Dog parks?

[SumCoco]

At what age did you start bringing your dog to the dog park? I know they say to wait until they've had their first two sets of shots, but did you wait longer or go when they were very young?

 

[whiskers]

I was naughty and brought Juno before she had finished her puppy shots. She was probably 15ish weeks old when she first went.

In hindsight I would never do it again. Not for the health reasons... it's just such a bad place to bring a puppy that is still in the socialization stage.

 

[pghboxers]

Like PP said, I'd maybe go with socializing your pup in a puppy class - or at least an on leash atmosphere (with hopefully responsible dog owners).

 

[Sansal]

Puppy playgroups are awesome! Maybe you can find one offered in your area. Dog parks can be unpredictable. Much better to socialize your puppy with friendly dogs that you know have been vaccinated.

 

[janmark]

We started taking Jada very early probably around 12 weeks. I believe I was on the bad boy list as well because I didn't realize she needed all her shots. The Park we go to was still pretty new at the time and she absolutely LOVED the park. I've only had a few bad episodes and when they happen I ususally just leave. Jada is now three and we still go to the park on occassion but not as much as I belive she is in a bully stage. She is never mean or agressive but can be annoying and a bully. She thinks if she barks in the face of another dog they understand that she is saying "get you butt moving I want to play". So if she gets in a "mood" we leave. It's so weird to watch becuase how she acts differs from dog to dog. Some she will play hard and ruff, some easy and maybe just chase, some she will leave alone if they show no interest and then the others that she barks at non-stop. I'm lucky to live in a neighborhood near a school that has a fenced in practice field and we are able to use the field to play frisbee and to also play with some dogs in our neighborhood.

 

[SumCoco]

There is a really nice dog park here. The owner and his dog greet EVERY dog and their owner at the front gates. I'm pretty sure I read on the website that you have to show roof of shots. They don't allow aggressive dogs, any sign of aggression and you are asked to leave. They also have a separate area for puppies. The best part? They serve wine and beer! Lol

I'm going to go check it out, but I am scared of other people's dogs! I always have been.... Because my dad got his face ripped off by his parents family dog. Hopefully it's a pleasant experience.

We do go to puppy class and my puppy loooooooves to play/socialize with the other pups in class. It's so cute.

 

[MrsBeeks]

With Dutch, we frequented a couple of dog parks when he was much younger, but there were never any dogs there, and that is why we went. At that time all we wanted was just a space for him to stretch his legs and run....because of his age, if another dog we didn't know showed up, we usually left. Dutch got lots of socialization with people and other dogs, but I just did it in a more controlled environment with dogs that I knew.
When he was about 6 months old I started trying him out at our local dog park which is frequented by lots of dogs, at first it was great, Dutch had so much fun, and I loved how exhausted he was when we got him home. But, I started to notice "bad habits" forming very quickly...like the barking in others faces, and also there was a couple of other dogs there that started to get a real hate on for Dutch and would "pin" him constantly. I actually posted a thread asking for advice on the subject, and based on my feelings, and the advice and support from fellow members, I decided not to take Dutch anymore....no amount of fun playtime was worth damaging Dutch's laid back, fun loving nature.
I did try a couple of smaller play dates with another couple of boxers that I had met there, but Dexter started to constantly hump Dutch....and I do mean constantly, and that would set the other boxer on edge which was starting to cause some issues and minor fights, so I quit that too. :(
I make sure Dutch gets to go to his daycare once a week because he has a great playgroup that he plays with and loves, and I also make sure to take him back home to mom and dads as often as i can, were he plays with Molly and Blaze (ma and pa's two boxers).
I still miss watching him play and run with other dogs at the park, and how exhausted he was when we left.....but for me, its just not worth the risk.

 

[EnzoBoxer]

Dog parks around me say 6 months old, but I let Enzo in at 4 months when the other dogs were around his size.