Dog Parks..

Do you feel its alright to take your APBT or AST to dog parks? Give your opinions!

Yes, Dog parks are great
No, Dog parks are not a good idea
Undecided - Give a reason why

 

I said NO but not for the same reason. I think dog parks are a BAD idea for ANY breed of dog. Too many "oops" can happen with ANY dog for that matter, but what about worms and disease and etc. I would never take either one of mine to a dog park even if there was one any where near me -- Which there is not

 

Good points Jenn, yu sound like a protective mommy!

 

Dog parks are a lawsuit waiting to happen. There's too much risk & we all know that running around playfully w/smaller yippy dogs is not a trait of the apbt.

 

Absolutely not and for obvious reasons. These dogs are simply not dog friendly by breed standard. You wouldn't put a wolf in the hen house would you? This may not pertain to all representatives of the breed, but most people aren't smart enough to properly judge their dogs abitlity to restrain itself from following its inborn urges.

 

I don't what dog parks you guys go to, but the ones I go too are great. The ones around here have two sections: a "small dog/old dog/first-timer" section and the "big dog" part of the park. I have only seen a few issues with APBTS and other dogs, and they have either been because of ignorant owners or other dogs starting fights and the APBTs get dragged into them. The key is to be a responsible owner. You have to act like a lifeguard when you are at the park and always have an eye on your dog. People will sometimes leave their dogs there and go run errands. Big no no!!!! It might not be your dog that starts the fight, but if s/he gets involved, who is gonna grab her/him? As for worms and diseases, I dunno about all of that. If you give you dogs their regular shots and make sure everything is up to date, then they shouldn't be any more exposed than sitting at home on a chain, or getting walked around the block. Again, WATCH YOUR DOG, and there are no issues. I live near Annapolis and people here are dog crazy. Everything is dog friendly down here, so people literally act like the dog's are children. Sometimes it's good sometimes it's bad. I think if you have a game bred dog and don't know how he will act, then stick him in the little dog park (ALONE, JUST THE TWO OF YOU), and see how he does through a fence. But if you have a pretty mellow dog who is well socialized you have nothing to worry about.

 

The unfortunate fact is that when an APBt gets "dragged" into a fight he ends it, and no matter how it started the APBT will be blamed.

Taking a mature APBT to a place where you know there will be strange dogs is setting the stage for trouble unneccesarily.IMO

Never trust a Pit Bull not to fight. It is what they do.

 

I'm kinda on the middle on this one guys... I believe in socializing my pups as much as possible. I like taking them to the parks, even the dog parks until they start showing their asses! I have a 10 month old female who loves to play fetch. Running or swimming & she is just now getting to the point where she only has maybe another month tops of being able to go to the dog park. I get nothing but compliments on her & a little 7 month old male I take out there. They are my Ambassodors. & they are doing a great job! I can promise I would Never Ever consider taking an adult bulldog to the park. Because like what was said earlier if it gets ugly it's always the Pitbulls fault. I even carry a parting stick when I have the 10 mnth old. Just in case (& it makes it easier to get the tennis balls back!) It also gives me the opportunity to educate others on their function & use. Especially other pitbull owners who don't have a thurough respect for the breed. & I'll say one more thing & then quit rambling, I like to know my dogs are confident around crowds, it really helps in the show ring. Judges love the way a confident animal carries itself.

 

Hell No!!!! I Don't Care How Laid Back Or How Well He Listens A Dog Park Is No Place For An Apbt. For The Simple Reason What The True Apbt Is Bred For Gameness. No Matter How The Fight Starts I Guarentee The Apbt Will Be The One Blamed.to Me It's A Sign Of A Irresponsible Owner.no Hard Feelings Jmo.

 

a lot of people that have less agressive dogs don't understand how pits play. Mine plays with a german shep/boxer mix and it gets pretty rough some times, bite marks here, barks there. i can't imagine some old lady with her lab getting rolled keeping calm about it, i just think it's bad press. my way is to take my dog to my friends houses that have dogs. i'm the only one with a pit besides some far away friends, but she still gets her playtime in. it's not irresponsible to take a pit to a dog park, every dog is different, but taking a growling/barking/biting pit to a lovey little nook where all the other dogs are crapping rainbows and hugging is a little ignorant.

