Dog park people -_-

redcattoo

amti said:
Is it really bad to keep your dog leashed?

As others said ... Yes, it is really bad to keep your dog leashed if going to an dog park. Also be sure to check the dog park rules, most don't even allow it.

I am one of the lucky ones that has had great dog park experiences, even so, I know there can be bad ones too. It is always a risk, but if you understand dog body language the majority (if not all) bad experiences can be avoided by your own pro-active management of your dog (ie leaving the area if necessary due to other dogs).

Don't be that dog park owner who comes to the dog park and wants to complain constantly about all the other owners who are bothering you and/or complain about the dog park having dirt patches rather than grass and/or other dogs behaviors. Those people annoy me as much as the anti-social chuck it guy.

I do have to say the anti-social chuck it guy does get on my nerves. IMO the dog park is to give your dog time to socialize/play with other dogs, not you. Go to a field or somewhere else if your goal is only to bond with your own dog, or don't get so frustrated if your dog gets distracted and/or other dogs come to play the game too.

You have the power to keep the experience positive, leaving when you need to and understanding you can only control you and your dog.

For me, because my one boy has poor recall, I enjoy the dog park freedom to let him run which he really enjoys. I can't play/run with him like that easily on leash. That being said, because he has poor recall it can be difficult to get him when at the dog park if I desire to leave before him. I can become that silly looking owner who is begging/pleading running around the park trying to get my dog back on leash in order to leave. To avoid this, I usually assure that I am under no time constraints to have to leave at a set time. This way Bear can tell me when he is getting tired (ie very easy to catch) or wants to leave (he goes to the gate).

AWE46M3

I recently saw a lady with like 2 or 3 dogs at the park, one of her dogs was 8yrs old and did not like to play with other dogs (according to her). Another dog at the park seemed interested in playing with that particular dog and the owner got fussy and told the other owner to keep their dog away. I was absolutely dumbfounded by that request because why the hell would you bring a dog to a dog park that doesn't like to socialize/play?

Gene23

I take Wallace all the time. He loves playing with larger dogs. I take him to the large dog area. Once in awhile another dog will be too big and make him uncomfortable, but nothing too serious.

He loves playing fetch at the park, something i cant do with him anywhere else.

There is one owner however that owns a husky. This husky is the only large dog that gives Wallace problems. Wallace seems to like the husky, but the husky smothers him and scares Wallace. Don't understand why Wallace provokes the big guy, but he does.

Most of the owners that I meet understand how dogs play and act. They dont get overly sensitive if Wallace mounts their dogs (to get them to chase him) They also dont freak out when he starts wrestling and getting vocal with other dogs.

My only gripe is the owner that tells me that my dog doesnt belong with the big dogs because HIS dog is aggressive with Wallace. Out of maybe 10 dogs, the 1 dog is aggressive, and his owner has the balls to tell me that we dont belong in that park.

There is also the drop off of old boxes of dog treats that are made in China. I try to tell the people I meet that I dont trust any of those treats laying out there and why. I might sound paranoid to them, but better safe than sorry. Would they give their child a mystery snack from China? I hope not.

Other than that. Great experience. It knocks him out for a couple hours.

Gene23

Also got peed on by that Husky, owner didnt say sorry. Just laughed.

Then, when he was trying to get his husky off of Wallace, he grabbed Wallace. Wallace cried out. He then tells me that my guy cries when you grab him. I told him no. No, he does not. First of all, why are you grabbing Wallace around his hips, and second why are you telling me how my dog acts from one, stressful situation? He cried because your dog was punking him, and then you grabbed him right. I dont think anyone would like that.

Just had to add that. I obviously avoid those two.

Rikka

I feel ya, @Gene23. I have a particular favorite dog park that's a bit a ways away from me, but it's always worth driving there. Unfortunately, there's this notorious old guy with his senior dog that comes there, I think, every day. This guy's dog causes such a huge inconvenience for others; I have to physically remove myself from the park if I spot him walking in from now on. :-\

Some of the shit this dog gets away with is it barks in everyone's face, human or dog. If you're walking near this dog, expect to get barked at. His bark is distinctive and loud. If your dog attempts to sniff him, not only does it bark in its' face, but it also acts incredibly defensive. This dog also doesn't like how puppies approach him (since he's old, for crying out loud) so whenever you see a puppy bouncing up and down, nipping to get him to play back, etc, he literally CHARGES them and snaps in their face, attempting to get them to go away. Sagan and this dog almost got into a scuffle, had I not been watching carefully and sticking close. It does not get along with anyone, ever.

You would think this behavior is obvious enough to where you'd stop attending, but nope, this guy is convinced his dog is "having fun."

Lauren, living with a 4 y/o Shiba named after a scientist. ☆

shibamistress

I don't go to dog parks because only one of my dogs would tolerate and he doesn't like them. But when I hear about all these things, I get so annoyed, like the guy grabbing the dog, or the barking in the face dog. I wouldn't ever really do this, but it makes me think, huh, wish I could bring my Akita there, and then see if you want to try that shit! Oskar is pretty mellow and patient, but he does not like rudeness of any sort, and then he gets the "Hey, I'm an Akita and I DO NOT LIKE THAT" thing going. Oskar is 110 pounds, and is impressive when roused.

