I take Adobo & Biko at least every other week, I feel it is especially helpful toward the socialization skills for the dogs to mingle.

After today's visit to the dog park I am so upset and angry. A couple brought their 6-8 month lab to the park my two went up to greet and the owner felt they were aggresive Kerian was monthing the dog he HIT her on the nose. I ltook her away and was holding her when Blaze started barking at the dog wanting to play he got upset and KICK him.. I yell at him he does not hit or kick my dog and proceed to leave. They then left and we ended up staying and talk to several other dog owners they fell he was at fault and the Blaze and Kerian were just trying to play with the dog.. The man felt that his puppy was being gang up on by my two.

I bring Nunya to dog parks occassionally. We have a lot of people who bring really dominate dogs and sometimes things escalate into fights so I tend to go when there won't be so many people. Nunya is very timid around large dogs, and dominante dogs make him scream when they come near him, but other than that he loves it. When he gets to excited around a fearful dog I just tell him to wait and he sits and I walk over to him and bring him to a group of dogs that would appreciate his husky play a little bit more lol He has excellent recall at the park, except when I want him to stop harassing a more timid dog but he'll always sit when I tell him to wait.

He stays glued to me if there's a dog he's uncomfortable with who won't stop trying to approach him in an unfriendly way and does his best to look submissive. Sometimes the other dogs get to rough trying to get to him and I have to body block them, I have physically had to push two different dogs away with my legs (I'm not sticking my hands by strange dogs). I've gotten dirty looks but when the dog changes its dominer to be a little more I alway praise and put out the back of my hand to see if they want to be petted, sometimes I have treats.

ljelgin wrote:

After today's visit to the dog park I am so upset and angry. A couple brought their 6-8 month lab to the park my two went up to greet and the owner felt they were aggresive Kerian was monthing the dog he HIT her on the nose. I ltook her away and was holding her when Blaze started barking at the dog wanting to play he got upset and KICK him.. I yell at him he does not hit or kick my dog and proceed to leave. They then left and we ended up staying and talk to several other dog owners they fell he was at fault and the Blaze and Kerian were just trying to play with the dog.. The man felt that his puppy was being gang up on by my two.

I would be in a RAGE if someone hit or kicked my dog for no reason. Do people even understand how dogs play? If you can't let your dog be a dog then why the hell do you bring them to a DOGPARK.

I really hope you guys don't have to deal with that couple again. Some people...

I take maya and Sophie to the dog park every time I can. They love it but can be a little too rough for some dogs. Whenever someone brings a small dog over to the big side maya and Sophie will run over and immediately start bullying it. Sometimes the owner is pretty okay with it till I get there to shoo them away but most of the time they'll yell and try to smack them away. Luckily my girls are too quick to get smacked by someone. They haven't been kicked by any one but I'm worried it'll happen someday. I actually stopped taking them for a bit but other people there that are regulars said I should keep bringing them, they're just being huskies.

What I've noticed over time with the dogs at the parks is that when they 1st enter everyone "gangs up" to rough house a bit. Then 5 minutes later they stand around or mingle in smaller groups like their owners do. I left the park earlier then I wanted today because some guy had his dog there that was just intimidated by every animal with 2 or 4 legs. Then of course it was everyone else's fault that Biko and all the males wanted to hump it, whine whine and whine some more. Just STFU.

Here4thePics wrote:

What I've noticed over time with the dogs at the parks is that when they 1st enter everyone "gangs up" to rough house a bit. Then 5 minutes later they stand around or mingle in smaller groups like their owners do. I left the park earlier then I wanted today because some guy had his dog there that was just intimidated by every animal with 2 or 4 legs. Then of course it was everyone else's fault that Biko and all the males wanted to hump it, whine whine and whine some more. Just STFU.

Yup - have this issue a lot, because people bring dos that were poorly socialized and expect them to just fall right in with the group - listen people, if your dog was poorly socialized, its probably gonna be scare shitless.

My first husky Bella did great at the dog park and loved it. My second husky Fargo was great until a couple people were bringing very aggressive dogs so we stopped going. Lola is 10 months and plays a little rough. She is not good around small dogs. We tried the dog park once with her. I personally wasn't comfortable because we spend a lot of time keeping her away from small dogs. We looked at another park but the fence was only 4 foot tall so that was a no go. Lola goes to doggie day care for socialization plus we meet up with other dogs and owners at the entrance of a local woods. We might try the dog park again when she gets out of the "teenage" phase.

