Does anybo...wait, let me slip on my TIFF hat. *slips on TIFF hat* There! That's better. I shall now proceed...

Does anybody here ever take his/her dog to dog parks?

We often take our dogs to a couple of dog parks in the area.

Do you have any specific questions? If you have a fairly happy and well-socialized dog it can be a LOT of fun!

I like the idea of dog parks, but I wouldn't just go to any dog park. :p

I've taken my dog a couple of times, but normally 1 of 2 things happens. Either 1) there're hardly any dogs there and mine is disinterested in what's going on and spends the time staring at me instead of frolicking around OR 2) some asshat* has brought their ill behaved, aggressive dog or ill behaved obnoxious child, causing me to immediately drag mine out of the park.

I like the idea of dog parks in theory, but I haven't found one yet that lives up to my expectations.

*One time at the dog park, some moron lady attempted to feed her dog amongst the pack of 20 that were there. And I don't mean slip a dog cookie, she actually brought the dog's food bowl and filled it with kibble.

My sister likes to go and take my moms dog to do it.

She enjoys it. The one around here has 2 seperated.. one for small dogs and one for big dogs (that might be usual?).
It seems like a cool idea. There are a few things that i think would turn me off from it though.

I can't remember -- did I tell you guys this story already?



We haven't gone back to the dog park since. It really made me reconsider my opinion on dog parks ... and since my parents live 25ish minutes away, on acreage, we usually just take our pack there if they really need to stretch their legs.

Wow, I guess I'm pretty spoiled by the Madison parks! The one we go to often is probably like 100 acres with trails and paths and lots of space -- and the people there are pretty smart about things.

We do go a lot less now that we have a house with an actual yard.

No.

My dog goes into sensory overload at such places. He's also not very social. He can barely go to the regular park. Petsmart is enough to cause him to have a psychotic break. So he mostly stays at home and lives vicariously through the occasional truck ride.

Don't have dog parks.

Paddy

Sounds like me.

One of the rules at my new hangout, Bark Bark Park, states: Do not bring any animals other than dogs into S__________ Bark Park. What in the holy hell would someone bring besides a dog? A cat? A ferret? A desert tortoise? A clydesdale?

Well, my new dog is simply awful. I was so arrogant and thought I was such hot shit at animal behavior and training. Boy, did I learn that I was a moron the hard way! I don't know why I assumed dog training would be any different than the rest of my life - I always take the path of least resistance. Basically, I am lazy and I just don't care too much about anything that might take effort. (I'm sort of like a pothead but I don't smoke the weed.) This laziness comes in handy with riding. Everybody is fooled into thinking I am a quiet rider, a kind rider, a soft rider. But this is not really the case: I am just sitting up there not doing anything.

So, I hired this goddamn dog trainer that trains some of the certified "therapy dogs" at work. PRIVATE lessons b/c The New Dog was in no way ready to attend a group lesson. This dog is a remedial, special ed student if I've ever seen one. (And, by the way, I have seen one.) Good Lord! To follow this woman's training program I'd be spending my monthly income on dog treats! The training basically consisted of planned ignoring combined with praise/rewards for engaging in appropriate behavior. It went pretty well for a few weeks but The Count never bought into the program. So I spent most of my time scolding The Count (planned ignoring doesn't work with him and, since he never engages in appropriate behavior, there is nothing to praise/reward) for ruining all my hard work with the dog. Not to mention throwing away all the money I paid for the dog training, which could have been better spent on beer and cigarettes.

More to follow...(some of us have to work for a living.)

Alexa, I am soooooo confused! Is the Count still in residence?!

I used to bring my Lhasa-Apso x Poodle, Max, to dog parks, but all he does is sit on the benches with people until we leave.

He's scared of other dogs like that; apparently there was an evil Golden living with him for the first 2 years of his life that scared him to death of other dogs... but he LOVES people. So much that if there's a squirrel running around and people sitting on the bench, he'll run over to the bench without a second glance at the squirrel.

Also, Alexa... once I saw someone herd a duck into the park for her dog to chase. It managed to find a hole in the side and scurry out. She also chose the time that the Animal Control officer made his daily visit to be cheering her crazed dog on in it's pursuit of a poor and scared duck. Needless to say, that person didn't come back.
There was also a sign on the door the next day asking that we do not bring other creatures into the park or we could face a fine of up to $1000 dollars. Wow.

Yeas - that man is like a fucking barnacle stuck to the hull.

No dog parks for me. I would hate to have to break some dogs neck with my bare hands if it attacked/went after my baby.

So, suffice to say, The New Dog is a mess. It sort of gave me a good perspective on some of the parents of "difficult" children. You know, as a "mental health professional" in the "school environment" it is really easy for me to lecture parents about how to handle their kids at home. I can create brilliant behavior plans, advise them on how to manage their child's behavior to avoid a crisis, explain to them the most effective way to react if a crisis occurs, etc. Not only will my advice be helpful in the short term but it will improve a child's behavior over the long haul. I'm just that good.