(one day some people were walking their loose, badly behaved dogs in our neighborhood and let the dogs run up to harass the littler dogs--Leo and Bel. I asked them to leash their dogs and they were rude. It was annoying. So my husband and I took Oskar for a walk, leashed of course, but when we got the people's house with the loose dogs--now safely in their yard--Oskar immediately recognized them as the dogs that had been harassing the others, and he lunged at the fence. The dogs backed off, and the people looked a bit alarmed. They moved soon after that, but they never did let their dogs come up to our fence to harass my dogs again.)

Lisa and Toby (Shiba), Oskar and Zora (American Akitas) and Leo (Kai Ken)
From the House of the Fox Dogs blog
Why it's Not About Dominance
Bel's thread: the story of a puppy mill Shiba's life

tatonka · Post edited by tatonka at 2013-03-17 10:17:22

@curlytails, I like the pictures they have with each type of persona especially the mustachioed monkey for "Park Emperor"'.

I'll just leave these 2 additional personalities right here:
1. The quiet guy with the aloof dog who secretly enjoys seeing a big doggie fight break out between ill-behaved dogs of shitty owners.
2. The guy who pretends his Shiba doesn't belong to him so he doesn't have to pretend he's never heard before about how he looks like a fox, and what breed is he, and oh is he a Basenji / oh no Basenjis are from Africa dude, and how cute he is, and oh he kind of howls at me if I randomly try to put my hand on his head without permission, and oh is he a fox terrier, and hey he looks like a miniature wolf, and oh the movie Hachi is so sad, and

:P

Monkey!

BuckyBadger

Gatsu said:
lol, People playing fetch in the dog park always pose a problem for me. I'm fine with them playing fetch as long as they understand some dogs will take their ball and RUN! Luckily though Guts likes playing fetch. So he'll bring the ball back. Other people usually are pretty impress at how well he plays fetch. But my problem with it is. Guts really likes playing fetch. So he usually takes a bit to decide if he's gonna follow me or stay with the people and play fetch. If he stays, I either have to grab him or wait until he's done playing.

LOL, When Mika sees people playing fetch, she steals the ball, so the other dog chases her

Fred and Jodie...Madison WI

**Mika....The Shiba Inu**

**Zoey....The Schipperke**

Kenta

tatonka said:
Here are some people I meet at dog parks. What kind of people do you meet at dog parks?

-The lady who knows everything about every dog species, who then proceeds to educate you about yours

I've met pretty much all of them, that's why I mostly avoid dog parks nowadays or go when everyone's in school or at work. But that one, the lady who THINK she knows every things about every dog species GOD, that is SO annoying, seriously. I got into a fight once with this lady, kitsu was playing with her dog but she obviously didn't see it as playing, she thought they were fighting, uh hello and you think you know much about dogs?! Ok but whatever, she started yelling and screaming at me and calling me bad names. She said that I should learn more about my dogs and whatever. Then some other guy who knows her who was watching us, came up to me, told her that this is her first dog, she just got the dog so she's very protective. Like hello crazy biatch, please mind your own business. People like her ruin dog parks.

I went to the dog park this past week, it was so quiet every time I got there, even the people I know from there who are always in the dog park weren't there, I think all those crazy new dog owners who act so arrogant and think they are the best and have the best dog turned it of for people to still go there. And the dog park used to be very very crowded always! Even this weekend, no one.. I stayed there for 1,5 hour but there were only 2 dogs

https://www.facebook.com/kitsunekenta

Kenta

shibamistress said:
I don't go to dog parks because only one of my dogs would tolerate and he doesn't like them. But when I hear about all these things, I get so annoyed, like the guy grabbing the dog, or the barking in the face dog. I wouldn't ever really do this, but it makes me think, huh, wish I could bring my Akita there, and then see if you want to try that shit! Oskar is pretty mellow and patient, but he does not like rudeness of any sort, and then he gets the "Hey, I'm an Akita and I DO NOT LIKE THAT" thing going. Oskar is 110 pounds, and is impressive when roused.

(one day some people were walking their loose, badly behaved dogs in our neighborhood and let the dogs run up to harass the littler dogs--Leo and Bel. I asked them to leash their dogs and they were rude. It was annoying. So my husband and I took Oskar for a walk, leashed of course, but when we got the people's house with the loose dogs--now safely in their yard--Oskar immediately recognized them as the dogs that had been harassing the others, and he lunged at the fence. The dogs backed off, and the people looked a bit alarmed. They moved soon after that, but they never did let their dogs come up to our fence to harass my dogs again.)