The town I live in is going to be moving our dog park as there is a Elementary school being built on the current dog park location. I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with creating/designing a dog park, and any ideas for what a great dog park would have... any ideas for our new park would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't designed a dog park but a few things I've noted that are nice at various dog parks I have been to:

Crucial:
Double-gate for leashing/unleashing purposes
Dog waste bag dispensers and containers
Water faucets
water buckets
Shaded areas
POSTED sign of rules
Good drainage- nothing is more irritating than a dog park that stays soggy because it doesn't have perimeter drains or at least some sort of slope (it doesn't take much of a slope to ensure water runs off and doesn't pool)


Nice:
Many dog parks have separate areas for small/big dog
Some of the dog parks have space to place flyers (i.e. missing dogs, found dogs)
Fake "fire hydrants", for all those leg lifters
Benches (not picnic tables!) I have found that picnic tables encourage people to chat and ignore their dogs, or do the BIG no-no and bring food into the park. Benches, when placed along the perimeter, allow the owners to sit while still having view of their dog(s).
A combo of shaded/sunny areas is nice so you can choose where you are with your dog depending upon the weather.

tr3mor wrote:

The town I live in is going to be moving our dog park as there is a Elementary school being built on the current dog park location.  I was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with creating/designing a dog park, and any ideas for what a great dog park would have... any ideas for our new park would be greatly appreciated.

This is a great dog park http://www.lightlink.com/tcdog/projects.html

http://www.lightlink.com/tcdog/files_photo_gallery/Photo_%20Gallery5.htm

Fully fenced, 5 acres, separate area for small dogs, double gated entry way there is also swimming area for the dogs, picnic tables scattered throughout, supplies compostable poop bags.

http://www.lightlink.com/tcdog/files_photo_gallery/Photo_gallery5/19.jpg

Here's one of a husky among friends, cooling off in the water (not mine)
http://www.lightlink.com/tcdog/files_photo_gallery/Photo_gallery5/39.jpg

The only problem is, if recall is sketchy, 5 acres is a lot of room for siberian to evade you  

I started taking Cora to the dog park (after all her needles and Rabies) and it was great in the beginning she made a friend, I have become friends with the dogs owner and it was great, Cora always did well in her puppy socialization classes she is great with dogs and people BUT last week Cora got attacked 3 times!!! Three freaking times! I was in raged, these older dogs with major aggression issue start playing with Cora then attack her? She has bite wounds on her neck from these incidents, why do people bring their dogs who clearly can not interact with other dogs to the park. I often see dogs chasing other dogs that have their tails tucked and ears flat like people go get your dog before it gets hurt and for the dogs doing the chasing time for another socialization class because clearly they can't read the signs. Another thing with the dog park in my area is the owners are just there to talk to other people. It's so sad I think I need to scope out a new dog park in Toronto Because my local one is pretty crazy, Cora even started to guard her water bottle (which I corrected right away and she no longer does) because she is learning from these other dogs ahhhh it's so sad I just want my puppy to have fun with other dogs

That's awful. I have pretty much stopped going to the dog park for similar reasons. There are either unstable/terrified dogs that my dog bullies, or aggressive dogs that start fights. I much prefer setting up play dates.

Also, just an FYI, a lot of people think dogs must sniff, play, or directly interact with other dogs in order for it to count as socialization. That's not totally true. Sitting on a bench in a busy park with you pup chilling out on the ground next to you watching dogs and people pass is totally socialization. Sitting outside the dog park watching other dogs also counts. Just because they aren't smelling/playing/chasing/interacting, doesn't mean she's not learning about socialization. It's a much safer way for her to learn and also teaches her that she can see and be around other dogs without always being allowed (or forced) to interact. It's lays groundwork for impulse control and calmness down the line.

Yes play dates are going to become my new best friend! and Yeah I do that type of work with Cora as well walking down the street and looking at a dog but not going crazy ect its all very important!

Yikes I'm sorry Zoe. I got kicked out of one once or twice for fighting. Loki did fine but someone always says something rude and apparently don't expect any repercussions. The attitudes of people at dog parks is seriously weird. It's not bad socialization for them and if she has a ton of energy it helps to burn it off but if it's causing problems I wouldn't go. Like Jen said there are lots of other ways to socialize. Even if you're just walking around the neighborhood she can meet people and learn to greet appropriately.

we don't have a dog park in our town, so we travel to another city. it has a big dog side with is about an acre and the small dog side has about half acre both have double locking door for bringing in you dog and leaving with a water station inside. 6ft high chain link fencing, some shade trees and a maintenance entrance. it has some benches and gazebo for people but no restrooms   . its built near the levee and very low traffic. it dose have benches in side the park and plenty of pooh bag stations and trash cans. usually has abut 2-10 dog on ether side, gets very busy before major holidays. most the owners are friendly and the dog get alone fine and have fun, the then there are those other people....      

And there are people that just don't pick up after there dog, the aggressive playing dog with lazy owners, possessive dogs that try and take things like toys, and the person that bring the small dog to the big dog side.

