Dog park bites

Anonymous
We have a 3 year old rescue Pitt mix. We think part hound or pointer. This is the second time she bit another dog. She wouldn't hurt anyone and does well with most dogs but she also gives no warning. The first was her playing w a jack Russell and then the jack growled a little and she nipped his side. Now it was a medium size dog that she went up to got I. Her face and the dog had a toy in its mouth. We couldn't tell but someone growled and then our dog bit down on the neck. My DH said she just got the skin and no blood. But its terrifying. He pulled her off in less than a minute although it felt longer and was able to pin her down. I made sure the owner and dog were OK. They were.

Do we take her back for training or socialization? It makes me so sad because she is such a good dog and she's been through so much
Anonymous
How about a soft muzzle?
Anonymous
your dog doesn't belong in a dog park.

I say this as the owner of a dog that is usually friendly with other dogs but is terrible at reading other dogs' cues and can become aggressive. I realized this fairly quickly after I got him and promptly stopped bringing him to parks.

find other ways to stimulate your dog - running, hiking, training classes (they don't just have to be obedience), etc etc. dog parks are a gamble even for the friendliest of dogs, there is no need for you to keep putting your dog and the dogs of others in this situation. it will only get worse
Anonymous
Some dogs are just not dog park dogs. You need to consider the fact that your dog doesn't belong at the dog park with other unknown dogs. That doesn't mean your dog is a bad dog or needs to be gotten rid of. She just can't go to the dog park and play off leash with other dogs.
Anonymous
Agree - your dog can't handle the dog park environment.

Plenty of other ways for you to exercise your dog.
Anonymous
She needs training for sure. I wouldn't take her to a dog park if she bites. We don't take our dog to dog parks because the vet and our trainer said they weren't a good idea since you don't always know the temperaments of the other dogs. Instead, we do doggie play dates with dogs we know.
Anonymous
It's a pitt bull. Or part. Only surprise is why the owner didn't anticipate the risk.
Anonymous
UGH I was hoping you were a troll since you have a pitt bull. Please do not bring your dog around others. Dog should always be on a leash.

-owner of a small dog who was killed by a "nice pit bull" on a leash.
Anonymous
Absolutely. no pit bulls in the dog park, PLEASE. I know many are sweet house dogs, I have friends who have them & adore them, but they are an unpredictable breed and it can be nearly impossible to control if something sets them off. You are lucky the other dog didn't get hurt.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:It's a pitt bull. Or part. Only surprise is why the owner didn't anticipate the risk.

And get fined.... and sued.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:It's a pitt bull. Or part. Only surprise is why the owner didn't anticipate the risk.


Please keep your dog away from places where their might be children like playgrounds, parks and outdoor rec areas like Old Town or Rsston Towne Center.

Be grateful it was dogs and not a child.
Anonymous
My rescue (not a pit) is also terrible at dog parks and with other dogs in general. I will echo others and say to avoid the dog park and keep your dog on a leash. If someone approaches you with their dog and wants them to "say hi" tell the person your dog is not friendly with other dogs. If someone's off leash dog approaches yours, tell the owner to secure his/her dog because yours might bite it. Avoid areas where people often allow their dogs off leash. It's likely that your dog, even while on a leash and not acting aggressively, is "posturing" and inciting dogs to fight with him-mine does and was attacked by two off leash dogs while being walked on a leash.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Agree - your dog can't handle the dog park environment.

Plenty of other ways for you to exercise your dog.

+1000
We have large, Northern breed dogs that love people but not necessarily all dogs. We do not take them to dog parks ever. They do play one on one with dogs that they get along with, but always closely supervised. Don't set your dog up to fail.
Anonymous
It doesn't matter what kind of dog it is. All you PPs get off it with the "it's a pitt bull" shit. Seriously.

Generally speaking, some dogs can do dog parks, some dogs can't. We have a who-knows-what-mix we got from a shelter 6 years ago, we were excited to bring him to dog parks and have him play with other dogs. Turns out he has an alpha male complex and doesn't do well in dog parks. So now we take him on long walks around the neighborhood, to Rock Creek Park for hikes and playing the water and let him run off leash in the early mornings at the open field by the rec center if no one else is around.
Anonymous
Wow some of you are so judgemental. Yes she is a Pitt. She is also part of a volunteer program that works in a children's hospital. She would never hurt a child or human. For you to assume so based on her breed is ignorant. Its also the second time she bit another dog in 2 .5 years. Not a terrible track record. But I do want it to never happen again. Our vet said the fact that she nipped the skin both times without drawing blood is a good sign. That's her warning. That if she wanted to kill she had the means to but she doesn't. The both of us were attacked by a dog 3x her size and she didn't attack until the dog jumped on me and even then she got the dog off of me and laid over me.

I say all this because yes I get its a problem and I don't know if I could pull her off if something worse ever happened by myself.

Thanks for the helpful advice. We don't usually go to the dog park unless its empty and we had her do some pack walks that she did great on. We Also take her off leash late at night and she just runs circles.

Please don't make this a Pitt issue. I only mentioned so you know what size she is.
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