Oskar is a very smart guy! I hate it when people get rude when they are obviously in a wrong position. It's like they won't admit it and try to hide it with rudeness. I've had the same when Kenta was following a dog from the dog park, the owners walked out of the dog park back to their home and Kenta followed, but they were crossing streets. I was running behind them and asked them to stop, but they just kept walking. Until Kenta almost got hit by a car I was screaming, the owners of the other dog got so rude at me like " yeah you should have leashed your dog and get him under control blabla". Well I'm sorry, but he normally listens very well and stays in the dog park. I even asked them if they could stop so I could get him back. They were so rude and calling me names, I was so pissed and really sad people like this exist. Sorry, but you think you are the best dog owner and think you love animals so much and tell me what to do, but don't bother a dog following you?! That is just stupid. Whenever a dogs try to run away or someone is calling their dog but he is not listening, I always get them back to the owner or wait till the owner arrives. I could never ignore a dog walking behind me and see whenever the owner will get him back. I could never forgive myself if anything would happen to the dog and I had the chance but not do anything about it.

https://www.facebook.com/kitsunekenta

Rikka

I went to a dog park yesterday and Sagan came across a similar aged Siberian Husky, and no shock, they were playing together wonderfully. I was standing around close to her owner, and she said to me, "Oh, my Husky loves playing with Shibas." I nodded and said, "Yeah, mine just likes rough housing with anyone that'll let him."

Well... a few minutes go by, and the Husky starts nipping Sagan's neck, then holding onto his tuft of fur. I didn't care since that's normal for me, as they eventually let go, or he just plays back. Sagan doesn't care or show any discomfort, since he just turns around and does it back. The owner, however, starts SHRIEKING and making these obnoxious "tch, tch, tch" noises to try and scare her Husky to stop.

I told her, "Hey, it's okay, he plays like that too. If he didn't like it, it would be very obvious." She grabs her Husky by the collar, makes her sit, looks up at me and with a serious tone says, "I don't want her to think she's dominant. If she holds onto a dog's necks for too long, I view that as bad. I don't want her to do that. She's alpha enough as it is."

I groan, shake my head, and walk off. I felt like telling her how much crock shit that is, and how her dog is PLAYING, but decided it wasn't worth it. Sagan was enjoying playing with this dog, too. :(

Lauren, living with a 4 y/o Shiba named after a scientist. ☆

amti

Thank you all for your input on the leashing at a dog park. I have never been to one. I've been to open parks that allow leashed dogs, and that's about it. I won't be taking both dogs at the same time since I have no idea how either one would react at one. Kaji is now 9 months old, and full grown other than filling out, so he's probably ready. I'll look into finding a couple of good dog parks soon (yes, I haven't actually been too aggressive looking for them). I'm really not worried about Kaji because he's so social and has calmed down a lot in regards to jumping on other dogs. He now does the usual sniff but no more jumping. My biggest fears will probably be when he finds another dog he really likes, he'll play the usual shiba style, which might scare other dog owners since there aren't very many shibas here. I'll just have to play it by ear. And I do plan to bring Taisho to the smaller dog area first and see how he manages. I thought it was really interesting about the leashed dog that growled, but was okay once the leash was removed. Maybe Taisho is like that.

Sarah_Jay12

My husband and I just went to the dog park today for the first time in months, since the weather has been so horribly unpredictable lately.

I am in a leg cast, and can't move around off the main sidewalk, so while my husband played and ran around with Mags out in the field, I found myself people-watching and noticed a couple more types of people that I'm not sure have been mentioned.

-The man who yells at someone else's dog for merely sniffing his own dog's butt upon arrival.
-The woman who brings her chihuahua into the "Large Dog" Section and then proceeds to scold and kick at other "big dogs" who come up to investigate the small fry.
-The young couple who brings their dog-aggressive pit bull & stands on the sidewalk talking to another dog owner about how pit bulls have such a bad rep while the dog engages in four - count them, FOUR - aggressive showdowns with other dogs in the park.

*sigh*

http://beautifulshiba.blogspot.com/

Gene23

Wow. New story.

Today Wallace and I went to the dog park and everything was fine. He was playing with 2 huskies that he has played with before. They got a little rough but nothing bad, the owner didnt mind either.

Then Wallace played with a golden retriever and they were wrestling and having fun. She then laid down, Wallace mounted her to get her to play more and the owner immediately put a leash on his dog and dragged her away like she did something wrong.

He lets her off the leash a little while after and they start playing again. Once again, Wallace mounted in a playful fashion. The owner then told me to get Wallace away, that his dog was playing peacefully until Wallace came around. So, I hold my tongue and lead Wallace away. Of course he wants to keep playing with her, so they wrestle and another dog comes in and mounts the retriever. I try to get him to stop because I didn't want the retriever's owner to get more agitated. The retriever never fought back and just let the mounting happen.

The owner of the retriever once again leashes the dog and yanks her away. Then Wallace and the other dog start trying to mount her since she is leashed and cant run or defend herself. The owner tells me to get Wallace away. Then he says if he says it one more time he's going to do something. Of course, Wallace mounts her as he's saying it. Then he yells at me, "Get your dog away or else!!" So I ask him what he is going to do. He acted like he was going to punch me. So I asked again, what are you going to do? He proceeds to tell me that he is going to call the cops and starts asking people for their cell phones. No one's seems to work (haha). I ask him, "You're really going to call the cops because my dog mounted yours playfully?" Wallace didnt get aggressive at all with her, no biting, nothing. He said says yes and tells me to get away from him.

I proceed to lecture him about leashing a dog up in a dog park with other dogs around. First of all, there's a huge sign that says leashing up a dog in the park is a bad idea. Then its just plain logic that a dog cant defend itself leashed up, so dogs are going to go after the easy target. Especially if they were playing before. He tells me to shut up and get away. When he realizes no one is going to give him their phone he threatens to take Wallace from me physically and take him to the police station. I laugh and tell him he's taking this way too far. Tells me to shut up again. I tried to tell him that mounting is not always sexual and that it is a way to get another dog to try and play, but he still wouldn't hear it.