Leo was almost bite by a possessive mastiff thank goodness i was there to stop the massif, the owner was oblivious and texting     ; i had to holed two 80lb dogs by myself of course the mastiff was not biting or trying to do anything and his head was down wail i was holing him, some one else had to get his owners attention. Leo was a bit confused and a bit startled but was fine, after the dog got water they where fine no issues, thank god.
another time a aggressive playing dog wouldn't leave Leo alone keep pestering him the owner kept saying "their just playing"   , we had to leave. just a few minutes later his dog attacked another dog; haven't seen them at the park any more.
sorry for the rant.(but i feel so much better)

i would just be careful and always keep a close eye on your dog and those he plays with, be safe always trust your gut if thing don't feel right leave.

the benches are dangerous they the are made of metal, it looks like bent stripes with gaps where dog toes can get stuck or tags. which Leo's tags got stuck in last weekend, he was playing with another dog on the bench; i didn't get to him in time and he pulled off his tags bent his ring right in half and the c clip was more of an f clip. thank god his neck is OK. i hope the city changes them out for something much saver. no more collar when he goes in to the dog park any more.

Our local dog park has 3 large areas: one for small dogs; one for large dogs; one for "training" (meant for just a single dog or a couple of dogs from the same household).

Kiko is not very socialized yet, unfortunately.  He is afraid of other dogs and runs away when they bark.  We have not taken him to the dog park yet, but we discovered this fear of other dogs while on his regular walks in our neighborhood.  Also, if he meets any other person (anyone other than us), he goes crazy -- i mean CRAZY -- jumping up at them, jumping on them, screaming/barking and almost strangling himself trying to jump on this person. Yikes.

Unfortunately, I blame this behavior partially on our obedience to the "rule" that you should keep your puppy in your own yard and not expose him to any other dogs/feces etc until puppy shots are complete.  Now Kiko is just over 20 weeks and up until just a few weeks ago he never went out of our yard.  We live in a very small rural area, so he has also not been very exposed to strangers.

So ...anyway, about the dog park.  We have been planning to take Kiko there, to just the "training" pen where he can be alone in the pen with us but see/sniff other dogs and people through the fence, but not have physical contact at first.  Maybe this will be a good step toward socializing him and acclimating him to other dogs/people.

The thing is, Kiko is not very healthy.  Long story, but he has a serious heart murmur, and it seems that every day he has some issue or other (vomiting, diarrhea, eating something he shouldn't even though we watch him like a hawk but he grabs SOMETHING in a flash off the ground or in the house omg and swallows it).

Also our veterinarian is not a fan of dog parks in general -- we used to take our other husky Tundra there and we learned of horrible things that they can pick up there (like some type of warts? and other such stuff) -- so, well, I really want to take Kiko to the dog park because I feel he really really needs the exposure and experience, but yet I am so afraid to take him because he already has health problems and I don't seem to have much luck there when it comes to siberian husky health problems (my husky Tundra died from cushings+cancer+tick bite (erlichia?)) so jeeze, what do we do?

Anyway, I look forward to seeing other posts about dog parks and who uses them, because this is very foremost in my mind lately! Ty for bringing up the subject.

We haven't taken Akira to a dog park because she hasn't had all her shots yet PLUS there is a risk that there is poison there. Local Facebook group shared a story of a perfectly healthy dog starting to foam at the mouth after 5 minutes of being there. We take Akira for walks out of the yard and she is socializing really well. She used to be terrified of anyone that came by and is now interested in stopping for a visit. She was picked on by her litter mates and is getting over her fear of other dogs as well. So...the short answer is you don't have to use a dog park. Just keep walking him and be consistent with his training. When approaching people or dogs we will have Akira sit if we are allowing a stop to visit. If not we tell her "leave it" and "on by" as those are typical mushing commands. We use those because we will be training her to pull a kicksled when she is old enough. We use those same commands as she is getting distracted by leaves, sticks, etc and she has learned them quite quickly. Good luck!

We use our local dog park as well, however this is Vegas so no one goes until the sun is down. We have lights that go on and a hose with plenty of water buckets for dogs to use. There's always lots of huskies, german shepherds, and dobermans.

My husky likes to run around the perimeter and dunk her head completely into each water bucket, along with one of her paws in order to claim that bucket. She's hilarious and quite possessive. It's her goal to not let any dog get water - not in an aggressive way, I think she finds it funny herself.

I recommend for anyone to take their dogs to local dog parks so they become more socialized. My dog is overwhelmed with the freedom, she almost doesn't know what to do except run around the place nonstop. It's a wonderful thing to see how happy your dog can get just from running.

agreed, Leo loves to just run when we get to are dog park and digs in the water fountain and like to get his arms an chest wet. then his back in for round two lol.

I would take Yukon to the dog park... If the closest one wasn't 30 minutes away by car in an area of the state that I almost never go to. With the area in question being right off a busy road in a possibly sketchy neighborhood of course. :/

Having a safe, fenced in area to take my dog consistently to interact with other dogs sounds nice though. Maybe I can start taking him once a week or so now that I have a car and if I can find a better location...