Thoughts on dog parks?

[BamMoMoMommy]

@Maja Rocks ...uhh..you're welcome...but the heavy lifting for the thread I posted was all GennyB...I was just being lazy...LOL.

I understand why folks would avoid the parks. Agree 100% they aren't the ideal set up for being able to work/play with our dogs.

For those of us who only have this option....the best thing we can do is get ourselves educated on the best ways to keep our dogs as safe as possible when we use the public areas.

There's gonna be hazards no matter where we go with them, just gotta stay on high alert and remember it's our job to protect them...not their job to protect themselves/us.

And yes I get the irony in that statement...LOL.

I can't count the times people have commented on how we get between our dogs and other dogs when we are out with them.....they are trained to drop back and let us take the lead when we are coming up on other dogs. When people comment on it....we tell them...we are their protectors.... and we get the oddest looks...cuz like..THEY'RE BIG, BAD, DOBERMANS.....aren't they suppose to protect US????
(Yeah...but only in the most extreme of circumstances)

 

[LifeofRubie]

hm... I can see both sides of the strange dog taking a ball to the dog park argument but I'm generally against people bringing toys/balls/etc to dog parks. Just another thing for any dog to decide to guard.

toy guarding, water guarding, people guarding, children, small dogs, mean/rude dogs, lazy owners - all reasons we don't go any more. And that Rubie doesn't actually enjoy it, is the biggest!

Now we go to football or baseball fields where there's no one to resource guard against, no one to interfere with our games of fetch, and everyone is much happier for it.