Dog Park Rules / Law

[BJean]

I don't know much about offlead dog parks as I don't utilise them for that purpose.

Lately though I visit my friend who lives opposite an offlead park, so we have a chat in the park and I bring one of my dogs onlead.

Anyway each time I go, invariably someone sees a big dog and thinks its glorious that their offlead dog is now running towards the big dog.

So I yell out and tell the owner to call their offlead dog(s) away - I don't want their dog(s) near me or my dog.

Always I am told:

"I's an offlead park. If you dont like it you should not be here. My dog is not aggressive"

And I go, "yeah I know but my dog might be, so call your dog away."

I had one lady argue the toss with me, and I'm thinking wtf okay let your elderly GSD get bitten and taken to the vet.

So how do offlead dog parks work - do dogs in offlead parks have the right to run up to other dogs and these other dogs must be friendly?

If my dog bites an offlead dog that runs towards my dog and myself, is it my dog's fault for being reactive in an offlead park?

Basically I want to know, if my dog is in control on lead and bites / attacks an offlead dog that rushes us, is my dog okay legally?

And: am I void of financial responsibility for any damage that may happen to the offlead dog?

Those who use offlead parks:

If your dog runs up to another dog after the owner has asked you to call your dog away -

and your dog is bitten because the two dogs did not get along -

do you consider it the fault of the dog onlead

or

the fault of your offlead dog who you did not call back?

I guess I should call the Council and ask them also.

Edited November 10, 2011 by lilli

[Esky the husky]

Most of the ones I've been to say that the dog must be under effective control or leashed (even though it's an offlead park)

I would hope that could work to your advantage in these kinds of scenarios, but who knows?

I manage to pick a time when no one else is around to allow for free running. I leave or wait until it's free otherwise. I don't have a 100% recall, but I need these parks to practice it in ;)

[BJean]

Most of the ones I've been to say that the dog must be under effective control or leashed (even though it's an offlead park)

So I guess the inference is that only dogs under effective control are legally allowed off lead.

I would hope that could work to your advantage in these kinds of scenarios, but who knows?

I manage to pick a time when no one else is around to allow for free running. I leave or wait until it's free otherwise. I don't have a 100% recall, but I need these parks to practice it in ;)

If someone asked you to call your dog away, and your dog did not respond to your recall,

would you walk/run to your dog to stop it approaching?

If your dog gets bitten, because your dog and the other dog (onlead) do not get along,

do you consider it the fault of your dog or the other dog,

or would it depend on any physical damage to your dog?

Thank you!

Edited November 10, 2011 by lilli

[RiverStar-Aura]

I'd love to say that you'd be free of all blame as your dog is completely under your control and on a lead, however, there are a LOT of stupid dog owners who utilise off-leash parks.

If something did happen involving your dog, you wouldn't be to blame but to the idiot owners of a dog not under effective control, you'd be an easy target -- your dog shouldn't be in the park if it can't be off-leash etcetera etcetera.

My understanding of off-leash parks (or anywhere in general) is that ANY dog, regardless of it being ON-leash or OFF-leash, must be in effective control by the owner. And I know I'd hate for my dogs to rush up to an unknown dog -- I don't mind if my Zeusling rushes up to dog we've known for years and is considered our friend, but never to a question mark dog. That's asking for trouble!

[emery]

I would consider it my fault for not training my dogs to respond better. my interpretation is normally dogs must be under effective control they are not a free for all but most owners believe they are. if an offlead dog rushes yours who is under control i would think the off lead dog would be at fault

[Alkhe]

If I were that concerned about off leash dogs running towards my on leash dog at an off leash park, I wouldn't go there. I understand that people get worried about dogs that are not under effective control, and there are people who don't go to dog parks because they don't like, trust or agree with them. That is completely understandable, and each to their own.

In my experience, there are no 'rules', and each park just operates on the understanding that people's dogs are generally friendly. For better or worse, that's the way I see it. I don't see dogs rushing other dogs, or anything like that. If a new dog comes along, some might go over to have a smell and I've never seen anything bad happen at all. At one park I no longer go to, I ended up seeing too many dogs that I wasn't too fond of, and owners who I didn't consider to pay enough attention. I don't go there anymore, and I know some others who are the same. Some parks have signs that dogs must be under effective voice control, and if they don't, it's often on the council website. That said, most dogs don't have perfect recall, but .. most dogs in the world don't have perfect recall.