Man. What a day at the dog park. I've had dogs get Wallace pinned down crying out for dear life, and not once have I yelled at the owner. I understand what is going on and don't freak out. This guy freaks out over simple mounting. Sheesh.

Thank for reading this rant.

KitsuneSakakino

The first time I ever went to a Dog Park was when Hachiko was little, I was really nervous about letting her off leash so for half of our trip I kept it on her ( I wouldn't recommend it, but it worked for us) as soon as we were both comfortable I let her off and was amazed that she would actually stick close to me for the most part.

We love the dog park, it's a great way for Hachiko to burn off energy, tho the one and only time Keiichi went in the short time before his accident he didn't seem 100% about it. Takumi also loves the park tho so I have a feeling him and Hachiko are gonna be the ones I take with me most of the time once Takumi officially joins the pack.

People I've seen-
The woman who acts as if it was her property and has no problem bossing everyone else around.
The guy that likes to ignore the fact that his dog is picking on another dog (Hachiko likes to play rough, but this dog kept picking on her and he did nothing, she ended up "hiding" between my legs so I could "save" her)

Rikka

@Gene23 - To be fair, some people don't like it when other dogs mount theirs. I personally don't mind it, but I'm always cautious of when Sagan does it to others. As a courtesy, I call him off if I see him do it. I do agree that how he reacted was uncalled for.

Lauren, living with a 4 y/o Shiba named after a scientist. ☆

Gene23

@Rikka Haha yeah, I do understand that. I was trying to call him off. Doesnt always work. I understand that it is normal dog behavior, but i still try to curb it a little.

tatonka

I expect that when some dog mounts Tatonka he's gonna figure out how to tell that dog not to. Hasn't failed yet..

Monkey!

Gene23

@Tatonka That is exactly what I was trying to tell the guy. When you leash up the dog, there is no way for her to let Wallace know whats up. She was very nonchalant about the mounting and acted like it wasnt even happening.

tatonka

@Gene23, yeah I agree.. the education coming from another dog is much better than coming from just you..

Monkey!

KitsuneSakakino · Post edited by KitsuneSakakino at 2013-03-29 14:59:35

It may have been an unspayed female, not a smart choice at all to bring one to the dog park, but somebody did it just last week at ours.

demarcost · Post edited by demarcost at 2013-03-29 17:41:45

Some I've run into:

People who show up at the dog beach section of the park without a dog! Who blow off the designated picnic area of the park and bring a grill and a ton of food onto the dog beach, even though the sign at the entrance says no food. Who I then catch offering my dog a chicken leg bone. grr.

People who ride their sea-doo through the water in the same area of the dog beach that dogs regularly swim. >_< ...we don't go to the dog beach anymore.

People who give their dog a rawhide bone while inside the dogpark. Who then, when their dog tries to attack my dog when he approaches, say, "Oh, she just did that because she's got a rawhide bone." as if that just explains everything (hello?! why does your dog have that in a dog park?)

People who bring their 10 and 12 year old children who proceed to play chase with their own dogs and run around yelling and screaming making virtually all the other dogs uncomfortable. Even though this clearly makes some of the other dogs nervous to the point they are constantly barking at and backing away from the children their parents don't find it necessary to do anything (or even confine them to one area of the park).

People who you see on a regular basis who seem nice and attentive to their dog, but whose dog always seems just a touch underweight. Just enough to notice, but not enough to warrant confronting them or alerting the authorities.

Overall though, in the dozens of times we've been to local dog parks, the cases above are really the only negative experiences I've ever had. Thankfully, most trips to the dog park are good or great. Our shibas love to run, and our backyard isn't that big. I can always tell they love having the extra space to run around for a while.

violet_in_seville

@demarcost - re: underweight dogs - some dogs (and owners) have trouble putting weight on and keeping it. There are lots of threads about this. It can be food pickiness, high metabolism, or a combination. Many of us with thin dogs have gone to the vet multiple times to rule out medical issues. My 17 lb girl consumes about 800-1000 calories a day, and should be heavier but it takes months to put an extra half pound on her, and that doesn't normally last.

In other words, give us skinny dog owners the benefit of the doubt :-)

notoriousscrat · Post edited by notoriousscrat at 2013-03-31 07:20:37

I think whether or not kids should be at the dog park running and yelling depends on whether or not kids are allowed at the park. If they are, then having kids there behaving normally is just like anything else: it's your job to remove your dog if they're uncomfortable and bring them back when the kids aren't there. The kids are allowed and they have just as much right to have fun with their dog as you do with yours. If your dog is made uncomfortable by something as normal as kids being kids, whose problem is that, really? Certainly not the kids, so long as they're not harassing your dog (harassing other dogs, as opposed to playing with their own dog, is an entirely different thing). For the record, I love it when kids come to the park. I wish there were more of them because my dog loves them, especially when they're yelling and screaming. And he doesn't have a backyard, period, so that's the only place he's ever off-leash. Again, if your dog can't handle something that the park allows, then maybe they need to not be there that day (or ever, if that something is always there i.e. other dogs).

