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A pit bull mauled a 9-week-old boxer puppy last week at a local dog park in Fargo, shaking the pup and refusing to let go. It’s a scene that has happened or could happen in all dog parks: one dog attacks another dog.
Aggressive behavior at the dog park cannot be avoided completely. Going to the dog park is always a risk. Dog whisperer Cesar Millan and author Jon Katz say dog parks are disasters waiting to happen. There are just too many unbalanced, nervous, excited dogs together. A few months back, I wrote a post on 10 things to consider at the dog park. But most of that post included tips only you can control. What happens when someone doesn’t follow the dog park rules? The dog parks in Fargo are managed by the park district. None of the rules are enforced. Even if a dog attacks another dog, animal control does nothing. Law enforcement only gets involved if a human is the victim.
Keeping all this in mind, here are seven things to consider at dog parks for your own dog’s safety, since you cannot control it if some idiot brings his aggressive dog into the park.
1. Find out what law enforcement will actually enforce in your area.
Maybe your police department has its act together a little better than Fargo’s finest. Find out what the laws are and how they are enforced. Don’t be afraid to report questionable dogs and owners.
2. Keep your dog in the appropriate area for her size.
Most dog parks are divided into at least two sections, based on the size of the dogs. I am guilty. On quiet days when there are only a few dogs at the park, we will all bring our dogs to one side. I do always ask the little dog owners if it’s OK first, but it’s not OK. In the attack I mentioned earlier, the adult dog mauled a puppy that shouldn’t have been on the big dog side in the first place. Certain dogs see small animals as prey. My mutt chases squirrels and rabbits all the time, for example. Really, could you blame a lab mix for mistaking a Chihuahua for a rodent?
3. If a dog is questionable, be safe and leave the park.
If there is a dog I don’t trust, or a human who is irresponsible, I make the choice to leave the park with my dog. It’s not worth it to stay and risk a bite or a fight.
4. Do what you can to control your own dog.
I don’t do this often enough, but it is a good idea to walk my dog before we go to the dog park. If you walk your dog for a half-hour before you go to the park, she can get rid of pent up energy. The dogs that enter the dog park in an excited state of mind are the ones most likely to be challenged by a dominant dog. Practice entering and exiting the park with your dog under control and practice the recall so your dog will come in all situations.
5. Know what you will do if a fight does occur.
Most of the time when dogs appear to be fighting, they are just playing roughly or working out who is the dominant one. It usually sounds worse than it is and neither dog gets hurt. But when one dog attacks another dog and it escalates, what will you do? Dog trainer Jeff Millman over at Watch and Train suggests making a loud noise by hitting a garbage can or yelling to distract the dogs. He also said to try throwing toys at the dogs, spraying them with water or covering their heads with jackets. Another option is to pull the dogs apart, but know there is a high chance the dogs will bite you.
6. Have veterinary emergency information handy.
Program your dog’s vet number into your phone. Know the hours of the vet’s office and where the local animal ER is located. You never know when an emergency will occur.
7. Remember all animals are unpredictable.
I wish I could trust Ace 100 percent. I don’t think he would ever bite another dog because he is very submissive, but how do I know he wouldn’t? I don’t. Animals don’t just bite out of aggression. They bite if they are scared or excited, too. Like I said, Ace is normally a submissive dog, but there are a few dogs he will bark and growl at. Behavior like this is often what stirs up a fight.
Have you seen any fights at the dog park? What did you do? Do you think dog parks are safe?
(Image is of my parents’ dog, Sophie, and my uncle’s dog, Radar.)
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May 29th, 2008 at 7:58 am
Great info - what a scary situation this is. Even my sweet dog bit another when the other tried to get her ball. This was the only time she every exhibited aggression and the other dog was her size. It could have been much worse.
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May 29th, 2008 at 9:18 am
This is a really good article. I won’t take my dogs to the “free” “unmonitored” parks. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Way too many people bring dogs that have no socialization, behavior issues and are down right nasty to the park.
The park I go to is private membership, all dogs MUST be up to date on their vax, spey/neutered and good with other dogs. If your dog acts like a fool, you will be asked to leave and possibly not to return. There are no less than 20 trained volunteers that roam the park to watch behaviors and intervene.
I wish people were more responsible, trained their dogs, followed directions/rules and understood their limitations and accepted it.
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May 29th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
I no longer have dogs, I now have cats. But the neighbor directly behind me has a Pit Bull. They actually brag that noone would DARE break into their house. There’s too many pet owners out there with “red zone” dogs that just don’t care, or they believe they can control them and nothing would ever happen. I’d probably never take mine out into an area what may be unsafe.
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May 29th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Quinn attacked Kodiak on her first night home with us. Kodiak tried to take her bone and she was already out of sorts coming from a shelter to a brand new place.
We were prepared though. We had talked to the adoption agency ahead of time and they told us that if there was a fight to throw a towel over them both. It’s the only fight she’s ever started at home.
She is a very vocal dog though and if she barked at the wrong dog she could definitely get into a bad situation. But she goes to daycare and has never gotten in trouble.
We have never gone to a doggy park and probably won’t. It would be great if we could but with three dogs and only two of us it would be pretty hard to really monitor them properly.
It’s sad that bad owners do such a disservice to their dogs and the breeds in general. Pit Bulls can be such wonderful dogs but there are so many stupid people out there that let their dogs get into trouble.
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May 30th, 2008 at 12:06 am
this is such a great post : ) i’ve been thinking a lot about the advantages & disadvantages of an unmonitored dog park. Dogs do learn to socialize, but they can also pick up bad habits from other dogs. Most dog owners & dogs are not perfect. What happens when bad manners and good intentions pool together. Most of the owners that come to my park are responsible, but theres always a few that make you turn right back around.
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May 30th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Good information. We don’t visit dog parks anymore because you can’t ever know what kind of dogs and owners will be there. Plus my dogs would rather me play with them over playing with other dogs.
Dog aggression is not an issue to be taken lightly. My boy has some issues that have developed and it’s something I think too many people don’t understand and take seriously. My poor border collie is in the hospital and has been for a few days as a result of a dog fight. We are all so thankful that she’s gonna survive her potentially life threatening injuries.
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May 30th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
I am always on the look out for loose dogs and prepared to take the defensive to protect my buddies. Good articles