At all of the parks I've been a regular at, people have got to know each other and their dogs. If someone has a dog that is antisocial or has issues with other dogs, the message tends to get out- eg the dog Lola at my local park. Lola's a bit DA, and is now walked on leash around the park. It's quite a tight knit community and everyone looks out for each other. When a new person comes along their dogs is introduced to all the dogs etc. If someone's dog runs off, we'll make sure they get help getting them back. If someone's sick and can't get out, someone will take their dog to the park for them (and keep the on leash).

I have never discussed who would be legally or financially responsible for my dog being attacked, or my dog attacking, with anyone at the park. I hope it never happens, and if it does I will cross that bridge when I come to it. My own dog is more likely to toddle over to a woman and sit looking pretty, hoping for a treat or a cuddle. If I see a dog that's running around out of control, and whose owner doesn't seem to see this as problematic, I leave.

Edited November 10, 2011 by Alkhe

[BJean]

I'd love to say that you'd be free of all blame as your dog is completely under your control and on a lead, however, there are a LOT of stupid dog owners who utilise off-leash parks.

If something did happen involving your dog, you wouldn't be to blame but to the idiot owners of a dog not under effective control, you'd be an easy target -- your dog shouldn't be in the park if it can't be off-leash etcetera etcetera.

I've already figured owners will attempt to blame me (particular the ones who get angry when I tell them to call away their dogs ) ,

but it is the law/ranger and the dog it will blame which concerns me.

NB: I read your signature, and I am sorry you lost your Poochie Pie.

[RiverStar-Aura]

Most of the ones I've been to say that the dog must be under effective control or leashed (even though it's an offlead park)

So I guess the inference is that only dogs under effective control are legally allowed off lead.

That's how I'd interpret the statement. If you can't have your dog under effective control then no, it should not be off-lead. If the dog park isn't fenced and your dog uncontrollable dog decides to head off towards a main road, there's a high chance it could get hit. Not a smart thing to do really.

The dog park I frequent with my guys is at the back of a fenced in cricket pitch, but even though it's a good kilometre from the highway, it's still accessible if a dog decides to take off. And there's a Westfield Shopping Centre right beside it and a McDonalds on the other side of the road. Any dog with a nose like my beagle cross and not under control could just pick up the scent of burgers and make a beeline across the highway -- and it's bumper to bumper during rush hour!

I would hope that could work to your advantage in these kinds of scenarios, but who knows?

I manage to pick a time when no one else is around to allow for free running. I leave or wait until it's free otherwise. I don't have a 100% recall, but I need these parks to practice it in ;)

But if someone asked you to call your dog away, and your dog did not respond to your recall,

would you walk/run to your dog to stop it approaching?

If your dog gets bitten, because your dog and the other dog (onlead) do not get along,

do you consider it the fault of your dog or the other dog,

or would it depend on any physical damage to your dog?

Thank you!

If my guys didn't come to me when I called then hell yes I'd bolt up to them and try everything in my power to stop them. Zeus is faster than a greyhound when he runs so is quite hard to catch but I'd still try my damnedest!

And should one of them be bitten by an on-leash dog after they've continued to ignore my calls and I haven't gotten to them soon enough then no. I'd never blame the person with the on-leash dog. My guys should've returned to me upon command and if they didn't then that's my fault -- they're clearly not 100% recall proof.

If it's really bad damage then I'd get the owner's number so I can let them know how I got on at the vet, but would never blame. There's no point in blame -- IMO it doesn't solve anything. What's done is done, it's time to move on.

Hope I've helped!

[BJean]

I would consider it my fault for not training my dogs to respond better. my interpretation is normally dogs must be under effective control they are not a free for all but most owners believe they are. if an offlead dog rushes yours who is under control i would think the off lead dog would be at fault

I think so. Well hope so.

I visit my friend again tomorrow, but will call the council beforehand.

My friend is housebound for the next few months at least (illness)

and they like to see the dogs.

My dogs like the car ride also.

[Bully]

Dog Park Etiquette

[Guest donatella]

I think you will be the one in trouble seeing as its an off lead dog park and dogs are in general going to be off lead. I'd be very worried if people took aggressive dogs to off lead dog parks as its in most dogs nature to check each other out and get up close and person so if your dog is going to react to that then it should not be in that situation.

