My Dog has Problems at the Dog Park!

While many dogs enjoy a romp in the dog park, dog park visits are not right for every dog. The same way many adult humans do not enjoy large social gatherings with unfamiliar people, many dogs do best playing with dogs they are familiar with and are overwhelmed or become grumpy in a dog park setting. It is not uncommon for dogs to become less social with other dogs as they mature and some dogs do well in dog parks when they are young and then outgrow them. While many dogs do benefit from and enjoy dog park visits, other dogs do best in coordinated playdates with familiar dogs, some dogs do well with time spent in a well-run dog daycare while still others do best playing with their owners rather than with other dogs. Each dog is a unique individual and some dogs develop dog aggressive behavior even if they are highly socialized from a young age to other dogs - nature and nurture both play a role in a dog's temperament. It is important for owners to recognize and respect their dog's individual needs in this regard.

Some people mistakenly think that if they simply expose their dog to other dogs at a dog park, the dog will "get over it." This is extremely risky both to your dog and to other people's dogs! Dog park visits can prompt a dog that exhibits aggressive or fearful behavior towards other dogs to worsen over time. If a dog practices biting, growling, snapping and discovers that this "works" at scaring dogs away, the dog will engage in these behaviors even more frequently. Additionally even if the dog is simply experiencing fear around other dogs at the dog park, the dog's association of a negative emotional state with the presence of other dogs may cause the fear to escalate. Even worse, your dog can learn not to trust you as the dog associates you with having put him in that overwhelming situation! Last but not least, if your dog bullies, fights or otherwise frightens another person's dog, your dog can injure another dog, a person (should a person try to intervene in the fight) or trigger another person's dog to develop a serious behavior problem.

Keep in mind you are gambling with the general public's judgement when you take your dog to the dog park. You have no idea what the temperament, behavioral (or health) history is of the other dogs at the dog park. Many people - even experienced dog owners - really do not know what dog play should look like. Recently when our trainer went to an area dog park she observed three dogs clearly exhibiting many signs of stress, and another dog was engaging in overt aggression. All of these dogs' owners mislabled these behaviors as "that is how my dog plays."

If your dog has aggressive or fearful behavior towards other dogs, what behavior modification and training can do is help you better understand what is really right for your dog, help you learn how to interpret your dog's body language, help you train your dog to remain calm on leash when another dog passes by on leash on a walk, and teach your dog to pay attention to you instead of other dogs passed by on walks. In some cases, behavior modification can improve the dog's overall tolerance of other dogs but unfortunately this is not always the case.

Friendly, active, behaviorally normal dogs may benefit from dog park visits. Because it is not safe nor is it in the dog's best interest behaviorally, we do not recommend dog park visits for dogs that have a history of fearful or aggressive behavior to other dogs. Dog parks are also inappropriate and unsafe for dogs with aggressive or fearful behavior towards people - consider that there are adults and children at dog parks as well! To learn more:

Why Can't My Dog Play Nicely? - Veronica Sanchez

Cheryl Smith's book, Visiting the Dog Park: Having Fun, Staying Safe

 

© 2010 Cooperative Paws Training and Behavior Consulting

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