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Are dog parks good for your dog?

To answer this question we must  understand dogs natural instincts, and understand why at times taking your dog to a dog park could be just asking for trouble.

As humans we live by completely different laws and rules than our canine friends. We must firstly remember that dogs are naturally territorial, and even though domesticated still live by pack instinct.

Dogs at an early age are taught social skills by adult dogs which includes how to behave within a dogpack, and how to relate to other dogs within the pack. Many dog owners are teaching their young puppies totally unacceptable, anti-social and un-natural behaviour, due to a lack of understanding natural dog instincts and in some instances by using incorrect training methods.

When we are imprintng in a young puppy that it is ok to be assertive and charge up to family members, friends and strangers, jump all over them and demand attention, we are teaching our puppy incorrect canine social behaviour. Dogs in their natural environment within a pack are imprinted at a young age that there is a correct way to introduce yourself to another dog and correct social skills.

To many dogs that go to dog parks are entering these areas with the wrong state of mind and therefore body language. Because many dogs have been conditioned at a young age that the correct way to socialise and introduce yourself is to go barreling in, display dominant and/or assertive body language and demand attention, these dogs are attracting the wrong type of attention when they enter these parks.

It only takes one dog displaying the wrong body language and project the wrong energy to come into a park full of well socialised dogs and the entire dynamics of the otherwise peaceful pack is disrupted.

Many owners that go to dog parks blame the other dog for becoming aggressive toward their dog, when in most circumstances it was their own dog coming into a pack projecting the wrong energy and displaying the wrong body language. The dog that just came into the pack doesn't even have to show any aggression to the other dogs, for there to be a shift in energy within the pack. When this new dog enters in an unacceptable way, then higher members of the pack within this park will have no choice but to deal with this situation and challenge this new dog.

It is so important that we as the senior pack members, imprint into our young puppies acceptable behaviour when introducing itself to other members of its pack (family) or friends and strangers that come into the pack.

So many times I have seen a well intentioned dog owner bring a dog into a dog park, their dog goes charging into the pack of dogs and demands attention from the dogs, projecting overly dominant and assertive body language (as that is how it has been conditioned to react at home). This dog is then challenged by a senior ranking member of this pack because of its behaviour. Now because this new dog has never been taught the correct social skill of knowing how to introduce itself correctly to pack members and more importantly how to submit naturally to a higher ranking dog when it was a puppy, it fights back in defence.

Hence we now have a dog fight. The fight is broken up, the owner of this dog berrates the owner of the other dog for having an aggressive dog in a park, and leaves the park angry and upset, and in many cases reporting this dogs owner to the council for owning an aggressive dog. This well intentioned dog owner, not understanding dogs natural instincts, does not realise that it was his/her dog that upset the entire dynamics of this otherwise peaceful park, and created the challenge that took place.

Teaching young puppies correct social skills at an early age is just so important. It saddens me that so many dogs each year are put to sleep due to incorrect puppy imprinting and due to being taught unacceptable canine social behaviour.

Remember, we as pack leader for our dog must take on the role as teacher and teach our puppies acceptable social skills, not just what we consider as acceptable in our own home, or what is best for us, but what is naturally accepted and best for canines in their natural state.

Many tend to see their dogs as children, and feel that if they don't socialise their dog at a dog park, they are being mean to their dog. I can guarantee you one thing.. your dog does not sit in the back yard day dreaming or wishing it was out socialising with other dogs. Dogs instinctively consider themselves as members of 'a' pack. Taking our dogs for walks, and excercising them within our own pack is much more important than socialising your dog with other dogs. And may I say, more natural to our dogs.

I have NEVER taken any of my dogs to an off lead dog park. I see no reason too, as my dog belongs to one pack... That pack is all my dog needs. I do not condition my dog to consider ALL dogs as members of its pack...... Socialising your dog with strange dogs in an uncontrolled free for all area, is only asking for eventual trouble....