Comments on: Enclosed Dog Parks – Good or Bad?

By: shibashake

shibashake — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:21:52 +0000

Yeah, I have had similar experiences at the dog park. It is just too chaotic and some people do not think the rules apply to them.

In the end, I decided to do smaller supervised play-groups at my house. In this way, I can structure things better and make sure that my dogs do not pick up bad habits or practice anti-social behavior. Instead, I can use play as a way of rewarding them for following rules, playing nice, and other positive actions.

By: donna woolard

donna woolard — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 17:52:45 +0000

I have problems with my Belgian Malinois and small dogs. I think if he got ahold of one he would kill it. Other people bring their small dogs in with the attitude of “he thinks he is a big dog”. I am watching the gate constantly looking for someone to bring their small dogs in so I can get my dog and leave. It states on the gate that it is for 30 pounds or over.

By: shibashake

shibashake — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:38:53 +0000

Hi George,

You have a very lucky Shiba because you are doing all the right things from the start. Poor Shiba Sephy had to go through all sorts of things while we were learning the ropes in the beginning.

With other dogs, I have recently noticed that Sephy doesn’t like them smelling his butt which is a dominance move. Now I make sure they don’t mess with his back region and greetings go a lot better. Also I only let him meet friendly, non-dominant dogs. Don’t think Shibas like dominant dogs

Nice neighborhood to have so many friendly dogs. Wish there were more around here.

By: George

George — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:47:28 +0000

Thanks for the dog park information. I have thought about bringing my Shiba to a park but have had reservations that mirror your experiences. Generally, he (Rusty) gets along with other dogs that want to play but will attack any dog that he thinks is physically threatening him. Since he does not give a warning, it is hard to anticipate an attack even when he is on a leash. He shares a house with a mali-poo and counts as neighborhood buddies a shepard mix, 2 yorkies, a shauzer, a Godlen Retriever, and a Kindo (sp?). So it is not that he is anti-social per se. but unpredictable.

He also gets along pretty well with strangers and even behaves well with vets.

So, no dog parks for him. I have a neighbor who brings a Plott hound to a local playground. I am attempting an approach in which they get used to relaxing within about a 15 ft diameter space over a period of time before being brought to within nose-touching distance of each other. Perhaps his aggressiveness will ameliorate a bit.

By: shibashake

shibashake — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:41:21 +0000

Boy, that sounds like a great place to live. You could have a pack of Shibas, take over the dog park, and charge people for entry

It is pretty amazing that Toshi was still chasing rabbits at 13 years of age. Dogs, especially Shibas, really know how to live life. We could definitely take a few pages from their book.

By: Johnnystop

Johnnystop — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:40:21 +0000

Our dog park is about twenty acres – partly treed – never crowded – at most 10 other dogs – we live in Coupeville on Whidbey Island north of Seattle. We live on the beach and our first shiba, Toshi, had the run of the neighborhood for 13 years. Very few cars, few neighbors etc. I looked down upon the dog park idea until Toshi, chasing a rabbit, ran under one of those cars. I never want to go through that again! And yet Toshi died doing what he absolutely loved to do – hunting. Bittersweet.

By: shibashake

shibashake — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:39:21 +0000

Hi Johnnystop. It is always great to hear from Shiba owners like you. You are lucky to have found such a good dog park. My dog park experiences have been a lot more spotty. Part of it is probably because I am a bit worry wort

Shiba Sephy sounds similar to Kenji in many ways. He generally likes all dogs except the ones that try to dominate him. We *did* meet a few of those, and intervened before things escalated; but it was not pleasant, especially from a people standpoint.

Sephy also seems to irritate certain types of dogs, especially GSDs and related breeds. I think he is a bit rude and goes into their space without the proper dog greeting procedure. We have done a range of one-on-one dog sessions, under the direction of a trainer, to try and teach him some dog manners, but that has been slow going. I think Sephy thinks that he is pretty dang cool and other dogs should just get with the program

I have stopped dog parks because I was really not comfortable with it. Probably being a worry wort has a lot to do with it But there were also some real issues including:

1. People bringing kids to the park. Sephy has strong prey drive and the kids running around and shouting gets him excited. Sephy also plays pretty rough with the other dogs and while playing, I am concerned they may accidentally run into the kids.

2. Sephy annoying GSDs and other large dogs. If there were a real fight, I don’t think Sephy would come out of this very well.

Also, welcome to HubPages! I am looking forward to reading about Kenji

By: Johnnystop

Johnnystop — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:38:21 +0000

I take our 1 year old shiba, Kenji, to the dog park 3 or 4 times a week (since he was 4 mos. old) no problems – he loves to play with other dogs and it is fantastic exercise. He is something of an alpha dog but in a friendly, outgoing way – never met a dog he didn’t like. A couple times he has bared his teeth to make a another dog back off. We have used reward based training right from the start and his manners are pretty good and getting better as he matures – sometimes we expect too much from a puppy. Kenji really won’t come when called but will eventually show up when he’s ready to. I know this would drive many dog owners around the bend – but after 15 years experience with this breed – I have come to see it as a common trait. The dog park is a must for off-leash.

By: shibashake

shibashake — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 03:43:20 +0000

[mitzidog] – Yeah definitely a fun place for some dogs. One of my dogs really likes to play with other dogs, so I used to take him to the dog park; almost every day. However, the park that I really liked started getting too crowded and something always turned up – aggressive dog, little kids running around, fearful dogs, etc. It can be tough to find a good dog park with responsible owners.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:32:04 +0000

Very good point about the choke chains. I generally oppose using those in any case, but at dog park they are an absolute no-no. There’s plenty of nice stuff out there that is both stylish and comfortable for the dog.