Dog Park Observations

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ckranz
Posts: 1028
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:18 pm
Location: San Diego CA

Dog Park Observations

Post by ckranz »

At the dog park today I sat back to observe how other patrons deal with their dogs. Apollo was quietly sniffing and having a good time away from the other 3 dogs.

2 of the dogs were romping and wrestling together. All were giving great play behaviors. As the play excitement was building both dogs started throwing in play growls and having a grand old time.

One dog owner walks over, grabs his dog and does his best Ceaser impersonation of an alpha role. Then drags his dog away from the other one.

My only comment, which I quietly stated to the person next to me.

Let's see him sit quietly during a football game....I thought this person was going to fall off the bench they were laughing so hard. Shortly after the guy witht he dog took his family and kids to one of the other runs (I guess he must have heard me).

It saddening to think that with all the evidence of the effectiveness of positive based training that all this crap would go away....then again as one of my trainers always says...some people like to exhibit power and control
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Nettle
Posts: 10753
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Post by Nettle »

Two steps forward and one back :cry:

Our woods resonate with CM's 'TSSST' and people trying to tell other people how to train their dogs (you can tell the professional trainers - they keep shtum and walk away with a bevy of dogs at their heels).

How big are dog parks? Are they divided for different types/sizes of dog?

I feel so lucky that I can just walk out of the door with my dogs on the lead and ten minutes away there are fields and woods where they can run - or the beach in winter (banned in summer) or else I can drive 20 minutes to long footpaths through lovely countryside. I never take it for granted.
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Emotions
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:05 pm
Location: Manchester

Post by Emotions »

Lol

We get lots of CM 'tssts' sounds too in the park.


I was in the park the other day walking a puppy. I saw a lady with 2 dogs and put the pup (14 weeks) Iwas walking on lead. As they approached the lady said its ok let her off Ive put mine on lead! Im looking at the dogs body language and I think not. The lady approaches and one of her dogs is now baring its teeth and growling, then she goes 'tsst', the dogs stops for a second and then continues. She does this about 5 times with the same effect, dog just carries on. She then says (pointing to her dog)its ok look her tail is wagging she actually wants to be friendly, let your puppy off.

What!!!!

I made a sharp exit
thistledown
Posts: 118
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:31 am

Post by thistledown »

Yesterday I saw a woman I'd never seen before. I rarely see people when I'm out as I'm in a quiet area and tend to know the regulars.

She had four dogs and they were BEAUTIFULLY OBEDIENT!!

Yay, well done that woman!

You don't realise until you see a well trained dog just how unusual it is.

We don't have the CM tsst here. Dogs and owners tend to completely ignore eachother for the duration of the walk, adopting mutual disinterest in what the other is doing :(
Bellezza
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Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 9:59 am

Post by Bellezza »

I'm still a little new to Dog Parks in general. I'm finally living in an area where Dog Parks are common and close enough to drive to. I've noticed a lot of what everyone has been saying. There's a regular there who brings both of her dogs to the park and as soon as the dogs move more than a foot away from her they are scolded. She forces them to sit next to her on the bench while she reads. Why even bring your dogs to the park then?
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Cheetah
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Post by Cheetah »

I've seen way too many people alpha-rolling their dogs in the dog parks. It didn't work and the dogs just went back to terrorizing everyone else.

A couple days ago, my boyfriend "SHUSHED" my dog (I don't remember why, but it was something minor) and Shippo looked at him like he was crazy. I was like, "Uh, why are you doing that? Dogs don't hiss at each other!"

He said, "I saw Cesar do it so I figured it didn't hurt to try..."

I said, "It didn't work did it?" He said, "No..."

That's because I don't shush my dogs, except as a cue to be quiet. It's not some kind of punishment for acting up!
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MaiasMom
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Everett, Washington

Dog Parks

Post by MaiasMom »

In general dog parks are a great thing, I go often with my kids. For the most part they behave. I have one that when he gets tired and I have to watch for this, he will get excited and want to "motivate" another dog to run so he can chase, he's a herding dog, it's what he is suppose to do but he gets tired and like a hyperactive child will get a bit to aggressive in his attempt to get another dog to run so he can chase it.

I don't berate him , I call him off, put him on his leash and we walk away. Sometimes he will target a dog that will turn around to nip at him, so long as that dog does not draw blood, I am not concerned, just put him on his leash and walk away. Dogs teach other dogs how to behave for the most part. A well placed nip can tell my dog, Hey, knock it off! he gets the message, but if he does not, out comes the leash. He has learned that if he does agress, it's leash time and he is learning to not be so pushy.

A dog park is a place for them to work off energy, socialize with other dogs and for me a great joy to watch my dogs have a good time.
That woman sitting on a bench making her dog sit with her is like taking a kid to an amuzment park and not letting them ride the rides, it's not the purpose of a dog park. If she wants to sit and read go somewhere else. This isn't about her, it's about her dogs mentle health.

MaiaMom
The best days are spent with my dogs.
MaiasMom
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Everett, Washington

Dog Parks

Post by MaiasMom »

In general dog parks are a great thing, I go often with my kids. For the most part they behave. I have one that when he gets tired and I have to watch for this, he will get excited and want to "motivate" another dog to run so he can chase, he's a herding dog, it's what he is suppose to do but he gets tired and like a hyperactive child will get a bit to aggressive in his attempt to get another dog to run so he can chase it.

