It seems like a no-brainer that dog parks are just totally a good thing. A fun thing. A needed thing. Really… who doesn’t want a fenced in space where your dogs can run free or where you could just go and watch dogs romping playfully? But if you dig a bit deeper, you realize there really are pros and cons of dog parks. Yep. Cons.
So let’s take a look at both sides of this. We’d love to hear about your experiences with dog parks and where you fall in this debate. (And it is a debate. There’s a lot of chatter about this out there. And people have very strong feelings, as you can imagine.)
Pros of Dog Parks
Let’s start with the good stuff. And it seems like the good stuff is pretty obvious.
- When you have a plentiful supply of accessible dog parks, you really do decrease the number of dogs being let off leash in public spaces. You know the ones. It seems like the dogs being let off leash in public parks, for example, are always dogs that are not well trained. (We can help, of course. Check out Sundance Retrievers training programs.)
- Dog parks can potentially be a great place to socialize your dog. If your dog is the kind of dog who needs socializing and who will be okay in potentially large groups of unknown dogs.
- Same goes for giving them a chance to be around unknown humans in a safe way.
- And really, dog owners love meeting other dog owners, for the most part, so it can even be great for us humans.
- Most dogs truly do need more free running, and in a dog park, you know they’re safe from cars at the very least. They’re also free of the potential issues with skateboarders, bicyclists, and runners. That’s a true advantage.
Cons of Dog Parks
If you’ve been using dog parks successfully and finding them to be fun for both you and your dog, great. But we also want you to be aware of the potential negatives. When you’re aware, you can be prepared.
- In a dog park, you have no clue if all the dogs around you are up to date on vaccinations or if they are parasite or virus free. There is potential for big disease spread in a dog park.
- You also have no idea of the other dogs’ personalities or their training or what their owners are like. Your dog could encounter very aggressive dogs in a park like this. There’s potential for injury in this case. (And lawsuits when humans get involved.)
- Your dog could come into contact with a non-neutered or non-spayed dog.
- The mixing of large and small dogs is simply not a good idea.
- The possibilities of parasite infection and aggression leading to injury is also there for you, the human companion.
- Here’s a great listing of the different types of behavioral issues that can arise. If you like dog parks and want to continue going, it’s good to be aware of what to watch for.
Here are some things you can look for to compare your dog park to what’s considered a good dog park. If your local dog parks don’t meet these criteria, perhaps you can work to get that changed.