dog parks: how do you differentiate rambunctious but friendly from actually aggressive?

[Anonymous]

We just came home from a dog park experience that wasn't great. Within the first minute of entering the park, another dog started attacking our dog. I was able to grab my dog and remove him from the situation and someone else came over and controlled the aggressor.

Before entering the dog park, I had let my dog stand on the other side of the fence for a couple minutes so the other dogs could come up and greet him. During those few minutes, the aggressive dog had seemed a little rambunctious, but fine. The attack happened pretty quickly after we entered.

Here's my question. One of the non-aggressor dog owners pointed out to me that I had aggravated the situation by picking up my dog. I'm not asking if she's right: I know she's not. I picked up my dog after the other dog had started attacking - climbing on top of my dog and preventing my dog from moving. The other dog was also growling and so on.

Bottom line, the attack had already started, and I needed to stop it before my dog was injured.

If you take your dog to a local dog park, what are your tips for quickly - before trouble happens! - differentiating and managing interactions with dogs that may be just rambunctious but basically friendly from actually aggressive dogs?

[Anonymous]

this is OP: sorry, the post isn't very coherent - I should have re-read what I'd written before posting!

[Anonymous]

Stop going to dog parks. Meet a few friends dogs and meet at sniffspot or a tennis court or a yard if you have one.

Also. You were wrong in picking up your dog The other dog saw your dog as prey. Is your dog a little dog? If so did you go in the big dop part?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Stop going to dog parks. Meet a few friends dogs and meet at sniffspot or a tennis court or a yard if you have one.

Also. You were wrong in picking up your dog The other dog saw your dog as prey. Is your dog a little dog? If so did you go in the big dop part?

Thanks, pp! The other dog saw mine as prey and started attacking him. Once the attack begins, you need to separate the dogs as quickly as possible. Picking him up was the fastest way to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop going to dog parks. Meet a few friends dogs and meet at sniffspot or a tennis court or a yard if you have one.

Also. You were wrong in picking up your dog The other dog saw your dog as prey. Is your dog a little dog? If so did you go in the big dop part?

Thanks, pp! The other dog saw mine as prey and started attacking him. Once the attack begins, you need to separate the dogs as quickly as possible. Picking him up was the fastest way to do that.

You didn't do anything wrong. The way you usually tell is exactly as you did - observing and paying attention. But things can change quickly and you have to be prepared for that possibility. Only you can tell if the risks are worthwhile.

[Anonymous]

You (general public) can’t. An experienced trainer can read body language, but even they can’t prevent fights (just identify that a dog is uncomfortable).

Please, don’t go.

Dogs were bred to read the body language of similar breed dogs. You’ll notice herding dogs generally get along well, retrievers mesh, hounds have similar play styles, etc. A lab will read a border collie’s stare as rude, a border collie will interpret a lab’s body forward style as inappropriate, and all hell will break loose. These are stable, solid temperament dogs.

Add in dogs with sketchy backgrounds/breeding, clueless owners, and dozens of dogs and you have created a recipe for disaster.

It just takes one bad event to create years of reactivity you have to work through. Not worth it.

If your dog needs off leash play with other dogs, I suggest finding a friend/neighbor with a similar breed mix and known temperament and doing one on one back yard play dates. All the benefit with minimal risks.

If your dog is a baby puppy (<16 weeks) I’d suggest finding a supervised puppy play session at a local trainer. They’ll split the dogs into groups with similar play styles and help you learn to read and understand dog behavior.

—trainer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stop going to dog parks. Meet a few friends dogs and meet at sniffspot or a tennis court or a yard if you have one.

Also. You were wrong in picking up your dog The other dog saw your dog as prey. Is your dog a little dog? If so did you go in the big dop part?

Thanks, pp! The other dog saw mine as prey and started attacking him. Once the attack begins, you need to separate the dogs as quickly as possible. Picking him up was the fastest way to do that.

You didn't do anything wrong. The way you usually tell is exactly as you did - observing and paying attention. But things can change quickly and you have to be prepared for that possibility. Only you can tell if the risks are worthwhile.

Thank you! My dog is very extraverted and has a lot more energy than the dogs he usually plays with. The dog park is clearly not a good alternative and it's not worth the risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You (general public) can’t. An experienced trainer can read body language, but even they can’t prevent fights (just identify that a dog is uncomfortable).

