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We have this lovely dog park. It’s two separate parks. One for large dogs, the other for smaller breeds. I like taking my dog here so she can run around and interact with other dogs but theres one problem. Some people with puppies of larger breeds get in the small dog park and it’s happened a few times where they always seem to attack my dog. (She’s usually the smallest one there, she’s a chihuahua). What can I do? Leashes aren’t allowed obviously and I follow my dog around but she likes to run around, maybe I am being overprotective but I worry when I see someone with a boxer or Rottweiler puppy stroll in and leave the dog unattended. I want my dog to be a bit more social. What can I do? : ( I understand, puppies are small dogs but most of the time, they are bigger than the smaller breeds
Side note, I am not criticizing certain breeds, these two just came to mind as dogs who are large breed puppies.
Last edited by melissapla12; 01-28-2015 at 10:33 AM..
Reason: added note
It doesn't sound like they are breaking the rules(as the puppies are probably under the weight limit) but they should be considerate of you and your very small dog. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and your dog by asking them to please control their puppy so that both dogs can enjoy some social time(the puppy's need to learn how to play correctly as well).
I understand it can be tough though, to confront someone you don't know. I'll do it with my dogs whenever they are uncomfortable(I try and be as polite as I can) but my husband won't(unless our dogs are in serious danger).
You could also try and form a toy dog group; post some signs at the dog park, ask other owners that you see, even try posting on some local chat forums for your town. Maybe ya'll could meet weekly either at the park or in someones backyard. Toys dogs are tough because even a 25lb beagle is going to be much bigger then a 5lb Chihuahua, so I would try and find other toy dog owners and make your own group.
PetsMart/Petco might even be able to offer some help, I know they do "puppy social hour" maybe they would be open to starting a "toy dog hour" in your town, couldn't hurt to ask.
It doesn't sound like they are breaking the rules(as the puppies are probably under the weight limit) but they should be considerate of you and your very small dog. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and your dog by asking them to please control their puppy so that both dogs can enjoy some social time(the puppy's need to learn how to play correctly as well).
I understand it can be tough though, to confront someone you don't know. I'll do it with my dogs whenever they are uncomfortable(I try and be as polite as I can) but my husband won't(unless our dogs are in serious danger).
You could also try and form a toy dog group; post some signs at the dog park, ask other owners that you see, even try posting on some local chat forums for your town. Maybe ya'll could meet weekly either at the park or in someones backyard. Toys dogs are tough because even a 25lb beagle is going to be much bigger then a 5lb Chihuahua, so I would try and find other toy dog owners and make your own group.
PetsMart/Petco might even be able to offer some help, I know they do "puppy social hour" maybe they would be open to starting a "toy dog hour" in your town, couldn't hurt to ask.
I had another chihuahua who passed away about 3 years ago. I used to take him to this park and one time he was just walking around and smelling around and a huge boxer puppy came up to him and stood on top of him and my dog was terrified. He couldn’t move and the boxer wouldn’t move and just kept looking down on him. I finally snatched him away and his owner giggled and said “oh look theyre playing”. My poor dog peed all over himself out of fear.
I went back when I got my new dog (who’s 2 now) and it was ok for the first few weeks but after a while, I had the same issue of bigger puppies coming towards her.
But I like your idea!! This park is in front of a rec center, I might go check to see if maybe theyre are postings there. Im sure Im not the only one with this issue
I gave up on dog parks long ago....not because of the dogs but because of their owners.....I came to believe that dog parks were an invitation for the kind of trouble you are describing. Owners and dogs with dominance issues.
Puppies may be little but they have no boundaries. Allowing a puppy to bully a small breed dog does nothing to socialize them and does a great deal into creating really big brats later on. These owners are obviously oblivious to that point.
I gave up on dog parks long ago....not because of the dogs but because of their owners.....I came to believe that dog parks were an invitation for the kind of trouble you are describing. Owners and dogs with dominance issues.
Yes totally agree. My dog just walks around, smells, and minds her own business. Some people let their dogs run wild and dont even watch them. It makes me question if they let their children act the same way and my guess is they do...
I see what you're saying. The playing has to be fair and there should be a good back and forth between the dogs, regardless of size. Fwiw, I don't take my German Shepherd or my Pyrenees/Akbash mix to the dog park anymore. I just don't trust other owners and their dogs who don't know how to read dog behavior, and I won't let a bad interaction influence my own dog's development. Not to be a kill joy for the dog park movement! lol If you do go again, I'd just supervise the play closely and be sure to step in at the first sign of trouble; not by scooping your dog up instantly though, I'd correct the offender on the spot instead.
You have to balance a puppy or young dog's need for socialization with common sense and responsibility. A Chihuahua could be harmed by the playful interaction of a friendly puppy of a larger breed, not because the bigger puppy is a bully, but because it's a puppy and is learning manners as well. All dog owners should watch their dogs carefully at the dog park.
I've been taking my Cocker Spaniel to local fenced dog parks since he was quite young. For the most part, it has been a big help in his social development; he is tolerant of most dogs and occasionally still plays with others. There were a few occasions where bigger puppies or dogs did come on too strong with him when my dog was a pup; when that happened, I'd move my dog away or take him from the park. (I remember a year-old Newfoundland who thought my dog, then six months old, was a new, fun, living toy to roll and push - the Newfie was not aggressive, but way too much for my dog, and my dog was signaling his discomfort with their interaction, so I took him away from the dog park. Several months later, they met again at the same park; the Newfie was much calmer, having grown up a bit; and he and my dog greeted each other with polite disinterest - I was lucky, in that my dog could have held a grudge, but did not).
