Yea the park closest to my house actually doesn't have a small dog side oddly.

Yea some dogs won't react but it's kind of rediculous to not expect a dog to defend itsel against being beat! Especially when the kid is well old enough to get better, she was bit on the lip, it wasn't serious. I would be more pissed at my kid for being stupid!

Bit their face, bit their lip, got hit by a stick, being beat... very different circumstances with the wording you are using and when you say "bit on the face" it sounds pretty serious, so you may want to clarify circumstances. I personally don't find biting ever acceptable to kids and my dogs will never bite a child, but I am not reacting over someone getting a quick snip on the arm or leg or anything. I, personally, get over those things quick though I don't think it's the same with a child (but note- a dog should never get this opportunity with a parent, and I think when you have kids you should desensitize your dogs to certain rough behaviors just incase). And if I have actual teeth close in on my face, that's when there's a huge issue.

The rescue that was put down made my cheek bleed. Glad it got the side of my face and not my nose.

Ya well "bit on the face" sounds like it ripped the kids face off, it was a bite on the lip that wasn't seriously damanaging, I guess I feel a child who is clearly old enough to know not to do that kind of crap should be held responsible for their actions. Kiara bit me on the face as a puppy (her tooth got caught in my nose and made a nice puncture wound) it bled a lot, well that's the first and last time she bit me, I bit her back haha

brady.law wrote:

bit their cousin on the face

Yes, saying they got their face bit does sound that way. You said it, not me! Like I said, you may want to clarify your details in your first post as when you say that, I don't think of a little nick on the lip and I'm sure others don't either.

And a mouthing/mippy puppy and an adult = two different things.

Ya I was just mentioning that's the first and only time she drew blood, intentionally biting hard. But I guess when it come to dogs they always get the #%++ end of the stick even if it's stupid adults/kids fault.

Whatever you say. This is a pointless discussion. I'm trying to actually discuss this and all you want to say is kids are dumb and people who get their kids bit and not acknowledging how serious a face bite is. If you feel like you need to reply, once again, to get the last word, feel free. It's yours.

Yea... It was discussed and my last post wasnt even about it, I've said what I said and that was what I ended on. Because its true, dogs suffer due to the ignorance of owners and parents. Doesn't matter if a child is abusing an animal, oh it bit the child? Kill it.

Personally I feel that children shouldnt be at a dog park unless they're sitting down with their parents or are in strollers. While my dogs aren't aggressive towards people/children Mishka is nervous and I try very hard to make all her children interactions very positive.

Having wild children running around at a dog park (playing with the dogs or not) is inappropriate. While I believe dogs certainly shouldn't bite nor would I view it as acceptable or encouragable... I don't feel it's responsible for a parent to test th limits of strage dogs in a public leash free park designed for DOGS not children. Fault is irrelevant as the situation shouldn't ever need to come up. Kids should be under control and sitting down or not in attendance at a dog park just as dogs are expected to not be present or under leash control around a children's park.

In the end- both parents and pet owners need to be aware and present (mentally) when at a place such as a dog park and make appropriate decisions. That's what it boils down to. People making appropriate and responsible decisions.

Just to verify- I wasn't talking about a bite occuring at the dog park, I was speaking in regards moreso to at home with family members or friends. Though I will always say that a bite on the face to a child is very serious if it's more than a tiny little nick- which is still serious and scary as it could get worse.

I'm really shocked all dog parks dont have strict rules about having kids running around. Lots of dogs don't like kids and I would think dog bites would and maybe do happen pretty frequently. Especially since more often times then not I see kids running around like wild animals at the park.

I agree with Kristina. I have taken my 7 y/o to the dog park a few times. And Kristina will verify.....I hate it. It makes me crazy trying to keep an eye on both my son and Frankie. My son is pretty dog savvy and understands the rules, but he is a kid and dogs are dogs. I am constantly on top of him about not running in the dog park. I try to avoid taking my son if I can. But being a single mom and a husky owner sometimes you just do what you gotta do so that the house doesn't get completely destroyed and you can get some sleep at night

You know what I think is worse at dog parks. Women who come in with their 3 dogs and husband and freaks out every time another dog comes up to them. The owner being so frightened, makes me nervous because your dog can sense your fear and cause aggression. I think that is just as bad as owners that don't pay attention to their dogs. I think you need to show assertiveness.

Yes and when their dog steps like 5 feet away from then they scream at them and tell them to come. It's like, why are you even here, they aren't even letting the dog socialize.