I don't frequent off lead dog parks because I have a small dog and I think its too dangerous for the littlies and I don't trust other dogs with her, she's too small and fragile.

General rule of thumb if your dog has potential to get aggressive or attack others it has no place in an off lead dog park.

[Remarkabull]

The one near me has a sign at all 3 entrances saying that it is a 'controlled off lead dog park'. It is a huge area and is on one side of a large lagoon/lake, so although I don't like dog parks I sometimes take my dogs there to have a swim. I always go in the middle of a weekday when it is empty and if anyone is in it I wait until they leave before going in. My Dobe has a great recall and rarely moves more than 10m from my side anyway but he has been rushed at and attacked a few times (while walking on footpaths) by off lead dogs so I'm never sure how he will react to a dog rushing towards him.

The last time I went there was a man and his 1 dog in there so I parked at the other end of the park and walked my dog (on lead as it was not part of the fenced off lead area) towards the entry gate, thinking that I would wait until the man left then I would take Acheron in. Anyway, about 50m from the gate his dog saw me approaching and froze, the man was about 20m from his dog and called to him but the dog ignored him and started coming towards the gate. I paused but figured we would be safe as there was a fence and a lake between us the dog so kept walking at this stage. All of a sudden this dog started running towards the gate and when he realised he couldn't get through that way he turned towards the lake, jumped in and swam around the fence up the bank and was running flat out towards me! At this point the bloke was yelling at his dog (dog was paying no attention at all). I stopped and put myself between this dog and mine and when it was about 20m from me I screamed as loud as I could at it to 'get away'. Thankfully it stopped dead in it's tracks and looked a bit worried about me, although it kept trying to find a way around me, I just kept yelling at it to go away until the owner arrived and grabbed it. He told me in a very annoyed tone that 'he just wants to play' to which I responded 'I'm not so sure about that, but anyway my dog might not want to play with him'. He then wandered off muttering about how this was supposed to be a 'properly fenced area'. I then watched as he took the dog back into the dog park and let him off with 2 elderly dogs that had just arrived and his dog (a young entire male Pitt Bull) was standing over them and trying to physically dominate them. Thankfully the 2 older dogs mostly ignored him and went about their business, but I can only imagine how badly it could have ended if he did come right up to my dog (also a young entire male, who can be reactive) and tried to put his head over him and jump up on him.

As far as I know or am concerned any injuries that could have occurred would have been his responsibility to pay for as his dog was not under effective control and had left the designated leash free area. People like him shit me to tears and are the very reason why I don'[t go to dog parks if anyone else is in them.

[BJean]

If I were that concerned about off leash dogs running towards my on leash dog at an off leash park, I wouldn't go there. I understand that people get worried about dogs that are not under effective control, and there are people who don't go to dog parks because they don't like, trust or agree with them. That is completely understandable, and each to their own.

Dogs of mine that I know will not tolerate outside dogs approaching, I do not take to this park; I don't take these dogs into the grounds of suburbia at all.

My "dog friendly" dogs I do take - but it is not possible to predict how your dog will react to other dogs, as every interaction between two dogs is different.

My dogs are generally larger than all the others

and if another dog is aggressive towards them

they will meet the other dog with the same.

It could be that the approaching dog is actually quite pushy and annoying, but every other dog in the park accepts that behaviour so the owner thinks their golden dog does no wrong.

In my experience, there are no 'rules', and each park just operates on the understanding that people's dogs are generally friendly. For better or worse, that's the way I see it. I don't see dogs rushing other dogs, or anything like that. If a new dog comes along, some might go over to have a smell and I've never seen anything bad happen at all. At one park I no longer go to, I ended up seeing too many dogs that I wasn't too fond of, and owners who I didn't consider to pay enough attention. I don't go there anymore, and I know some others who are the same. Some parks have signs that dogs must be under effective voice control, and if they don't, it's often on the council website. That said, most dogs don't have perfect recall, but .. most dogs in the world don't have perfect recall.

At all of the parks I've been a regular at, people have got to know each other and their dogs. If someone has a dog that is antisocial or has issues with other dogs, the message tends to get out- eg the dog Lola at my local park. Lola's a bit DA, and is now walked on leash around the park. It's quite a tight knit community and everyone looks out for each other. When a new person comes along their dogs is introduced to all the dogs etc. If someone's dog runs off, we'll make sure they get help getting them back. If someone's sick and can't get out, someone will take their dog to the park for them (and keep the on leash).

