Dog Parks

Just My Opinion

Karen Arnoff ©1990, © revised 2010

dog-parks_000000838978Despite their growing popularity, I am dubious about the value of taking your dog to a dog park. This is especially so while your dog is still in ‘basic training,’ the first year or so of his life. During that time, for successful domestication, a dog must learn to look to his human pack for everything he wants and needs. If his source of play, stimulation, discipline and learning starts with his mother and litter mates and continues to other dogs, then, the bond between the dog and his human(s) is more difficult to establish. Without that bond, establishing human leadership in a positive, natural way is also more difficult. In addition, when dogs are in dog parks (and day care centers) they use their back (reactive) brain while, when we teach them or spend time with them, we develop more neuro-pathways in their front (thinking) brain which makes them easier to train.

Also, I’ve wondered why so few people have expressed concerns about the safety of dog parks. I understand the benefits of dogs running around and playing until they come home exhausted, but do people ever wonder…
  1. Are the other dogs inoculated?
  2. Are the other dogs free of external and internal parasites?
  3. Are they generally friendly?
  4. Are they still friendly if a female is in heat?
  5. Is there enough open space for all the dogs so they don’t feel a build up of pressure that may create a situation for an unexpected bite.
  6. Are there some dogs whom, with two stressors, insufficient space and dogs in heat, will react with an unexpected bite?
If a dog is not having any problems with domestication, then my concern is only with the safety issue. My idea of a safe dog park would be one where people have to sign up, show proof of vaccinations and the absence of parasites. They would then be given a badge that identifies them as a member of the park and have the right to ask anyone who is not identified with a badge to leave until they qualify as a member.

If you want your dog to socialize with other dogs, do so only after you’re consistently happy with his behavior. Then, take him to a quality day care center where all the dogs are screened for vaccinations, the absence of disease and appropriate temperament.

So, think twice before packing up your pooch to play at the park.

Just my opinion… but its something to think about.