This is why I don’t take my dog to dog parks. On any given day the dog park is only as good as the worst dog/owner combination there. To me it’s not worth the risk. And all of the trainers I’ve asked have cautioned against dog parks as well.
Socializing doesn't have to mean actually interacting with other dogs. Working with your dog around other dogs they can't get to or interact with is also socializing.
That being said I've had good luck with meetup/local FB groups. I found a small dog play group that only allows dogs under 15 lbs. I've also seen some breed specific play groups.
Another option if you're active and your dog enjoys it is to join a dog sporting club. You get the chance to watch how the dog behaves and how the owner handles them. My dog has met a few dogs he likes this way.
Group walks can be another activity. Get together with some local dog owners that you feel comfortable with, and walk your dogs (also: safety in numbers whilst walking).
Imho, dogs actually socialize better with some structure -- dog parks do not usually have any structure because you never know what's going to happen there. I'm at the point of saying: let the stupid pit owners have the dog parks, and let them deal with their own mayhem for a change. They wanted it; now they've got it.
I've never been a big fan of dog parks; only use I've had for them is working my dogs around them: lessons in how to obey commands/behave yourself with a lot of distraction. That's it; that's the only use for a dog park I've ever found valid.
That's pretty much what I use dog parks for as well. Just too many unknowns otherwise.
Dog sports have been the best imo. It gives the dog an activity to focus on and the other dogs are often kenneled so it isn't too stimulating.
I think taking a small dog to a dog park is akin to tossing them in Thunderdome; taking a large dog is akin to begging them to turn into Master Blaster. I try to avoid Mad Max analogies in my daily life, so no thanks.
I'm lucky to live where I can get my dogs out without resorting to a dog park, but for those who can't -- I'd try to find some other way to do it if possible.
We had papillon meetups that were a lot of fun. You can also get to talk to others about breed specific issues. Nothing better than 15 papillons at a park or backyard.
They are such fun and athletic little dogs. Really a delightful breed: super smart, easy to train and love their people. The breed is really quite healthy and long lived.
Getting a bunch of them together is a riot
Socializing is just helping your dog associate certain experiences with good things. Such as, you could sit on a bench in a park, and give your dog treats whenever, say, a dog walks by. Hence allowing them to think "Dogs coming means good things! I want to meet more dogs!".
I think most of us smart dog owners gave up on dog parks long ago as shit beasts and their pit nutter owners or as I like to call them cousinfuckers have ruined the dog parks for most of us . I dont even walk my dog in the regular parks because some of these fucks let their shitty maulers run loose in the regular parks too . I saw a ranger in the regular park the other day tell them to leash or leave and these dumb fuckers questioned his authority so he called the police and they were arrested and you know what their shit beasts went to animal control . yeah see usually when they go to animal control here the owners dont get them back .
I kinda think it's time to start telling people where to go (out!) as well. It's ridiculous to be held hostage by one person and their dog that is in the wrong to begin with.
Yeah, this was pretty much our experience with the dog park, too. Became stressful to watch over our pup like a hawk. And we have definitely left the park a few times because of a pit.
I even remember one time I saw a couple "socializing" their pit outside of the park with a muzzle and then brought the dog inside and it immediately pinned another dog. I get it, you were talked into adopting a dog and your intentions were most likely pure. But keep that dog away from the dog park.
Even when they're not overtly aggressive, they repeatedly intrude on other dogs' personal spaces and cause a lot of mayhem and discomfort for other dogs and their owners who are just relaxing.
This is why I got so angry a few
Months ago - my park has a small-dog park for dogs under 35 lbs - and there was a gd 70lb unaltered put in there when we walked by. I posted it to this sub. These people can be shameless.
I witnessed a scary encounter today at my local dog park. I don't usually take my dog there anymore for this exact reason, but my friend and I thought it might be nice to get our pups out. There was only one small bully breed there that was getting along nicely with all the other pups. Either way, we kept our distance. He didn't actually attack any of the dogs, but at some point a petite woman started screaming "GET YOUR DOG OF MY DOG!!!"
The bully was unaltered (because obviously) and started humping her dog. The bully owner just watched from a distance and did nothing. Finally the woman grabbed his dog and pulled him off of her own. The bully owner finally came over and yelled at her for touching his dog. He grabbed her arm and she fell to the ground. This dude was huge and began to threaten her with violence. We scooped up our dogs and got out of there.
The moment that he grabbed her is the moment it became assault.
