Dog park leaves a bad taste in my mouth

[cali baker]

Having only taken T and F to the local dog park once, I don't have much "experience" with these places. All i know is, the dogs are unleashed, the owners are responsible for their dog's behavior, and you clean up after your dog. All was fine and dandy this Sunday morning when I brought the boys there. There was Susan who I met before, w/her Jack Russell Terrier mix, Jack. She's a very sweet and funny person and Jack has a sociable, friendly personality himself.

Then there are a couple other people with their various pets: Corgi's, a lhaso apso, Scottish terriers, and then here comes this lady with her two little poodles.

This woman comes to where Susan and I are sitting and Tate being the friendly dog that he is, comes over to her poodles and sniffs and does his usual dog greeting.
Well, apparently Tate must've knocked one of her poodles over or something b/c suddenly this woman is ranting about how Tate and Finn are too big and don't belong in this section (we were in the small dog section), and how her poodles are handicapped (one is blind in one eye, the other has a joint issue)...on and on...

Made my blood boil and I tell her that my guys are just puppies and maybe she needs to keep a closer eye on her dogs if they're that fragile, and Susan chimes in saying maybe they shouldn't even be at the dog park if they are "handicapped". Then poodle lady says that Tate needs to be trained and that he almost knocked her over and she wants to know how much he weighs. I didn't answer her but I almost said, "none of your business, how much do you weigh? I'm guessing 300lbs"!

I go to the dog park so that Tate and Finn can have fun running around free and to play with other dogs. Instead, I'm confronted by grumpy dog owners.

To be honest, the lady's poodles seemed fine, it was HER who had the issues freaking out like that.

In addition, I would take them to the big dog section but the dogs there are pretty tall/big ones and I don't feel comfortable with them in that section yet. There are others who i've heard grumbling about how there ought to be a "medium size" dog section when they see Tate and Finn. With the exception of Susan and a couple other people at this dog park, I find the people there to be sorry folks with sticks up their you-know-whats!

Thank you for this vent session

 

[KMARINO]

We have tried the dog park maybe 4 times, had to leave once do to a black lab biting and pulling on Vegas's neck fat, (with the owner doing nothing about it)I am just not into them at all. I think most owners from what I saw, just let their dogs loose and loose themselves in a book or on their cell and don't watch their dogs. My son that lives in the same town as me has a pit/lab mix and a boston terrior, we have play dates with them.

 

[Davidh]

I think poodle lady needs to just let her dogs go play and if she does not like T and F then she can go to the other side of the park.

 

[cali baker]

I think poodle lady needs to just let her dogs go play and if she does not like T and F then she can go to the other side of the park.

That's right David, thanks. Funny, after my interaction w/her I see this man pick up Poodle Lady's belongings from the bench and transfer them to another bench on the opposite side of the park. It was her hubby.

 

[Davidh]

[MENTION=1904]cali baker[/MENTION] at least he had some since. haha. She just does not understand bulldogs.

 

[JAKEISGREAT]

POODLES AREN'T DOGS! Don't get me going...they make me
Dog parks bring out the problems in owners. Poor Tate and Finn!!

 

[cowsmom]

its unfortunate that one person or a few people can ruin something that is supposed to be fun. not much you can do i guess. im not sure i would have been so quiet about it. i think the comment you were thinking i would have said.

 

[Sherry]

ohhhhh ohhhhhh here it comes,,, you ready?

 

[LariP]

Perhaps you could find a group of bully owners and have bully play dates. The ones we had this summer was fun for the "kids" and there wasn't any negativity at all.

 

[cali baker]

ohhhhh ohhhhhh here it comes,,, you ready?

Oh, you mean the picture of me knocking poodle lady down onto a pile of dog ?!

 

[cali baker]

[MENTION=983]LariP[/MENTION], i love that idea a lot!

 

[Fontanafox]

Yeah, that's the problem with dog parks. Small/Large sides just don't accommodate bulldogs. If the dog owners are regulars at the dog park, they act like they own it. Some just take them there to poop and don't pick up. If you're lucky you find dogs that will get along with yours but just as things are going good another dog comes along and ruins the dynamics. My vet doesn't recommend them.

 

[kazzy220]

I don't use dog parks ... but with seven of my own and one foster bulldog ... who needs a dog park when you have your own!!

Don't let this bad experience put you off going if you and the pups enjoy it. Sounds like this woman is just a pain in the arse!!!

 

[JeannieCO]

No doubt the Poodle lady should not have been there if her dogs are handicapped. I would have laughed all night if you had asked her if she weighed 300lbs. I don't do dog parks, mainly because I've heard too many negative stories on how bad the owners can be but just letting their dogs run amuck.

 

[webster03]

I would definately like to see a pic of you throwing her down in a pile of