6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Take Your Dog to the Dog Park, and 3 Things You Can Do Instead
The dog park can be a controversial topic in the dog world. Here’s my take on why I think it’s best to skip it all together, and #6 is the most important!
1. Your dog doesn’t want to be friends with every dog
Trust me. Your dog is happy with just you, your partner, your kids, your other dog, cat, etc., in his or her life. Most dogs do not want to welcome in other dogs or strangers into their “pack.”
Dogs like their social structure the way it is, so why add to it?
Your dog really only wants valuable time with you, so go play fetch or go for a nice stroll instead.
2. Your dog is not a child
There. I said it. Your dog is not a child.
Playgrounds are great! We take kids there to play, explore, learn to share and be kind, and hopefully grow into caring, compassionate adults. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way in the dog world. We can’t just take dogs to dog parks so they can make friends and learn to share their ball with others.
Dogs are hierarchal animals. There is a hierarchy in the dog world. So, when you throw a bunch of dogs together who don’t know each other and force them to coexist, there will most likely be some conflict as they try and figure out the social structure of that area.
Imagine the hierarchy as a ladder. Each being (and humans are included in this!) can only occupy one rung on that ladder, and there’s not an unlimited number of spots available. Some dogs are lower ranking dogs, and are happy to occupy those lower rungs. Just tell them which one, and hope there isn’t another dog vying for theirs, and they are good! Others, like the middle ranking dogs, always want to occupy a higher rung, so imagine the amount of conflict that can occur when several of these dogs are in one small space together.
3. “Socialization” is a myth.
Dog parks are not a safe place to socialize a puppy or a “shy” dog. During our puppy’s early months, they are more sensitive to experiences, so an inappropriate greeting at the park may be enough to cause your puppy to be uncertain of all dogs, and in the worst cases, cause reactivity or aggression towards other dogs while out in public.
“Socialization” should be done by simply getting your puppy out and allowing them to have positive experiences with the world, in turn, allowing them to become neutral to dogs, people, noises, etc.
4. Dog fights happen
There are a number of reasons dogs may fight, and hierarchal rank is definitely one of them. Imbalanced dogs, without any guidance from the humans, (many times, but not always, the case in dog parks) might also fight over toys, balls, the water bowl, you, and even just spacial territory.
Dogs are not “reasoning” beings. They won’t just talk about their feelings and ask for forgiveness. They will fight it out if there’s not a (very dominant) dog or human telling them otherwise. I just don’t believe we should be subjecting our dogs to that sort of environment.
5. Your dog’s an a**hole
Your dog is causing all the problems. He’s a bully.
Have you ever been yelled at by other dog owners because your dog was caught pestering another dog? Chasing another dog while playing fetch? Humping another dog? Starting drama and causing fights?
Hello! Remember we talked about the middle-ranking dogs? You’ve got one, and he’s an a-hole, so stop taking him to the dog park. You might understand why after reading the next point.
6. Behavioral fallout
I hear this story weekly when discussing problem behaviors with potential clients.
“We’ve had our dog since she was a puppy. We’ve done all the right things. We went to puppy socialization class, the dog park; she was so great with dogs!
When she turned about a year and a half, she started lunging and barking every time she saw another dog on our walks. We stopped taking her to the dog park because she can’t behave there anymore, and now we can’t even take her for a simple walk in the neighborhood. HELP!”
Here’s what has usually happened. That puppy was pressured. A lot. By people, other dogs, pressured by life! Some puppies are resilient enough to overcome this. Those well-balanced, bomb-proof dogs that can be affected by nothing (lucky you, if you’ve got one of those). But most do not have the nerves to handle all that pressure. So one day, when she’s beginning to hit sexual maturity, she growls or snaps at the dog who went too far - and the dog backs off, or maybe the owner pulls the dog away. She thinks, in much simpler dog think, “aha. I just figured out how to control my environment. And now when I see a dog, any dog, I’ll be as big and loud as possible to keep all the dogs in the environment that bother me, at an even greater distance away.” Insert whatever else that bothers your dog and you’ve got the same situation.
It’s like fireworks are going off in your mind, I can see it. Makes sense, right!?
Now, that dog moves through life trying their best to control their own environment, all because of a few bad moments at the dog park...
It’s not to say that the dog park (or puppy socialization class) is the only place this can happen, but the correlation between the rise in dog park attendance, and the rise in “leash aggression” is incredible.
If you don’t want to deal with the behavior fallout later, or if your dog is the a-hole of the party, steer clear of the dog park before it’s too late. Dog parks, unfortunately, are often more about humans than they are about dogs.
What can you do instead?
Take your dog for a walk.
Walking is great exercise for both of you! It doesn’t take an hour at the park running around, or a 5 mile run to calm your dog down. It could really only take a 20 minute stroll through your neighborhood to get your dog some physical and mental exercise. A dog park visit won’t actually provide your dog with the kind of enriching mental and emotional stimulation dogs need, but a simple walk through your neighborhood can!
Create a small meetup group with friends or acquaintances that have dogs.
A smaller, controlled group of dogs that become familiar with each other and see each other on a somewhat regular basis is much more conducive than than a dog park. Every dog is vetted for behavioral issues and even medical concerns before hand, and you are all way more likely to address the behavior of a bully if they were to sneak in.
“Socialize” your puppy or dog by taking them to places like Lowe’s, plant nurseries, or outdoor patios.
Allow them to become neutral to the exciting things around them. If they’re pulling you to go greet every person or dog, or barking because they’re afraid, it might be time to enroll in a training program!