Also, nothing wrong with being skinny. Maybe it just means they actually exercise there dog. Honestly, I think people need to get over this idea of watching how skinny their dog is. If you're not seing bones and they're eating as much as they want, they're fine. Some dogs are just built skinny. It's fine. Personally, I much prefer a skinny dog to a muscular dog.

http://obeytheshiba.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/OBEYZIM
http://packlove.com/zim

KitsuneSakakino

demarcost said:

People who you see on a regular basis who seem nice and attentive to their dog, but whose dog always seems just a touch underweight. Just enough to notice, but not enough to warrant confronting them or alerting the authorities.

That's me with Hachiko, she's 100% healthy with 24/7 access to kibble and raw fed once a day, but she's just not interested in food most of the time. She's also tall for a Shiba.

We just got back from the park. There was this nasty woman there who had to make a comment about kids in the dog park everytime my son walked more than 3 feet away from me (my son is autistic and has no interest in chasing the dogs and is usually very well behaved. Sometimes he doesn't understand about not running in the park, but I keep reminding him. We also understand he might get knocked over and that's fine, it's our risk just as the possibility of getting jumped on is a risk to everyone in the park).

Bootz

@demarcost, Violet said what I was going to say. In my area there are a LOT of overweight dogs because owners can't tell the difference between overweight, toned, underweight. The health risks for an overweight dog is higher compared to a dog whos underweight...which also makes it better to have an underweight dog =P but of course not starving down to the bone.

@notoriousscrat do you mean muscular as in fat? or muscular and in "stocked" :( Hanako mentioned Bootz was muscular in the "stocked" kind of way. But she's a big shiba!

notoriousscrat

I actually mean muscular, as in being really ripped. Much as in people, I think light muscle (think swimmer versus not fat football player), is just much better looking. If a dog starts getting really huge because it's muscular, then I think it looks way less good than my own dog, who is small boned and has light muscle rather than being really beefy. It's a preference thing, but I do notice that a lot of people seem to prefer super muscular so I just wanted to throw out there that not everyone thinks that being really muscular looks good. Mostly it's just that it hit a nerve because in my immediate family, we're all kind of lean. I'm 5'6" and 115 lbs, husband's 5'11" and 135 lbs and Zim is 15.5" at the shoulder and 18.5lbs. We're all just built that way and have never much been bothered by it but other people saying "too skinny" is definitely something I've heard before and I find it really annoying.

http://obeytheshiba.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/OBEYZIM
http://packlove.com/zim

Bootz

@notoriousscrat, haha I'm in the same boat. 5'4 - 96 lbs. bootz is about 33 lbs so I fell weird when people say she's big/fat.

violet_in_seville

@bootz, @notoriousscrat - Violet is 17 lbs and 15.25 at the shoulders. In some situations (panting, curving at certain angles, if she's had a recent bout of stomach upset) she is bony. She also is totally shameless about begging for food from strangers. We, our vet, and our breeder think she is healthy but could stand to put on extra weight. I find myself having to often tell people yes, she's thin, yes we check for worms, yes, she gets fed a lot and frequently, with lots of high calorie snacks. It gets tedious though people mean well.

On the human side, I find that people have no trouble commenting on weight if they think you're underweight. I find that kind of appalling. Funnily, the worst was at a law firm, where lawyers would constantly comment on how they thought I needed to gain weight (I eat 3500+ calories, and my only exercise at the time was walking around NYC a lot). I'm probably a bit sensitive whenever anyone comments on weight (regardless of the nature of the comments).

INU RYUU

Penny is rotund ( a nice way of saying fat ) and INU is trim and athletic. They both get the same amount of food and exercise. To me their respective bodies are due to heredity and metabolism.

犬竜

tatonka

Trying to get Tatonka to be ripped!!

Just kidding.

Another dog park person:
-The guy whose dog pees on people while the dude just watches and says nothing. I mean, really?

Monkey!

Halo

Wow, I'm kinda scared now to take Halo to a dog park....

wufan · Post edited by wufan at 2013-03-30 23:36:52

I am hesitant too. My 6 month shiba was bitten badly last time I went to visit a dog park. The ironic thing is that he was attacked by another shiba (4 year old) also the first shiba ever we met in dog park in our neighborhood. The lady had two dogs one shiba and another pitbull. They were both there that day.

curlytails

@wufan I don't think Shiba-on-Shiba violence is so surprising, especially given the ages you cite. =( From my experiences, 6-month-old to, say, 2-year-old adolescents are particularly vulnerable because they're still learning how to read adult social cues, yet they're just a bundle of youthful energy that some dogs, particularly grumpy older Shibas, find intolerable. Which is not to say that Wufan did anything wrong. But at his age, and for a while yet, older dogs may very well desire to "correct" the young whippersnapper on their own terms, and so the onus is on you as well as the other owner to be vigilant of how your dogs are responding and communicating before things escalate, regardless of breed.

Anyway, hopefully you two were able to resolve the situation and Wufan is okay!

