No More Dog Parks for Zelda :(

[dds06d]

I've never had a problem at the dog park until last Sunday, now my dog has stitches and the cone of shame. Zelda loves meeting new dogs at the local parks, but I think I'm going to have to stop bringing her because other dog owners can really suck! My boyfriend and I took our huskies to Mission San Luis Park, where there's usually a lot of student dog owners and some older people. My dog was sniffing under a bench (apparently too close to the other dogs owner) and this dog came up to her, positioned itself parallel to Zelda's body and started growling. Zelda didn't heed the warning of the other dog growling at her and decided to stand her ground. The other dog bit her on the face and a scuffle broke out. According to others that dog had been aggressive the entire time, but all the other dogs that came in contact with it ran off. Zelda's not one to back down, and the poor thing got a pretty bad bite to her face because of it. The girl said that her dog has never acted like that before and she brings her dog to that park all the time! Yeah right! It just really upsets me that all my dog was doing was smelling the ground underneath a bench. She had no idea that she was "close" to the other dogs owner. So I had to take her to the vet, and I hate that they had to put her under to get the stitches in. She hates being drugged and I swear she came out of the vet looking worse than when she came in there.

Now, I'm trying to figure out how to get Zelda socialized. She loves other dogs and I'm trying to think of a way to still allow interactions with other animals. There's a small lake that people walk their dogs at everyday, I think if I take her there more often she'll at least see dogs. Do you guys have any suggestions, like how do you socialize your dogs if you don't take them to dog parks?

Edited June 12, 2012 by dds06d

[simhauu]

I'm sorry to hear about that. Poor Zelda, hope she's doing well now.

Well, honestly in my opinion you can't stop taking her to dog parks, maybe not this one but there can be other parks. If she will be scared or a little hostile at first towards other dogs, ask a friend/s to help you back on track with her by praising her when she's ok around the dog/s.

A number of dogs tried to get him away from their owners but he left or lowered himself in submission.

But sooner or later you'll find it hard for you just walking around the lake, while Zelda won't be able to go greet them, she might get sad or worse hostile to them. Good luck!

[Austinville]

Husky meets, visiting friends (especially those with huskies) and just frequent walks in town where there are many other dogs to meet.

Crap like this is exactly why I don't take Ryn to dog parks. Never have, never will. Honestly, I've never heard of anything good coming out of a dog park as too many people see it as a place for their dog to exercise without having to watch their dogs.

Sorry this happened and I hope that Zelda heals quickly and doesn't have any emotional scars from this incident.

[julie1]

Aawwww Hope shes ok and it doesnt put her off meeting other dogs. We dont have dog parks in our area but my 3 have some friends that come round and let there dogs socialize with them running around the garden. They love it.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

aww poor girl hope shes ok

best thing i can advise it to get her socialised with other *friendly* dogs as soon as u can

[Paranormal Wolf]

I also avoid dog parks for this very reason. Too many idiots who don't know how to properly socialize a dog first before coming in and who don't want to keep an eye on their dogs and keep them under control. so sorry this happened to Zelda. It is definitely good to get her back socializing with other dogs so that she doesn't become weary of other dogs. If you have friends that you know have friendly, well socialized dogs maybe arrange mini meets and play dates with them. walk in areas where there are other dogs on lead, etc. Dog parks in themselves aren't bad, just have to be weary of the type of owners there. Maybe before you go into one again if you choose to sit back and watch through the fence. see what kind of dogs are there, how they are interacting with other dogs and people and most of all scope out the owners and see if they are keeping an eye on their dogs or are off in lala land. If all seems well you could go in and just be observant to new dogs and owners that come in. If it were me at the sight of a not well socialized dog entering or an owner who doesn't care what their dog does I would leave just to play it safe. True its unfair that you and your well behaved dog has to leave due to irresponsibility on the part of others but an ounce of preventing is worth a pound of cure.

Hope all goes well in the future with you and Zelda! Best of wishes!

[Mollys_mum]

Sorry to (seemingly) contradict others, but I don't think you ought to give up on the idea of the dog park altogether.

We've been using one under the auspices of another member here for the last 6 weeks or so, and the pros have far outweighed the cons. I have 3, and 2 of them are recent re-homes. An off-lead area has proved to be a positive experience overall, and so very useful, and on so many levels.

I think, going along with said member from on here, allowed me to relax a little. An important thing that she told me was that in our particular park (and it might be the same as yours), different owners take their dogs at different times of the day. We, for example, always go at a time in the morning when we know there will be the same owners. We built a rapport with them, and things got easier week by week because the dogs and owners got used to one another.

In your case, it might be an idea to shift the time frame that you go to the dog park, and when doing so, pluck up the courage to introduce yourself to other dog owners about your dog and theirs. It 'breaks the ice' and gives you the 'heads - up' on potential problems.

I had a worrying situation with Molly to begin with, as she has to 'have her face' in everything - all the time. If any other dog had a ball - it was hers.:eek:

Since going to the 'dog park', she has actually really improved.

[dds06d]

I don't think Zelda is weary of other dogs at the moment. It seemed like she had forgotten all about the scuffle in about 3 minutes. It's really cute because she's still playing with my boyfriend's dog the same way as always, even with the annoying lampshade on her head. She seems sad that I cut down her play time with Blue (my boyfriends dog), because I want her to heal properly. Since the incident she hasn't really come into contact with other dogs, I guess the only type of dog that could be a problem would be a large brown kind. I'll just have to wait and see, but as of now I'm not worried about her interactions with other dogs because she loves them so much!

