Dog Park Rules / Law

[Fatsofatsoman]

If it hasn't already been mentioned - there's a pullout in today's Courier Mail all about Dog Park etiquette.

edit to add link http://www.couriermail.com.au/life/outabout/doggie-dos-and-donts/story-e6frer76-1226191871029

Edited November 10, 2011 by Fatsofatsoman

[raineth]

They should have control over their dog to call them back from approaching another dog.

But I also think that having control over your dog means that you don't let it bite another dog.

[JulesP]

If my dog approached an on lead dog I would consider that my problem. But agree that people with DA dogs should be taking precautions in a off lead area, that means a muzzle. This is for your dog's own sake.

I never did off lead, tried it for a while and the stress is just too much!! Mine aren't DA but Poppy loves people a little too much. I spend the entire walk calling her off people as she hurtles towards them squealing with joy!

[Guest donatella]

If it hasn't already been mentioned - there's a pullout in today's Courier Mail all about Dog Park etiquette.

edit to add link http://www.couriermail.com.au/life/outabout/doggie-dos-and-donts/story-e6frer76-1226191871029

i can't believe this was even mentioned, who would get mad at this?

4 - Yes, your dog loves chasing balls. But if you throw your ball at other dogs, they will probably want to chase it too. And if another dog steals your ball, a friendly word with the other owner will get it back, sooner or later.

Don't get mad if another dog steals your ball, just be patient.

AND

3 - Not all dogs get on. If you know your dog has a problem with a specific type of dog (a big one that bounds, a small one that squeaks, a yappy one that, um, yaps) it's probably better to head to a different part of the dog park or put your dog on a lead for a minute until the other one passes by.

that's you banned from the dog parks Lucy

Edited November 10, 2011 by donatella

[dancinbcs]

Legally I don't know where you'd stand. While the other dog is not under control it could also be argued that neither is yours (if it were to attack/lash out just because it was approached by anotehr dog) and into the bargain you have as much as admitted that your dog is aggressive by asking the other person to take their dog away because yours might not like it.

I'm not saying you are in the wrong or there is anything wrong with your dogs, my boy is exactly like this. I don't like dog parks for exactly this reason and won't put my dogs in a situation I don't think they can handle.

That said, I'd find it VERY frustrating if it were just a regular park where dogs are allowed off lead.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't I say. Best to just not invite problems.

I don't get the attitude on here that any normal dog that objects to a strange dog getting in it's face is called dog aggressive. Absolute rubbish. It is abnormal for a dog to welcome uninvited advances from strange dogs. A dog aggressive dog will attempt to attack any dog it sees, going out of it's way to do so but a normal dog minding it's own business has the right to be left alone by other dogs and the right to defend itself if rushed by another. That doesn't make it aggressive it makes it normal. The social butterfly ones that want to play with every dog they see are not normal as far as dog behaviour goes. I have one at the moment and have to keep him on lead to make sure he doesn't just run up to strange dogs that may not be so friendly.

I have only ever seen one small fenced dog area in a park about the size of two small house blocks (I assume this is what people on here call a "dog park") and the people round here take turns using it so there are not multiple dogs in it but it is far too small to go for a decent walk and is only suitable for mid sized dogs that don't jump. The gaps under the fence make it unsuitable for littles and the fence height makes it unsafe for anything that jumps because it is near a main road. I would never allow my dogs in such a small fenced area with unknown dogs. If someone else arrives with dogs we leave. Other than that area all other off lead areas anywhere near me are simply normal public parks were dogs happen to be allowed off lead so I get extremely angry if anyone allows their dogs to run anywhere near mine if I am walking them on or off lead in these areas. My only ones that have been allowed offlead in them are those trained with perfect recall due to the risk of them running on the roads or annoying other park users. This type of park is what lilli is talking about and she has every right to walk her dog there on lead and expect to not be bothered by other dogs. There is a big difference between an "offlead area" and a little fenced in "dog park" but no matter which it is the owner's responsibility to make sure their dog does not bother any other dog or owner.

[Agility Dogs]

Legally I don't know where you'd stand. While the other dog is not under control it could also be argued that neither is yours (if it were to attack/lash out just because it was approached by anotehr dog) and into the bargain you have as much as admitted that your dog is aggressive by asking the other person to take their dog away because yours might not like it.