Bowdu 寶肚 (Shiba) and Bowpi 寶媲 (Basenji) with M.C.

shibamistress

I take a vicarious interest in reading this thread since I don't go to the dog parks! But Wufan, sorry to hear about your dog getting bit. :(

@Gene....what an ass that person was. You know, I don't really care if they don't like another dog mounting there dog, that was still so stupid I probably would have felt compelled to tell tem what an idiot they were. I mean, yeah, the other dogs will make it clear if they don't like it, but the bigger point is--calling the police? Idiot!

Frankly, I don't think people should comment on anyone's weight, dogs or human, fat or thin, and I think it is really rude and annoying to do so. I get pretty pissed at people commenting on my fat boy's weight. Do they think I don't notice how fat he is? If it were just a matter of diet and exercise he would not be so fat, but in fact, he eats virtually nothing, he has a lot of health issues, and he just can't tolerate enough exercise to lose weight. So I'm really tired of people acting like I'm cruel to my dog because he's fat. I'd be happy to have him lose weight, and maybe grow some hair for all the hair he's missing too. He is an older Shiba who is not healthy and he looks like it, but I certainly don't need people's comments when they don't know what his health issues are. And he still enjoys going for rides or very short walks, and I'd prefer to let him enjoy them instead of me feeling defensive when people make judgements about my boy's looks.

Lisa and Toby (Shiba), Oskar and Zora (American Akitas) and Leo (Kai Ken)
From the House of the Fox Dogs blog
Why it's Not About Dominance
Bel's thread: the story of a puppy mill Shiba's life

Gatsu · Post edited by Gatsu at 2013-03-31 14:56:01

I had a guy camp in the middle of the park playing fetch with is dog. So every time anyone wanted to walk around the park, they'd have to try and convince their dog to keep moving and stop chasing the ball... Then he got a herd of dogs around him, and he started to walk away with the ball leading the dogs some place. Including my shibas. I was wondering where he was leading the dogs. He walked over to the biggest puddle of water he could find and He threw the ball in to the middle of it. All the dogs dived in and were soaked.......

KitsuneSakakino

Gatsu said:
I had a guy camp in the middle of the park playing fetch with is dog. So every time anyone wanted to walk around the park, they'd have to try and convince their dog to keep moving and stop chasing the ball... Then he got a herd of dogs around him, and he started to walk away with the ball leading the dogs some place. Including my shibas. I was wondering where he was leading the dogs. He walked over to the biggest puddle of water he could find and He threw the ball in to the middle of it. All the dogs dived in and were soaked.......

Is it terrible I just laughed?

Kobe1468

I found this blog post and thought I'd share it. I don't go to dog parks, so I don't have any basis to agree or disagree with the author, about dog parks in general.

http://thesciencedog.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/dog-park-people/

Is the author justified in suggesting to her clients to avoid dog parks?

I don't go to dog parks simply because I live out in the country and we have enough open space(fenced) and Kobe has plenty of 'friends' to play with close by.

I do see dog parks as being extremely beneficial, especially to those who live in the city, assuming they are positive experiences.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Rikka · Post edited by Rikka at 2014-02-23 19:59:17

I didn't like the article because of this:

Granted, this ethnographic study examined the cultural milieu of a single dog park.

A study of ONE dog park isn't enough to warrant telling everyone to not go because it's "not safe, period." I've been to a lot of dog parks across different states of all various of sizes and the people who frequent, and I've generally had a positive experience with dog parks--even with my terror of a Shiba. Granted, my experience is obviously anecdotal, but the article is not sound.

I don't want to argue that all dog parks are inherently good, because there are some that certain people go to with certain dogs that make the experience ultimately bad. Hell, there's one dog park in Bellevue that I avoid because of that reason; it's mobbed by dog-walkers who are unable to control the multitude of dogs, children on their bicycles and scooters INSIDE the dog park, etc. The list goes on and on. I don't write it off as "well, I never go to any dog parks because of that incident" -- I invest in another one or travel farther for one I know that's "good".

I think it's all about common sense and knowing your dog / their queues, IMO.

Lauren, living with a 4 y/o Shiba named after a scientist. ☆

misterelwood

I'm only concerned with the dog park I go to...we have been members since it first opened in 2008...it has two enclosures one for dog under 25 pounds and the other for larger dogs...both have coded locked gates with the combination given only after you pay a fee and provide proof of shots and dog license...we have a great core group of around 15 people and 25 dogs who pick up what our dogs drop and keep the peace...when it come to dogs mounting each other you can't help but laugh and make jokes when a Pug tries to mount a Great Dane...I can only hope that any moron that accepts the shit the author of this unbiased article writes stays out of our dog park...it is the only place I feel safe letting my Shiba run free

poltergeist · Post edited by poltergeist at 2014-02-24 06:51:23

this is clearly a thread design for me. I think I could write a book about dog park people.

The worst offenders here are the ones that bring their dog; sit on the bench text messaging and are not watching or interacting with their dog. Often times I end up playing with ALL the dogs in the dog park. I don't mind, it's just--why go somewhere if you're not doing anything with your dog!? I find it so relaxing and rewarding to bond with my dog. I must be the only one.

