Should I Bring My Dog to the Dog Park?

Should I bring my dog to a dog park? This is a question that veterinarians get a lot. There are certainly pros and cons to dog parks. It is a great place for your dog to get outside and socialize. In addition, your dog will likely get more exercise and more “tired out” by running and playing at a dog park, then simply going for a walk. Most dog parks have a “community” of people that visit regularly, and it’s not uncommon to make friends with the other dog owners, after all, you have one big similar interest, dogs! There are down sides to dog parks, however. Diseases like upper respiratory infections, viral warts and intestinal parasites are commonly spread between dogs at the parks. Accidents can also occur. We saw a dog recently at the clinic that was playing with a dog much larger then he was. In play, the larger dog rolled onto the smaller dog, and the smaller dog broke a bone in his leg. It is also important that your dog is well trained to “come” when called. Many dog parks are large and sprawling, and if your dog is having a great time playing, he may not want to come back to you when called. This means that you are left trying to catch your dog, which as every dog owner knows, never works very well. Although I am personally a fan of dog parks, I think that the biggest concern with the parks is that there are some dog owners that will bring their dog to a dog park when they really shouldn’t. They feel like they have a dog that needs to exercise and that they have enough control over their dog that they can prevent their dog from causing injury. But dog fights at dog parks really do happen. Often times the fights are just posturing and growling and don’t escalate to a bite. If a bite does happen, often it is just a puncture that can be easily treated with an antibiotic. Occasionally, however, a serious bite can occur. We have seen dogs with large lacerations that they have sustained at a dog park. The most terrible situation, however, a dog get killed at a dog park, has happened in the twin cities area. If you decide to go to a dog park, you need to be very aware, not only of how your own dog is behaving, but you need to pay attention to the body language of the other dogs that are present. If you see that a dog is getting aggitated, has his hackles raised, or has gotten into “scuffles” with other dogs, you need to just leave the dog park. If it seems like the owner of the dog is not being responsible with their dog, then reporting that owner to the park authorities would be an appropriate next step.