What Side of the Dog Park Do You Go On?

[Dee J]

well 'little dog' owners think that the dogs need to be as little as or smaller than what their dogs are - they need a 'Teeny Tiny Run' then a 'Normal dog run' then a Large/Huge dog run -- Bullies are Medium (In my opinion) they are short, but they are thick

I couldn't agree more! I wish they had an area just for dogs under 1 year as well. To me, since Brutus is stil a puppy I don't want him running aroud with a 150 pound dog that is already set in his ways.... just makes me cringe thinking about it.

I used to take Remi to the small dog section, but I soon found that he is a rough player. I moved him to the larger side because I didn't want him to harm any of the smaller dogs. Bullys are totally brave and aren't really intimidated by larger dogs, so I think it was the safest place for him. Large dogs are usually fast enough to out run Remi and his baby teeth. If there are too many dogs in the large section, I will however, take him to the smaller side once he's had a good walk in. He tends to be a bit gentler. All Remi wants to do is push the little dogs around, standing over them and such, so getting him tired tends to minimize that behavior. He does this same thing with my cats! The smaller dogs just end up barking like crazy at him.

HOWEVER - please read - starting around 5 months I had to stop taking him to the dog park all together. Due to the famous bulldog etiquette, or lack thereof, dogs would start attacking Remi due to what they feel is aggressive behavior. (Eye locking, fast approaching, not smelling first, not submitting) Don't hesitate to turn Brutus' around and show his butt to a dog if you sense any tension.

So basically, a good play time turns bad. You also have to keep an eye out for when your bulldog has had enough. Some of the more athletic dogs, like boxers, will run your bulldog ragged. Your bulldog will try to make a clean getaway, and some of the dogs may be relentless, and you may need to break it up and take your bully out for a bit to rest.

Remi has been attacked by a bull terrier but got along fine with an Alaskan Malamute. Just be prepared for your bulldog to start rubbing dogs the wrong way when they get older. I've only had one bulldog, so I can't say for sure if it's all of them, or if mine is just has very bad etiquette. He is very well socialized, so that's the strange thing.

He is getting neutered today and then hopefully we can bring him back. We will definitely start out with just a couple of dogs first during off peak hours, in the large dog section.

I hope these tips help. But yeah, Remi even frolicked with a Presa once, and they got along fantastically. Just feel it out day by day, and feel free to mix it up depending on the situation.

I really appreciate your input! I'm all for keeping Brutus safe & making him a well rounded dog Fortunately, when we went there were no small dogs in the "small dog area". When we went in, that's when Daphne came over to meet us. So far I haven't seen Brutus have a mean bone in his body, I'm hoping that sticks into adulthood one day When we first got there, there was only 3 big dogs, my boyfriend was having NO part of putting him with them though. I couldn't tell what breed they were from where we were, but they looked to be the size of a Mastiff. We also try to go early in the morning when not as many people are there because it's still colder out. Jay told me he doesn't want Brutus' in the big dog area till he is a year. He's a protective dad

 

[Baconator]

I took Bacon once when there was almost nobody there and he had fun playing with a Newfie, other then that we don't go for the same reasons others have mentioned. I just don't trust the people there.

 

[Dee J]

I really wish there was a EBD meetup close to me, I think that would be SO much fun! Brutus has only met another EBD once when he was really small & loved it

 

[JeannieCO]

No dog parks for us..... people just do not pay attention and it is more like 'Lord of the Flies' than some play/exercise time

Yep, that sums it up for me too. I've never been a fan of dog parks (not that they're all bad and all) and have never taken my dogs to one - they're just not for me. Seems as a whole it's a place for people to take their dogs and let them run wild and play wildly. Dog play, especially with bigger dogs, can turn into a fight in a split of a second and if you get owners who are not paying attention they there's trouble.

Have fun though.

 

[ModernFemme]

I couldn't agree more! I wish they had an area just for dogs under 1 year as well. To me, since Brutus is stil a puppy I don't want him running aroud with a 150 pound dog that is already set in his ways.... just makes me cringe thinking about it.