Other ones are the dogs that play way to roughly with other dogs and the owners don't do anything (usually cos they're not paying attention). There is a woman who brings her Pitbull. I see that the dog (Alison, the dog's name) is sweet but plays way to roughly with other dogs and I see other dogs show signs of aggression towards her. Where's her owner? Too busy texting. Uhm, no. Take your dog away and teach your dog to play nicely or don't bring the dog at all. It's why people assume pitbulls are nasty when I know they're not. Hmpft!

I once heard a girl bring her little dog in, picked up the dog, carried it around the dog park (on a leash) and then walked out. Uhm. No.

Children + dogs. I seriously hate it when kids walk or bring their dogs to the dog park because they usually don't know anything about dog behaviour or dog signals; leading to unnecessary aggression in the dogs. Just in general, I don't like people who bring their kids either. Leave kids at home, a lot of the dogs don't know how to deal with kids and it's pretty much asking for a dog to bite your kid. You can't watch two things at the same time. I once had a man bring his toddler and DEAF lab in a dog park. Jeez. NO, just such a bad idea.

Once I came across another young black lab, and then I noticed my dog had fleas. Anyways I sorted out the flea problem and when I saw the owner/dog again, I let the owner know what had happened and seeing as her dog was the only dog mine came in contact with; I thought I'd be responsible and LET HER KNOW. Right? Yeah, she was so full of pride and such a bitch towards me. Just in denial. I don't care whether your dog has had fleas or not. I'M LETTING YOU KNOW! THINK OF YOUR F*CKING DOG!

Aggressive dogs. They don't belong in the dog park. They need another form of socialization via special classes/trainers. NOT A DOG PARK.

Uhh, sorry. I can seriously write a book...I'm just gonna stop here before I do write a book on here!

Saya

A study of ONE dog park isn't enough to warrant telling everyone to not go because it's "not safe, period."

I so agree with this.

The dog park local to me sucks too many people talking to each other and ignoring their dog. I seen people multiple times purposely look like they don't see their dog pooping they look in different direction or walk other way. :\

Amount of poop is sad it's dog park and I expect some poop as sometimes the dog is far off and does #2 and you get there and can't find it. That has happened to me once or twice.

I stopped going as Saya got attacked and she felt defensive after that and didn't have fun. I felt bad for her she used to love it. had a few dog buddies she really liked more than others. I went few times to see if I could help she did fine when there was one or two dogs, but three was ok sometimes, but as more came she felt more defensive.

I stopped she is happy to not go. Bella loves other dogs still we don't go because due to amount of bad owners vs good ones is way too much.

I've been to one other dog park in Madison WI it's awesome big and opened and people are really friendly and watched their dog while talking and stuff.

Saya and bella loved it. that dog park was reason we tried the one local to us, but it didn't compare to the one in WI.

I think Saya prefers open type of dog parks over the ones that are smaller. I think it's because in the big dog park people are on the move walking and their dogs are happy running and exploring. The dog park in my area is small most people congregate in one area. I'd go walk around it and the dogs loved moving around.

Most people tend use it as sole source of exercise. Don't get me wrong dog park is lovely place to let the dog be off leash and full on run and play, but dog should be walked too. god forbid the dog park is closed for couple days due to repair or something. The DP FB page there is always two or three people asking when will the repairs be done my dog is driving me crazy!

Which is probably one reason a lot of dogs there didn't behave well they were hyped up and had pent up energy to spend.

Saya got daily walks though on dog park days she only got a short walk in am then pm was dog park. she got enough exercise there to be happy, but she got walks and training on other days.

I don't out right hate dog parks, but if I get new puppy I don't plan to take him/her to this one. If I go to Madison WI one sure I'll go there.

I agree I think a study on multiple dog parks is needed and of different kinds like fenced ones, unfenced ones, bigger ones, smaller sized ones, and so on. There are so many types of dog parks and different areas. Also study on if the dog park has membership or if it is free type of thing. I think most is membership, but who knows there might be some which is free to people.

Nicole, 5year old Bella(Boxer), and 4year old Saya(Shiba inu)

poltergeist

curlytails said:
I saw this posted on my friends list and thought of this thread...

http://thedogsnobs.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/types-of-dog-park-people/

LMAO The Expert! HAHAHA! Oh man, I'm so guilty of that one sometimes ;)

Kira_Kira

These are the reasons why I STILL have never brought Kira to a dog park. The owners are worse than their misbehaved dogs. I'm already people-reactive, these would make me people-aggressive! :))

Cynthia, Proudly owned by Kira

Kira the Cream Shiba Inu 吉良 - Facebook Page
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Kira's Life Story & Photo Thread - Chronicles of Kira

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

curlytails · Post edited by curlytails at 2014-02-24 12:44:00

I just wrote a response to the dog park post last night on my blog. While I think the Science Dog author did a good job breaking down the original article by Patrick Jackson, she basically ended up reading it to confirm her own anti-dog park bias. The emphasis of the original article is on people in a way that I think grates on dog scientists who take canine perspectives and stakes a bit more seriously. It's a matter of disciplinary perspective and approach.