I'm not saying you are in the wrong or there is anything wrong with your dogs, my boy is exactly like this. I don't like dog parks for exactly this reason and won't put my dogs in a situation I don't think they can handle.

That said, I'd find it VERY frustrating if it were just a regular park where dogs are allowed off lead.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't I say. Best to just not invite problems.

I don't get the attitude on here that any normal dog that objects to a strange dog getting in it's face is called dog aggressive. Absolute rubbish.

Woah, slow down. I'm not calling OP's dog aggressive, I didn't word it well and was trying to see things from a legal point of view. What I'm saying ist that others could perceive that she has said that her dog is aggressive herself. My dog behaves in exactly the same manner and I'm NOT saying that he is aggressive. I'm saying that a person who is perhaps not quite so dog savvy and does like seeing or understand what happens when their social butterfly dog gets in another's face may perceive it this way.

I have every sympathy and empathy for the OP, but at the end of the day I've personally made the decision not to invite problems by putting my dog in situations I can't control.

Ultimately I stand by the first paragraph - I'm not sure whether the law would take into account our understanding of animal behaviour or just look at what the result was.

[trojka]

I agree with most posters that in a perfect world, everyone would have effective control over their dogs at the park and that in the situation lilli described, the owner of the other dog would be at fault for not having that level of control. However, after reading countless dog park threads on dol, we all know that not everyone has effective control over their dogs, and some people also lack a brain cell or two. As the owner of a big, black dog that can be reactive, to me it is not worth the risk and it wouldn't help my stress levels to take him to an off lead park and then have to yell at every idiot that lets their dog rush us (and I doubt my dog would be having much fun anyway). Unfortunately, we encounter enough off leash dogs in areas where they are required by law to be on leash, but in these instances, at least I can generally tell the owners to put their dog back on leash without too much trouble. So basically yes, you should be able to take your dog to this park and not encounter any problems, but the reality is often different, and personally I wouldn't risk it. Are there any on leash parks you and your friend could go to?

[corvus]

It is abnormal for a dog to welcome uninvited advances from strange dogs.

I disagree. It if was abnormal, why are people always whinging about dogs running up to theirs? IME, dogs like to greet each other. They don't really want to play with strangers unless they are pups, but they like to know who is around.

I have NEVER been asked to call my dog(s) away. Once I was asked to wait where I was with my dogs until the owners could get their dog out of the river and back on leash. I have had people look tense, and I take that to mean they and/or their dog are not entirely comfortable and act accordingly. I do not ask people if my dogs can approach theirs because if I do, people look at me like I'm a loony. Besides which, it's a waste of time. I have found that most of getting along with other dog park users is reading their body language and just being polite.

I have seen aggressive dogs walked through the park on leash. If I see a dog on leash in the park, I tend to take that as a signal that the owner doesn't want their dog to interact with other dogs for whatever reasons. My dogs do not normally need to be told to leave them alone, but if they look like they are going to be optimistic about it, I call them away and I don't tend to have any troubles doing that. If for some inexplicable reason they did not come back, I would not run after them in case it upset the dog they were approaching or encouraged them to move faster. If they got to the leashed dog and were bitten, I'd put them back on leash and tell them they were idiots and this is why they should listen to me and apologise to the person with the leashed dog. I know people with dogs that don't respond well to being walked through the dog park that now walk them on the path outside the park. Seems sensible. I think it's reasonable to expect that if you take a dog into a dog park, it will be approached by off leash dogs. Right or wrong, that's what's going to happen.

ETA Actually, dog going on leash when the owners see me coming is usually a signal for me to leash my dogs. Which causes confusion because no one knows why the dogs are on leash and which ones are aggressive. It usually turns out none of them are, and they just didn't want their dogs running off or being silly, and they are confused as to why I would want to prevent my dogs from running up to theirs and potentially upsetting them if my dogs are friendly. Go figure! The power of actions amongst strangers.

