Where do dogs park their cars when visiting the dog park?
At the barking lot!
Taking your dog to dog parks is a fantastic way to provide your dog with exercise, socialization, and even mental stimulation. Visiting a dog park allows your pup the freedom to play fetch, run around with other pooches, and splash around in dog-friendly freshwater pools.
Dog parks are a great place for bonding with your dog and giving them a break from its typically confined living arrangements. It is also an opportunity for owners to meet other dog people and chat while their furry friends enjoy themselves together.
For anyone looking to get the most out of their visit, here are 10 dog park etiquette tips for ensuring everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience at the dog park. With proper care, your dog will love spending time at the dog park!
10 Guidelines for Dog Park Etiquette
1. Do follow the rules
Most dog park post rules and regulations that must be followed to keep them safe for everyone. Some dog parks are owned by the town, and others are owned by private entities such as apartment complexes or neighborhoods.
Dog parks post dog park rules and regulations (and even laws) that you must follow. These rules usually entail:
- Dogs need to be up to date on vaccinations
- In turn, dogs need to be old enough to be out in public
- Dogs must display proper required tags, such as rabies and identification
- Pick up any dog waste and dispose of it properly
- Owners must stay present
- Children’s ages and expected behaviors
- What to do if there is a human-to-dog or dog-to-dog safety incident
- Posted hours of operation
- Toys, balls, water source, and entrance/exit rules
- Consequences for violations
2. Do be present
We mean “being present” in two different ways: Keep your physical body in the park, and be attentive to what’s going on with your dog and other dogs.
The dog park is not doggy daycare
The dog park is not to be used as a babysitter. This is not the time for you to go grocery shopping or run errands while you assume other dogs entertain them. Your dog will be looking for you. If an incident happens, you won’t be there to handle it, which could result in fines or lawsuits.
The dog park is not a game of telephone
Likewise, being physically present at the dog park isn’t enough. If you use this time to turn your back and chat about the latest neighborhood gossip, your dog could be causing all sorts of ruckus and you’d never know. Watch your dog at all times to see how they interact, gauge if they’re having a great time or not, and know when it’s time to leave for the session.
3. Do be friendly
Your dog park may actually be a fantastic place to meet people. Perhaps the same people come there when you do, or you start to notice the same dog buddies your dog gravitates toward. A shared interest of pups is an easy topic for natural small talk, and a conversation can grow deeper from there. You know you already have a love of dogs in common, and you may live nearby. From platonic friends to even romantic relationships, friendships can blossom at the dog park.
Remember the golden rule
Another part of being friendly is treating others with kindness. If your dog is causing a problem, handle it in a mature, apologetic way. If another dog is causing issues with your dog, try your best to keep your cool and stand up for your dog without jumping into anger. Remember the golden rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated.
4. Don’t be caught unprepared
Being prepared at the dog park is essential before you even leave your house. One of the most important things your puppy should have before visiting a dog park is to make sure your dog is caught up on core vaccinations for puppies to avoid severe and even deadly infections, viruses, and parasites.
Always carry enough dog waste bags in case the waste station is out. You can’t guarantee the water source will be fresh or available, so carry a collapsible bowl and water for your puppy.
Being prepared also means keeping emergency vet numbers stored in your phone in case something terrible happens that needs attention right away. You don’t want to be Googling “emergency vets near me” when it’s the worst time possible.
You may consider extra items to keep nearby to clean up messes. The weather could turn quickly, or there could be huge mud puddles at the dog park even if it’s sunny outside. Be ready for any mess your dog gets into!
Your dog may also get carsick on the way to the dog park. Be prepared by keeping wet wipes, disposable gloves, plastic bags, old towels for muddy paws, and maybe even a pet-safe upholstery cleaner for car accidents in a kit or backpack. Keeping a small doggy first-aid kit handy is smart as well.
Lastly, be prepared to leave when it’s clear your dog is ready to go. Don’t be rigid and stick to your regular schedule. Sometimes we have to pivot on our human plans when our dog has another agenda.
5. Don’t bring special, beloved items
The dog park is not a place to bring your dog’s favorite toy. Think of dogs like toddlers: They will inevitably be drawn to toys that are not theirs and will want to play with them. Now is not the time to teach your dog the lesson of sharing. Your dog could get possessive of her toy and cause a fight when guarding it.
