Bec Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 I know how you feel Smeagle, I was just trying to point out that every time one takes there dog out of the house there is some level of risk. We have strict leash laws here but that doesn't change the fact that my dog has been viciously attacked by off lead dogs just when I take him out for a walk. He's never been viciously attacked at a dog park. I respect yours and anyone else's decisions for why they do or don't go to dog parks. I'm just pointing out that a dog attack can happen anywhere and my worst experiences have not been at a dog park. *shrugs* Just seems like my experiences with off lead dog attacks have been opposite your own. I'm just concerned that someone without any experience at dog parks will see the thread and not even check one out or give them a chance. It is good that you share your negative experiences so that people can pay attention and know what is possible, keep a good eye out, weigh risks and benefits, and go out with a level head to make an educated decision. Huskyluv, to be honest, I would never advise anyone that dog parks are great because I simply don't believe they are. I agree there are risks in everything that we do but some things have a greater risk than others, and taking your dog to a dog park where large numbers of dogs frequent will (in theory) carry a higher risk than walking your dog on the street. However, if people are really keen I will give them pointers as to what to keep an eye out for and the best way to approach a dog park if they want to use one. But I am not a dog park advocate by any means, and I think that good parks are unfortunately in the minority. Fortunately, I also think we all lead by example and I know the last organised meet that my group held at a local dog park (about 30 odd dogs!) made a really positive impact on the area as many locals commented on how shocked they were to see so many dogs in the park behaving and under effective control. Even people who don't have dogs remarked on it, and I think it made a really good example of how dog parks can be used properly and positively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyluv Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 To each his own I guess. I respect your decision, however I am a bit confused though that you do the meet up at a dog park though. I'm just saying that if I talked to a person on the street and they told me they don't advise going to dog parks because they don't think they're great, then I saw them at the dog park a week later I'd be highly confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 To each his own I guess. I respect your decision, however I am a bit confused though that you do the meet up at a dog park though. I'm just saying that if I talked to a person on the street and they told me they don't advise going to dog parks because they don't think they're great, then I saw them at the dog park a week later I'd be highly confused. Like I said, the times I have used the dog park (once every couple of months or so) have been when it is a highly organised meet from another forum I am on, where all the owners who come know the 'rules' and are responsible, pretty dog savvy people. In 2 1/2 years, we have never had an incident, because these meets are controlled and everyone respects the rules. We all know each other and we all know each others dogs. I have no problem socialising my dogs with dogs I know are safe, it is any other 'normal' time when the dog park is used as a free for all and anything goes that I would never step foot in them. There are also dog parks here that are like pet resorts where you pay to hire out the park for a day etc. They are pretty cool too, and have swimming pools for the dogs and various fenced runs etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyluv Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Like I said, the times I have used the dog park (once every couple of months or so) have been when it is a highly organised meet from another forum I am on, where all the owners who come know the 'rules' and are responsible, pretty dog savvy people. Oh, I didn't know you could reserve the dog park for just the people in your meet up who are responsible. We have husky meet ups at our dog park but there are also other dogs there that are not part of our meet up since it's a public park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Amy, at least you and I both know better now and as bad as I feel about exposing Micha to aggressive dogs, the one positive thing I can think of is that I will never make the same mistake again and in the long run it has made me a better dog owner. If it wasn't for Micha's aggression, I would never had met the amazing behaviourist I have now been friends with for more than two years. I have learned so much too and am a better dog owner for it, I also wouldn't have met the behaviourist I am working with now with my beagle (for drive training) and so much more. The positive thing about any experience is that it is always an opportunity to learn so I have tried to make the most of it in that regard Thats very true, I can safely say I learned from my mistakes and yes there has been a few problems but I have overcome these problems now and learning more and more about Sibes every day with my boys or on here. Which reminds me I was going to pop a thread about Gizmo on here, will do that next. I know I wont be a perfect dog owner as Im one of these people that dont believe in things like that, no one is perfect but as long we we all try our best and learn from mistakes we can all make a significant difference to ourselves and our dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Who