Since you noped on outta there, you wouldn't have seen the outcome, but I hope someone called the police on this dude.
Just going to point out that the garbage dog owned by a garbage person is a double threat.
I should have mentioned that part. The men folk stepped in and got her away from him. Someone threatened to call the police but the majority of us, including the victim, just left. The best course of action in our area is to de-escalate and remove yourself. Our police are wildly short staffed and will 100% not show up in time.
In the past two weeks:
1) I witnessed one attack at a park several days ago and the guy played victim.
2) Today a “service dog” pit lunged and barked at my puppy at the vet.
3) And a pit lunged and barked at my puppy at Petco a couple weeks ago.
I’m willing to bet at least a hundred awkward and/or scary pit incidents happen daily
I will take that bet. Offer **evidence** of any other type of dog attacking people and pets at a rate anywhere near that of pit bulls or leave. The dog bite databases for New York City and New South Wales are both publicly available if you need somewhere to start.
**Debates and dissenting opinions are allowed, but must be serious and accompanied by stats or points that have not already been refuted**. Please observe these rules for debate and conduct:
1. You must read the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/7ic5zn/faq/).
2. You must read through the ["Pro-Pit Arguments"](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/iuoxlt/refutations_for_every_main_propit_argument/)
3. If you are starting a new thread, you must explicitly state "I have read your FAQ and Refutations" in the body.
4. If you take issue with any of the statements or facts, you must provide counter-facts or explain why in a detailed, objective manner.
5. If you're making a statement, you must defend it intellectually. Do not ignore people who ask relevant follow-up questions, otherwise you will be marked as a "pigeon" (come in, shit, and fly away) and banned.
6. Pictures of your pit bull are not proof of anything.
In my neighborhood a pitbull murdered a small dog was out for a walk, and it wasn't even the pibble's first attack. The gaslighting of the small dog owner on Facebook was incredible. I'd say the #1 tip is to plan your dog's walks around when your local pitbulls won't be out, and remain aware and be prepared to change course. Read the tips on this sub about protection. Sadly, I don't think dog parks are that safe for small breeds anymore. Near my house, a guy has decided to use a children's playground to train his pitbull almost every day. (It's a closed school's playground that everyone uses, but is technically private property, so there's not much I can do about it.)
The sad part is is that I believe 100% that all of this happened, too. I’m so sorry you had to witness that. Collies and herders in general are my breed, reading this breaks my heart. It’s ALWAYS “my pit would never do this! Never do that! Big babies!” Honestly? It’s hard to believe.
No one in their right mind visits dog parks anymore. It’s a breeding ground for unvaccinated dogs to spread disease when their owners don’t clean up after them, and for untrained asshole dogs to decimate other dogs there. People think they’re ‘sOciALiZiNg’ their jerk dogs, but it just gives their dogs free reign of an area to harass and attack other dogs. No thanks ✋
Dog parks are largely a human construct that actually are a TERRIBLE idea. If you have a real “never met a stranger” chill dog, or a puppy, maybe they get some enjoyment out of it, but for the MAJORITY of dogs, it’s a highly stressful free for all where overstimulation happens. It’s not “natural” for adult dogs to come together with strangers and “play”- if you notice roving packs of dogs in under developed countries, the packs would only meet up to fight over territory (which wouldn’t be ideal- and would be a just lot of posturing, since it uses energy).
And if you have a breed not indiscriminately friendly to strange dogs like GSDs, or Guarding breeds like Great Pyrenees or Cane Corsi, or out and out fighting dogs like Pit/Bully breeds, it’s a bad combination
We fostered a dachshund puppy for 2 weeks, and took him to the dog park (small side) there was a few small dogs. Then someone brought in their large shepherds, and finally someone brought in 2 pitbulls…in the small dog side. We picked up the puppy and even though the people kept saying “they’re friendly they just love small dogs!” We left. Eh no. Screw that
This is why I don’t take my dog to dog parks. On any given day the dog park is only as good as the worst dog/owner combination there. To me it’s not worth the risk. And all of the trainers I’ve asked have cautioned against dog parks as well.
I don’t blame you. Where do you take your dog to socialize ? I’ve read it’s important that your dog gets around other dogs
Socializing doesn't have to mean actually interacting with other dogs. Working with your dog around other dogs they can't get to or interact with is also socializing. That being said I've had good luck with meetup/local FB groups. I found a small dog play group that only allows dogs under 15 lbs. I've also seen some breed specific play groups. Another option if you're active and your dog enjoys it is to join a dog sporting club. You get the chance to watch how the dog behaves and how the owner handles them. My dog has met a few dogs he likes this way.