 

One Of My Pits Did Very Well At The Park And The Other Just Wanted To Hunt. It Depends On The Dog More Than Anything. The Dog Parks Up Here Are Very Nice And Well Maintained.

 

One thing to remember is your particular dog could be the most mellow accepting dog in the world, but unless they are submissive to every dog that walks by or every dog that walks by is submissive to them, then the mellow dog may end up in a tussle due to the fact that A. Yes they were bred to fight or B. Neither dog submits or the other dog offers a challenge. You may be able to predict a dog but its tough to predict a situation.

 

I think it's a dangerous situation to put you and your pit in. With all of the negativity that the breed gets. Just say a owner is not keeping a good eye on what his or her dog is doing and something happens. Your dog being a pit will automaticaly catch the blame if it's involved whether it's defending itself or not. People are misinformed and ignorant when it comes to the breed.

 

I used to take my dog to the dog park when he was about 6 months old. At that time he was playfull and got along well with other dogs. The last time I took him there however, at 8 months old, he acted different. I did not feel comfortable with him around other dogs. My feelings were confirmed when I was on my way out and another dog ran up to me and my dog. My dog grabbed the dog by the side of the neck, flipped him over on his back, and started shaking. This happened very fast and fortunately I was able to get my dog off before he really hurt the other dog.

Ever since then I have not let my dog get around other dogs. When I walk him now, and he sees another dog, he goes nuts trying to get at them. IMO I think it is up to the owner's discretion. They know their dog better than anyone. All I can say is be careful, keep them on a leash, and if you are unsure about your dog around other dogs at all, don't go to dog parks.

Thank you

 

I started taking my pit to the dog park when he was 3 months old. Right of the bat he went at it with a 2 year old german shephard who tried to discipline him. It was kind of funny, the shephard just sat on top of him as my dog just kept going like a little buzzsaw and we ended up having to pull the two apart. I figured that was a sign of things to come and it was. The dog park thing lasted until he was 10 months old. At about 9-10 months of age the intensity of his response when provoked by other dogs went to some other dimension beyond what any house pet in the dog park anticipated and it was clear that dog parks were out.

In addition, he had no doggy manners and his idea of play involved flipping another dog over, grabbing it by its throat and squeezing until the dog started gurgling all while wagging his tail and his butt vigorously in shear joy. I dont think he would let his 'playmate' up if I did not intervene, he'd squeeze and pause, squeeze and pause, it was kind of disturbing. BUT everyone on two legs in the dog park loved him and accepted him as a 'special needs' dog. Most people were willing to give me a break as long as I was being responsible - part of being responsible was knowing when to stop going to the dog park.

But I've seen neutered pits in dog parks who are quite good with other dogs and seem pretty mellow.

 

All I can say is all of the dogs that I have been around and are "true" to the standard of being a "gamedog" cannot and would not be taken to a dog park. For all of you dogmen or women out there that have true gamedogs, then you understand where I am comming from. Its just that plain and simple. IMO

 

My dogs cant even be by each other...How could I try to take them to a park with other dogs?

 

dog parks arent good for any dog. too many idiots out there .. the chances for a dog to pick up some parasite, virus, etc and people who dont know how to control their dogs is a disaster waiting to happen

dogs tend to act differently in packs ..just an accident waiting to happen.

 

I will have to agree with you Rocksteady on this one. There are definitely to many viruses and bugs that be caught in a dog park. I would never take that chance with any of mine.

On another note I had to take one of mine to vet for a check up and there was someone there that had no control over their dog and caused a problem with mine having to hold him back and crowding. Nothing happened but you could tell that the other owner wasn't to happy.

 

AWWW CircleKPits I know the feeling. My vet trips are at a minimum. I only take her if there is a real emergency. Other than that, she gets self examinations at home. LOL. JYou do have some beautiful dogs too. Isn't it crazy how they go from pretty and showing off to down right nasty and ready to go at it. LOL I love these dog's personality. My dog just looks at me like damn aren't you gonna let me loose. But anyways dog parks are a bad idea. Not just for pitbulls, but I guess for health reasons as well. I never thought about the health side of it.