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We have one in our township and I brought my dog once but there were no other dogs there. She was not impressed.
I think dogs are unpredictable creatures and none of us know what could happen if they get in a situation. I wish she could be social and play with other dogs but she's just not that type of dog.
I appreciate all the feedback, guys. We're all dog lovers, and want what is best for our furry little ones.
Happy New Year!
I don't think we have any dog parks up here or at least I've never seen any. People up here are really bad to have their dogs off leash also in the parks. My dogs are not socialable either so they stay on a leash anytime they are out. I was not being judgmental in my other post but was just trying to make an unbiased observation, but the older man was extremely rude and I would have had to tell him so LOL. BTW, I sent you a DM a while back to see how things are going.
We have about 30 dogs parks within 20 miles of us, and 4 designated dog beaches. I cannot imagine it any other way. Any given day, we have a choice of which park we can walk to and he's at the beach at least twice a week, if not more. I guess it's not the same elsewhere, since people have such negative perceptions about dog parks.
I personally cannot imagine having a dog that does not do well in a dog park. We got a puppy and made sure that he is socialized with all dogs and humans and does well in any social situation. He has grown up to love babies, kids, dogs of all sizes, cats, and everything in between. I just can't imagine it any other way and any dog we add to our family from this point on will have to be the same way. We lead very social lives and expect the dog to be the same way. I understand that some dogs that come into a house as an adult are not going to be necessarily social, but I've seen puppies so poorly socialized that they grow up to be aggressive adults and there is no excuse for that. Perhaps a visit to the dog park when they were puppies would have curbed that. I guess we just got lucky that he tolerates anything and anyone that comes his way.
We have about 30 dogs parks within 20 miles of us, and 4 designated dog beaches. I cannot imagine it any other way. Any given day, we have a choice of which park we can walk to and he's at the beach at least twice a week, if not more. I guess it's not the same elsewhere, since people have such negative perceptions about dog parks.
I personally cannot imagine having a dog that does not do well in a dog park. We got a puppy and made sure that he is socialized with all dogs and humans and does well in any social situation. He has grown up to love babies, kids, dogs of all sizes, cats, and everything in between. I just can't imagine it any other way and any dog we add to our family from this point on will have to be the same way. We lead very social lives and expect the dog to be the same way. I understand that some dogs that come into a house as an adult are not going to be necessarily social, but I've seen puppies so poorly socialized that they grow up to be aggressive adults and there is no excuse for that. Perhaps a visit to the dog park when they were puppies would have curbed that. I guess we just got lucky that he tolerates anything and anyone that comes his way.
Actually with the beauty of Alaska and all of the open land, mountainous areas, lakes and parks we really don't need dog parks. There are so many places to go here to walk or run your dog as you choose and areas where there will not be others. I understand though that you living in California you'd probably have to go up into the mountains to find something as that.
Our large dog was 2 years old when we got her; she had been abused. Personally I'm not crazy about my dogs socializing with other dogs since I have no idea if the other dogs have had their shots; too easy for parvo or distemper to spread. Even though my dogs aren't "social" I consider myself to be very LUCKY and that we got lucky when we got the large dog at 2 years old and the Peke at 11 months; her previous owner didn't want her and was going to have her put to sleep. I would never rule out a dog simply because they are not "social."
See, but there is the difference. If your dog is not social, you can go, let her off leash and not worry about too many dogs/people around. I live in a city. We walk around the neighborhood, passing restaurants, stores, people, dogs, strollers, etc. the entire way. There is no way to avoid it. If my dog was not social, he would not be going for walks. We live in an apartment, so we have no yard. The dog park and walks are the only exercise he gets.
We do live right behind a canyon (San Diego is full of hiking tails in canyons) and can let him off leash there, but being a Bulldog, he's not much of a hiker. I love the fact that I can take him to a restaurant and he will lay next to me for the duration of the meal and not even raise his head when another dog comes within 5 feet of us. I love that no matter what type of dog, he's wagging his little tail and ready to play. If he wasn't like this, our travel life would be over because the sitter we leave him with has a dog of her own and usually has 2 or 3 other dogs staying there as well. So yes, we would rule out a dog if it wasn't social because it simply would not fit our lifestyle at this point.
See, but there is the difference. If your dog is not social, you can go, let her off leash and not worry about too many dogs/people around. I live in a city. We walk around the neighborhood, passing restaurants, stores, people, dogs, strollers, etc. the entire way. There is no way to avoid it. If my dog was not social, he would not be going for walks. We live in an apartment, so we have no yard. The dog park and walks are the only exercise he gets.
We do live right behind a canyon (San Diego is full of hiking tails in canyons) and can let him off leash there, but being a Bulldog, he's not much of a hiker. I love the fact that I can take him to a restaurant and he will lay next to me for the duration of the meal and not even raise his head when another dog comes within 5 feet of us. I love that no matter what type of dog, he's wagging his little tail and ready to play. If he wasn't like this, our travel life would be over because the sitter we leave him with has a dog of her own and usually has 2 or 3 other dogs staying there as well. So yes, we would rule out a dog if it wasn't social because it simply would not fit our lifestyle at this point.
It's really wonderful that your dog is so social. In an perfect world, all dogs would be like your dog.