Anyway, I find the whole thing provocative for a few reasons... (and now I'm basically cutting and pasting). For one thing, I’m disappointed that articles like Jackson’s, based on case studies or anecdotal experience (which is also always regionally and culturally delimited), are often used to reinforce broad anti-dog park biases, especially when it’s very difficult to cast any incidences of “aggression” in a positive light. Secondly, when I peep in on conversations about dog parks, I am often struck by how people aren’t even talking about the same type of space; dog parks are as varied as parks in general. Hell, even I can’t claim consistency with what I call a dog park, as I could apply the same word to a variety of spaces within my own county — from unfenced, multi-acre terrains, to narrow concrete runs underneath noisy freeway bridges, to mulched and landscaped yet still claustrophobic, contained plots of land in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

Third, I often wish there was a better way to steer humans towards individual responsibility and education, instead of automatically presenting dog parks as spaces where ignorance inevitably breeds. I don't necessarily have a good solution for public education, and since education is never total and uniform, there is always going to be risk stemming from ignorance or differences. But I do have to believe that if humans are just as much a part of the problem of dog parks, then humans are trainable as well.

So there was another blog post from Do You Believe in Dog (http://doyoubelieveindog.blogspot.com/2014/02/dog-loses-ear-at-dog-park-and-there-was.html) that addressed the same article to talk about canine aggression in dog parks, and I think they took a more productive stance by offering a bunch of links on how to read and anticipate canine body language. Prepare against problems by educating yourself before anything ever happens. Learn how to apply what you learn about dog language and behavior to a flexible range of situations, including dog park encounters. It's not a foolproof or immediate solution, but it's a more active approach that I think puts the responsibility back on the people involved instead of chalking up all the problems to an abstracted issue of space.

Bowdu 寶肚 (Shiba) and Bowpi 寶媲 (Basenji) with M.C.

BanjoTheBetaDog

AWESOME posting!

The dog park in my neighborhood is ALWAYS empty. Its pretty great because then Banjo and I can play fetch, work on off leash recall, etc in peace (and he just gets to run and run and run and run and thus go home tired).

The other day one of banjo's friends from the neighborhood was walking by so the owner came and they played. It was my first experience in the dog park with other dogs and I was super scared for off leash play time with another dog and wasn't sure how to behave (I used the general rule of if I hear growling and it doesn't self correct, separate the puppies. They are the same age. If one growls and the other backs off and play bows and they resume play, it was more of a "oops, i am still a baby and don't know my bite inhibitions yet and I'm sorry don't hate me" type of thing). This is a great read on things NOT to do!!

This is GREAT for me as once the weather warms up, I am guessing we'll have more company at the dog park. Please keep it coming!! (I would like to avoid being the helicopter parent)

Arctic

poltergeist said:
The worst offenders here are the ones that bring their dog; sit on the bench text messaging and are not watching or interacting with their dog. Often times I end up playing with ALL the dogs in the dog park. I don't mind, it's just--why go somewhere if you're not doing anything with your dog!? I find it so relaxing and rewarding to bond with my dog. I must be the only one.

I could ALSO write a book on dog parks and the people who frequent them, me being one of them. But I didn't want to point out this sentence. While I, of course, agree that inattentive owners at the dog park are the absolute worst, let me just say that I also strongly dislike people who come into the dog park to play with their dog.

What I mean by that are people who come in to play fetch with their dog and a ball, or come in with some sort of toy to just play with their dog, or go into the dog park to walk around the perimeter with their dog. These people then try to get their dog to stop playing with other dogs and want their dog to solely focus on them. Ugh! If you didn't bring your dog to the dog park for it to play and see other dogs, then why are you even there?! I dislike helicopter dog owners worse than inattentive dog owners.

Kobe1468

@curlytails...excellent post. I actually found the Dog Park People blog post in the link you shared(blogged by Julie H.) Thank you for sharing it.

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Kiba0713

Lol @Kira_Kira. I agree with everything you just said...

poltergeist

Arctic said:

What I mean by that are people who come in to play fetch with their dog and a ball, or come in with some sort of toy to just play with their dog, or go into the dog park to walk around the perimeter with their dog. These people then try to get their dog to stop playing with other dogs and want their dog to solely focus on them. Ugh! If you didn't bring your dog to the dog park for it to play and see other dogs, then why are you even there?! I dislike helicopter dog owners worse than inattentive dog owners.

I do bring toys, but mainly because A) I end up the only one being in the park so I keep my dog busy rather than him being bored and eating grass. and B) If he isn't interested in dogs then I throw a ball. Some dogs will join me in playing fetch, I don't get mad; I enjoy it. I bring toys because my dog can get bored or isn't interested in other dogs.

I am talking about those that do NOTHING with their dogs. I mean when I go to this park, I'll see one person sitting and their dog just lying in the park because there's nothing else to do.

If my dog is interested in playing with other dogs, I mind my own business. Hell I give up any toy to any dog if it means their socializing. I'm not one of those people that yells at other owners for my own mistake. That seems stupid to me.

That said, I have had these types of people too; who have small dogs and my dog wants to play with them. Rather than allowing my dog to play with their's, they distract their dog with the 'agility' course in the park; then after some fifteen minutes leave because 'my dog is persistent'. Pssh. Let them play.
I find that it's always people with chihuahuas, toy terriers, yorkies that don't allow their dog to play with other dogs. Which is annoying cos my dog really likes playing with these dogs (cos they're smaller than him and therefore NOT intimidating). So I get how annoying that is.

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