I had an interesting conversation about off lead dog parks with one of my clients at group class today. So thought I'd write a short article on my views in regards to off lead dog parks.

Question: Should I take my dog to an off lead dog park to ensure my dog is well socialised with other dogs?

Answer: NO!

Sometimes we can create too much stress and insecurity in our dogs. I have lost count of the number of clients over the years that have told me, "my dog was attacked by another dog in an off lead dog park, now he is scared of other dogs has become aggressive and wants to attack them".

Many dog owners are taking their dog to a dog park believing it's what their dog wants. I stand back and watch dogs in dog parks regularly, and quite often I see dogs in these parks displaying very stressed body language that the owner is not picking up on. Yet the dogs owner believing this socialisation is what their dog wants or needs.

I see so many dogs in these parks, displaying overly assertive and dominant behaviour, which in turn creates challenges with other dogs, and stressing weaker energy dogs. Also creating challenges between high energy dogs.

We really do need to get away from humanising our dogs so much. Some dog owners feel guilty if they don't take their dog to a dog park a few times a week to socialise with his/her "friends". Our dogs don't sit in the back yard at home wishing they were down the park playing with Freddy and Mary. All dogs really need is quality time and interaction within their own pack, the family. Your dog will receive much more benefit going for long walks with you, and/or going to a park and throwing a ball, than mixing with other dogs in an uncontrolled and unsupervised off lead dog park.

Let us get back to basics and understand a dogs 'natural' pack instincts. A domesticated dog is still by nature a social pack animal. A pack animal lives in 'a' pack, not a number of different packs.  So when we take our dog to a dog park, we are in reality saying to our dog, these dogs here also belong to our pack. And as there are new dogs in the park each time we go, we are introducing our dog to a new pack member(s) each time. This is all fine if the pack is well balanced, and there is a leader(s), and I mean human leaders here. We need leaders to keep the pack balanced and under control, so as to avoid challenges for territory, space and control. We need leaders to keep the energy of the dogs to an acceptable level so as to be sure no overly assertive or dominant behaviour is allowed. The biggest problem with a dog park is in most cases the dogs are in control, not the humans, and this is where all the trouble starts.

Just about every dog park I go visit, and sit back and watch dog owners coming to the park with their dog, I see dogs entering with way over the top anxiety and assertiveness. Dogs dragging their owners into the park, barking and/or displaying overly tense and dominant body language. Then letting their dog off the lead to run around trying to dominate the dogs in the park. Most owners see this as just a dog being excited about seeing his 'friends'! I see this behaviour as a dog that is way out of control, and being rewarded for anxiety, assertive behaviour, and the reason for so many dog fights and attacks in dog parks.

If dog parks were better supervised by a human leader, and the energy levels and behaviour was kept to an acceptable level, and therefore maintaining a well balanced pack, then I would have no issue with dog parks. However this is never going to happen, and the number one reason I have never, and will never take my dog to an off lead dog park. These parks in most cases  have way too many chiefs (dogs) running around without a leader enforcing rules boundaries and limits, to maintain a well balanced pack, as would happen naturally in a 'real' dog pack..

Too many dog owners allow their dogs to charge into these parks, with their dog in totally the wrong state of mind, and then wonder why their dog was attacked by another dog. Or their dog continually hassles a weaker energy dog causing untold stress on that weaker dog. Or why their insecure dog is a target for other dogs to dominate and at times become aggressive too.

We also must accept that there are some dogs that are just 'not' social dogs, and no matter how often we take them to an off lead dog park, they will not learn to become social with other dogs. Again, many dog owners do not understand this. Some do not even see their dog as not social even when taking their dog to a dog park, thinking.. "Oh he will improve over time", not realising their dog is totally stressed. Most aggressive responses in dogs in dog parks can be attributed to the following:

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Stress

Dog Daycares

I am in favour of dog daycares such as Dogcity in Kent Town. Dog daycares are popping up all over the country and are becoming very popular. If run correctly, I believe they are of great benefit to dog owners and their dogs. However the BIG point to understand here.. they should be run correctly!

Dog daycares are excellent for dog owners that want their dogs to socialise with other dogs to help burn up energy during the day when the owners are not home. Or for dogs that are bored at home, and are destructive and/or incessant barkers in the back yard or in the home. Or dogs that have become frustrated at home, and this frustration is contributing to aggressive behaviour. The amount of mental and physical stimulation these dogs receive in a well run daycare centre is invaluable. All dogs that spend a day, or even a half day, in one of these well run facilities, are by the time they get home, tired both mentally and physically. Not only this but drives such as prey drive has been totally satisfied.

I have had a lot to do with helping the staff at Dogcity to understand pack social dynamics, and how to keep and maintain a well balanced pack.  Their staff are always in attendance and stay with the packs. The attendants see themselves as the leader of that particular pack, and maintain rules boundaries and limits within their particular pack. They are always monitoring the dogs energy levels and behaviour, understanding that there is a level that the energy levels must not go beyond, and how much assertive behaviour is acceptable so as not to create over the top challenges or stress in the dogs. We need to of course allow the dogs to socialise happily and stress free, yet not allow the dogs to become overly assertive or domineering during play.

Dog daycares that just allow the dogs to rule the pack, such as is the case at off lead dog parks, with little to no understanding of dog pack social dynamics, are in my opinion a recipe for disaster. Dog daycares that just see their facility like a childrens play group, and not setting rules and boundaries within the packs and monitoring energy levels, are not one I would want to send my dog too. They need to totally understand pack social dynamics, body language, and see all the dogs within their facility as pack animals that need a leader to keep that particular pack naturally balanced, happy and stress free.

I encourage anyone in Adelaide that wants to see a well run dog daycare, to visit Dogcity, and watch through the observation window at how the dogs are behaving within the individual packs; and how the staff are continually aware of, and maintaining the energy levels of the dogs at an acceptable level, and keeping assertive behaviour to a minimum, so there is no dominance related challenging between dogs, or over the top bullying by dogs toward other dogs, especially the weaker and more insecure dogs. A well balanced pack is a happy stress free pack.

So in my opinion off lead dog parks are not always the best place to socialise our dogs, due to these parks not being supervised correctly..  Actually there is no supervision at all by someone that understands dog social pack dynamics and body language, to keep the dogs in the park at an acceptable level in regards to energy and assertive behaviour. I see way too many stressed dogs in these parks, that the dogs owner doesn't realise, is affecting their dog negatively. And way too many using dog parks as a place for their dogs to just burn off excessive energy, without any control, or boundaries and limits maintained, and creating stress in other dogs within these parks. Or allowing dogs to become to assertive towards other dogs and therefore creating over the top challenges between dogs, and stressing other weaker dogs.