By Heidi Clayton
I was asked via email if I took my dogs to a dog park for socialization and play. The short answer is no. I am lucky that I have a large fenced yard for my dogs and have no reason to go to dog parks. The long answer is I think dog parks are an awful place for a dog to learn “socialization” in the truest sense of the word. Your dog can actually learn very bad habits from the dog park.
One such habit I see develop in dog park dogs is leash aggression or reactivity. Dogs start to assume that when they are leashed they are going to the park. Thus, the leash becomes associated with overarousal, particularly when they see another dog but aren’t immediately allowed to interact with them.
In nearly every doodle mix I work with, overarousal shows itself with a screaming bark and teeth being shown. The tail may be wagging, but another dog hearing that noise may take it as aggression or prey. Other dogs may gang up on the dog if they think it is fearful.
If your dog is nuts when you arrive at the park, rewarding them with off-leash running and play teaches them that being reactive is OK. It also teaches them that ignoring you on a leash and going berserk is completely acceptable. My dogs are conditioned that looking at me while on a leash and being calm is the only way they will get a walk.
Overarousal rewarded with being taken off leash to run in my opinion can go horribly wrong. A client’s dog has taken to barking incessantly at other dogs and showing her teeth while snapping as a perfectly normal way to greet other dogs when on a leash. Lucky for her, she hasn’t met a dog snapped back… yet! When I watched her behavior with one of my own dogs that I trusted to ignore it, in my head I rambled off a list of dogs I know that would find that greeting offensive and tackle her to the ground. I also thought of dogs that suppress the fear of their space being invaded and would run for their lives. Again, not being in tune with your dog, you might view the running in circles as them having fun. She learned this from how she reacts to other dogs at the dog park. She arrives barking and snapping. When off leash, she does the same thing. Again, she is lucky she hasn’t met the wrong dog yet.
I understand that not everyone has an acre of fenced yard for their dogs and may need a fenced-in dog park area to let their dogs blow off steam. If you must take your dog to the dog park, your dog should have a solid foundation of not becoming overstimulated when restrained on a leash. They also should only be let loose to play when their behavior is under control. My personal rule would be that one-on-one play is safest. Stay off of your phones and stay in tune with the dogs.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
