Do's And Don'ts At The Dog Park

Doggie play parks sound like the ideal place to take your pooches for fun, exercise and socialising. And they would be, if only everyone knew how to behave!

- Kelly Grande

DOG parks aren’t ideal for every dog. If your pet is afraid of other dogs, exposing it to the many dogs at the park will escalate its fear. Build its confidence by introducing it to one friendly dog at a time in a safe environment. Trying to “toughen it up” won’t work.

If your dog shows aggression to unfamiliar dogs or if you can’t control him or her it may be better to try socialising it in a smaller, more controllable group and taking a few obedience classes first.

If your dog has resource-guarding issues such as not sharing toys, wanting to hoard all the toys or if its overprotective of you, the dog park isn’t a safe place to play.