It’s best to use neutral objects already there, like old tennis balls and sticks. Some dog parks even have adorable dog park stick libraries where visitors find the perfect stick to stack in a box for other dogs to use.
6. Don’t bring unwelcome children
Do not use your dog park experience as a play date experience for your kids. You need to first and foremost follow the posted rules for guidelines for children to be inside the dog park area.
You can’t trust dogs you don’t know around children. Some are perfectly fine at home with their own human siblings but may exhibit aggressive behavior in a dog park setting. Don’t put your kids in possible harm’s way!
If kids are allowed, know your child. Are they timid? Are they fine with dogs? Do they have a calm or boisterous personality? Do not allow your kids to wander away or mess with dogs they don’t know. Teach them all the rules of the dog park and how to be around dogs they don’t know. Perhaps the dog park is not the time to teach them these skills on a large scale. Practice interacting in a smaller, controlled environment.
7. Do eat somewhere else!
The dog park is not the time to sit down at a picnic table for a delicious meal. Like flies swarming to honey, dogs will catch a whiff of that quarter pounder with cheese and flock to your picnic table.
And certainly don’t start feeding any food or treats to dogs you don’t know. They will either fight over them, or they may be on a special diet that doesn’t allow what you’re feeding even if your own dog is fine with the food.
8. Do own up to unfortunate incidents
In the unfortunate case your dog causes problems, whether it’s with another dog or a human, you must own up to your part in how to address and correct what happened.
Part of owning a dog is being responsible for your dog’s actions. Don’t shirk any responsibilities of paying for damages caused, whether it’s veterinary or medical bills past what insurance covers or make the physical and emotional healing process difficult for the affected party.
We all want to think our dogs are perfectly behaved angels who would never put another dog or human in harm’s way. However, don’t have the firm mindset that your dog would never do what happened because you don’t know how or when your dog will react to something in another environment away from the familiarity of home.
In some he-said, she-said cases, the details may get murky as to what exactly happened. Witnesses may be able to help. If the authorities get involved, be cooperative. Have your insurance information handy and give factual information without embellishments.
9. Do spay and neuter your dogs!
One of the most responsible things you can do for your dog is to get him or her neutered or spayed.
There are several benefits to spaying or neutering your dog that help society and public health. The procedure can prevent possible health conditions, such as cancers, tumors, and infections, from harming your female dog. Neutering can prevent cancers and prostate problems and also reduce aggression and roaming tendencies in male dogs.
Dogs who are spayed or neutered can also increase their lifespan. In a study conducted at the University of Georgia, neutered male dogs lived 13.8% longer, and spayed females lived a whopping 26.3% longer than their non-neutered or spayed fellow dogs based on more than 70,000 collected medical records.
Before we get into more benefits of spaying and neutering, the most pertinent reason regarding a dog park is to prevent unwanted dog pregnancies. Each year, 70 million stray animals in the US enter shelters. Do your part in preventing unwanted puppies from ending up homeless or wasting away their sad lives in shelters, especially when not all shelters are no-kill facilities.
However, if you do have an intact male or female dog, you must take extra precautions when visiting a dog park. Never bring your female dog if she is in heat to a dog park. If your female dog is in heat, male dogs will surround her and could fight over their desire to follow their instincts. If your male dog is intact, he may cause issues roaming around the dog park looking for a mate and getting into fights.
10. Do have fun!
A dog park is a fantastic place to allow your dogs to socialize and interact with other dogs in a controlled, fenced-in, safe environment. Dogs are pack animals and thrive when they can learn invaluable social skills by observing and interacting with other canine friends. Relax, throw the ball, take pictures, and post on social media about how your stick-carrying pup was promoted from Assistant Branch Manager to District Branch Manager!
Pawrade Puppies Love Dog Parks
If you have been looking wistfully at dog parks as you pass by, why not look through our puppies for sale at Pawrade? You can find your own special friend to play fetch with and watch them romp around with their new doggy friends. Call (888) 729-8812 to connect with a Puppy Concierge to walk you through the process of bringing home your next furever friend!