So, when parents would come back telling me they didn't follow the plan, or they gave in to the child when it started to throw a hissy fit, etc. I would explain that, every time you give in, you are teaching the child that this behavior (throwing a tantrum, for example) works and are increasing the likelihood of it happening again. A parent would claim to understand but would just say it was too difficult so they would just give in. At that point, I would feel all smug and superior, thinking that I would have no problem dealing with the kid.

Well, I can't even enforce rules and regulations with MY DOG! I work all day and come home and I am just too damn tired to give a shit if she jumps up all over me and goes insane. And she still puts her teeth on EVERYTHING HUMAN. And, when The Count yells at her for biting, you can see her anxiety go up so that leads to MORE BITING. Happy = Biting. Anxious = Biting. Excited = Biting. Wants to Play = Biting. Now, I really do not believe this is fear aggression or any type of true aggressive behavior. Putting her teeth on shit is the "go to" behavior for any emotionality in this dog.

When you really give her a big scolding for nipping, she goes nuts and starts sprinting around in figure eights. She gets really long and low and it looks like she is herding invisible sheep. Really psychotic and super fast invisible sheep.

I avoid scolding and really try to use redirection/reward and planned ignoring but mostly I have given up and use nothing. Just go ahead and chew on me until you calm down.

So, I have caught a couple of those Caesar Milan episodes on the TV and, from what I gather, his basic premise = more exercise solves every behavior problem. Okay, I can do that. I can take my dog for a walk. No problem.

The problem is, Dog is younger, in better shape, more athletic, and has way more energy than me. So, my idea of a walk, even when I add an element of jogging to it, does nothing but amp this dog up for more. I was bred to sit behind a desk for 8 hours, eat a fatty dinner, and then recline on a couch, digesting and basking in the soft glow of the television, until I have stored up enough energy to walk to bed and climb in. Dog seems to have been bred with a slightly different purpose in mind.

So, the walks were a bust. I recalled Mr. Milan also had some big pack of dogs and maybe that was somehow part of his training magic. Maybe the other dogs kick the bad dog's ass when the owner is too lazy or ineffective? Or maybe the other dogs simply run the bad dog off his ass so bad dog finally has no energy left for badness? Anyway, I wasn't sure how Mr. Milan's Dog Pack Training worked, or what the theoretical underpinnings were, but I decided that I was capable of sitting on my ass while a pack of other dogs trained my dog for me. This meant that all I needed to do was locate a pack of dogs. A pack of dogs willing to do my work for me, free of charge.

Hmm... my dog might be willing to work as part of the pack. For treats, of course, and first we'd have to try and get him to go near a dog... but hey, he'd be totally willing to volunteer his perfect training! (He came completely trained as a 2 year old. Lucky me.)

The story doesn't end there. I found a pack of dogs. I just needed to take a break to "celebrate" stupid Turkey and First American Killing Day.

It all depends on the "energy" status of the other dogs; in Cesar Millan's case, the pack of dogs he has are mostly "balanced", which makes a difference when an "unbalanced" dog enters into the mix. In other words, if you throw an "unbalanced" dog into a pack of also unbalanced dogs, it'll be a disaster. :X

See, this is why I should have watched an episode in its entirety prior to heading off to Bark Bark Park. Luckily, God looks out for drunks and fools, so Hari and I have survived four Bark Bark Park excursions without incident.

Also, watching her interact with the other dogs - if you can call her behavior "interacting" - was the key that finally unlocked my understanding of her personality. The reason I didn't see it sooner is that it was just too obvious or maybe "too close to home" is the proper way to phrase it: Hari is EXACTLY LIKE ME!! She is an anxious, nasty, antisocial bitch who hates most others. And, if you are one of the few people she actually likes, she will annoy you incessantly! And NOBODY IS THE BOSS OF HER!!! I am not sure exactly how this insight is going to help me with training, since I personally have not improved in over 40 years, but still, it's a start.

The first journey to Bark Bark Park I made The Count come with us in case of any "trouble" - but, also, like I said, I am anxious and antisocial and "Dog Parks" look like places that, in addition to dogs, other people gather and I simply can't tolerate being being in a situation with a bunch of sociable strangers. The Count can talk to anybody. In fact, he enjoys socializing. (This is, ironically, both a reason for our marriage collapsing AND a reason it worked so well for over ten years.)

So, we pull up at Bark Bark Park, get out, and start walking over to the enclosed area (the actual Dog Park part.) We get in to the "unleashing area", unleash, and three lopey-dopey lab-types come bounding over to investigate Hari. We open the gate between the enclosed unleashing area and the enclosed dog park romping area and the three lopey-dopey lab-types rush in to the unleashing area to sniff Hari. Oh what a nasty bitch!

If I was not positive before that she wasn't demonstrating any fear aggression at home, this would have convinced me because I saw what fear pre-aggression looked like in this little bitch. Or maybe this is the posturing done by unconfident dogs? Hackles raised along the entire back, snarling with ugly little teeth exposed. I started petting the other dogs like a mental patient, saying "what good dogs these are, what good dogs." Hari remained unconvinced but her teeth disappeared back into her mouth.

