Tough day at the dog park

[TugsMommy]

for Tug's. I took him on Saturday to the dog park. My baby runs around full-speed ahead like a bullet. He crashed right into a husky, and Tug's was kind of being curious. Her owner was nasty to my Tug's. I went right over and grabbed his collar. He is like he nipped at me. I was like 'Well he has never been spoken to like that, we don't yell at him like that'. The guy is like he hurt my dog, I am like is there blood? Anything broken? If not then they were being puppies and being overly dramatic(which I found huskies can be). Then 2 minutes later the two of them were playing like nothing happened. Poor Tuggy he didn't know what he did wrong when he got yelled at like that. :(

The guy is kind of a jerk anyhow, his dog kept hiding between *MY* legs when he called her name.

 

[Toni'smom]

Poor Tugs. You weren't being naughty, that MEAN old man was real naughty. Sure glad you got to make a new friend and hope you had a good time playing once that mean old jerk shut up.

 

[DupontBoxer]

Positive side of dog parks

Dog parks have been a life saver for me. I live in a very urban neighborhood and it is the only way my year old boxer can really run and play. I started taking her around 4 1/2 months and have just been very careful as to which parks we go to and what happens once we get there. If I don't know all of the dogs there I wait and watch how things are going from afar before we go in. My focus while we're there is my dog, not my cell phone or something else. I watch her to know whether or not she is enjoying herself and if something seems weird that day we move on immediately. It has been really helpful for me to meet other owners and get feed back as to how her training and socialization are going from people who don't see her everyday. I get new ideas and tell dog stories to people who think they are funny and she gets to play chase which is her favorite game in the world.

I realize I live in a neighborhood where very well trained dogs are the norm and I know I am lucky. Yes, there have been a few jerks and a few dogs who were too rough for my tastes, but we run into that on the sidewalks more than at the dog park to be honest. Just trust your gut and your dog to know whether it is a good situation for you.

 

[Tricia77]

Ken-
Its a shame you dont let Sullivan play. I guess they are like our kids and we want to protect them from all the bad, but think of the good they are missing out on!
Maybe scope out the park for slow days and see the dogs that are there. Willing to bet a lot of people have regular time slots and maybe you can see the type of dogs they have - friendly and social or not.
My Eagle was abused in the past and completely unreliable so he cant go, but Curly loves everyone and even after some nasty sibling spats, he enjoys playing with others.

Best of luck.

 

[Hberry23]

Poor little Tugs, I hate some of the people out there...some of the owners can be so mean. Sadie loves going to the parks and There's been a few times Iv'e even said we might not go back...do to the same few dogs weve ran in to that don't like boxers for some ODD reason, but for the most part everything goes well, and how can I take that away from her...she truly loves playing with all the other dogs. Good luck on the next trip to the park Tugs

 

[TysonReddy]

Boy Friends

The dog parks around where I live are a great place to let your dog play and socilize. Tyson has a number of Boxer boy friends. She is such a flirt with other Boxers it is funn to watch.

 

[magoo's_mama]

Ken-
I've always had good experiences with dogs parks. In my experience most of the owneers who take thier dog thier care about them and spend a good deal of time working with thier dogs. That's why they're at the park. I'm sure there are some bad apples out there but I wouldn't want to deprive Magoo that oppurtunity to run free and socailize.
Hopefully you can attend some boxer get-togethers

 

[entelekia]

Ken,

Don't feel bad about not wanting to take your dog to the "dog park". I share most of your fears regarding these parks, and quite honestly, I don't think they are such a good idea either. Way too many dogs who have never met before, with totally different personalities, without even mentioning the risk of encountering irresponsible owners that come to the park with intact dogs/bitches, or even known aggressors.

My dog gets plenty of socialization at our obedience class, and at planned and supervised playdates with other known dogs.

IMO, the risk is too great.

 

[craZ4HERKIE]

Awww poor Tuggy! Being yelled at by some mean man! And yes....I can attest to Siberians being overly dramatic...my Kuma is a drama king! And how sad that puppy was hiding between your legs...and not wanting to go to her owner. Hopefully Tugs next visit will be better!

 

[magoo's_mama]

I understand those objections to the dog park, I was just sharing my positive experiences. I have gone to the park every week for a year with my parents GS and now I go every weekend to the dog beach with Magoo. And personally have not seen a single dog fight. Doesn't mean they don't happen.

You are correct that they can get all the socialzation they need from obedience classes and planned playdates. Those are both great. But for Magoo the dog beach is a great outlet for his energy (we don't have a fenced yard).