Recall Class Sydney – Why Dog Parks Are Bad

Eazy Dog Training – The Dog Park Is Not Good

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Especially for city dogs that don’t have backyards to exercise in, dog parks can sound like a great idea. It provides your dog with great exercise and playtime with other dogs. There is nothing natural, however, about dogs that aren’t familiar with one another to be put in large groups and expected to play together. This is why early positive socialisation is crucial. Unfortunately, my experience as a dog trainer for over 11 years has shown me that a lot of dogs lack socialisation and positive experiences with other dogs. This affects their behaviour. Many of us just accept the assumption that dog parks are good places to socialize a dog, but that may not be the case.

What does socialisation mean?

Socialisation isn’t just dogs interacting or socialising with other dogs, but rather, the process of exposing young puppies under 16 weeks to multiple positive experiences. This means people, dog, other animals, sounds, sights, smells, situations and environments. Dog play is just a small part of it all.

>Dog parks are not a safe place to socialise a puppy under 6-12 months old. During our puppy’s early months and the first year, they are more sensitive to experiences, so a rambunctious greeter at the park may be enough to cause our puppy to be uncertain of all dogs. And any negative encounters might cause a life long trauma.

The goal for socializing young puppies is to ensure they have only positive interactions and to avoid any overwhelming or frightening situations. Instead of taking puppies to a dog park for socialisation, puppy classes would be a better option. A park setting also allows dogs to pick up bad habits from one another and is definitely not a place you want to bring a dog who is under-socialised.

Playground bullies

Although dogs are social animals and regularly engage in various forms of play, the unnatural setup of a dog park can be challenging and too over-whelming. Many people bring their dogs to the park to burn off excess energy, but these dogs often display over-aroused and rude behaviour that can trigger issues. Unfortunately, just because an owner thinks their dog plays well with others, doesn’t mean they always do. This is because people rarely truly understand canine behaviour. We tend to focus on the intention rather than what is actually happening. A dog whose intention is to play but who focuses on a dog who doesn’t want to play is, unfortunately, a bully in that scenario.

Having your dog in a dog park requires trusting that everyone in the park is monitoring their dog and managing their behaviour, and is a good judge about whether their dog should be in the park in the first place. That’s a lot of trust to put in a stranger. And it often backfires. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who think that a dog park is a good learning environment for their anti-social, reactive or/and timid dogs.

Canine Language

Most dog owners aren’t skilled at reading their dog’s body language beyond a wagging tail. This is something I’ve noticed in my puppy schools when we talk about canine behaviour: most people think that a wagging tail is always a sign of happiness. Warning signals that your dog is uncomfortable, unhappy or angry are very often ignored at dog parks. This leads to minor and major dog fights. Understanding canine body language is key to supporting your dog’s comfort and safety, and assessing if a playgroup at the dog park is going to be a good idea or not. The dog park is not a place for you to let your dog run unsupervised while you socialize with other people.

Dog park might exercise your dog – But it is not enough mental stimulation.

On a good day, a visit to the dog park may physically tire out your dog – for a moment. But the visit won’t actually provide your dog with the kind of enriching mental stimulation that dogs need on a daily basis. Dog parks, unfortunately, are often more about humans than they are about dogs. As much as humans enjoy the chance to socialise with other like-minded dog lovers while our dogs play, it’s far safer and more fun for your dog to skip the dog park and spend that time engaging intentionally with you and their surroundings by going on walks, training or taking an obedience class or even trying a new sport together.

At the end of the day, you’re the one who decides if the risks outweigh the benefits of dog parks. However, there is no shame in not surrendering your dog to what has become the city dog experience: running with dozens of strangers unsupervised as people stand by, looking at their phones or gossiping. Make the time you have with your dog meaningful and enriching. After all, your dog wants to spend time with you, too. And I bet your dog will be better behaved than the free-roaming park dogs!

Eazy Dog Training Classes in Sydney

• Recall Class
• Leash Manners Class
• Basic Obedience Class
• Beginner’s Agility Class
• Puppy Schools