Dog Park Etiquette

[dash]

for those of you who do take your dogs to the dog parks:

Dash has recently decided he was boss of the park. When we go in he runs in 90miles/hr and promptly jumps on and nips every dog in the park. If any new dog shows up he does the same to them. Then he's fine. He runs around like a crazy dog and gets along with all the dogs. I have started standing by the front gate and making him sit when the dogs enter until all the other dogs have sniffed him and then let Dash check him out. I am not sure why but this seems to have helped. He only does it in the big dog section also, not the little dog. Has anyone else experienced this? If so, how did you handle it?

[luzmery928]

I have not experience this but would like to say that it is great you are making sure the dog park is fun for all. Too often owners let there dogs run the park and even hurt or scare other dogs. Great job!

[dash]

So I think I may have figured out how to make the dog park work for now. We start by letting him run off some steam in the small dog section then after about 30 minutes we take him to the large dog section but he has to sit and calm down before I will let him go. he still is not happy when intact males come in but either are any of the other dogs. And the intact males seem to be more aggressive which doesn't help. we will see how long this lasts.

[Mantis]

I am not sure how old you basenji is, but i found basic training very helpful at the park. Caesar could understand what i expected from him when out.

crazy running is normal

humping or biting is very poor conduct at any dog park no matter what size…it is an action often immitated and is to show dominance

there is nothing wrong with a basenji that prounces around stiff when other dogs are sniffing them....that is there way of saying, " you may sniff, but not dominate me! I am basenji".

the hair standing on the neck and back or posturing is another way the basenji asserts him or herself at the park....

typically hair standing means nervous or scared= i watch that more closely than posturing or puffing up....

i am weary of the large dog areas when there are more than one pits in the mix. they naturally translate the basenji running as game and will try to tag team as well as play more orally than i like.

if your basenji is humping a lot and is fixed, the small dogs may not be providing enough exercise or stimuli....

I try to have my basenjis in dog pens with vislas, bird dogs and running physical dogs.

chasing retrievers is a great way to burn that basenji energy

when casear was young and had difficult times at the dog park that seemed only addressed by a time out, we would leave and tight leash walk together.

as soon as he would pull i would stop walking until he sat. then we would walk again.

i also used hide and seek at the dog park as another technique for the park. Both my boys know to keep me in sight at all times. this keeps them from going off and getting into too much trouble. i would hide behind a tree until they realized i was gone and they found me. also, leaving the park with the dog in the pen is another way to let them understand that they should keep you in their sites. i did that a few times when i had a friend there with me and they stayed in the dog area.

there is nothing more annoying IMO than an owner with treats in the dog park. or an owner with a dog on a leash in a dog park. or a person holding their dog in the air in a dog park. or a small unsupervised screaming and running child.

the best rule is to communicate well with your animal. realize that time at the fenced dog park is free time for them to learn how to socialize.

i have learned that basenjis do guard. if i am standing in the dog park, they run, sniff and play. if i sit in the dog park they will post near me and not go to far away.

have fun, try new techniques, and watch other dog owners and how they participate with their dogs. you may pick up some good tips and see bad behaviors that you may want to avoid.

as socialization continues at the park, your basenji will adapt and learn how to communicate with the least amount of conflict, so they can sniff as many butts as possible....