Urban Dog Living - Getting to the Dog Park

Dog parks, as mentioned in the last post are great places to exercise your dog.  Many dogs get very, very excited when they realize they are headed in the direction of the dog park.  Some are so excited that it can be painful and or difficult for the owner to keep a hold on the leash. 

If your dog drags you:
 a. out the door
b. toward the dog park
c. on you face through the gate into the dog park

You probably need to work on your "dog park approach walk".  This is a similar, but different approach than the loose leash walking and will require a lot of time and patience.   When your dog goes to take off like he has a rocket on his butt you need to have some salmon or other super stinky treat in hand.  Stop walking and wait for your dog to come back to you.  He has to come back to you on his own, don't call him back.  If you have been working on your loose leash walking your dog will probably come back to you faster.  
Keep in mind that his focus is on getting to the park, the treat would be nice, but the park is what he really, really wants.  Getting his attention to focus on you could take a little longer than normal.  This needs to be repeated for every instance the dog takes off.  Doing this on a weekend or day off is a good idea.   The idea is for the dog to learn: "If I want to get to the park I need to walk politely."
If your dog only gets excited when you are close to entering the gate you can practice your sit-stay at the gate while you open the gate and walk through first.  If the dog breaks the stay, take him back to where he got up and tell him to sit again. 

Tip for the Day:

Practicing walking like a sane, obedient dog towards the dog park is a great goal to aim for.   Keep in mind that once you start training the 'dog park approach walk' you need to keep the training ongoing.  That means every time you go to the park you need to be consistent in the training and behavior you expect from your dog.

Urban Dog Living - Dog Parks

Many cities have off leash dog parks where urban dwellers can take their pet-dogs to play.   There are usually small dog and big dog areas so that little dogs don't get stomped by big ones.  In DC you need to have a Dog Park Tag on your dog to enter the park.  The Dog Park Tag is free and can be requested when you renew your dog license at the end of June.

Make sure you have your dog vaccinated before you go to the park.  Puppies under 4 months of age are usually not allowed in dog parks.  This is to protect their little immune systems from the assault of germs and bacteria.   Older dogs and dogs with compromised immune systems should also avoid dog parks.   Dogs with injuries should also be kept from the dog park until they are healed.   Dogs can have a pack mentality in a dog park and can prey on weak or injured dogs.  Essentially, your happy fun dog becomes a dog-bully.

Human children and babies in strollers have no place inside dog parks.   Bring your spouse along to sit with the kids outside the fence.  There are too many things that can go wrong with kids inside the park.  Keep in mind that even though your dog accepts your children someone else's dog might not.

In Washington D.C. the SW Dog Park Group, PAWS of SW, is currently in the final stages of getting a design and build contract for a 10,000 square foot dog park.  Volunteers are always needed for events and community involvement is encouraged.  They meet on the 1st Monday of each month at different locations around the SW community.   The best way to ensure you have a great dog park is to be part of the dog park group!

Tip for the day:
Join your local dog park group!   Help make your neighborhood dog park a great inside the fence and outside!

New York Dog Parks: http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/dogareas
DC Dog Parks: http://dc.gov/DC/DPR/Facilities+and+Permits/Dog+Parks
Berlin: http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=dog_parks&find_loc=Kreuzberg%2C+Berlin