I don't berate him , I call him off, put him on his leash and we walk away. Sometimes he will target a dog that will turn around to nip at him, so long as that dog does not draw blood, I am not concerned, just put him on his leash and walk away. Dogs teach other dogs how to behave for the most part. A well placed nip can tell my dog, Hey, knock it off! he gets the message, but if he does not, out comes the leash. He has learned that if he does agress, it's leash time and he is learning to not be so pushy.

A dog park is a place for them to work off energy, socialize with other dogs and for me a great joy to watch my dogs have a good time.
That woman sitting on a bench making her dog sit with her is like taking a kid to an amuzment park and not letting them ride the rides, it's not the purpose of a dog park. If she wants to sit and read go somewhere else. This isn't about her, it's about her dogs mentle health.

MaiaMom
The best days are spent with my dogs.
MaiasMom
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:02 pm
Location: Everett, Washington

Dog Parks

Post by MaiasMom »

In general dog parks are a great thing, I go often with my kids. For the most part they behave. I have one that when he gets tired and I have to watch for this, he will get excited and want to "motivate" another dog to run so he can chase, he's a herding dog, it's what he is suppose to do but he gets tired and like a hyperactive child will get a bit to aggressive in his attempt to get another dog to run so he can chase it.

I don't berate him , I call him off, put him on his leash and we walk away. Sometimes he will target a dog that will turn around to nip at him, so long as that dog does not draw blood, I am not concerned, just put him on his leash and walk away. Dogs teach other dogs how to behave for the most part. A well placed nip can tell my dog, Hey, knock it off! he gets the message, but if he does not, out comes the leash. He has learned that if he does agress, it's leash time and he is learning to not be so pushy.

A dog park is a place for them to work off energy, socialize with other dogs and for me a great joy to watch my dogs have a good time.
That woman sitting on a bench making her dog sit with her is like taking a kid to an amuzment park and not letting them ride the rides, it's not the purpose of a dog park. If she wants to sit and read go somewhere else. This isn't about her, it's about her dogs mentle health.

MaiaMom
The best days are spent with my dogs.
ckranz
Posts: 1028
Joined: Thu Sep 11, 2008 12:18 pm
Location: San Diego CA

Re: Dog Parks

Post by ckranz »

MaiasMom wrote:
That woman sitting on a bench making her dog sit with her is like taking a kid to an amuzment park and not letting them ride the rides, it's not the purpose of a dog park. If she wants to sit and read go somewhere else. This isn't about her, it's about her dogs mentle health.

MaiaMom
Sometime I sit on a bench and yes I have my dogs sit or lay beside the chair/bench we are sitting on. Don't mind other dogs playing around us, but I do not want other dogs interacting with my dogs.

Why might you ask would I do this at a dog park......Its a trianing exercise for trialing my dogs in agility. I want them to see everything that is going on and yet still be able to remain completely relaxed. I don't want my competition dogs to waste their energy while stting on the sidelines.

A dog park is one of the few envrionment one can take a green dog (in terms of trialing) to build up skill in sitting quietly during a trial. In fact I even sit with them still leashed. They ar ebeing trained to settle and not pay attention to the other dogs around. We have been quite successful excepting when other dogs, on rare occasions, run into them during exuberant chase games.

It actually quite amazing to see a dog laing perfectly still when 8-10 other dogs are running and zooming by chasing each other. Khan is much better at this than Apollo. but Khan has also had much more practice at settling
i_are_chanel
Posts: 16
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 10:27 am

Post by i_are_chanel »

There was an incident with my puppy Charlie at the Dog Park a week or so ago. A bigger dog chased him and rolled him in the dirt 5 or 6 times before I could get to him, and before the dog's owner could get her dog (who's name i later learned to be Brady) to stop.

We ran into Brady again today at the Dog Park. Charlie remembered very well what this dog did to him and wouldn't stop barking the whole time Brady was at the park. When the owner saw Charlie's reaction to Brady entering the park, she LAUGHED! :evil: The instant Brady left, Charlie would go play with the other dogs, and his temperment immediately changed.

I learned from another dog owner when she asked be about why Charlie was so anxious (i explained to her that there was a dog at the park who had gone after him a week ago) and as he started yapping more loudly as Brady walked by she said, "oh, was it Brady?" I said Yep. I was slightly surprised she could guess who did it.....Then she said "Brady isnt a very nice dog".

I was watching him, and he is very aggressive with other dogs, and the worst part, is that his owner doesn't seem to care...nor does she have much control over him. To be honest, it pisses me off. People arent supposed to bring aggressive dogs to the park. It is stated in the rules. And I feel awful for Charlie....who remembers and holds a grudge against Brady. He cant and wont go play with the other dogs when this dog is around.....Is there someone I can go to about this dog??
Lexi-3/4 golden retriever + 1/4 black lab. Bday Dec 1st 2007.

Charlie-long haired chihuahua + dauchsand + papillion. Bday Feb 29th 2008.
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