Let’s Go to the (Dog) Park

Whenever Brodie is overly hyper or when we think he needs a reward, we take Brodie to the dog park. A big open field for him to run or catch a frisbee is one of his happiest places.

We typically go to Wharton Dog Park in Wharton, NJ. It’s a smaller (and to us, a quieter) dog park. Which is what we love.

There are 2 sides to the park-smaller dogs and larger dogs. The big dog side of the park has an agility ramp that was donated by Girl Scout Troop 96214! There’s plenty of room for dogs to run on both sides of the park! There is even a Facebook group to see who’s going to be there, plan play dates, or make plans with other dogs!

No we all know that there are some major pros and cons to the dog park. Many say to avoid it all together. Others think that it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Our beliefs are somewhere in the middle of both schools of thought. We love how much energy Brodie can kill there…but on the other hand, it’s not always the best situation for Brodie.

Sometimes (at least for us), some of the pros outweigh the cons. The dog park give Brodie and open place to exercise that’s bigger than our yard. It allows him to greet and socialize dogs in an off leash setting, which is MUCH better for his leash reactivity. He’s so friendly and submissive when meeting other dogs there and he always displays great body language (something that we spend the whole time watching). Brodie also gets to explore on his own and learn some independence that he can’t do on our walks. He get’s invaluable experiences there.

It’s also been a great space for us to work on training in a more distracting environment. Typically he does great in our house and most of the time in the yard, but outside of his natural environment, he sometimes struggles. Training at the dog park allows us to adapt to real life distractions and experiences. Brodie’s recall has also become SOOOO much better since going to the dog park more frequently! The ability to get excess energy out that a walk can’t do is honestly the best! Especially for training!

Now with all those positives to the dog park, there’s also the down sides. Like when a group of dogs gets too overstimulated and one or more dogs snaps at the others. It’s always a worry to have with a group of dogs you don’t know. I’ve heard stories, but have been lucky so far to have always been able to stop the situations before they escalate.

There are also the owners who don’t pay any attention to their dog and choose instead to sit on their phones. This doesn’t help if their dog ends up over stimulated or snaps at other dogs. Watching your dog’s body language is so important when they are engaging with such a big group of dogs.

And then there are the problems that we have faced as Pitbull mix dog parents. The same problems our friends have faced with their German Shepard Dogs. And again, the problems others have faced with their Rottweilers. People have preconceived notions about these power breeds and that all dogs of those breeds are dangerous…

Both myself and Dan have experienced this with Brodie whenever we bring him anywhere, but I think it happens most often at the dog park. People have seen us, given us a look, and promptly left the park. Leaving Brodie looking confused and sad there’s no one to play with. We’ve even gotten comments that he shouldn’t be allowed at the park at all. Just because he looks like a breed that has been labeled by the media as dangerous. And most of this happens before they even meet him or ask about him.

I personally believe that yes, their breed history can play into their behavior towards people, other dogs, and other animals. BUT I also think that every SINGLE dog is an individual. So rather than stereotyping an entire breed, judge each dog based on that dog’s actions-NOT the supposed actions of an entire breed. That’s why training is SO important! Acknowledge the dog’s nature, but establish good communication and nurture.