The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 48
FEATURE | SAFER AT THE DOG PARK
If one dog does not want to re-engage, then the “play” was not
consensual. There is no need to let inappropriate behavior escalate
to a conflict with the hope that one dog will put the other “in its
place.” This is how dogs learn to be bullies or to immediately default
to behaviors like lunging and snapping to get distance. Letting dogs
with unknown behavior histories “work it out” is risky. It is safer to
intervene early in the least intrusive, minimally aversive (LIMA)
way to de-escalate situations.
“The owner said this was the first time her dog had been back to
an off-leash park because she was aggressive in the past. This was
“experimental” to see how she would behave.” ~ survey respondent #197
“We were foolish and took a dog we had just adopted and had for
less than a week to the run based on the rescue org saying she was
"good with other dogs." We should have taken more time to get to
know her first. It happened so fast we're really not sure which dog
started it.” ~ survey respondent #210
“In retrospect, I realize that my dog was already fearful/reactive/
aggressive toward other dogs, but I either didn't fully recognize that
(hence, why I was still bringing my dog to the dog park) and/or kept
thinking "I need to 'socialize' her to let her get better!" Oops…. I
fell into the trap/mindset that exposing my dog to more experiences
would help her learn, but now I see that she was learning to become
more reactive.” ~ survey respondent #269
Dog parks can be wonderful places for dogs to romp free and be
dogs, but they are places for highly social dogs to play, not places
to test a dog’s social skills. Dogs that are not highly social but are
tolerant of most other dogs can usually manage okay in a dog park
environment under ideal conditions, but dogs that are selective or
intolerant of other dogs will be stressed in a dog park and become
increasingly intolerant each time they visit one. Dog fights at dog
parks are a genuine concern, and although park users may not be
able to change the behaviors of other park users and their dogs, they
can make some small changes in the way they use the parks to help
reduce the chances of their dogs getting involved in a dog fight.
Jennifer Berg, B.A., BEAD,
CPDT-KA is a member of the
Canadian Association of Professional
Dog Trainers (CAPDT) and is the
owner of Oberhund Dog Services
& Products. She has over 15 years’
experience providing force-free dog
training and behavior modification services and offers consulting
services to support dog-centric projects that require expertise in dog
behavior and well-being. Jennifer is passionate about promoting dogs’
physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing and enjoys helping to make
the community a better place for dogs and their people. She can be
reached through her website oberhund.com.
References:
Bekoff, Marc “Dog Parks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” (153)
from Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What they Do. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press, 2018.
Dog Park Body Language. https://apdt.com/resource-center/dogpark-body-language/
Dunbar, Ian. “Dog Park Attack — Ask An Expert.” Modern Dog
Magazine Retrieved March 3, 2020. https://moderndogmagazine.
com/articles/ask-expert-dog-park-dog-fight/24114
Fratt, Kayla and and Ursa Acree CPDT-KA, CDBC. Online
conversations October 22, 2019 November 12, 2019.
Ginman, Louise. The Art of introducing Dogs. (2013) Balboa Press.
Howse, Melissa. “Exploring the Social Behaviour of Domestic Dogs
(Canis familiaris) in a Public Off-Leash Dog Park.” MS thesis,
Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2016. Retrieved February 27,
2020 http://research.library.mun.ca/11670/1/thesis.pdf
Jackson, P. “Situated Activities in a Dog Park: Identity and Conflict
in Human-Animal Space.” Society and Animals 20 (2012): 254-72.
Retrieved March 11, 2020 http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wpcontent/uploads/2016/05/jackson.pdf
King, T., & Long, T. (2004). “Dog Parks: The Good, the Bad,
and the Ugly” The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, Vol.XI (6), 1-5.
Retrieved March 17, 2020. https://apdt.com/resource-center/dogparks-good-bad-ugly/
Lee, Hyung-Sook. A Study of Use Patterns, User Satisfaction and
Willingness to Pay for Off-Leash Dog Parks: Post-Occupancy
Evaluations of Four Dog Parks in Texas and Florida. Dissertation.
(2007) Retrieved March 2, 2020. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.
org/474e/2b28484e4625d6dc026b09a9aa18705db522.pdf
Miller, Pat. “The Pros and Cons of Dog Parks.” Whole Dog Journal
Retrieved March 12, 2020. https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/care/
socialization/the-pros-and-cons-of-dog-parks
Shaw, Julie. Learning to Listen: Canine Language TEAM: Education
in Animal Behavior webinar Viewed April 18, 2020 https://www.
teamanimalbehavior.com/webinars
Shyan, Melissa R., Kristina A. Fortune, and Christine King.“‘Bark
Parks’ — A Study on Interdog Aggression in a Limited-Control
Environment.” Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 6 (1),
2003: 25–32. Retrieved March 5, 2020. http://freshairtraining.com/
pdfs/BarkParks.pdf
Smith, Cheryl S. Visiting the Dog Park: Having Fun, Staying Safe.
Wenatchee, Washington: Dogwise Publishing, 2007 (p.24)
46 Building Better Trainers Through Education