Our dog park almost never has children in it. One day there was a family that brought an intact adult Akita to the park and their small 7-ish aged girl. Well the Akita was on a leash so it couldn't hump any females and (since this was driving it and the other dogs nuts) they eventually took it into the little dog part where it could be off leash and alone. Well the mom and dad stayed in with it but the little girl stayed with the other dogs in the main part and was constantly getting in the middle of aggressive dog playing and minor fights, saying, "be nice puppies!" and trying to pull dogs apart. The parents occasionally shouted at her from the other part to leave them alone. All the owners looked realllly uncomfortable with what she was doing. (I'm 25 and have no kids and am basically terrified of telling a parent what to do/not do, so I said nothing.) Well, we left before they did and the next day there was a huge sign saying no kids under 7 and anyone under 16 had to be accompanied by an adult. I really wonder if something happened.

Honestly, if you can keep your kid with you I don't have an issue, but I would personally be stressed out trying to keep an eye on a child and dog. And as someone mentioned, what do you do if your dog is in a fight? Leave the kid unattended while you break it up?

Break it up. Cause my kid would only be there is he/she is well behaved and I wouldn't be far from my dog... So I would just tell my kid to stand back for a few seconds.

One thing you must, and I did, teach your own children how to act around dogs. I taught mine to respect, always, animals. I taught them that dogs are animals, and are not there for you to tease, or abuse in any way, they are there to be your friends, BUT and honestly I don't care how long you've had your dog, or how well trained he/she is no one can ever absolutely guarantee that a dog won't react. Every dog has their limit, and all we can do is hope we have trained them well enough, and hope we are their to protect them from any abusive situation, before they feel the need to "react".

With all the discussion of rules in the Dog park.

Here is FYI of the dog park rules here.

Quote :

Biscuit Acres Rules



CITY OF TULSA, TULSA OKLAHOMA

Dog Park Rules

Established – December 2009

Revised – July 2011





1. An “off-leash park area” is an area within a City of Tulsa park designated by the Parks & Recreation Board for the purpose of allowing dogs to roam without leashes.

2.“Owner” means any person, firm or corporation in possession and control of or custody of a dog.

3. Any owner bringing a dog into an off-leash park area shall be responsible for complying with these rules and any other rule, regulation and ordinance necessary to protect the health, welfare and safety of park users.

4. An owner bringing a dog into an off-leash area is liable for and assumes the risk for the dog’s conduct.

5. No person under 16 years of age shall be permitted to bring a dog into an off-leash park area.

6. For safety reasons, children must be at least 12 years old and supervised by an adult to use the dog park. Children must behave in a responsible manner: no running, chasing dogs, or petting dogs without the owner’s permission.

7. A dog outside an off-leash park area shall be under the physical control of its owner by means of a leash not exceeding six (6) feet in length or be under the owner’s immediate control. Dogs are recommended to be kept on a leash until the owners/custodian and dog(s) are in the dog park and the entrance gates are fully closed after entry.

8. A dog within an off-leash park area shall be under the owner’s immediate control. All patrons of the Dog Park must carry their leash with them at all times.

9. An owner of a dog creating a disturbance or not being properly controlled can be evicted from an off-leash park area. Upon leaving an off-leash park area, an evicted owner shall also remove his or her dog.

10. No person having been convicted of allowing a dog to bite, chase or attack any person or animal without provocation shall be permitted to bring a dog into an off-leash park area.

11. Any dog within an off-leash park area shall not be under six (6) months of age, and shall be currently vaccinated against rabies and have a current City of Tulsa license affixed or attached to the dog’s collar or harness.

12. No dog which has not been spayed or neutered shall be permitted within an off-leash dog park.

13. No dog which is injured or diseased shall be permitted within an off-leash park area.

14. Any excreta deposited in an off-leash park area shall be promptly removed and appropriately disposed of by the dog’s owner.

15. No vicious dog, as defined by the City of Tulsa Animal Code, shall be permitted within an off-leash park area.

16. Any dog left unattended within an off-leash park area shall be deemed “at-large” in violation of the City of Tulsa Animal Code.

17. No owner and dog shall enter or remain within an off-leash park area between one half (1/2) hour after sunset until one half (1/2) hour before sunrise except where the City of Tulsa provides an illuminated off-leash park area then a curfew extending from 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM shall be observed.

