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