will fight off attacks and the dog will not become sick.

personally i often take my dog to a local dog park, simply because of the fact that i live in a large city with very strict leash laws where i have no other opportunity to let my dog run off-leash. no other areas large enough to play fetch where the dog can run and utilize his full potential, which is definitely more than a 30 or 40 foot run across the back yard. it's also next to impossible to get him tired out just walking on foot, unless we are talking hikes of 10+ miles with plenty opportunity of running back and forth off leash.

but i am lucky. the "regulars" at the park i go to are mostly very responsible dog owners and any person or dog getting out of line is quickly dealt with and either complies or is asked to leave. my dog is not dominant at all and very even tempered, so he doesn't freak out if another dog runs up to him too fast, if he gets mounted, if some other dog sniffs his but too long or whatever. this doesn't mean that he's playing "doormat" for anyone, but the doggie disagreements that do occur are solved the canine way and most people aren't even aware of the subtle body language that is used.

i know that my dog is grateful for the opportunity to socialize, it's hard to miss the obvious signs of pure delight as we are getting closer to the park, enter and i finally take his leash off. especially when he can get enough other dogs interested in chasing him. :)

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest Anonymous

You are charged for the dog park?!!!?
That SUX! I guess that is just one more reason for me to stay away from big cities, i couldnt imagine having to pay for my dog to have room to run, and a chance to romp. but then agian we have places like that all over here, so if a place did charge they would just not get used, the market is saturated, with parks, and playgrounds, and dog parks, dog runs, farms and other fenced in places that you can take your pup. i guess i never realized how lucky we are in that department.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think officially sanctioned dog parks are great for socialization, especially for puppies.

Having said that, I will never set foot in a dog part again.

A few months ago in Toronto a couple dogs died and many more got sick at a dog park after eating food that had been left on the ground which had been laced with a very potent pesticide.

Then, just a few days ago I heard on the radio that several dogs got sick at the only official dog park here in Ottawa, Bruce Pit. That's it for me.

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[quote name='eric']I think officially sanctioned dog parks are great for socialization, especially for puppies.

Having said that, I will never set foot in a dog part again.

A few months ago in Toronto a couple dogs died and many more got sick at a dog park after eating food that had been left on the ground which had been laced with a very potent pesticide.

Then, just a few days ago I heard on the radio that several dogs got sick at the only official dog park here in Ottawa, Bruce Pit. That's it for me.[/quote]

Yeah I heard about this though it only happened at Riverdale park. Some idiot put pesticide in hot dogs. How many dogs will resist a hot dog? I think about 14 dogs and 4 kids got sick, though only 1 dog died.

Yesterday at the park (not Riverdale) Chaos picked up a huge piece of bread and I freaked out not knowing what could have been in it. I did get it from her, but was really worried all night checking on her every 5 mins to make sure she was fine. Stupid people putting bread in a dog park for birds and squirrels. :roll:

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Here in Baltimore cuty, there is one official dog park. It's fenced in and has water and the big dog / little dog sides, and it's great -- except that it's not very big. Definitely too small for 15 - 20 big dogs. yet they all come, and they're bound to invade each other's space, and then things go wrong.

Oscar has had to defend himself twice -- both times he was attacked by a misbehaving, aggressive dog. Neither time involved blood, but still scary. I still take Oscar, but only when it's empty or there are only one or two dogs. It's really a shame that it's the only one in the city, but it won't be there long if people don't become more responsible about using it.

oh, but Oscar has soooo much fun there.

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Midori, is that the one up by patterson? My sister's BF took their rotty up there about a week after they got him, and apparently he got into several scraps (well what did he expect with an intact, hyper, adolescent rotty fresh out of the shelter? :roll: ). He said they got kicked out, so if it's the same one, I can see where they have problems.

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  • 8 months later...

I think dog parks are a great idea.

I took Jackie and Maya to a doggie picnic last month where there were 250 other Golden Retrievers, and they had such a wonderful time and got along with all the dogs so well that I did some research into dog parks in my area. I also inquired on the intranet at work (there are over 1,000 employees) as to whether anyone had tried any of the dog parks in the area. I got several responses, and they were all extremely positive. They said that all the dogs were well-behaved, the grounds were well-maintained, etc. So I am planning on taking my girls to local dog parks.

But there is always the risk that there will be an irresponsible dog owner there and/or an aggressive dog who shouldn't be off-leash.

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I am lucky in that we have a huge dog park in the middle of suburbia. This park would be about 10 acres and has hills, valleys, bush trees etc., it is fairly heavily treed and plenty of flat ground lawn.

On the down side it also contains an unfenced childrens playground!!!!!!

I have been using this park for 4 years with my well trained Rottweiler who is very friendly. Never in that time have I seen any aggression by other dogs. We owners simply do not take agressive dogs to the park.

In addition to my friendly Rottweiler, who is champion at reading doggie body language at a distance and will stay away from some dogs, I also have a dog aggressive rescue Rottweiler that I have never taken to that park. This dog is never off leash when outside my property.

In any event the park is so vast and there are rarely many dogs there at the same time there is plenty of space to walk the other way, which is what I do when my friendly girl is suspicious of another dog.

The park is frequented by regulars and we all know eachother as do our dogs.

The one exception I have seen over the years is a very nasty little pomeranian with an equally nasty owner. This dog is always kept on lead and everyone else gives this dog and owner a very wide berth. The owner has a walking stick which she waves threateningly should another dog come anywhere near her. I really don't know why she doesn't use one of the many other parks in our area which are ON lead parks.

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