Tips for Taking Your Dog to the Dog Park

Going to the dog park can be an extremely fun and entertaining experience. Giving your dog a chance to roam the park and meet new dogs can be very beneficial to their socialization and social skills with other dogs and people. On top of that, it can also be a change of pace from their usual exercise routine. While it is a great activity to do, sometimes problems can arise. You want to make sure you are keeping an eye on your dog and keeping the experience a positive one. It can hard to remember all the little things to do at the dog park. But we have some tips for how to make your next trip to the park great!

Medical Needs

If you’re going to bring your pup to the dog park, where they’re going to be around possibly dozens of other dogs, you need to be sure your dog is healthy and prepared. They should be spayed or neutered, as the scent of an intact male can cause many neutered dogs to react negatively toward them. Many parks require this, but it is best to not have any unspayed or unneutered dogs at the park since this can cause altercations. Your dog should also have all the necessary shots. In addition, do not bring a sick dog to a dog park since this can spread the sickness or get your dog even more sick.

Don’t Go Straight to the Park

It is important to not just use your trip to the dog park as a substitution for a walk. If you’ve done a walk at some point in the day, it should be okay. If you haven’t and you drive to a dog park, try to walk at least 30 minutes before letting your dog go into the park itself. It isn’t a good idea to let an over-energetic and over-excited dog into the park before getting some of that energy out. This can cause problems between other dogs.

Stay Alert

Just because you are at dog park and there are many other people around doesn’t mean you get to just stop watching your dog. You should be keeping an eye on your pup and watching for any bad situations. You want to be able to intervene before something progresses to a bigger issue. Be sure you are picking up after your dog as well. Don’t forget that you are responsible for your dog, not any other person in the dog park.

Know When Not To Go

You know your dog better than anyone else. If your dog is very nervous or very aggressive, they may not be ready for the park yet. Even though you want them to go, it isn’t the best for them or the other dogs at the park. You can continue to work on their social skills and behavior issues before they can go to the dog park, where these skills will be put to the test. As a way to practice, set up play dates with just one other dog so they can get used to these interactions.

Hopefully now you feel more prepared for the dog park with your furry friend! Good luck!