Our sweet dog has played well with others in doggie daycares across the continent, but he's a hellion in dog parks. He steals balls, tries to prove himself by acting tough, and generally makes himself unpopular. In a particularly horrific incident, I was verbally abused by a man who towered over me and whose every other word was some variant of the f-word. His disproportionate reaction to my dog's behavior made me fear for my safety (you're the psychologist, but any one could see this guy has a problem). The only way to avoid such confrontations is to steer clear of dog parks and ensure that day care meets Casey's needs for canine fun. Thank you for this wise and reassuring post.
Oh, that’s so scary! I’m sorry that happened to you, and I’m sad to say that’s not the first time I’ve heard a story like that. It’s not just dogs that have trouble regulating themselves at dog parks, huh?
Rona, I've watched near fights almost break out several times at certain dog parks. It IS scary! People need to understand that no dog is bulletproof and shit CAN go down at any time.
Now this is something I never knew or even considered. We go to the dog park every single day but Dezi is very selective. She either chooses one dog to play with the whole time, or NONE. She definitely has her antisocial days.
We also do play dates with my best friends dogs and when we hit the dog parks together, Dezi pays no attention to any other dogs.
These creatures fascinate me, I tell ya. I'd love to get into their minds for a day.
This is basically what I spend all my free time thinking about. My wife and I are constantly speculating about what’s in Pants’ head. Dezi sounds like a dog of taste!
LOL As my Dog Snobs pub grows I'm actually including a section that might be called, "I wonder..." or "Dog wonder" because I wonder the most ridiculous things about dogs.
Play date all the way!!! Our Huskies get the dog oark experience with each other, and now I'm so glad I didn't force them to go because everyone was telling me it was good for them!!! Thanks Pants!!! You're a fount of doggie wisdom. Thank you too, Chloe!
❤️❤️❤️ I’m so glad your pups get what they need with each other, and that they have an amazing mom who knows what they need! A lot of people get the message that they “should” take their dog to the dog park, just like they “should” like parties and concerts and other big gatherings, but it’s just not true!
Play dates, all the way. My older dog has a couple of long term dog friends that he plays well with. My younger dog is still learning that it's OK to have 4 legged friends that aren't her cat brothers or her dog brother. We will get there.
Thank you; it took some trial and error, but we got there (relatively) quickly. My older dog (a Lab mixed with ???) decided to distinguish himself at the dog park by stealing all the tennis balls, tucking himself into a corner, and refusing to share them.
My younger one (a Cattle Dog mix) basically told on herself as a former working dog by very neatly deciding that a young German Shepherd was a naughty sheep, and herded him into the opposite corner of the park, while the Shepherds owner spluttered and carried on.
That was the end of the dog park for us. It was play dates as tolerated, from there on in.
Yeah, it took us quite a while to catch on to the fact the Pants was not a dog park kind of dog. We just thought we needed to try harder! But thankfully our trainer helped us understand that being a play date pal is totally normal and good. It was such a relief to stop feeling guilty about not taking her to the dog park!
Our sweet dog has played well with others in doggie daycares across the continent, but he's a hellion in dog parks. He steals balls, tries to prove himself by acting tough, and generally makes himself unpopular. In a particularly horrific incident, I was verbally abused by a man who towered over me and whose every other word was some variant of the f-word. His disproportionate reaction to my dog's behavior made me fear for my safety (you're the psychologist, but any one could see this guy has a problem). The only way to avoid such confrontations is to steer clear of dog parks and ensure that day care meets Casey's needs for canine fun. Thank you for this wise and reassuring post.
Oh, that’s so scary! I’m sorry that happened to you, and I’m sad to say that’s not the first time I’ve heard a story like that. It’s not just dogs that have trouble regulating themselves at dog parks, huh?
Rona, I've watched near fights almost break out several times at certain dog parks. It IS scary! People need to understand that no dog is bulletproof and shit CAN go down at any time.
I'm so sorry that happened to you!
Glad to know I'm not the only one.
Now this is something I never knew or even considered. We go to the dog park every single day but Dezi is very selective. She either chooses one dog to play with the whole time, or NONE. She definitely has her antisocial days.
We also do play dates with my best friends dogs and when we hit the dog parks together, Dezi pays no attention to any other dogs.
These creatures fascinate me, I tell ya. I'd love to get into their minds for a day.
This is basically what I spend all my free time thinking about. My wife and I are constantly speculating about what’s in Pants’ head. Dezi sounds like a dog of taste!
LOL As my Dog Snobs pub grows I'm actually including a section that might be called, "I wonder..." or "Dog wonder" because I wonder the most ridiculous things about dogs.
Glad to know I'm not alone in this!
Yessss I can’t wait for this!
There are times when I, too, wonder what my dogs are thinking. Baby Girl Dog in particular; she can be such a goof!
Play date all the way!!! Our Huskies get the dog oark experience with each other, and now I'm so glad I didn't force them to go because everyone was telling me it was good for them!!! Thanks Pants!!! You're a fount of doggie wisdom. Thank you too, Chloe!
❤️❤️❤️ I’m so glad your pups get what they need with each other, and that they have an amazing mom who knows what they need! A lot of people get the message that they “should” take their dog to the dog park, just like they “should” like parties and concerts and other big gatherings, but it’s just not true!
I feel SO vindicated!!!
Play dates, all the way. My older dog has a couple of long term dog friends that he plays well with. My younger dog is still learning that it's OK to have 4 legged friends that aren't her cat brothers or her dog brother. We will get there.
Your pups are so lucky to have a parent who understands what they need and doesn’t try to force them into situations where they aren’t comfortable. ❤️
Thank you; it took some trial and error, but we got there (relatively) quickly. My older dog (a Lab mixed with ???) decided to distinguish himself at the dog park by stealing all the tennis balls, tucking himself into a corner, and refusing to share them.
My younger one (a Cattle Dog mix) basically told on herself as a former working dog by very neatly deciding that a young German Shepherd was a naughty sheep, and herded him into the opposite corner of the park, while the Shepherds owner spluttered and carried on.
That was the end of the dog park for us. It was play dates as tolerated, from there on in.
Yeah, it took us quite a while to catch on to the fact the Pants was not a dog park kind of dog. We just thought we needed to try harder! But thankfully our trainer helped us understand that being a play date pal is totally normal and good. It was such a relief to stop feeling guilty about not taking her to the dog park!