As an important member of our family, our dog’s mental and physical health is a priority for all pet owners. Behavior problems in dogs can arise from, or at least be partially contributed to, lack of physical and mental activity. Evolutionarily, dogs have “jobs” and complex social interactions are key to their day to day lives. Often, our pet dogs spend most of their time alone at home which can lead to boredom and loneliness and can then further lead to behavior issues (chewing, destruction, anxiety), as well as medical issues (obesity, foreign bodies, self-induced skin infections from licking/chewing, etc).
One way to exercise your dog’s brain and body is by taking your dog to a dog park. However, dog parks may not be the best choice for every dog.
Pros of dog parks:
- Provides mental and physical stimulation
- Provides social interactions
- Enables “off-leash” time
- Can help prevent development of behaviors such as fear aggression toward other dogs (when done appropriately)
- Provides quality time for you and your pet to enjoy together- BONDING!
*Dogs best suited for dog parks:
- well-socialized
- young adults
- healthy, fully vaccinated
- physically sound
- altered
*NOT ideal for:
- puppies < 16 weeks of age
- unvaccinated
- intact/in heat
- fearful/anxious/aggressive (first need one on one conditioning before exposing to the high degree of social interactions that a dog park provides)
- bullies
- physical ailments, in pain, any lameness or sickness
Cons of dog parks:
- exposure to contagious, infectious diseases
- stressful if there is a bully
- risk of being involved in a dog fight
- risk of trauma
- risk of toxin exposure without full supervision (standing water, etc)
Alternatives to dog parks: daily walks/playing ball in a yard or area away from other dogs; back-packs for your dogs during walks; in home dog walkers, scheduled play-times; doggie day-cares; consider a second pet under the right circumstances
Basic Guidelines:
Red Eye Are your pet’s eyes red, watering, or itchy? This phe..
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