I really appreciate your input! I'm all for keeping Brutus safe & making him a well rounded dog Fortunately, when we went there were no small dogs in the "small dog area". When we went in, that's when Daphne came over to meet us. So far I haven't seen Brutus have a mean bone in his body, I'm hoping that sticks into adulthood one day When we first got there, there was only 3 big dogs, my boyfriend was having NO part of putting him with them though. I couldn't tell what breed they were from where we were, but they looked to be the size of a Mastiff. We also try to go early in the morning when not as many people are there because it's still colder out. Jay told me he doesn't want Brutus' in the big dog area till he is a year. He's a protective dad

My pleasure, it's so hard to know what is the right thing is, and then you have to pick the right thing for your dog. EBs do have a lot of the sames traits but they all have their own personalities.

One last thing I'll clarify - Remi has never shown "aggression" or "meanness" to another dog. No growling, etc. (That is why I was like OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING!" The only reason he's been attacked is because of his dominance issues. He is very secure and confident. Locking eyes, etc, is seen by other (insecure) dogs as being aggressive. It's crazy, he was fine for many months and then bam, one day, I noticed he was getting into too many scuffles for me to blame everyone else's dog. From a people's point of view, I know all he wanted to do was play, but apparently other dogs were having conversations with him that he was ignoring. We're going to keep working on it. I bet getting neutered will take care of it tho.

Remi got along best with big dogs that were also confident. It killed me that Remi got along best with the biggest looking breeds: Pitbulls, Presas, Huskies were all awesome to him. He also gets on well with my friends Pug. Otherwise, he's kind of like the elephant in the middle of the room. The smaller dogs are always like, "OMG WHAT IS THAT THING??"

Is it just me or do smaller dogs tend to be the biggest divas?

 

[Dee J]

My pleasure, it's so hard to know what is the right thing is, and then you have to pick the right thing for your dog. EBs do have a lot of the sames traits but they all have their own personalities.

One last thing I'll clarify - Remi has never shown "aggression" or "meanness" to another dog. No growling, etc. (That is why I was like OMG WHAT IS HAPPENING!" The only reason he's been attacked is because of his dominance issues. He is very secure and confident. Locking eyes, etc, is seen by other (insecure) dogs as being aggressive. It's crazy, he was fine for many months and then bam, one day, I noticed he was getting into too many scuffles for me to blame everyone else's dog. From a people's point of view, I know all he wanted to do was play, but apparently other dogs were having conversations with him that he was ignoring. We're going to keep working on it. I bet getting neutered will take care of it tho.

Remi got along best with big dogs that were also confident. It killed me that Remi got along best with the biggest looking breeds: Pitbulls, Presas, Huskies were all awesome to him. He also gets on well with my friends Pug. Otherwise, he's kind of like the elephant in the middle of the room. The smaller dogs are always like, "OMG WHAT IS THAT THING??"

Is it just me or do smaller dogs tend to be the biggest divas?

They are little Divas! I have an English Jack Russell Terrier (12 pounds), and I swear that girl if she doesn't get attention she acts like a crazy woman prancing around the house. My boyfriend actualy said she needs counceling this morning! She won't even eat until you pet her for a while.

You are so right, I feel like the overprotective Mom sometimes with Brutus! I just want to shelter him from all things that could POSSIBLY happen!

 

[Izzy's Mom]

I really wish there was a EBD meetup close to me, I think that would be SO much fun! Brutus has only met another EBD once when he was really small & loved it

Yes, it always seems that EB will play better with each other. Izzy is immediately attracted when she sees another bully or even a frenchie. The Houston meet ups only happen once a month so I tend to take my baby quite often to a large dog park close to my place.

I have been to bad dog parks and good ones.... so I guess it is just a matter of finding the best match for you and your dog's pesonality. My only issue with my dog is the fact that she steals toys... other than that I just constantly watch her play and will leave the park if I feel any tension building with other dogs (it happened only once but it was the owner fault for freaking out and screaming). Maybe I am just lucky to have a good park by us because I noticed that the majority of the EB owners here chose not to take their dogs.

And the park that I take is not a dog park per say (the city will turn this area into an official dog park soon) so there is no gate and no separate areas for small or big dogs. The park has mostly medium size dogs and most of them seem to be pretty well behaved and socialized.