Maybe you should just get caeser milan to do all the work?

How do all those other people get there dogs on the show?

Submission form for Cesar's show
Unless you live in Southern California, you're out of luck.

I don't need him. I've got Akasha if things get too bad.

I forgot to ask - what breed is she, and do you know the person who bred her? Sometimes those can lead to aggression...

I would like Gaston. As soon as I can get rid of this damn husband!

Dog parks can be tricky but the socialization is healthy for dogs. That is, of course, if you have a non-aggressive dog. Your dog can be dominant but only if he does it politely. At the kennel I worked at this previous summer, we had "doggy daycare" where clients dropped their dogs off for the day. It was a random mix of dogs everyday and we learned a lot about dog social behavior.

Alexa, your dog just sounds like it is being defensive. Dogs have a greeting pattern different than ours and a set of introductory "norms", and it sounds like those dogs disregarded them by bounding right up to your dog. Maybe (if possible) you could try taking your doggy there when fewer people are there. Large amounts of unfamiliar dogs + unfamiliar territory = doggy blow-up. And I've seen a few fights

That's the best way I can explain it.

Actually I don't think Cesar really likes dog parks. Too many unstable dogs and unskilled owners. I stay away in droves. I have a pretty feisty bulldog bitch that hates to be approached. She prefers walks off leash on wooded trails with maybe one other dog leading the way. That's her idea of a good time. She does sound like a candidate for Cesar's psychology center but you have to keep up with all his training once she comes back. He's here in Boston next week at some big arena speaking for $150 per ticket. Love the guy but I'm not paying..... That Gaston sounds like a really nice dog for an ex-con. lol


p.s. another great Alexa thread! Especially the part about faking being a quiet, skilled rider.






stblover

STBLover: Your bitch is very cute!!

Well, Hari and I have become Bark Bark Park Regulars! She has learned how to socialize with the other dogs and finally learned how to PLAY. This has made a huge difference in her behavior at home. I do, however, understand the warnings and concerns expressed by others. Basically, I think Hari and I got lucky in that the majority of dogs and owners are relatively well adjusted and stable. (Well, the owners are fucking crazy dog people, which is not too different from fucking crazy horse people, but they are good to their dogs and their dogs are pretty good citizens.)

A few dopes sometimes show up but, as usual, it is the OWNERS are the morons. This park has quite a few bully breeds and, save one, they have all been FANTASTIC! In fact, the first few dogs that engaged Hari were pitbulls: SHe seemed to show a preference for them (if that is possible) and one little feller even taught her the play bow. (SHe really never did it and didn't seem to "get it" until this guy took some time to initiate her.) But this one dope brings his pit in and the pit was FINE but the owner decided to bring a big, stupid rope so that the dogs could play tug of war. Of course this eventually started a fight between his dog, a hound dog, and a mastiff. Dummy.

YOU know what the WORST most aggressive dogs have been over there? STANDARD POODLES! And these owner-fuckers KNOW their two standards are assholes. They NEVER come when the other regulars show up. But, I sometimes go at odd hours and have seen them twice. They BARKBARKBARK at my dog and chase her in a MEAN way, not a fun way.

How many times a day do you feed your dog(s)?

Current dogs -- 2x a day. Childhood dogs -- 1x a day.

After growing up with dogs who would practically choke themselves trying to eat as fast as possible, I am constantly confused by our current dogs. Sometimes they eat...sometimes they don't. They don't really seem to give a shit. I no longer let it bother me. I figure they'll eat if they want to and they don't seem to be wasting away into nothingness, so I'm not too worried.

Both my 60lb standard poodle (who, btw, is a very well behaved and socialized poodle!) and my 11lb JRTx eat at night only. The poodle won't even touch food in the morning so when I adopted the little one we stuck with the same routine. They get greenies and other dental treats in the mornings instead.

My dogs eat x2. They like to eatz.

Dylan eats 2x a day. Most of the dogs I house sit for also get fed 2x a day.

Ella and I recently started going to a dog park nearby us. She loves being there and will run around nonstop for an hour if I let her lol. But other people with their stupid ass dogs are a HUGE problem for us. Shes a bigger dog than most of the dogs at the park, and people tend to be afraid that shes going to hurt their dogs for whatever reason. I actually just took her this afternoon. These two girls had two pit bulls there-a male and a female. The female had just had puppies on christmas and was clearly still lactating (pups weren't there). But she was VERY agressive. She jumped on Ella growling and Ella made a defensive pose back at her. The girls had the nerve to yell at me to control my dog! So I took her out and put her in the second run that was empty. Another guy came with a female pit bull and put it in the run with the other dogs. The two female pit bulls started going at it and the owners were laughing. Oh boy. Shit like that gets Ella so worked up, and then she does get a bit aggressive- more rough play than anything, but people FREAK out over that since she is 70 lbs.

But anyway, I feed twice a day too.