Dog Park

[pitbullmamaliz]

I broke one of my cardinal rules tonight - I took Inara to a dog park. I'd never even seen one before, so I debated it for about an hour before packing her into the car and going out to one. We got there and it just looked like such grand fun! Dogs galloping everywhere, owners actually watching and supervising. It felt very strange letting Inara off-leash in public - I'd never done that before.

She had such a great time! We were there for a smidge over an hour. All the other owners were extremely friendly and welcoming, and appropriately oohed and aahed over my baby. She played so well - I hovered the entire time, but I'm allowed to be a paranoid mom, right?

Inara is apparently part greyhound - she's never had the room to really stretch out and run, but she did tonight! She was outrunning a rottie and a rottie/shep mix that were 18 months old. Even the other owners were commenting at her speed! She was beautiful, all stretched out, muscles flexing, tongue ling out of her mouth!

I know dog parks are supposed to be horrible, but we had such a good time. I'm hoping that if I take here there enough, she'll learn that it's not that big of a deal to meet new dogs, so maybe she'll relax out in the general public? I know, that's probably wishful/naive thinking, but oh well!

[Marinepits]

When Indy was under a year old, he had a blast in dog parks and we socialized him very well in any situation we could. It's now six years later and if I were to put him in a dog park today, it would be a blood bath of male dogs. No questions asked.

Wishful thinking, yes. I sometimes fall victim to that as well.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Yeah, I'm figuring we'll only do this for a few months. Back off a bit when she starts hitting that age that dog aggression may start.

[Marinepits]

Not to sound like a big "mom", but she may "turn on" at any time, without warning, know what I mean?

Enjoy it while you can! I sure did.

[mnp13]

Where is that "Ruby got attacked at the dog show" post. I know I've put it up here somewhere....

All it takes is one incident to make your dog decide to be aggressive... sometimes irrepairably. I'm glad you had a good experience and that nothing happened, but please, don't take the chance again.

Maybe maybe on a day when there are only one or two dogs that you already know, but not with piles of strange dogs and owners.

When she was running full out having a great time, you couldn't have been "hovering". It is then that you would have a disaster if she was blindsided by someone else's dog. ruby getting attacked out of nowhere by the Leomberger led to her going after "big furry dogs" for months afterwards. Some dogs never recover from an attack like that and are not trustworthy with any dogs.

the other problem is that if a squabble breaks out with other dogs, then the non-involved dogs are likely to join in on the fun. Then you really have a disaster.

Won't someone think of the children??!?!

[a-bull]

. . .

It's a dog park, yo, not a children park . . .

[piperstubbys]

We took Piper and Leo both when they were young. Leo up until about 7 months and Piper up until about a year. Just watched their personalities and didn't push it. But they had a blast! Talk about part Greyhound..there is usually a Greyhound or two at the dog park here with the local Greyhound rescue being so close. The Greyhound would be running and there was always a pack of dogs chasing behind...but always right behind the Greyhound and Way in front of the rest of the dogs was Piper! She can run like the wind!

[cheekymunkee]

It's fun until some obnoxious dog pisses her off & she chomps it. It can and does happen just that fast. I know you want to do everything you can to socialize her but no amount of socialization will curb her DA if it is there. It iS a good idea to let her meet dogs, but on leash is best. Training classes are very good places for her to meet new dogs and you & she will both enjoy them. Even if you go to the same trainer & the same classes, she will get to meet & interact with new dogs and learn how to behave around them at the same time.

[pitbullmamaliz]

*sigh* Darn you all for being so practical. *sigh again*

It was soooo fun....but I see where you all are coming from. I'll have to start taking her back to Petsmart regularly. We've already done two obedience classes - can't afford another one quite yet!

Thanks for the feedback!

[Marinepits]

Thanks for the feedback!

We say these things because we love you, boobalah.

[pitbullmamaliz]

Awwwwwww, gee, I love you guys too!

[Maryellen]

NOOOOOOO!!!! dont ever bring up the dog park word or bring her to one ever again!!!! if i could slap you i would.... if she finishes a fight you will be to blame...

[rockermom]

Hmmm I guess I agree with not going to dog parks. Never been to one. I dont want to pay for more classes right now either. So what else could be recommended for socializing dogs to other dogs other than classes?

[Patch O' Pits]

BUlly + Off Lead Dog park = Disaster waiting to happen
(whether it is their fault or not a bully breed will ALWAYS take the blame if something happens IMO)

I honestly even have a clause in my puppy contracts that states the pup is NEVER to be taken to an offlead dog park which I fully explain to the owners

[Maryellen]

what you do is be friends with dogs that get along with your dog. have play dates with those dogs only.. under supervision and a fenced in yard, a tennis court fenced in, or your house or theirs..

they are building a 5 acre dog park by me, its costing over $40,000- 4.4 acres for big dogs, and a little under a acre for small/aged dogs.. i would never take any of my dogs there...

i instead have play dates with dogs that they know and have trained/grown up with...

just dont turn your back, as this could happen when you are not looking and people decide to grab your dog....



now, rufus and ruby met that week as michelle and ruby stayed at my house for almost 3 days.. rufus had played with jack on a few other occasions, and met maggie once or twice prior to this event.. michelle and i supervised rufus and ruby playing in the yard together, and brad and i had supervised jack and rufus playing at brads house.. maggie and rufus never played together before, but they met..

[DemoDick]

Here's a genuine question:

Why do people feel the need to socialize their Pit Bulls to other dogs? In my opinion, you are courting disaster. And the Pit Bull will ALWAYS get blamed.

The only requirement that I have of my dog with regards to other dogs is that he perform obedience behaviors with other dogs as a distraction. That's it.

Demo Dick

[rockermom]

I guess we feel they should socialize because they enjoy playing with other dogs.

[Maryellen]

however,play can turn to aggression in a heartbeat..

[cheekymunkee]

Mine have never needed nor wanted to play with other dogs, when they were younger I socialized them but now that they are older I don't. Well, Munkee DOES want to play with other dogs but HIS idea of play is not always fun for other dogs. Ollie gets along with BOTH of the pit bulls but they are just together, none of them play together. Justice will lay beside her for a while & they will lick each other but it stops after a few minutes & they go their seperate ways. Same think with Munkee & Ollie, they are in the same room or even on the same bed but they don't even cuddle with each other.

[mnp13]

I guess we feel they should socialize because they enjoy playing with other dogs.

Unfortunately, that enjoy killing other dogs just as much.

It takes one second for a disaster to happen. Just one second

From my other post:

Ruby is a solid, stable dog. She's pretty shy and doesn't like other dogs to get up in her face. She was rolled at about 6 months and I think that's part of it. Memorial Day 2005 at a dog show she was attacked out of nowhere by a completely out of control, 150 pound Central Asian Shepherd. It was quite some time before she was not aggressive to any big fuzzy dogs.