GUEST POST: More On Dog Parks

This week, we’re excited to have Dog Trainer Graham Buck, of Buck’s Best Dogs in NY, chime in on the Dog Park theme. Buck spent 31 years as a trainer of Guide Dogs. His complete bio can be found below the article.

After reading our last blog post on Dog Parks, Buck wanted to respond, and add some additional points:

DOG PARKS

I felt the need to respond to this very thorough and well thought out post about dog parks. The blog is filled with so many facts, history and discussion about the dog park culture.

Why do most reputable trainers not recommend dog parks? Why do we deter our clients from utilizing them? There are many and varied reasons for this, some of the obvious ones are just plain cleanliness. However, beyond the fact that dog parks are one of the easiest ways for your dog to contract kennel cough or the dreaded giardia, there are many other points to consider.

When I worked with blind handlers and their guide dogs we would always deter them from the dog park experience. Not knowing the population of dogs, dogs coming and going, new dogs entering and exiting at any given point makes a chaotic scenario for an individual with vision loss to navigate.

Even if their dog has a great recall, what would they do if their dog got attacked Would they know what to do? Would other people be able to help? The whole scene could turn into a nightmare very quickly. Yes, many dog parks seem to run just fine - until there is a dog fight.

If you as a dog owner have not experienced a full on dog fight, you will be in for a horrific experience - depending on how much the fight escalates and which dogs are involved.

For a blind handler this is too big of a risk; to have their dog that provides them with mobility be severely injured or worse is out of the question. So why would anyone else choose to take that same risk?

People that come to use dog parks are not dog trainers, they are average pet dog owners with limited experience other than wanting their dog to have a great life. There may be some individuals that have more experience, but unless you know how to break up a real dog fight you are entering a very risky situation.

As a trainer I ran socialization groups during covid, and also continues to coach my clients how to set up successful play dates with their dogs, how to choose compatible dogs and then how to manage their interaction whether it is a first time or the 100th time playing.

It is well known that smaller groups of dogs are easier to manage. As groups grow in numbers so do the risks. I personally don’t enjoy group play when the number exceeds 6, I prefer groups of 2, and try to avoid 3’s.

Before we go into what safe, successful and productive dog to dog interaction should look like, let's talk about what doesn't happen in most dog parks and why they might be detrimental to you and your dog:

This is what I have often observed in urban and rural areas where people use dog parks:
~ The dog owner is either exiting the car or walking down a sidewalk towards the dog park.
~ The dog or dogs are dragging them to the park.
~ There is often little to no control and then the dogs are released into the dog park.

So now the dog is being heavily reinforced for bad behavior. The owner becomes a human pez dispenser to their dog. The dog sees little value in their person at that point and is now released into an environment of doggy crack.

Then what happens next? Play, play, play, play, ignore person, ignore person, refuse commands specifically the recall, maybe check in briefly but then runs off on its own.

Add to this that there is a lot of unregulated play occurring allowing dogs to “figure it out” themselves. The arousal level in general is very high and although many dogs may play together well there is no sense of where the handler fits into the picture.

How is the handler part of the experience?

For example, with one on one play groups both handlers can practice calling their dogs off, add in obedience and send the dogs back out again to play. The dogs are getting to do something fun but there are still rules that they have to follow in order to do this natural activity. We don't have to be a helicopter parent but dogs do need to know that we are part of this experience. The dogs can still enjoy the play fully and at the same time retain their connection with you. You got a dog for you not for other dogs. With smaller groups you can easily infuse the training in and at the same time use the other dogs as a natural distraction when needed.

With smaller groups, you as a dog owner can learn dog body language and then start to pay attention to what is acceptable play versus what is not, when things are escalating and when you should leave alone or intervene. I don't see this happening at dog parks until the interaction has already escalated to a scuffle or the next step is a dog fight.

Owners need to be aware of different play styles and match their dog accordingly. If you have ever read about Aimee Sadler she identifies the most common play styles such as rough and rowdy, push and pull and seek and kill. Some dogs may incorporate more than one play style into their repertoire but many prefer to be with a dog that has their play style. There will be individual dogs that don’t get any value out of playing with other dogs.

Dog fights can be triggered for all types of reasons. Anything from a dog with poor dog-to-dog skills, a history of being a bully, or a given dog deciding that they will resource guard a stick or something else they found as a high value item to them, even an acorn.

So all the initial signs leading up to the dog fight are missed. Now a fight happens. There is so much dog body language occurring and we need to know when to intervene and when to leave alone. Too much of either approach is not helpful to your dog.

Even for small groups I always carry Pet Corrector spray with me and sometimes even a small air horn. I never go on a walk without them - let alone a play session. Do dog owners carry these with them into the dog park? Most people assume nothing bad will ever happen. There are several methods to break up a dog fight and with specific dogs the only way can be to suffocate the dog out through twisting the collar or hanging them with a slip lead.

I will say that open space, off leash dog parks that I have observed on the west coast offered a bit more as far as benefit and training opportunities. The area that I visited was at a beach and although there were a lot of dogs there the handler could create space and move away. However a similar issue as with fenced in dog parks occurs. You have many strange dogs running together or near each other. Some of the dogs may know each other while others don’t. You have a wide range of breeds and temperaments.

What if a dog fight erupts, what if the pack mentality kicks in and others join in? It becomes a bit of a crap shoot and a game of russian roulette. It's still a big risk.

Add to this recipe that the whole dog world has exploded into everything dogs. Dogs have once again in history been pushed into the role of a walt disney character, a fur baby, a snuggle bunny. Dogs are still an apex predator no matter how much we love them and how people may view them. Dogs are capable of killing. This is the stark reality that many people refuse to see. Because of this notion people are not able to put together realistic and accurate information about dogs in general.

Now we have dogs being adopted from all different sources.

We all want dogs to be in loving homes where they can have a great life but the concern with how quickly dogs are being circulated into civilian life is very worrisome and on many levels extremely dangerous.

Only a specific population of dogs are considered highly adoptable, highly social dogs that are good with both people and animals, many dogs are borderline and require specific management and handling practices and then there are dogs that will ultimately put a dog or person in the hospital. These categories are well documented from aggression specialists in the field and what I have come to learn through the expertise of Sue Sternberg.

For me it comes down to my own personal choice and comfort level. I am not putting my dogs into that position and risking them being traumatized from a stupid one time incident. I want to focus on enjoying the off leash experience with my dogs, letting them have fun, explore and then layering in their recall training. I want to be able to choose the dogs that I bring into their inner circle and be sure that those dogs are trustworthy and bring value to my own dogs. I'm not looking to create stress for my dogs and putting the responsibility on them to regulate the other dogs that have poor skills. This is what often happens. Maybe I am a control freak, maybe I'm introverted at times and maybe I don’t want to be part of other people’s nonsense. I don’t want people talking to my dogs, trying to reward them, give commands or play ball with them.

It's not necessary or helpful. When people are confronted about their behavior that I find offensive they become defensive, argumentative and miffed. We live in a world where boundaries are not respected and it starts with our dogs, our relationship with them and the rest of the outside world around us that lacks a common sense compass. Until we make that shift away from this mentality dogs and people will continue to experience bad things by not paying attention to their surroundings and protecting their dogs.

Graham Buck spent 31 years at Guiding Eyes for the Blind training guide dogs and their blind handlers. He grew up in Southampton, NY where his childhood revolved around running his dogs on the beach. His father, James Farrell Buck, established himself as the first dog walker in NYC. Graham was immersed into the world of dogs right from the start. He never imagined a day without a dog in it. To this day, he recognizes the value that relationships with dogs bring into our lives.