I recently visited a dog park for the first time. My human was really concerned about I’d act there with other dogs around. The first park we went to, I stayed there briefly because there was poop everywhere, but it looked like it would have been a ton of fun. The second dog park was fun but there were too many “mean dogs” around, so we left after an hour or so. Even though, I’m a dog park rookie, it’s not hard to see what is right and what is wrong when visiting the dog park.
Do’s
Do make sure your vaccines are up to date, especially Rabies which is required by law in the state of Texas.
Do clean up after your pooch. I don’t mind the poop as much but my human hates stepping in a fresh pile.
Do separate big dogs and little dogs from each other if they aren’t familiar with one another.
Do discipline your dog if he/she misbehaves or continually bothers another dog.
Do let your dog be a dog. Let he/she play with other dogs, run around, and wear itself out!
Dont’s
Don’t bring food into the dog park.
Don’t allow your dog to bully another dog. (My human doesn’t play when it comes to this.)
Don’t bring dogs in heat to the park.
Don’t bring toys that you aren’t willing to share. Sticks are a no-no and can cause harm to doggies that play with them.
Don’t stay if your dog isn’t having fun. (I saw lots of humans laughing and their pooches were laying in the grass sad!)
Like I said, my human and I are dog park rookies, but we observed these things in two visits. What are some other do’s and don’ts.
This was very informative. I never really put much thought into all the rules. My suggestion or thought would be to have a park attendant to enforce the rules.
My question is where are more dog parks? Also, what are you gonna do until you find another dog park??
Most parks aren’t monitored just like neighborhood family parks. There are several dog parks in Houston and the human and I will keep searching until we find the right one.
Dog park rules are so simple, yet so many people find them impossible to follow, for some reason. I like dog parks only on bad weather days. Totally different scenario then.
I bet it’s much better on a rainy day! Less people…Sparkle just doesn’t like the wet grass. -Taylor
Great rules. They should POST these outside every dog park!
while I love dog parks, I think you need to add something else to your list of “DON’T”.
DO NOT bring your dog to the dog park with a muzzle and tell others that you know they are aggressive and are trying to familiarize them with other dogs! Big NO NO! You should do that one dog at a time. Not 20 dogs at a time while at the end of leash with a muzzle on!
You are totally right. Muzzles are generally for aggressive dogs…it’s crazy to try to bring your dog out and teach them at the expense of the other dogs there.
Great tips!! So important to remember!
Glad you like them!
We don’t go to the dog park anymore because people don’t pay attention to their dogs. I get that it’s a place to be social, but people need to watch their dogs! It’s frustrating and unfair that I have to pay to go to an inclusive dog park so my dog can interact.
I think it’s very rude that people did not clean up after their doggies in the dog park. I’m sure it’s a little confusing for you on a first visit; all of those new smells.
Tons of smells! My human stepped in a pile too!
Twitter: caluvsdogs
on January 19, 2015 at 10:24 PM
Excellent tips! We only go to 1 or 2 dog parks because the behavior is so bad – the owner’s, that is. I also recommend your dog not wearing clothing if possible; other dogs are likely to want to pull & tear it. Also, some clothing covers a lot & can mask the signals dogs send to each other. Dog:Dog communication is critical, especially at a dog park.
Thanks for the advice Cathy! I generally don’t wear clothing to the park but we made an unplanned trip. I’ll be sure to let the human know.
We don’t go to dog parks. I don’t like to see people discipline dogs instead of teaching them the proper way to behave. We don’t go to dog parks because people think that this is the proper way to teach socialization and as a result we have seen a lot of dog fights. In addition I had to have surgery after a pack of dogs were chasing mine and they ran into me because she knew to come to me for protection. 🙁
Omg! What an awful experience! I don’t think my human would go to dog parks after that experience either.
Those are great rules. I agree big dogs and little dogs should be from each other.
I’ve seen a few big dogs that get along with smaller dogs, however, those dogs are generally really familiar with each other. Some little dogs get terrified when they see a another dog ten times their size.
Love these rules. Such common sense. Thank you.
I’m glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Excellent post. Thank you for letting us know the rules of the dog park. These things are important to know. Have fun!
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