18. No dog weighing more than 30 pounds shall be permitted within an area designated for small dogs. Owners allowing their small dogs to enter a designated Large Dog Area do so at their own risk and assume responsibility for whatever damage or injury that may result. (It is highly recommended you not allow your small dog in the Large Dog area)

19. No food, treats, alcoholic beverages (soft drinks and water are allowed), squeaky toys, or children’s toys are allowed in the dog park. This is a recreation park for dogs accompanied by their owners.

20. Smoking shall be prohibited within an off-leash park area.

21. No professional dog trainer/behaviorist shall conduct any training or business activity within an off-leash park area.

22. No more than three dogs per person on any one visit.

23. Bicycles, rollerblades, roller-skates, skateboards, and strollers are prohibited. This is a recreation park for dogs accompanied by their owners. (Wheel chairs are allowed.)

24. “Stop your dogs from digging.” Fill in any holes your dog may dig or make appropriate repairs to disturbed areas.

25. Playing catch (i.e., football, baseball, etc.) between people/ or using remote controlled toys, which can cause harm to the dogs in the park, is not allowed.

26. Choke, prong, pinch, shock, and spike collars must be removed inside park area.

27. Dog behavior can be unpredictable around other dogs and strangers. For the safety of all the dogs at the parks, immediately leash your dog if it exhibits aggressive behavior and leave the dog park area. Protect yourself and your dog. If aggressive behavior is observed, take immediate action: either move your dog to another part of the park, or leave the park.

All incidents and injuries should be reported to the City of Tulsa

People bring kids to our dog park all the time. We don't have a rule banning children under a certain age, just that there must be an adult present. Most of the time the kids are good but I remember this one family an their three kids came and their two youngest ran around the park yelling at the top of their lungs, chasing their dog and not really letting him play with other dogs, grabbing at random peoples dogs, and being absolutely out of control. The parents didn't do much to reign them in and I wanted to say something but I'm a non-confrontational person. Being yelled at in the middle of the dog park would have made me die of embarrassment.

There was also a time when two random kids came in and ran around trying to get all the dogs to play with them. This is actually on our rules list (children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult) but nobody really said anything then, either.

Unaccompanied kids are the worst. We had a girl and her friend (they were maybe 9, 10?) bring their dog in the park- it was just my two and then their's- and of course they tried to wrestle and play and the girls didn't understand dog play at all and kept trying to pull them apart and all this stuff so I told them since they're too young to read that you have to be 16+ they need to leave, lol.

Kinda a tricky subject. The first time my husband and I took Raven to the dog park I was surprised by the amount of young children, toddlers under 5, walking around. It made me nervous because I wasn't sure what Raven would do. Lucky for us she completely ignored them focusing on running free and playing with other dogs.
We have been to the dog park a dozen or more times and my daughter who is 8 has only gone with once. She walked with us the whole time and didn't interact with anyones dogs. Still, I prefer to go without my kids. Even well behaved kids are a distraction from your dog. I can sympathize with single parents however.

I'm don't feel that a dog park is a place for children. I've seen some dogs that just DO NOT like children, running around or not, and I would hate for a small child to be knocked over and potentially hurt by a careening dog or two. What's worse for me is people that bring their kids, and just let them run amok. Dante has had his tail pulled SO many times. I'm so glad I desensitized him to that....but not every dog is just going to take it. These parents won't say a word to their children. There was one boy that smacked Dante in the nose for barking at him after the kid wound him up....parents were right there and never said a word. I was FUMING! I'm more ok with someone that brings a polite well behaved child but still, seeing some of the dogs people bring to the dog park, it makes me a little leery.

Call me a jerk, but I'm a self proclaimed dog park police. Those rules are similar to every dog park I've been to. If you bring under age children or food of any kind I will ask you to leave. I've only had one confrontation and the rest of the people there at the time came over to side with me. What the hell is wrong with society today that everyone thinks they are above the rules.

Lordbroll wrote:

Call me a jerk, but I'm a self proclaimed dog park police.

Let me just say thank you. I LOVE self-proclaimed dog park police. Mostly because I'm too scared of confrontation to say anything to the rule breakers. I appreciate those who do!

NadirCs wrote:

Lordbroll wrote:

Call me a jerk, but I'm a self proclaimed dog park police.

Let me just say thank you. I LOVE self-proclaimed dog park police. Mostly because I'm too scared of confrontation to say anything to the rule breakers. I appreciate those who do!

I second this. I hate confrontation, otherwise I'd speak out myself!