funds the dog parks - pays for them to be maintained - owns the land etc is it the council? We don't have them here just wondering about putting a petition together to the relevant body / department to see how we would go about getting one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyluv Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 Who funds the dog parks - pays for them to be maintained - owns the land etc is it the council? Here it is paid for and maintained by the city government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted March 12, 2009 Report Share Posted March 12, 2009 i presume our local council would be the best ones to write to then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Oh, I didn't know you could reserve the dog park for just the people in your meet up who are responsible. We have husky meet ups at our dog park but there are also other dogs there that are not part of our meet up since it's a public park. Some parks like the pet resort you can, and other parks we have held them at, are when it is the middle of the day and a park that is not a popular one. When we set up gazebos etc (and set up near the gate) we've never had someone not from our group come in uninvited, other people just see the organised meets and ask if they can join in, which is fine if their dog is friendly I was just trying to give an example of the time the dog park can be used successfully, larger groups of dogs can definitely run together without any problems. It's the owners who cause the problems in dog parks, as I said before, they are a good idea in principle but unfortunately the bad users ruin it for the rest of us. You may not feel there is anything wrong with dog parks but I think it is a big risk to use one when you have no idea about the people using it. I would never go into a dog park unless it was one of our organised meets and I was running my dog with dogs I trust. You may not have had any bad experiences at the dog park but unfortunately I can't even count the bad incidents I have had, never mind the ones that I have heard from other people. A friend of mine in rescue had a little chi x cross that was mauled to death by a larger dog at the dog park, and a woman I met through one of the training workshops I've been to has a 6 month old pup that was ripped apart by another dog, and that pup is now quite seriously dog aggressive. Those are the risks you take when you take your dog to the park, some may be ok but many certainly are not. I'm sure your dog park is ok, but I could never deny that overall the risk is there and it is a huge one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huskyluv Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 A friend of mine in rescue had a little chi x cross that was mauled to death by a larger dog at the dog park, and a woman I met through one of the training workshops I've been to has a 6 month old pup that was ripped apart by another dog, and that pup is now quite seriously dog aggressive. Those are the risks you take when you take your dog to the park, some may be ok but many certainly are not. I'm sure your dog park is ok, but I could never deny that overall the risk is there and it is a huge one. Does your dog park not have separated sections for small dogs and one for large dogs? As I've said before I don't deny you take a risk every time you go. I also don't advocate dog parks nor do I discourage them. I'm just of the mind that people should realize there are positives and negatives about every dog park and know what to look out for before making their decision and/or visiting one. I'm not arguing with you Smeagle, I'm just trying to put up both sides. The point is to educate people, not scare them away from even considering giving it a try. No I'm not saying scaring people was your intention, but if I'd never been to a dog park and read your experience with no positive ones to counter it, I'd be walking around terrified of going to a dog park and never give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bec Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 Does your dog park not have separated sections for small dogs and one for large dogs? As I've said before I don't deny you take a risk every time you go. I also don't advocate dog parks nor do I discourage them. I'm just of the mind that people should realize there are positives and negatives about every dog park and know what to look out for before making their decision and/or visiting one. I'm not arguing with you Smeagle, I'm just trying to put up both sides. The point is to educate people, not scare them away from even considering giving it a try. No I'm not saying scaring people was your intention, but if I'd never been to a dog park and read your experience with no positive ones to counter it, I'd be walking around terrified of going to a dog park and never give it a shot. Tis ok, huskyluv, I'm just overly sensitive about the issue (obviously, LOL) as it is one very close to my heart and I would just hate for other people to have the same thing happen to them I agree with the above, people should know what to look out for and approach the dog park with caution. Not long after my friend's chi was killed, the council decided to put separate areas in some parks for small dogs and big dogs, but at least 90% would still be just the one area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disciplined Posted March 13, 2009 Report Share Posted March 13, 2009 mine is split and I take my pup to the little dog area. He is easily bigger than most of the dogs there. He dominates on every dog there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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