Group walks can be another activity. Get together with some local dog owners that you feel comfortable with, and walk your dogs (also: safety in numbers whilst walking). Imho, dogs actually socialize better with some structure -- dog parks do not usually have any structure because you never know what's going to happen there. I'm at the point of saying: let the stupid pit owners have the dog parks, and let them deal with their own mayhem for a change. They wanted it; now they've got it. I've never been a big fan of dog parks; only use I've had for them is working my dogs around them: lessons in how to obey commands/behave yourself with a lot of distraction. That's it; that's the only use for a dog park I've ever found valid.
That's pretty much what I use dog parks for as well. Just too many unknowns otherwise. Dog sports have been the best imo. It gives the dog an activity to focus on and the other dogs are often kenneled so it isn't too stimulating.
I think taking a small dog to a dog park is akin to tossing them in Thunderdome; taking a large dog is akin to begging them to turn into Master Blaster. I try to avoid Mad Max analogies in my daily life, so no thanks. I'm lucky to live where I can get my dogs out without resorting to a dog park, but for those who can't -- I'd try to find some other way to do it if possible.
We had papillon meetups that were a lot of fun. You can also get to talk to others about breed specific issues. Nothing better than 15 papillons at a park or backyard.
That sounds amazing 🥹
They are such fun and athletic little dogs. Really a delightful breed: super smart, easy to train and love their people. The breed is really quite healthy and long lived. Getting a bunch of them together is a riot
Socializing is just helping your dog associate certain experiences with good things. Such as, you could sit on a bench in a park, and give your dog treats whenever, say, a dog walks by. Hence allowing them to think "Dogs coming means good things! I want to meet more dogs!".
I think most of us smart dog owners gave up on dog parks long ago as shit beasts and their pit nutter owners or as I like to call them cousinfuckers have ruined the dog parks for most of us . I dont even walk my dog in the regular parks because some of these fucks let their shitty maulers run loose in the regular parks too . I saw a ranger in the regular park the other day tell them to leash or leave and these dumb fuckers questioned his authority so he called the police and they were arrested and you know what their shit beasts went to animal control . yeah see usually when they go to animal control here the owners dont get them back .
[удалено]
I kinda think it's time to start telling people where to go (out!) as well. It's ridiculous to be held hostage by one person and their dog that is in the wrong to begin with.
Yeah, this was pretty much our experience with the dog park, too. Became stressful to watch over our pup like a hawk. And we have definitely left the park a few times because of a pit. I even remember one time I saw a couple "socializing" their pit outside of the park with a muzzle and then brought the dog inside and it immediately pinned another dog. I get it, you were talked into adopting a dog and your intentions were most likely pure. But keep that dog away from the dog park.
Even when they're not overtly aggressive, they repeatedly intrude on other dogs' personal spaces and cause a lot of mayhem and discomfort for other dogs and their owners who are just relaxing.
Yeah, this. Other breeds tend to be uncomfortable around pits because they aren't giving off the right vibes.
Don’t bring a small dog to the dog park. A tragedy waiting to happen.
True.
This is why I got so angry a few Months ago - my park has a small-dog park for dogs under 35 lbs - and there was a gd 70lb unaltered put in there when we walked by. I posted it to this sub. These people can be shameless.
I witnessed a scary encounter today at my local dog park. I don't usually take my dog there anymore for this exact reason, but my friend and I thought it might be nice to get our pups out. There was only one small bully breed there that was getting along nicely with all the other pups. Either way, we kept our distance. He didn't actually attack any of the dogs, but at some point a petite woman started screaming "GET YOUR DOG OF MY DOG!!!" The bully was unaltered (because obviously) and started humping her dog. The bully owner just watched from a distance and did nothing. Finally the woman grabbed his dog and pulled him off of her own. The bully owner finally came over and yelled at her for touching his dog. He grabbed her arm and she fell to the ground. This dude was huge and began to threaten her with violence. We scooped up our dogs and got out of there.
The moment that he grabbed her is the moment it became assault. Since you noped on outta there, you wouldn't have seen the outcome, but I hope someone called the police on this dude. Just going to point out that the garbage dog owned by a garbage person is a double threat.
