Danger in the Dog Park

an excerpt From "Dog Craft, the art of human canine harmony" by Timothy Frazier

I have a list of the environments that pose the highest risk to the health and safety of a dog. Number one on that list is a dog fighting pit. Number two is a public dog park. Numbers three through ten are also public dog parks.

I’m serious.

Public dog parks are generally unsupervised and the typical rules posted are largely ignored by many of the owners who frequent them. Studies have shown that every square foot of the average dog park is infested with pathogens and parasites. Dog parks are the number one traceback source for parvo virus in the United States for the past 26 years.

When you enter a public dog park with your beloved pet, you have no way to know whether other dogs that are there or have been there have ever seen a veterinarian, had the fundamental vaccinations, or have the temperament and social skills to interact safely with other dogs. There are many uniformed dog owners who will get a new dog and immediately take it to the dog park just to see if it is sociable with other animals.

Still not convinced? Find a really popular dog park and spend a day just hanging out there watching the activity. I’ve never spent more than two hours at a busy dog park without seeing at least one fight break out. Just like professional hockey games, it’s a natural inevitability.

The moment your dog becomes involved in a serious fight with another dog an imprint occurs that will cause it to mistrust and probably display aggression toward any unfamiliar dog it encounters from that point on. Remediation of that split second imprint will take weeks, months, or even years of training and social conditioning to complete.

One of the most common issues new clients call me for is chronic dog aggression behavior that started after a fight in the dog park.

I lecture new clients about this almost daily. Since many live in apartments, they feel the dog park is the only economical resource available for their pet to exercise and have fun running free.

Consider a professional doggy daycare or play group instead. At most of those venues there is some vetting of each dog’s behavior and vaccination status before being accepted. Yes, it costs money, but my or another behaviorist’s fees for rehabilitating your dog after a traumatic dog fight will be much greater, and you’ll possibly have a veterinary bill for stitches or worse to boot.

If you have rationalized yourself into believing that there's just no workable alternative to the dog park, at least scope out what dogs are inside before taking yours in. If you see any behaving aggressively, or dog owners doing things that could trigger a dog fight, leave and come back when a more friendly and intelligent crowd is present. While your dog is in the park, monitor new arrivals. If someone brings in a dog that is too aggressive or overly hyper it’s time to hook your pup up and leave.

Better yet, schedule your time at the park for days and time frames when there is the least amount of visitors. Best case scenario is you and your beloved pet having the park all to yourselves.