Please, don’t go.

Dogs were bred to read the body language of similar breed dogs. You’ll notice herding dogs generally get along well, retrievers mesh, hounds have similar play styles, etc. A lab will read a border collie’s stare as rude, a border collie will interpret a lab’s body forward style as inappropriate, and all hell will break loose. These are stable, solid temperament dogs.

Add in dogs with sketchy backgrounds/breeding, clueless owners, and dozens of dogs and you have created a recipe for disaster.

It just takes one bad event to create years of reactivity you have to work through. Not worth it.

If your dog needs off leash play with other dogs, I suggest finding a friend/neighbor with a similar breed mix and known temperament and doing one on one back yard play dates. All the benefit with minimal risks.

If your dog is a baby puppy (<16 weeks) I’d suggest finding a supervised puppy play session at a local trainer. They’ll split the dogs into groups with similar play styles and help you learn to read and understand dog behavior.

—trainer

This explanation is so helpful and informative - thank you for taking the time to share your expertise!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You (general public) can’t. An experienced trainer can read body language, but even they can’t prevent fights (just identify that a dog is uncomfortable).

Please, don’t go.

Dogs were bred to read the body language of similar breed dogs. You’ll notice herding dogs generally get along well, retrievers mesh, hounds have similar play styles, etc. A lab will read a border collie’s stare as rude, a border collie will interpret a lab’s body forward style as inappropriate, and all hell will break loose. These are stable, solid temperament dogs.

Add in dogs with sketchy backgrounds/breeding, clueless owners, and dozens of dogs and you have created a recipe for disaster.

It just takes one bad event to create years of reactivity you have to work through. Not worth it.

If your dog needs off leash play with other dogs, I suggest finding a friend/neighbor with a similar breed mix and known temperament and doing one on one back yard play dates. All the benefit with minimal risks.

If your dog is a baby puppy (<16 weeks) I’d suggest finding a supervised puppy play session at a local trainer. They’ll split the dogs into groups with similar play styles and help you learn to read and understand dog behavior.

—trainer

Interesting comment about finding dogs of similar breeds to play with. I have a standard poodle, and I've always noticed my dog plays best with other standard poodles. As a matter of fact I think that's the only type of dog he typically plays with. I am fortunate that I know others with poodles that he can play with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You (general public) can’t. An experienced trainer can read body language, but even they can’t prevent fights (just identify that a dog is uncomfortable).

Please, don’t go.

Dogs were bred to read the body language of similar breed dogs. You’ll notice herding dogs generally get along well, retrievers mesh, hounds have similar play styles, etc. A lab will read a border collie’s stare as rude, a border collie will interpret a lab’s body forward style as inappropriate, and all hell will break loose. These are stable, solid temperament dogs.

Add in dogs with sketchy backgrounds/breeding, clueless owners, and dozens of dogs and you have created a recipe for disaster.

It just takes one bad event to create years of reactivity you have to work through. Not worth it.

If your dog needs off leash play with other dogs, I suggest finding a friend/neighbor with a similar breed mix and known temperament and doing one on one back yard play dates. All the benefit with minimal risks.

If your dog is a baby puppy (<16 weeks) I’d suggest finding a supervised puppy play session at a local trainer. They’ll split the dogs into groups with similar play styles and help you learn to read and understand dog behavior.

—trainer

Nice post. Dogs do decide in fractions of seconds if they do not like a dog.
Our dog is easy to read as he will growl and let us know before anything happens.

It sucks because he was the star of the dog park and got along with everyone, then he turned 2, had been fixed and any non-neutered male at the dog park is 50/50 to get along with.

He still is fine with 75% or more of the gos he meets; but it makes the dog park a lot less fun.

[Anonymous]

I would counter this by saying that many people do not know how to act appropriately at a dog park. The number of times that I have seen dog owners take their dog into the park whilst still on a leash is too many to count. Some parks have signs saying that all dogs must be unleashed in the park, some don’t, but a leashed dog is inviting the other dogs to attack. Even non-aggressive dogs would be all over a dog that was on a leash. Also, standing with your dog on the other side of the fence for several minutes only gets the other dogs that are in the park worked up into a frenzy. That was your first mistake. Taking a small dog into the big dog park was your second mistake.