Dog parks

I’m also astounded at how few short haired dogs are dropped off with coats! It’s in the 20s-40s outside and the poor things are freezing. I’m constantly holding a little dog trying to warm them up and if I sit down I am mugged by leaning bodies.
Are they out in the cold all day while they're there?
 
Yes. It’s just garage bays that open up into a fenced in area for them to run around and play but it’s not heated and is all concrete.
 
but it’s not heated and is all concrete.

Oh WOW....that has to be miserable for both the care takers and the dogs. Both places we use have indoor (heated)and outdoor exercise areas.

Depending on how many dogs are in the facility at the time, the amount of yard play is limited from 20 ( lots of dogs in house) to 45 (just a few dogs in house) minutes every couple of hours. When the dogs aren't in the play yards...they are in a heated area and kenneled.

Does the facility you work for kennel day care dogs?
 
The only time the dogs are put in a crate is if they’re not getting along with anybody and need a break. There’s usually only a few if any out of 80 dogs a day. Otherwise they’re all balls to wall nonstop, up to 25 dogs in a bay which is way too much if you ask me. I used to think I loved all dogs but this job has dramatically changed my mind. So many peoples dogs are ill mannered, have no training, and are generally obnoxious and not the brightest.
 
up to 25 dogs in a bay which is way too much if you ask me

WAY TOO MANY...no wonder you deal with so much stress in the dogs( and for yourself) and the constant battle for a hierarchy.

I know this kind of veered off the dog park topic...but in ways.... it is still related since it is a "needs to be considered" way to work around not having a private area for a dog.

I'm not gonna be dissin' where you work...they must be doing something right or they wouldn't be open...but I wouldn't leave my guys there. They are both already too flippin neurotic...circumstances like that would have Bam in a (even worse than now) constant state of frenzy and Mo would be catatonic.

WOW....there really better be a special place in Heaven for doggie day care workers!!

This is another area owners really need to do their home work....just like finding a---safe as possible--- dog park......do the due diligence.
 
Trust me I am not offended in the least, there’s so many things I’d do different (like way less dogs) but I do understand that’s money in their pocket and what keeps the business going. I’d also be more selective, there’s certain dogs that groups need to made just around them because they’re temperamental. It is totally relevant to dog parks because it’s just the same except there’s trained employees to oversee everything and it’s set up to be efficient, and it is STILL chaotic. I’ve discovered there’s breeds of dogs I would never own and others I really like. French Bulldogs, Labs and mixes (Moose is an exception), and anything that ends in “doodle” is an out. Pointers like GSPs and Vizslas are nice dogs. Sleek and handsome, quiet, friendly, and doesn’t antagonize the others. I also, surprisingly, like Dachschunds.
 
there’s certain dogs that groups need to made just around them because they’re temperamental.

Are they grouped by size in the yard area?

First three things we ask when we are looking at a new Facility:

1) Do you have a vet med professional on staff/on speed dial?
(Both places have well trained vet techs on staff. We like vet tech on staff over a vet on speed dial. From observation.....what I know about vet med professionals..vet techs can run circles around the vets they work for...LOL...not that the vets don't know what they are doing/or don't care about the animals in their practice......but you can ask a vet about five dogs in the practice and they will know them...ask a vet tech...chances are they can tell you how old the dog is, what it's quirks are, what the owners are like and the last time it was in the clinic.....they have a lot more one on one time with the client/animals.)

2) How many dogs per handler, in the yards at a time?
(The place we use right now two handlers per five dogs in the yards.....never more than five dogs in the yard.)

3) Are the dogs grouped by size?
(We worry about the boys being in with larger dogs...but we worry more about them being in with small dogs.)

Once we get answers to these three question that make us feel like this would be a safe place for our guys.....we ask to tour the facility, talk to the handlers, ask about the med vet staff the have/work with. Both boys needs medication sometimes when there..and we ask about medication protocol.