I have never discussed who would be legally or financially responsible for my dog being attacked, or my dog attacking, with anyone at the park. I hope it never happens, and if it does I will cross that bridge when I come to it. My own dog is more likely to toddle over to a woman and sit looking pretty, hoping for a treat or a cuddle. If I see a dog that's running around out of control, and whose owner doesn't seem to see this as problematic, I leave.

This is an inner city park in Melbourne, and I dont think everyone knows each other. Families utilise the BBQ areas and people walk through with their dogs offlead. Most dogs stay near their owners. But some owners let their dogs run all over the place.

I'm actually quite selective in the dogs I chose to bring, but if something happens I know by virtue of size and my warning to the owner to call their dogs away,

the presumption will be that my dog is the aggressor.

Anyway it's good to read of and learn about the general ethos.

Thanks

[Nekhbet]

if you look at your local council rules, have a read about what 'effective control' and 'vocal control' actually mean. If you CANNOT call your dog back or it rushes another, this is unacceptable and if your dog ends up bitten because you cannot call it back (read that, control it) it's your fault. Particularly if the other dog is on lead. Off lead means simply off lead not run around like a lunatic.

[BJean]

I think you will be the one in trouble seeing as its an off lead dog park and dogs are in general going to be off lead. I'd be very worried if people took aggressive dogs to off lead dog parks as its in most dogs nature to check each other out and get up close and person so if your dog is going to react to that then it should not be in that situation.

I do not take aggressive dogs to the park.

I understand there are people with dogs who do not know basic dog behaviour

and/or

who project the sum and possibility of their dog onto others' dogs;

however to me I feel I have just as much right to utilise public space as every other person. As long as I follow the rules of that public space.

General rule of thumb if your dog has potential to get aggressive or attack others it has no place in an off lead dog park.

Then according to this rule of thumb, no dog has any place at an off lead dog park.

[BJean]

If your dog is under control and on a leash and another dog barrels up to it because their owner can't recall them and subsequently gets bitten by your dog then yes, it is the other owners fault. However, if you know your dog will attack a dog that rushes up to it and you know that people who don't have effective control of their dogs use that off leash park regularly, then I think you still have to consider whether going to that park when it is busy is the right thing to do. Do you really want to set your dog up for a bad experience or see another dog get hurt just because their owner either doesn't understand what effective control means or chooses to ignore the requirement. I know that I would be mortified if my dog hurt another dog, even if It was the other owners fault, unless my dog was defending himself after being attacked. I know not everyone will agree with me but in my opinion sometimes having the right to do something doesn't equate to it being the right thing to do.

The interchange attack-response-attack does not always go the way we humans see.

So if my dog attacks another dog where the other owner is at fault, I am not mortified.

Regretful yes, but it cannot be said which dog perceived aggression from the other dog first.

If a dog I own is DA/HA, and I allow it out in public space and it attacks, I am mortified, yes. Among other things.

[BJean]

Most of the ones I've been to say that the dog must be under effective control or leashed (even though it's an offlead park)

So I guess the inference is that only dogs under effective control are legally allowed off lead.

That's how I'd interpret the statement. If you can't have your dog under effective control then no, it should not be off-lead. If the dog park isn't fenced and your dog uncontrollable dog decides to head off towards a main road, there's a high chance it could get hit. Not a smart thing to do really.

The dog park I frequent with my guys is at the back of a fenced in cricket pitch, but even though it's a good kilometre from the highway, it's still accessible if a dog decides to take off. And there's a Westfield Shopping Centre right beside it and a McDonalds on the other side of the road. Any dog with a nose like my beagle cross and not under control could just pick up the scent of burgers and make a beeline across the highway -- and it's bumper to bumper during rush hour!

I would hope that could work to your advantage in these kinds of scenarios, but who knows?

I manage to pick a time when no one else is around to allow for free running. I leave or wait until it's free otherwise. I don't have a 100% recall, but I need these parks to practice it in ;)

But if someone asked you to call your dog away, and your dog did not respond to your recall,

would you walk/run to your dog to stop it approaching?

If your dog gets bitten, because your dog and the other dog (onlead) do not get along,

do you consider it the fault of your dog or the other dog,

or would it depend on any physical damage to your dog?