That's a good idea of checking out the dog park situation before entering. I remember the owner of the dog who had bitten mine was not paying any attention at all to her dog. She was just socializing with others around her, and I've seen lots of people do this as well. It's strange because I always watch everything that my dog does, as well as trying to watch the other dogs in the park. I'm thinking of still going to the park, but just to use the trails. I'm still a little weary of letting her into an area with a bunch of strange dogs. At least she's really enjoying the cheese that I'm wrapping her medication in .

[Ravenwolf]

Dog parks are a great idea in theory but a poor idea in practice. I still bring Scout to one sometimes, but only during off-hours when I know it won't be very busy. And it's exactly because of ignorant owners like that, who have ill-behaved dogs but are too dense to realize it. I'm honestly surprised there aren't more serious incidents at parks than there actually are.

However, part and parcel to having good manners, Zelda is going to need an attitude adjustment too. As far as I'm concerned, when the other dog growled at her - even if it was being possessive of its owner - she should have backed away or at the very least been sent away by you. Growling is a warning that a dog may attack if pushed, and Zelda pushed. At a dog park it's critical for dogs to respect the body language of others, and when they don't that's when fights break out. Just as bullying shouldn't be tolerated, neither should ignoring warning cues.

For example, sometimes a dog will want to play with another, but the first is just too intense and rough for the second. So the second growls to warn the first off. If they fight, it's not necessarily the second dog's fault just because it was the one who growled. It just wanted to be left alone. The first dog should have been taught that if someone doesn't want to play, you respect that, you don't maul them anyway because you feel like playing. Same idea here - that dog didn't want Zelda near her owner and said so, and it sounds like Zelda said "too bad, I go where I want and I want to be here, so you just make me!" Small wonder the already agitated dog took it to the next level.

I do agree that dog should not have been at the park to begin with. Possessiveness has no place in an off-leash park, whether it's of a person, toy or area of the park they think is "theirs."

But know that you may have an uphill battle with Zelda to work with other dogs, and to be honest I don't think an off-leash park with a dozen potentially rude and ignorant dogs is a good place to start. Depending on her personality, she may go one of three ways: 1) no change, didn't take it personally, 2) more likely to initiate a fight if another dog growls or provokes her or 3) more fearful and seeks to avoid other dogs. If it's 1, she needs work respecting other dogs. If it's 2, she'll really need work respecting other dogs, and if it's 3 she'll need more positive experiences to learn that not everyone is out to get her now.

I would try to meet up with friends' dogs who are well-adjusted and let them interact in a controlled environment. If she's good with that and you still want to go to dog parks, go during off-hours when there are fewer dogs.

[dds06d]

Ravenwolf, you're right, I do need to train Zelda to properly respond to another dogs warning, she's kind of a princess. I didn't really have much time to call Zelda off because everything happened so fast. The entire incident was probably only 10 seconds long, and I kinda froze. I just remember a 2 second growl and Zelda standing there, not moving, and then like a 5 second spat, by the time I got to her the dogs had already physically separated themselves. So even though I grabbed her collar and pulled her away they were already done. For over a year Zelda's lived with another dog that growls at her and Blue all the time and I feel like she kind of phases the noise out. Here's a common occurrence: When Zelda and Blue play, and the other dog growls at them, does that mean I stop the dogs from playing or stop the other dog from growling? When this happens I usually separate the huskies from the other dog so I suppose I'm not correcting anything properly? Weird things like this happen at my house and I suppose I can use it to help Zelda's training. I usually just keep the huskies separate from the other dog because I've always felt it to be unfriendly. I think I'll need to find other dog owners who are more responsible, but at the same time I'd hate for my dog to rub off badly on someone elses. She really is a good dog, and I do work on training her properly, she's just pretty stubborn!

Edited June 12, 2012 by dds06d

[Ravenwolf]

Here's a common occurrence: When Zelda and Blue play, and the other dog growls at them, does that mean I stop the dogs from playing or stop the other dog from growling? When this happens I usually separate the huskies from the other dog so I suppose I'm not correcting anything properly? Weird things like this happen at my house and I suppose I can use it to help Zelda's training. I usually just keep the huskies separate from the other dog because I've always felt it to be unfriendly. I think I'll need to find other dog owners who are more responsible, but at the same time I'd hate for my dog to rub off badly on someone elses. She really is a good dog, and I do work on training her properly, she's just pretty stubborn!

In that situation it IS the growling dog who is inappropriate. If the huskies are playing and not bothering the other dog, but the other dog is growling/annoyed with them, it is that dog who should leave/be sent away. The huskies aren't doing anything wrong by playing, and if the third wheel wants to be a cranky-pants it can leave, because it is the one causing trouble. If the huskies are continually getting into the other dog's space and knocking into it while they play, they can be the ones reprimanded and sent off - they actually can learn to be aware of who's around them and not bowl into people/dogs/objects while they play!

I don't think you need to worry about her being a bad influence to another dog - if the other dog is well-adjusted from the start, and you just reinforce the behaviours you want to see in Zelda, that other dog will help her learn faster, not start causing trouble itself! To be fair, I've met some good owners at off-leash parks too, and they are a HUGE help in socializing your dog. I don't think it sounds like Zelda is a "bad" dog, she just needs to brush up on her social graces, and you'll just have to be vigilant about making sure she moves off in a similar situation, because your time span for reaction will likely be even shorter the next time.

[Synphny]

When your 2 huskies play and the other dog growls at them look at how close your 2 are relative to the dog. The other dog might just want to give a warning that they are invading his/her personal space. I had a similar encounter when my 2 play too closely to another dog. A simple way is just to invite your 2 to play somewhere more spacious. Here is too a speedy recovery of Zelda

[Shaiasaur]

I am very sorry about what had happened to your baby Zelda.

Did the owner of the other dog even apologize? Did you get the police or anything involved.

I would of at least yelled at the woman for not restraining her dog...