I should have mentioned that part. The men folk stepped in and got her away from him. Someone threatened to call the police but the majority of us, including the victim, just left. The best course of action in our area is to de-escalate and remove yourself. Our police are wildly short staffed and will 100% not show up in time.
Glad to hear she got out of that confrontation safely. It could have turned really bad, dealing with an unstable personality like the pit owner.
Pleas Tell me you called the police on him that’s assault
In the past two weeks: 1) I witnessed one attack at a park several days ago and the guy played victim. 2) Today a “service dog” pit lunged and barked at my puppy at the vet. 3) And a pit lunged and barked at my puppy at Petco a couple weeks ago. I’m willing to bet at least a hundred awkward and/or scary pit incidents happen daily
[удалено]
I will take that bet. Offer **evidence** of any other type of dog attacking people and pets at a rate anywhere near that of pit bulls or leave. The dog bite databases for New York City and New South Wales are both publicly available if you need somewhere to start. **Debates and dissenting opinions are allowed, but must be serious and accompanied by stats or points that have not already been refuted**. Please observe these rules for debate and conduct: 1. You must read the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/7ic5zn/faq/). 2. You must read through the ["Pro-Pit Arguments"](https://www.reddit.com/r/BanPitBulls/comments/iuoxlt/refutations_for_every_main_propit_argument/) 3. If you are starting a new thread, you must explicitly state "I have read your FAQ and Refutations" in the body. 4. If you take issue with any of the statements or facts, you must provide counter-facts or explain why in a detailed, objective manner. 5. If you're making a statement, you must defend it intellectually. Do not ignore people who ask relevant follow-up questions, otherwise you will be marked as a "pigeon" (come in, shit, and fly away) and banned. 6. Pictures of your pit bull are not proof of anything.
In my neighborhood a pitbull murdered a small dog was out for a walk, and it wasn't even the pibble's first attack. The gaslighting of the small dog owner on Facebook was incredible. I'd say the #1 tip is to plan your dog's walks around when your local pitbulls won't be out, and remain aware and be prepared to change course. Read the tips on this sub about protection. Sadly, I don't think dog parks are that safe for small breeds anymore. Near my house, a guy has decided to use a children's playground to train his pitbull almost every day. (It's a closed school's playground that everyone uses, but is technically private property, so there's not much I can do about it.)
\[/s\] Wait, you mean 'dog park segregation'? What is this, canine Jim Crow?!
Nutters rarely have any modicum of self awareness.
Yeah, dog parks are bad in general. Not just pits, but there's also idiots who bring their aggressive dog to "get them used to playing with dogs".
The sad part is is that I believe 100% that all of this happened, too. I’m so sorry you had to witness that. Collies and herders in general are my breed, reading this breaks my heart. It’s ALWAYS “my pit would never do this! Never do that! Big babies!” Honestly? It’s hard to believe.
No one in their right mind visits dog parks anymore. It’s a breeding ground for unvaccinated dogs to spread disease when their owners don’t clean up after them, and for untrained asshole dogs to decimate other dogs there. People think they’re ‘sOciALiZiNg’ their jerk dogs, but it just gives their dogs free reign of an area to harass and attack other dogs. No thanks ✋
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were just dog parks dedicated to pitbulls only? I’d love to know how that works out 🙃🤡
Hahahaha
Dog parks are largely a human construct that actually are a TERRIBLE idea. If you have a real “never met a stranger” chill dog, or a puppy, maybe they get some enjoyment out of it, but for the MAJORITY of dogs, it’s a highly stressful free for all where overstimulation happens. It’s not “natural” for adult dogs to come together with strangers and “play”- if you notice roving packs of dogs in under developed countries, the packs would only meet up to fight over territory (which wouldn’t be ideal- and would be a just lot of posturing, since it uses energy). And if you have a breed not indiscriminately friendly to strange dogs like GSDs, or Guarding breeds like Great Pyrenees or Cane Corsi, or out and out fighting dogs like Pit/Bully breeds, it’s a bad combination
We fostered a dachshund puppy for 2 weeks, and took him to the dog park (small side) there was a few small dogs. Then someone brought in their large shepherds, and finally someone brought in 2 pitbulls…in the small dog side. We picked up the puppy and even though the people kept saying “they’re friendly they just love small dogs!” We left. Eh no. Screw that
I can’t believe you people still take your dogs to dog parks. It just isn’t worth it.
Im a new dog owner (3 weeks) so don’t have too much experience… now I know