Order In The Dog Park

I love the dog park! For an all-be-it unwilling suburbanite like me it can be a godsend. My alternatives are pounding the pavement while choking down exhaust fumes, driving miles to reach an area that at least has pretensions of being countryside, or confining my canines to the backyard. However, there are also some definite drawbacks to the park, not least of which is ….

The Old Maid Owner. This guy hovers over his pet in a perpetual state of nervous anxiety that Fifi will do something he thinks she shouldn’t do or that another dog will do something nasty to Fifi. His over-protectiveness is usually accompanied by a steady spate of instruction that his pet doesn’t remotely understand. “Fifi, you shouldn’t do that.” “Fifi, leave that alone.” “Don’t worry, Fifi. Daddy will chase that nasty dog away.” “You mustn’t drink that water, precious. It’s dirty.” The problem here, of course, is that the owner’s nervous tension transfers to his pet who becomes more and more hyper herself.

The See-Nothing, Do-Nothing Owner. There are plenty of these at my regular dog park. They seem to think that the park is a place for them to socialize, and while they gossip together in their little group they’re completely oblivious to the fact that their hound just pooped a mountain, or is tormenting Fifi, or leaping on other unsuspecting owners, or digging a hole to China in the walkway. What’s worse, however nicely you try and bring these problems to their attention, they close ranks tighter than a duck’s ass and rudely dismiss you.

The Steeped-In-Denial Owner. There’s a woman whose newfoundland has been in several fights. The dog is definitely dominant-aggressive and the owner is definitely passive-obtuse. A recent altercation ended with a labrador needing 18 stitches and a court case ensuing. I’ve come across this woman with her dogs on two occasions since and, both times, there have been problems involving this same dog, yet she still insists that it his not her canine’s fault. She even proclaimed on one of these occasions that my dog, Angel, was really happy to see the newfie. In fact, Angel was in more of a submissive panic mode because the dog had once attacked her, so she clung to my side like glue.

Without mincing words I’ve given this woman my opinion that her lack of control over her pet is a serious hazard and, if she insists on bringing her dog into the park, the animal should be muzzled. I might as well tiptoe through the tulips for all the good it did.

The Panic Attack. Then there are the owners who completely freak out. Here’s an example. A very large and very bouncy (but friendly) Rottweiler puppy basically sat on another dog (mid-sized) in play. Who knows why, but the dog’s owner lost it and started shrieking at the puppy, waving her arms in the air and zipping around like a whirling dervish. Not surprisingly, the commotion got the attention of every other dog in the park and they all came running to get involved in the fray, which escalated into total bedlum and the poor rotty puppy got hurt. Not too badly, but this was a situation that should never have happened. And, I have to add this, it seems that women are far more likely to react this way than men.

You might have noticed by now that all my criticisms are directed at the pet parents and not their pets. I’m firmly of the belief that it’s a very rare occurrence to have a bad dog and that blame for a dog’s bad behavior lands firmly at the feet of the owner.

Macho Man (or Woman). Usually it’s men who are guilty of this though, recently, a woman was badly bitten at my park when she committed the cardinal error of stepping into the middle of a dog-fight and reaching down to try and grab her pet. Who knows which dog actually bit her? Not that any of the dogs went after her intentionally. But what do you expect when stick your hand in the middle of a host of snarling snapping fangs? Here’s a tip. If you can’t head off a fight before it starts (learn the signs, if you don’t already know), then walk away. Most fights resolve themselves quickly and, most often, without serious injury. If you absolutely must interfere, then grab the dog’s tail and haul him away. Don’t get in the middle and reach down. More than likely you’ll aggravate the situation and risk a nasty injury yourself.

Health Risks. Any time your dog interacts with others there are health risks other than injury from fights. If your pet is healthy, the likelihood of him catching anything is slim. But don’t take your mutt to the park if he’s not up to par, and keep him away from any dog who looks at all under the weather.

Fleas and ticks can be a problem at some parks. Even if the grounds are treated other dogs bring in the little critters and pass them along. So check your own pup carefully.

The thing that bothers me the most, is dog poop. Not only is it foul-smelling when left lying but it can pose a serious health risk – to your dog and you! Animal waste is one of the most common sources of a number of diseases – coccidia, giardia, hookworms, parvovirus, roundworms, and whipworms. Animal feces can take a year to disintegrate but parasites can remain in the soil for many years. And here’s another thing – the “Fido Hypothesis”, which relates to how your dog’s waste can affect the water we drink. So be sure you have plenty of scooper bags with you at all times!

“If your dog is fat, you’re not getting enough exercise”.  ~Author Unknown