My fellow millennial friend knocked at my door yesterday and with a troubled look on his face and asked me if I could accompany him to the dog park. When I catechized him about his troublesome expressions he told me that as much as he loved having a pooch and taking him for frequent walks to the parks, he despised going to the dog parks in our neighborhood because of how badly maintained they were. He complained that owners would visit the park only to leave their Fido, find a nice spot to sit and whip out their electronics. Every now and then they’d look around to check if their dog was still there and then fall back into swiping right, left and centre on Tinder. “That’s not the proper way to attend your dog in a dog park” he exclaimed. I agree with him and would therefore like to list down the DO’s and DON’Ts of a Dog park.
DO’s
•Take him around the park.
Don’t be the lazy one. Make sure you take the dog around the park and play with him so that your overly excited friend can calm down a little before coming in contact with his fellow dogs.
•Your dog, your poop.
The most important habit that every dog owner present inside the park should have is picking up after him. Make sure you scoop it all up and dispose it off properly. Leaving behind your dog’s leftovers is an act of irresponsibility. It’s not only unsightly for the others who visit the dog park, it’s also unsanitary. The odour makes it a terrible experience for the others and therefore people refrain from taking their dogs to the local dog parks.
•Carry the leash at all times.
Even if it is an off-leash park, make sure you carry his leash with you at all times. With so many dogs around your friend, you never know when you’ll need it immediately.
•Leave your kids at home.
It is often advised to leave infants and tiny tots at home while you chill with your pooch. With your mind solely engraved in your dog it gets difficult to pay attention to both, the infant and the dog at the same time.
•Carry the goods.
A water dish, a pet food dish, some paper napkins and disposing bags are a must when you bring your dog to the dog park. The community water bowls may or may not be hygienic and might even be the medium of transmitting diseases that could make you dog sick. The bags come handy in disposing off your dog’s faces.
•Be a responsible dog owner.
Taking a dog to the park comes with a lot of responsibilities. Make sure you keep your dog in the area that’s assigned to the category of your dog. The big shots should be kept off of the area allotted to the small dogs. Dangerous predatory drifts can quickly escalate and become deadly.
DON’Ts
•Keep your phone aside.
What’s the possibility of someone reading this article while sitting in the dog park. Well if you’re doing so, STOP!!! Not only are acting irresponsibly, you’re also putting your dog’s, and the other dogs’ lives at risk. It take seconds for a fight to escalate and become deadly. So, keep your phones aside and take this time to spend quality time with you pooch.
•Don’t litter.
Throwing plastic wrappers or bottles in the parks is a bad had that ultimately creates the place into a mess.
•Don’t carry food into the park.
By picking up the strong scent of the food, the dogs get excited and cause trouble for the remaining dogs.
•Vaccination is the key.
Vaccinated dogs are at no risk of getting infected and falling sick. Dogs could have a weaker immune system and you should have the approval of the vet for taking the dog to the public parks.
•The Untrained dogs
If your poodle has a history of not doing well with the humans or other dogs then please refrain from taking your dog to the parks. It’s better to have well trained, well socialized and friendly dog.
•The fierce females.
Avoid bringing a female in heat to the dog park. Even the most well socialized female pooch in heat can become the means of trouble as it becomes dangerous for all the dogs in the park.
Therefore, by taking some not so very difficult methods up in your daily lives you too can improve the quality and experience of the dog parks and help the community of dog owners to have a more safe and pleasant experience. Be a responsible dog owner and inculcate these etiquettes in your everyday lives. By keeping the areas clean and maintaining the decorum of the park will really change the whole experience of dog’s parks not just for you but also for those around you.
About me:
Harsh Arora is a proud father of four rescued dogs and a Flemish giant rabbit. Besides being a full-time dog father, he is a freelance content writer/blogger and an educationist, with more than 6 years experience in the field of content writing.
