Too often we treat dog bite injuries from fights at the dog park. Let’s talk about some important things you can do to prevent injuries.
1. Properly warm up your dog before going into the park.
Let your dog be ready for the activities of the park both physically and mentally. While you are at work, your dog is sleeping all day and waiting for you to come home. Your dog has tons of pent up energy ready to unleash. Before you go to the dog park, it is important to warm up those muscles, ligaments and tendons to help prevent injuries. If you think about this, it makes sense. Before humans start sprinting and playing sports, we warm up and stretch. Before entering the park, walk your dog on a leash near the park, but away from the other dogs.
2. When in the park watch your dog’s interaction with other dogs.
Be constantly watchful and do not be on your cellphone or distracted. If you see an over excited dog approaching your dog and not listening to their owner when called, and if you notice your dog becoming tense, don’t wait for something bad to happen. Relocate to another part of the park or leave.
3. Dog-aggressive dogs should not go to the dog park for socialization.
If your dog has aggressive behavior towards other dogs, a dog park is not the place to learn socialization. If you put a dog-aggressive dog in an over stimulated environment with so many dogs, this could be a recipe for disaster which could lead to dog fights and further aggression to other dogs. These dogs need a controlled, quiet and calm environment where they can learn proper interaction with other dogs. You can seek advice from your family veterinarian or an animal behaviorist. A board certified animal behaviorist is a veterinarian who has advanced training in animal behavior. They are specialists who focus and treat animal behavior problems.
4. Fearful dogs should also avoid the dog park.
Similar to the dog-aggressive dogs, a fearful dog at the dog park may become more fearful. A fearful dog is not self-confident and over-stimulation by many dogs, people, and noise could create heightened anxiety. Fearful dogs should be socialized in a controlled environment where they can work on socialization in a low stress environment. Again, seek advice from your family veterinarian.
5. Do not let your children handle dogs at the park, especially large dogs.
Too often, we see small children (often times 8 to 12 year-old children), walking large 80-pound dogs at the park. When these dogs become stimulated, a young child will not be able to control them. We see injured dogs at our hospital from children losing control of their dogs and leading to dog fights.
6. Do not force your dog to like the dog park.
Some dogs do not like the dog park. When you take your dog to the dog park, instead of playing, they are glued to you or they keep pulling to go out of the gate. They sometimes sit next to the gate and do not want to interact with the other dogs. Your dog is trying to tell you that they don’t want to be there. Dogs have likes and dislikes just like people. If your dog is an introvert, let them be one. Love them just the way they are.
Dog parks are great fun for most dogs and humans. However, to avoid unpleasant encounters and possible injury, please be alert and watchful of other dogs in the park as well as your own.
