Dog Park Etiquette?

[Poplawski]

We recently moved to a new neighborhood with dog parks. Our english bulldog is a neutered male, 2 years old, has been socialized and attended doggy day care. We slowly introduced him to dog parks and it has been a positive experience for the 2.5 weeks we have been at our new home. He loves spending time with other dogs and people.

The other day my husband took our bulldog to the dog park while I ran errands. There were about 6 dogs there and they were behaving fine except for an akita mix, who started barking at our dog while our bully was introducing himself. The barking dog suddenly attacked our bulldog and locked jaws down on his neck and ear and wouldn't let go. I wasn't there so I can only know what I heard, but our dog has several cuts and bite marks No other dog owners at the dog park would help my husband, so he alone had to force the other dog off with his own hands. His hands and knees were bleeding and cut from the other dog and he rushed home with our english bulldog. He returned to the park to confront the dog owner. The owner claims the dog has all his shots and vaccinations. His dog was completely clean, uncut, and still playing at the park?



We are new to the neighborhood meanwhile everyone else at the dog park are all friends so we were the odd ones out. What can we do? Does anyone have any advice on proper dog etiquette? How can we take action? What is the proper way to deal with such a situation?

We have been cleaning our dogs cuts daily. I just noticed he has more cuts along the back of his neck that are hidden from his thick neck fur. The largest wound on the side of his neck fold was oozing clear liquid that crusts but today it was bleeding a little bit. Aside from his cuts and scrapes his behavior is normal, except that he is now fearful of strange dogs. How do we rebuild his trust with other non-aggressive friendly dogs again?

Any advice is much appreciated! We are so upset and concerned for our bulldog.

 

[kazzy220]

Some people should not own dogs because they obviously have no idea how to control them. I do not blame you for one second for being upset about the other dog and it's stupid owner!!!

I don't know what steps you can take other than maybe report it to the police and/or dog warden but unless the dog actually attacks a human there is probably little they can do. I would certainly only go into that dog park again when I can see that this paticular dog isn't there.

As for being scared of other dogs ... he is going to pick up whatever you are feeling, so if you feel hesitant and worried around strange dogs then that is how he is going to react too. YOu will need to become calm and assertive the next time you come across a new dog so that he will not be worried or concerned. The easiest way to do this is to probably stick to walks where only the occasional dog will be met, rather than going straight back into a dog park again.

 

[2BullyMama]

Everything you just explained is why I stopped going to dog parks. Owners think it is there time 'off' from watching their pup. Our Nitschke was a very docile bully that loved everything and everyone,once attack similar to yours almost put him in the hospital... we never went back.

I di sign them up for doggie daycare, which gave them social time and enough play to get them the exercise they needed. all supervised.

As kazzy220 stated, since it is a dog on dog bite, not much you can do about it from a law standpoint,

 

[Poplawski]

Thanks for all the help!

 

[2BullyMama]

Thanks for all the help!

Give Brutus hugs from us..... poor pup just wanted to play. BTW -- AKita's tend to be an issue like this, when I worked at the dog daycare, we had to band three of them after the hit a certain age. I do not remember the age, but all the trainers said after a point they are hard to keep socialized -- never made sense to me, but i did see a behavioral change in them

 

[LariP]

We do not take HRH to dog parks because I'm afraid of just such things. I am also leery of things they might "catch" at those outdoor parks.
We do however have a very nice ENGLISH BULLDOG meetup group here in Milwaukee and I will send you the link of the best way to see when we are having activities. Also we post it here. You can bring Brutus to meet other bully's his size and temperament and it will be a much better experience for him.

 

[ChrisRN]

I have never liked dog parks for these reasons. When I had bullmastiffs, someone explained that if another dog attacked my gentle giants (who were always on a leash and very dog friendly) and they defended themselves from an off-lead dog, my dogs would be in the wrong because of their size and breed! There are too many unsupervised dogs in the parks we have considered.

 

[Vicaroo1000]

I've posted this before but it's always worth a revisit. Cesar Millan's tips for the Dog Park:

While Cesar encourages everyone to exercise their dog on a regular basis, he also reminds you to keep in mind that a good Pack leader maintains leadership even at the dog park. Here are 5 tips Cesar has for dog owners who want to demonstrate good pack leadership.

1. Make sure your dog is spayed or neutered, has all her shots, and is in good health. Under no circumstances should you bring a sick dog to a dog park!

2. Do not use the dog park as a substitute for the walk! If you drive to the park, leave your car a block away and take your dog on a vigorous walk of at least thirty-five minutes to drain some of her energy. Never take an over-excited dog to the park.

3. While at the park, don't "punch out" on your calm-assertive leadership. Be aware of your dog at all times, and take responsibility for her behavior.

4. A calm-submissive dog will not attract another dog's aggression --but an excited dog, a weak, timid dog, or an aggressive dog can become a fight-magnet.

5. Know your dog!

If your dog has poor social skills, is overly fearful or is dog aggressive, or if you have not yet established your calm-assertive leadership with your dog, find a more controlled way to introduce her to the company of other dogs, such as "play dates" with one or two other dog owners.

Read more: http://www.cesarsway.com/tips/basics/cesars-dog-park-tips#ixzz2QLh6NYL6

My own two completely dog-friendly and dog park experienced duo "attacked" (they didn't hurt him - but they did see him as a prey object because he was acting like one) a teeny Pomeranian named "Hoyt". Hoyt was running around like a maniac; barking and snapping at Bea and Bo -- moving in close and then running away really fast. Bo was afraid but Bea snapped and quickly Bo followed her lead and they had this little guy pinned for a second. I was right there - was never worried that they'd hurt him - and quickly disagreed with the behavior. My mistake was #5. I know my dog and instead of putting Bea on a loose leash right then and there, (Bea has incredible prey drive) I didn't --- and she went all predator on the tiny maniacal fluffy toy. The experience was MY FAULT. I know my dogs and didn't take the necessary precaution with Bea.

 

[jimmyjj]

Wow. Just hope your baby is ok and on the mend.

Never a bad dog only bad owners !!