HEY! WHOSE PARK IS THIS?: A Guide to Off Leash Dog Behavior at the Dog Park
I have learnt it is a very good idea, if you know you have a high-energy dog, to first take him for a long walk so he can be more relaxed in the park.
He will not be so prone to causing trouble and racing around like a lunatic which will generally incite the other dogs and ultimately cause chaos.
When I first started taking Buster to the park, I realized after removing his leash, he just couldn't contain himself and would immediately gravitate to any dog and even more so if they happened to have a toy in their mouth which, if he got lucky, they would drop or he could play tug-of-war.
At some point, he would grab it and start a chase or else find a quiet corner to trash it.
I have had owners shout at me: “Control your dog,” “Tell your dog to drop it,” “That's my dog's favorite ball, it belongs to me” etc. etc.
…In hindsight, the comments are funny but at the time, things can get pretty unpleasant with everyone shouting and then the dogs start reacting to the raised voices and everything escalates.
Naturally, the culprit would just look at me and wonder what we are all carrying on about.
That's my dog!
Have you ever experienced or witnessed this?
