Charlie absolutely LOVES playing with other dogs, and we want him to remain dog-friendly. We've learned that just because dogs are dog friendly when they're puppies doesn't necessarily mean they will be that way when they mature. It's important to keep socializing your dog with new people and new dogs so that they keep their friendly attitude toward others. Since Charlie doesn't have much interaction with new dogs at our apartment, we really only have 2 choices---take him to the dog park and/or take him to 'doggy daycare' every so often.
There are two schools of thoughts on dog parks. Some argue that dog parks are a great place for dogs to socialize and polish their canine manner, while having fun. Others argue that dog parks are too risky because people may bring dogs with questionable temperament, which can lead to dog fights and injuries. We were initially reluctant to take Charlie to the dog park because of the fear that he may get attacked by other dogs. In fact, we have two friends whose small dogs were attacked by large dogs in one of the neighborhood dog parks. They both required medical attention, and the owners of the offending dogs ran away without leaving their names or contact information.
There are two schools of thoughts on dog parks. Some argue that dog parks are a great place for dogs to socialize and polish their canine manner, while having fun. Others argue that dog parks are too risky because people may bring dogs with questionable temperament, which can lead to dog fights and injuries. We were initially reluctant to take Charlie to the dog park because of the fear that he may get attacked by other dogs. In fact, we have two friends whose small dogs were attacked by large dogs in one of the neighborhood dog parks. They both required medical attention, and the owners of the offending dogs ran away without leaving their names or contact information.
Most doggy daycares “interview” dogs (i.e. test their temperament) before accepting them to screen out aggressive, unfriendly dogs, so we figured it would be safer than a dog park. After visiting several doggy day care centers, we finally chose one that we felt would be good for Charlie; it's in the country, just outside of the city, so it has a lot of open space (both indoors and outdoors) for the dogs to play. They also separate dogs into 3 to 4 different groups based on the size, temperament, and play style. They even have a couple of in-house dog trainers who monitor the dogs during playtime. We felt lucky to find this place. Charlie loves it. He gets really excited when we take him there, and he always gets good marks on his 'doggie report card' for playing nicely with other dogs.
The only problem with the daycare, however, is that it's very far from where we live-- it takes almost 2 hours each way. So, we finally gathered up the courage to take Charlie to the dog park. He made his debut last December. Since then, he’s been going to the park a few times a week. We've gotten to know quite a bit of the 'regular' dogs and their owners. Most of the dogs (and owners) are nice and friendly, but we’ve also met a few that are not so nice. There’s a moody and snappy beagle that unpredictably attacks other dogs while playing. They're not serious attacks, but more like an explosion of growling, barking and snapping that last for a few seconds. Everyone tries to avoid the beagle now by calling their dogs away if they try to get near him. Then there’s an under-socialized white German shepherd who tried to attack Charlie. Fortunately, the owner of the German shepherd quickly grabbed her dog, so it did not turn into a major incident. We’ve also met an overly dominant and aggressive Pit Bull mix, who harassed everyone in the park.
Charlie at the dog park.
Charlie at Doggy DayCare
Below are the links to the websites that help you become dog park savvy:
No comments:
Post a Comment