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Ever since my last dog was repeatedly mounted by the same dog at a dog park (literally every time we visited, for the duration of our stay, no owner in sight) I've steered clear not just of that dog park, but of all dog parks.
But we were out and about this weekend and saw that the fenced agility part of our local dog park was completely empty, and decided to pop in with Peggy, just to show her the strange obstacles and let her sniff around.
My husband had left to get his sunglasses from the car, and I was standing at the furthest corner of the park while Peggy explored, quite a ways from the gate, when suddenly a bunch of people showed up and opened the gate for their dogs to excitedly pour in.
First a senior lab sauntered over (no biggie) but then a big, boisterous husky loped across the field, straight for Peggy. I didn't even have a chance to register all the other breeds that were streaming in, as Peggy was already sprinting away from me, yelping loudly, with the husky in hot pursuit.
I still feel a bit nauseated as I type this. I've heard that terrified sound only three times before: When my mini mix Gracie was chased by a Rhodesian ridgeback, when my same tiny girl was picked up by a husky who seemed to think she was a toy (or prey), and when I held Gracie out of reach of an unleashed boxer.
I kept my tone cheery and authoritative, calling Peggy back to me and chattering about the silly husky, who I tried to hold back while anxiously planning our escape. There was a wall of dogs between us and the exit, all eager to sniff and crowd the young, petrified poodle. I felt like such a fool. Keeping control of the situation with no sympathy from the other owners was extremely stressful.
Needless to say, we eventually made our way out. But that was certainly not the best way for my puppy to meet most of those breeds for the first time, and I feel terrible for getting her into that mess.
The day before, she was kennelled while waiting for me at the groomer, and got sniffed up and down through the bars by a loose St. Bernard. The groomer said Peggy growled and showed her teeth, so......not a positive experience for her either. I've got a sinking feeling dog reactivity might be in our future, but I'm trying to remain positive.
Moral of the story: Don't take your puppy to even empty dog parks. There are just too many variables beyond your control.
Does your dog enjoy dog parks?
But we were out and about this weekend and saw that the fenced agility part of our local dog park was completely empty, and decided to pop in with Peggy, just to show her the strange obstacles and let her sniff around.
My husband had left to get his sunglasses from the car, and I was standing at the furthest corner of the park while Peggy explored, quite a ways from the gate, when suddenly a bunch of people showed up and opened the gate for their dogs to excitedly pour in.
First a senior lab sauntered over (no biggie) but then a big, boisterous husky loped across the field, straight for Peggy. I didn't even have a chance to register all the other breeds that were streaming in, as Peggy was already sprinting away from me, yelping loudly, with the husky in hot pursuit.
I still feel a bit nauseated as I type this. I've heard that terrified sound only three times before: When my mini mix Gracie was chased by a Rhodesian ridgeback, when my same tiny girl was picked up by a husky who seemed to think she was a toy (or prey), and when I held Gracie out of reach of an unleashed boxer.
I kept my tone cheery and authoritative, calling Peggy back to me and chattering about the silly husky, who I tried to hold back while anxiously planning our escape. There was a wall of dogs between us and the exit, all eager to sniff and crowd the young, petrified poodle. I felt like such a fool. Keeping control of the situation with no sympathy from the other owners was extremely stressful.
Needless to say, we eventually made our way out. But that was certainly not the best way for my puppy to meet most of those breeds for the first time, and I feel terrible for getting her into that mess.
The day before, she was kennelled while waiting for me at the groomer, and got sniffed up and down through the bars by a loose St. Bernard. The groomer said Peggy growled and showed her teeth, so......not a positive experience for her either. I've got a sinking feeling dog reactivity might be in our future, but I'm trying to remain positive.
Moral of the story: Don't take your puppy to even empty dog parks. There are just too many variables beyond your control.
Does your dog enjoy dog parks?