Thank you!

If my guys didn't come to me when I called then hell yes I'd bolt up to them and try everything in my power to stop them. Zeus is faster than a greyhound when he runs so is quite hard to catch but I'd still try my damnedest!

And should one of them be bitten by an on-leash dog after they've continued to ignore my calls and I haven't gotten to them soon enough then no. I'd never blame the person with the on-leash dog. My guys should've returned to me upon command and if they didn't then that's my fault -- they're clearly not 100% recall proof.

If it's really bad damage then I'd get the owner's number so I can let them know how I got on at the vet, but would never blame. There's no point in blame -- IMO it doesn't solve anything. What's done is done, it's time to move on.

Hope I've helped!

Yes, thank you.

[BJean]

The one near me has a sign at all 3 entrances saying that it is a 'controlled off lead dog park'. It is a huge area and is on one side of a large lagoon/lake, so although I don't like dog parks I sometimes take my dogs there to have a swim. I always go in the middle of a weekday when it is empty and if anyone is in it I wait until they leave before going in. My Dobe has a great recall and rarely moves more than 10m from my side anyway but he has been rushed at and attacked a few times (while walking on footpaths) by off lead dogs so I'm never sure how he will react to a dog rushing towards him.

The last time I went there was a man and his 1 dog in there so I parked at the other end of the park and walked my dog (on lead as it was not part of the fenced off lead area) towards the entry gate, thinking that I would wait until the man left then I would take Acheron in. Anyway, about 50m from the gate his dog saw me approaching and froze, the man was about 20m from his dog and called to him but the dog ignored him and started coming towards the gate. I paused but figured we would be safe as there was a fence and a lake between us the dog so kept walking at this stage. All of a sudden this dog started running towards the gate and when he realised he couldn't get through that way he turned towards the lake, jumped in and swam around the fence up the bank and was running flat out towards me! At this point the bloke was yelling at his dog (dog was paying no attention at all). I stopped and put myself between this dog and mine and when it was about 20m from me I screamed as loud as I could at it to 'get away'. Thankfully it stopped dead in it's tracks and looked a bit worried about me, although it kept trying to find a way around me, I just kept yelling at it to go away until the owner arrived and grabbed it. He told me in a very annoyed tone that 'he just wants to play' to which I responded 'I'm not so sure about that, but anyway my dog might not want to play with him'. He then wandered off muttering about how this was supposed to be a 'properly fenced area'. I then watched as he took the dog back into the dog park and let him off with 2 elderly dogs that had just arrived and his dog (a young entire male Pitt Bull) was standing over them and trying to physically dominate them. Thankfully the 2 older dogs mostly ignored him and went about their business, but I can only imagine how badly it could have ended if he did come right up to my dog (also a young entire male, who can be reactive) and tried to put his head over him and jump up on him.

omg does this man have a doppleganger in Vic with two GSDs?

As far as I know or am concerned any injuries that could have occurred would have been his responsibility to pay for as his dog was not under effective control and had left the designated leash free area. People like him shit me to tears and are the very reason why I don'[t go to dog parks if anyone else is in them.

Yes my ethos also.

[Rebanne]

I think you will be the one in trouble seeing as its an off lead dog park and dogs are in general going to be off lead. I'd be very worried if people took aggressive dogs to off lead dog parks as its in most dogs nature to check each other out and get up close and person so if your dog is going to react to that then it should not be in that situation.

I don't frequent off lead dog parks because I have a small dog and I think its too dangerous for the littlies and I don't trust other dogs with her, she's too small and fragile.

General rule of thumb if your dog has potential to get aggressive or attack others it has no place in an off lead dog park.

I suggest you read the article I posted, "He Justs Wants To Say Hi" talks a lot about rude dogs and how they cause the bad behaviour by rushing at dogs minding their own business.

[BJean]

if you look at your local council rules, have a read about what 'effective control' and 'vocal control' actually mean. If you CANNOT call your dog back or it rushes another, this is unacceptable and if your dog ends up bitten because you cannot call it back (read that, control it) it's your fault. Particularly if the other dog is on lead. Off lead means simply off lead not run around like a lunatic.

This is the only rule that councils need to write in front of dog parks.

All problems solved.

No misinterpretation of what is effective control and what is not.