Opinions on Dog parks.

Do you take your dog to a dog park? I Did for a couple of months a while back, but my dog was not friendly to other dogs. So, that didn't work out. People there were really kind, though, and insisted that if I kept bringing my dog, eventually he would join the others in romping around. Then, at a dog obedience class, the trainer told us to keep our dogs out of dog parks because they can catch things from other dogs and also that when dogs run around togeher the "pack" instinct gets re-inforced and the dog becomes more difficult to obedience train. Anyway, I stopped taking my dog because I didn't want to deal with the dog fights.

I shouldn't contradict a professional dog trainer, Flyer, but I will anyway :D : it depends on the dog. Like yours, my dog is not comfortable around other dogs (she had a bad experience at a boarding facility many years ago, and she became very aggressive toward dogs so there is a risk that a dog could have a bad experience at a dog park) but if she enjoyed it, I'd take her. I certainly wouldn't worry about it changing how she relates to me.

And as far as the dog catching something, obviously, you increase the chances that your dog may catch something from another dog, but you do the same thing when you take the dog to the vet, the groomer, the pet store, or let them sniff where other dogs have been while on your walks.

I'm all for dog parks. You just have to go once to see the great time that the dogs are having to know that it's a good thing.

I shouldn't contradict a professional dog trainer, Flyer, but I will anyway :D : it depends on the dog. Like yours, my dog is not comfortable around other dogs (she had a bad experience at a boarding facility many years ago, and she became very aggressive toward dogs so there is a risk that a dog could have a bad experience at a dog park) but if she enjoyed it, I'd take her. I certainly wouldn't worry about it changing how she relates to me.

And as far as the dog catching something, obviously, you increase the chances that your dog may catch something from another dog, but you do the same thing when you take the dog to the vet, the groomer, the pet store, or let them sniff where other dogs have been while on your walks.

I'm all for dog parks. You just have to go once to see the great time that the dogs are having to know that it's a good thing.

As you say, if your dog enjoyed it, but, my dog doesn't seem to take any pleasure in the dog park at all. In fact, it seems to stress him the minute we're there, so, I guess, it's just not for him.

I worry about safety in dog parks not only because of aggression, but also of disease (plus the ones I have seen did not seem to be kept as sanitary as they should be). There have been some dangerous (and highly contagious) dog illnesses going around recently and I limit my dog's contact with other dogs. There are a few dogs in the neighborhood I invite over to play with my guy in the yard. Fortunately I have a pretty big yard.

It's true your dog can catch something somewhere else too, but the more you control the opportunities to catch something, the more you reduce the risk that he will.

Dogs are dogs...keeping them out of a dog run due to fear of disease to me is kinda like keeping your kid from going to the park because you are afraid of colds.
It would make sense of there was a recurrance of a virus or something that your dog isn't vaccinated against. But otherwise, unless your dog is poop eater and you are afraid of worms, the disease angle doesn't make sense to me. Dog runs are usually good ways to exercise and socialize dogs. Pack behavior is an instinct a dog is going to have whether they go to dog run every day, or never see one in their life.

If your dog is dog agressive, maybe you should bring him to a run and keep the leash on. Have him sit with the leash, and reinfornce his good behavior by giving him treats and petting him and stuff. If other dogs come up to him and he growls or cowers, firmly and evenly tell him to stop. After a few runs at that, let him interact slowly with other dogs with you there. Reward him if he's good. Stop him if he's acts up. I guess the point is to try to associate the dog run in his mind with something good. Like food and making his owner happy.

My dog used to be dog agressive on a leash, but never in the run. I would make her sit when a dog walked by, and when she was silent and quiet, she would get a treat. If not, she got corrected. Eventually, when she got the hang of that, I got her to sniff other dogs, and now she has no problem playing with them on the sidewalk nicely, without fighting or snapping.

If he's just petrified of the dog run totally, no matter what you do, then I would say don't bother stressing yourself out with it.

I'm not a dog trainer, but my dog was kind of a monster as a puppy. Now she's a really good dog. Always comes on one command. Walks nicely, plays nicely. Doesn't bark at noises or get goaded into barking with the rest of the neighborhood. The only thing she hates is kids. I've tried everything without getting a child to use as a guinea pig. So now she's 6, I just keep her away from kids.

No...there is a particular disease going around now that is deadly and highly contagious. I forgot what it is called. It may be regional and only in this or certain areas. My Vet advised to minimize my dog's contact with other dogs.