When my dog has initiated play with other dogs, which can have, in my dog's case, overtones of sexual dominance (involving mounting); I always ask the other dog's owner if my dog is too much for his/her dog (if the other dog's owner signifies that my dog is in fact, too pushy for his dog's comfort, I leash my dog and either go to a different corner of the field or leave the park). And I watch the other dog to see if he appears to be stressed, if he returns to interact with my dog of his own volition or just wants to escape him. If the other dog is unhappy or nervous, I will not let my dog continue to interact with him. You can tell a lot from the body language of playing dogs - are their rears level or hunched, what is the tail position, are their ears relaxed or back or stiffly raised, etc. Some owners don't watch as closely as they should.
If larger-breed puppies are "attacking" your Chihuahua, especially more than one puppy 'playing' with your Chihuahua, it will not help your Chihuahua's socialization, only serve to make her fear bigger dogs.
Since your dog park has a small dog section set up, presumably to alleviate big dogs/puppies pushing smaller, more fragile dogs around, the owners of the larger-breed puppies who allow the pups to enter this section and push at your dog are at fault here. It is certainly not the fault of the puppies. To handle it nicely, the next time a careless dog owner lets his big puppy into the small dog area and it tries to play rough with your Chihuahua, I would approach the dog's owner and say something like "you have a very cute puppy, but he is too much for my Chihuahua, please keep him out of the small dog section". If that doesn't work, you can be more definite.
Dog parks are great, and can provide positive experiences for most dogs and their owners. They should never be looked on as a place to just let the dog charge ahead unsupervised. Dog parks depend on friendly interactions between the canine visitors and the responsible supervision of their owners.
You have to balance a puppy or young dog's need for socialization with common sense and responsibility. A Chihuahua could be harmed by the playful interaction of a friendly puppy of a larger breed, not because the bigger puppy is a bully, but because it's a puppy and is learning manners as well. All dog owners should watch their dogs carefully at the dog park.
I've been taking my Cocker Spaniel to local fenced dog parks since he was quite young. For the most part, it has been a big help in his social development; he is tolerant of most dogs and occasionally still plays with others. There were a few occasions where bigger puppies or dogs did come on too strong with him when my dog was a pup; when that happened, I'd move my dog away or take him from the park. (I remember a year-old Newfoundland who thought my dog, then six months old, was a new, fun, living toy to roll and push - the Newfie was not aggressive, but way too much for my dog, and my dog was signaling his discomfort with their interaction, so I took him away from the dog park. Several months later, they met again at the same park; the Newfie was much calmer, having grown up a bit; and he and my dog greeted each other with polite disinterest - I was lucky, in that my dog could have held a grudge, but did not).
When my dog has initiated play with other dogs, which can have, in my dog's case, overtones of sexual dominance (involving mounting); I always ask the other dog's owner if my dog is too much for his/her dog (if the other dog's owner signifies that my dog is in fact, too pushy for his dog's comfort, I leash my dog and either go to a different corner of the field or leave the park). And I watch the other dog to see if he appears to be stressed, if he returns to interact with my dog of his own volition or just wants to escape him. If the other dog is unhappy or nervous, I will not let my dog continue to interact with him. You can tell a lot from the body language of playing dogs - are their rears level or hunched, what is the tail position, are their ears relaxed or back or stiffly raised, etc. Some owners don't watch as closely as they should.
If larger-breed puppies are "attacking" your Chihuahua, especially more than one puppy 'playing' with your Chihuahua, it will not help your Chihuahua's socialization, only serve to make her fear bigger dogs.
Since your dog park has a small dog section set up, presumably to alleviate big dogs/puppies pushing smaller, more fragile dogs around, the owners of the larger-breed puppies who allow the pups to enter this section and push at your dog are at fault here. It is certainly not the fault of the puppies. To handle it nicely, the next time a careless dog owner lets his big puppy into the small dog area and it tries to play rough with your Chihuahua, I would approach the dog's owner and say something like "you have a very cute puppy, but he is too much for my Chihuahua, please keep him out of the small dog section". If that doesn't work, you can be more definite.
Dog parks are great, and can provide positive experiences for most dogs and their owners. They should never be looked on as a place to just let the dog charge ahead unsupervised. Dog parks depend on friendly interactions between the canine visitors and the responsible supervision of their owners.
Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try and take her this weekend. The park is fenced & behind the park, theres a hiking trail. I might just take her there instead.
We have this lovely dog park. It’s two separate parks. One for large dogs, the other for smaller breeds. I like taking my dog here so she can run around and interact with other dogs but theres one problem. Some people with puppies of larger breeds get in the small dog park and it’s happened a few times where they always seem to attack my dog. (She’s usually the smallest one there, she’s a chihuahua). What can I do? Leashes aren’t allowed obviously and I follow my dog around but she likes to run around, maybe I am being overprotective but I worry when I see someone with a boxer or Rottweiler puppy stroll in and leave the dog unattended. I want my dog to be a bit more social. What can I do? : ( I understand, puppies are small dogs but most of the time, they are bigger than the smaller breeds
Side note, I am not criticizing certain breeds, these two just came to mind as dogs who are large breed puppies.
Very few chihuahuas do well at a dog park....I am not saying that some owners have no manners at parks...but if your dog doesn't enjoy being with other dogs....maybe dog parks aren't for him. You really can't expect to take a dog to an off leash park and not have some interaction.
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