But, what you've said would rule out a lot of other people's dogs... and, that's where knowing YOUR dog and using common sense comes into play.
It's very important to know about your local dog laws and understand the risk.
I thought I was doing everything right and found out the hard way how dog laws can be interpreted.
I also found out what a disparate group dog owners really are!
Last edited by World Citizen; 01-04-2010 at 10:10 AM..
See, but there is the difference. If your dog is not social, you can go, let her off leash and not worry about too many dogs/people around. I live in a city. We walk around the neighborhood, passing restaurants, stores, people, dogs, strollers, etc. the entire way. There is no way to avoid it. If my dog was not social, he would not be going for walks. We live in an apartment, so we have no yard. The dog park and walks are the only exercise he gets.
We do live right behind a canyon (San Diego is full of hiking tails in canyons) and can let him off leash there, but being a Bulldog, he's not much of a hiker. I love the fact that I can take him to a restaurant and he will lay next to me for the duration of the meal and not even raise his head when another dog comes within 5 feet of us. I love that no matter what type of dog, he's wagging his little tail and ready to play. If he wasn't like this, our travel life would be over because the sitter we leave him with has a dog of her own and usually has 2 or 3 other dogs staying there as well. So yes, we would rule out a dog if it wasn't social because it simply would not fit our lifestyle at this point.
Yes, I'm aware of the differences; which is why I prefer to not live in over-crowded cities but we're all different in what we want. The problems I see with a dog that is friendly to strangers are: It makes it even easier for someone to just take the dog if given the chance and second, I like knowing that my dogs are excellent watch dogs (nothing escapes them). We live in a good, quiet area but things can and do happen all over unfortunately.
Y The problems I see with a dog that is friendly to strangers are: It makes it even easier for someone to just take the dog if given the chance and second, I like knowing that my dogs are excellent watch dogs (nothing escapes them). We live in a good, quiet area but things can and do happen all over unfortunately.
I learned this - my apartment was robbed last spring when my dog was home alone and loose in the apartment. I'm assuming the robbers got away without injury as I didn't find so much as a drop of blood on the carpet. I'm lucky my dog was still there; they left my sliding glass door open and if my dog had really wanted to jump the patio fence she could have! I was just glad that she was there and unharmed. The robbers grabbed my laptop (ugh) but didn't linger to grab anything else. I'm thinking they made friends with her, but didn't want to take any chances...
\The problems I see with a dog that is friendly to strangers are: It makes it even easier for someone to just take the dog if given the chance and second, I like knowing that my dogs are excellent watch dogs (nothing escapes them). We live in a good, quiet area but things can and do happen all over unfortunately.
The problem that I see with a non-friendly dog is the potential for a lawsuit should said dog bite another dog or human. Not worth the risk in my opinion. Aggressive dogs do not belong in public, unmuzzled, period.
I got my dog as a companion. Someone I can take to outings with my friends and their dogs. Had I wanted a guard dog, I would have went that route, but I was looking for a companion and that is exactly what I got and couldn't be happier. I don't live in a fear-filled world where I need a dog for personal protection. Does my dog bark if someone is outside the door? Absolutely. But that is as far as I want him to go. I'd be mortified if he mauled someone, no matter what the circumstances.
The problem that I see with a non-friendly dog is the potential for a lawsuit should said dog bite another dog or human. Not worth the risk in my opinion. Aggressive dogs do not belong in public, unmuzzled, period.
I got my dog as a companion. Someone I can take to outings with my friends and their dogs. Had I wanted a guard dog, I would have went that route, but I was looking for a companion and that is exactly what I got and couldn't be happier. I don't live in a fear-filled world where I need a dog for personal protection. Does my dog bark if someone is outside the door? Absolutely. But that is as far as I want him to go. I'd be mortified if he mauled someone, no matter what the circumstances.
Depending upon how aggressive a dog is, yes they should be muzzled when out in public. My dog does not need a muzzle because she is always on a leash when out and does listen very well.
Our dogs are our companions also. I do not get dogs to use as guard dogs; if I was going to do that I'd have German Rotties that can be trained very well for protection. Alaska is a big dog state; every other car or truck has a dog/s in them and all of the people I know have them as pets.
You must have misunderstood, I certainly do not live in a fear-filled world where I need a dog for personal protection; most people up here have other things in the home just for that purpose, myself included. My point was a good watchdog will alert you when something is wrong or someone is at your door.
Last edited by Alaskapat528; 01-04-2010 at 04:34 PM..
I learned this - my apartment was robbed last spring when my dog was home alone and loose in the apartment. I'm assuming the robbers got away without injury as I didn't find so much as a drop of blood on the carpet. I'm lucky my dog was still there; they left my sliding glass door open and if my dog had really wanted to jump the patio fence she could have! I was just glad that she was there and unharmed. The robbers grabbed my laptop (ugh) but didn't linger to grab anything else. I'm thinking they made friends with her, but didn't want to take any chances...
Yes, as I said, unfortunately things happen all over and those that think they live in a "perfect" area are fooling themselves. Sorry about your laptop but I am glad your dog was safe. Our trespassers up here are when the moose decide to saunter through the yard and nibble on the trees.
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