Noisy arguments happen between dogs sometimes, and people don't tend to do much about it except break it up and deal with the fallout for their own dog. I don't think they tend to report trouble. There are dogs everyone knows as troublemakers, but in the end, the attitude is that we are sharing public space and should not cause trouble ourselves with each other. I imagine this is why people get offended when you ask them to keep their dogs away from yours. It's kind of weird and people wouldn't know how to take it, so they may take it as you being rude. Not saying you are, just trying to explain why people are 'stupid'. Oftentimes they are not. They just don't understand, it's outside their realm of experience, so they default to a human context where being asked to keep their dog away is kind of like being asked to keep themselves away, which is quite a strong thing to say to someone you don't know in a public place.

Edited November 11, 2011 by corvus

[Rebanne]

I don't get the attitude on here that any normal dog that objects to a strange dog getting in it's face is called dog aggressive. Absolute rubbish. It is abnormal for a dog to welcome uninvited advances from strange dogs. A dog aggressive dog will attempt to attack any dog it sees, going out of it's way to do so but a normal dog minding it's own business has the right to be left alone by other dogs and the right to defend itself if rushed by another. That doesn't make it aggressive it makes it normal. The social butterfly ones that want to play with every dog they see are not normal as far as dog behaviour goes. I have one at the moment and have to keep him on lead to make sure he doesn't just run up to strange dogs that may not be so friendly.

I have only ever seen one small fenced dog area in a park about the size of two small house blocks (I assume this is what people on here call a "dog park") and the people round here take turns using it so there are not multiple dogs in it but it is far too small to go for a decent walk and is only suitable for mid sized dogs that don't jump. The gaps under the fence make it unsuitable for littles and the fence height makes it unsafe for anything that jumps because it is near a main road. I would never allow my dogs in such a small fenced area with unknown dogs. If someone else arrives with dogs we leave. Other than that area all other off lead areas anywhere near me are simply normal public parks were dogs happen to be allowed off lead so I get extremely angry if anyone allows their dogs to run anywhere near mine if I am walking them on or off lead in these areas. My only ones that have been allowed offlead in them are those trained with perfect recall due to the risk of them running on the roads or annoying other park users. This type of park is what lilli is talking about and she has every right to walk her dog there on lead and expect to not be bothered by other dogs. There is a big difference between an "offlead area" and a little fenced in "dog park" but no matter which it is the owner's responsibility to make sure their dog does not bother any other dog or owner.

sorry for quoting it all but the above post is spot on!

[aussielover]

I don't necessarily call a dog that reacts when another dog gets in its face.

If it seriously injures the other (and the other dog is not fighting back) then I do think it is dog aggressive.

Although its normal for dogs to tell each other off, it rarely results in serious injury.

[Greyt]

I don't get the attitude on here that any normal dog that objects to a strange dog getting in it's face is called dog aggressive. Absolute rubbish. It is abnormal for a dog to welcome uninvited advances from strange dogs.

I have only ever seen one small fenced dog area in a park about the size of two small house blocks (I assume this is what people on here call a "dog park")

sorry for quoting it all but the above post is spot on!

Well my dog park is acres large and dogs usually greet each other. Dogs greeting each other and dogs getting in each others faces are two entirely different things.

[Odin-Genie]

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 will qualify that statement by saying that dogs who are prone to reacting aggressively and are prone to biting (instead of a warning growl) should not be taken to dog parks.

My dogs don't like other dogs jumping on them, particularly lab puppies. But they would growl and walk away. If I see a particularly boistrous lab puppy, I leave the dog park and go for a walk. But I do love to see those lab puppies running around having a great time. If a dog was so intolerant that instead of a warning growl it seriously injured them, then such dogs should not be taken to dog parks.

[sallyandtex]

Dogs are naturally social creatures I suppose, but they vary in temperment, just like us.

My situation (both mid-large):

Previous dog: Not like to play with other dogs much, so I take him to quieter spots or lead walk NOT in off-lead parks

Current dog: Extremely friendly nature, lives to play. Take to off-lead mostly but where she knows her mates and plays happily. Does not run upto "unknown" dogs, and those I know on my walk that don't like her she avoids.

When her mates are on the lead for some reason (just been washed ) it's very tricky if they want to play, so I lead her up and away.

Just common sense and courtesy.

Our off-lead park is only unitl 10am. Maybe your park is too? Maybe you can go back on-lead time, or when it's quieter so you don't have the stress of wayward dogs.