These two...was our first time using any place other than our vet for boarding. With our previous furkids...we had huge fenced yards and we didn't need doggie day camp cuz we had two legged kids around to help with the "day care"...LOL.

It all reads like "well duhhhhhh...common sense stuff".....but being a first timer trying to sort it all out..stuff can slip a mind...our daughter put the list together for us.
 
There are a lot more big dogs than little dogs, so often littles are in with bigs but they do try to keep it similar. It also depends on their temperament, the Frenchies are often with bigs because they’re just so obstinate. There is one handler per bay with a max of 25 dogs in each. There aren’t any vet pros on premises but they were super happy to have me since I am in school to be a vet tech which also landed me a significant higher pay to start, I’m not sure if they have a vet on call. Your place sounds much more specialized, if you don’t mind what range do you pay? Here it is I believe $16 for a half day and $28 for a full, then $59 per night of boarding. Dogs that stay overnight are not kenneled, they are all out in an open room with beds and blankets and someone stays overnight with them.
 
Dogs that stay overnight are not kenneled, they are all out in an open room with beds and blankets and someone stays overnight with them.

Wow..just go to show how different one place can be from another. Both places we use, kennel anytime the dog isn't in the play yard.

I would be a neurotic mess with small dogs in the same yard as big dogs...but I'm a klutz and would be stepping on the little ones.:sour:

Since our guys are never around little dogs...they don't do well around them. Mo.....gets the shakes.......if they get under him.....they just trip him out....he's trying to get away from them.

Bam sees a real live squeak toys:shock:. He's never been too rough with a small dog...but he loves to poke at them with his snout....to see what kind of noises he can get them to make.:facepalm:

Here it is I believe $16 for a half day and $28 for a full, then $59 per night of boarding.

Where we are right now.....we get a discount for the second guy and we also get a discount for the fact the boys can "large run" kennel together. The numbers are for two dogs...I'm not sure what the single break down is. Half day is $25.00, full day is $44.00 and over night is $78.00.



There aren’t any vet pros on premises but they were super happy to have me since I am in school to be a vet tech which also landed me a significant higher pay to start,

Good that they recognized the value you have as an employee!

And for you...uhhh...baptism by fire hands on..... on on to handle a whole bunch wa-wa:pullhair:crazy with a passel of them all at once!!
 
I hate typed word...cuz it can appear to be antagonistic/combative....and NONE of that is in what I am about to type/ask.

I'm wondering about experiences with dog parks...others have had?

I am so-so-so-so grateful right now...cuz it seems we have been really blessed with the (three) parks we have used over the last four years. We have had more encounters with great owners and well behaved dogs...then negative encounters. I'm wondering if this is an anomaly.

We have found it was a great way to work with the boys when it comes to being well mannered and attentive to us over the surroundings..and building trust with them on how to let us control the enviroment over them needing to stay on guard.

We have our set "rules" about how/what parks we use and we are on high alert the whole time..... but right now.....just thinking

"MAN...the universe must be really looking out for our guys and us."
 
I happened upon this video of a guy filming all the action at a dog park. I'm not sure why he was filming, but it seems it's maybe a more common thing to do these days – film and post stuff on the 'toob.

As the title of the video suggests, there is a stun gun deployed when a scrap breaks out. It turns out to be the filmer who used it. He matter-of-factly owns the action, which takes place somewhere around the 14:00 mark.

I don't know where this dog park is located, but it's interesting, the variety of largeish working / guarding breeds present – at least two Dobermans, a Cane Corso, a Great Dane, and Akita, a German Shepherd, a German Shorthaired Pointer (belonging to the filmer), and more.

 
I don't know how anyone can watch that video - even without the dogfight - and think dog parks are a good thing. You couldn't pay me to turn my dog loose in that mess! I think because most parks have a large dog area & small dog area, when you look at large dogs you'll see more working breeds in general. True tho, not many mixed breeds.
 

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