The freedom of running off-leash and playing with other dogs at the dog park might be a slice of heaven for your pup – or it might be their worst nightmare. Enjoying the dog park takes planning, preparation, knowing your dog’s personality, and following the written and unspoken rules of dog park etiquette.
Table of contents
- Always know where your dog is
- Check the dog park’s requirements, rules and fees
- Is your dog in the right condition to visit a dog park?
- Don’t take a puppy under 12 weeks old to the dog park
- Don’t bring a female dog in heat or a pregnant female to the dog park
- If your dog is sick, don’t go to the dog park
- Is it too hot or too cold outside?
- Know your dog
- Practice recall with your dog
- Track your dog’s body language
- Actively oversee your dog
- Dog park necessities
- Bring water
- Bring dog waste bags and pick up after your pet
- Avoid bringing treats or toys
- Dog park behavior
- Allow positive play with other dogs
- Stop your dog from bullying other dogs
- Remove an uncomfortable dog
- Keep your initial visits short
- In the end: Does your dog actually like going to the dog park?
Check the dog park’s requirements, rules and fees
Before bringing your dog to the local dog park, find out what is required of you and your pup. Some parks are free, while others require a membership or one-time fee. Many parks require that your dog be licensed, collared, and vaccinated, too.
It’s smart to scope out the park in advance, without your dog. Are there separate areas for small and large dogs? Is there a pond or pool for water play? Is there a double gate to provide safe entry and exit? Does the park provide doggie waste bags and a disposal bin, or do you need to bring your own bags and pack out waste? Some parks feature obstacle courses, which are great for agility training.
The dog park should be clean and the fences should be in good repair. Most importantly, the dogs and their owners should be well behaved and follow generally-accepted dog park etiquette. If the park seems lacking in any of these areas, you may want to look for another park.
Most parks post signs with dog park rules, but the most important rule is that you are responsible for your dog and your dog’s behavior. Paying attention to your dog during the entire visit is the #1 rule of dog park etiquette.
Is your dog in the right condition to visit a dog park?
Before visiting a dog park, it’s important to decide if this activity is right for your dog. The weather, your dog’s age, and your dog’s condition may help you make the call.
Don’t take a puppy under 12 weeks old to the dog park
Not only are small puppies vulnerable to being injured during rough play with larger dogs, but puppies also are not fully vaccinated. This makes the little guys susceptible to vaccine-preventable diseases that can be transmitted by other dogs. Depending on your dog’s lifestyle and overall health, you may want to wait until they are 18 weeks old before visiting a dog park. If in doubt, check with your veterinarian.
Don’t bring a female dog in heat or a pregnant female to the dog park
When hormones are high, you are inviting unwanted attention by bringing your dog to the dog park. The mating instinct is extremely powerful and you may end up with an unwanted litter of little pups! It’s good dog park etiquette to keep female dogs in heat at home as well as pregnant dogs. If you don’t want to breed your dog, talk to your veterinarian about spaying or neutering your dog.
If your dog is sick, don’t go to the dog park
It’s bad etiquette for humans to spread germs around, and the same is true for dogs. If your pooch is exhibiting signs of a contagious illness such as kennel cough, skip the visit to the dog park until they have recovered. Kennel cough is spread through airborne droplets, shared water bowls, and by touching noses. It’s easy to see why dog parks are a prime spot spreading this illness.
Is it too hot or too cold outside?
Dogs can be very active running off-leash at the dog park, so if outdoor temperatures are high, keep a close eye on your pup so they don’t get overheated. Otherwise they could suffer from heat stroke in dogs. You should also limit outdoor time in cold weather. Most dogs can tolerate chilly temperatures, but once the thermometer dips below freezing (32 degrees F or 0 degrees C), it’s best to keep most dogs indoors. Small dogs in particular lack the body mass to retain heat in cold weather.