Legally I'm sure it would not be your fault unless you let your dog go forward and attack a person. Recently had a motorised bike plough through a group of dogs playing off-lead and do some terrible damage to one of them (tail stuck in rear wheel and he tried to yank it forward $2000 surgery to insides and outside), but the council and police said it was the dogs fault anyway, even tho an off-lead area and the dogs in one spot!!!

[Owned by a Wei]

I live near a large park along a river that is deemed an off leash area for dogs. My dog stays on her lead when we walk for a number of reasons.

When we are walking along and I see an offlead dog ahead I stop and wait. Some people notice my dog is on a lead and we have stopped, they call their dog back and either put it on a lead or keep it next to them as we pass. Others pay it no mind and let their dog carry on coming towards me at which point I ask them to call back their dog. Sometimes they do and their dog listens, sometimes their dog doesn't listen and they have to come and get it away. Those that do nothing at that point get some choice words from me; as well as advice that if anything should happen to their dog it is their own fault. If anything happens to my dog I believe that is also their fault and I will respond accordingly.

[emery]

I live near a large park along a river that is deemed an off leash area for dogs. My dog stays on her lead when we walk for a number of reasons.

When we are walking along and I see an offlead dog ahead I stop and wait. Some people notice my dog is on a lead and we have stopped, they call their dog back and either put it on a lead or keep it next to them as we pass. Others pay it no mind and let their dog carry on coming towards me at which point I ask them to call back their dog. Sometimes they do and their dog listens, sometimes their dog doesn't listen and they have to come and get it away. Those that do nothing at that point get some choice words from me; as well as advice that if anything should happen to their dog it is their own fault. If anything happens to my dog I believe that is also their fault and I will respond accordingly.

Similiar to where i live large park alng riveer people use as of leash. Training on lead pups when dude rocks up in car opens door and two dogs barrel towards us. Put ourselves between pups and yell at the idiot to get his dogs away from us as there are signs that say it is onlead but ranger turns a blind eye if they are well behaved. I always pay attention if mine are swimming and call and leash if there is a nother dog coming near safer that way.

To the OP what did the council say???

[corvus]

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 will qualify that statement by saying that dogs who are prone to reacting aggressively and are prone to biting (instead of a warning growl) should not be taken to dog parks.

What about dogs that are prone to getting anxious around other dogs but do not react aggressively?

[Rebanne]

What about dogs that are prone to getting anxious around other dogs but do not react aggressively?

easy, the rude owners of the rude dogs would say it shouldn't be there. My nervous old girl did love her walks but those rude dogs did have the potential to ruin it for her, hence my carrying a riding crop and using it. Off lead area near a river = free for all.

ETA I gave up walking this dog cause there were just too many idiots to contend with. She made do with runs with the greyhounds at the slipping track ;)

Edited November 11, 2011 by Rebanne

[corvus]

But what's the difference between a dog that tends to react aggressively and a dog that doesn't if anxiety drives the behaviour of both?

[Simply Grand]

What about dogs that are prone to getting anxious around other dogs but do not react aggressively?

easy, the rude owners of the rude dogs would say it shouldn't be there. My nervous old girl did love her walks but those rude dogs did have the potential to ruin it for her, hence my carrying a riding crop and using it. Off lead area near a river = free for all.

ETA I gave up walking this dog cause there were just too many idiots to contend with. She made do with runs with the greyhounds at the slipping track ;)

Hang on, does the above mean that you would walk your girl in an off lead area, and if another dog ran up to her to "say hello" (yes rude but with no aggression) you would hit the other dog with the riding crop?

[Remarkabull]

I yell at the top of my lungs at any dog that runs towards us as I'm walking my Dobe. It really seems to get up peoples noses but at the end of the day I'm trying to protect my dog. How do I know if the dog that is galloping towards me is friendly or not? Just because the owner says so? I'm not willing to risk it, hence I scream like a banshee. So far it has always worked and uncontrolled dogs have always backed away from us but if/when I come across one that continues to come at us I would kick it before it got close enough to physically touch my dog, I don't care if it is friendly.

Just to add my Dobe has never attacked another dog, ever, but he has been attacked and rushed at more than once and is not comfortable with other dogs approaching him. He doesn't lunge or bark at other dogs while being walked but if a dog came up to him and was in his face, friendly or not, I don't think he would be ok with that.