barking at the dog park

[Cindy]

Gavin is a typical sheltie. he barks.. a lot.
At the dog park, he has to bark at any dogs that are playing until he gets into his ball obsessed stage. The dogs seems completely unconcerned with his barking and ignore it, so I just watch him unless he starts nipping. Then I remove him from the situation. He's figured that if he nips he had to have a time out, so he's pretty good.

Some other dog owners get very mad at me, though, because Gavin barks so much. Most are cool with, as it IS a dog park. But it seems that a few people just get irate about it. One even yelled at me to get gavin to shut up as he was 'inciting' her dog (J) to aggressively nip an eskimo dog that was cornered and wouldn't play with her. Ummm...did she realize how stupid she sounded? Everyone knows her dog (J) is VERY dominant and plays very aggressively, in fact she usually has to leave because her dog gets aggressive. She is a bouvier I think? The poor owner of the eskimo dog that was being beat up left because the aggressive dog (J) only had a 5 minute time out and then came back in. She was afraid her dog would get seriously attacked and I don't blame her!

Just needed to vent....stuff like this just eats me up inside

 

[Caro]

Mine both go into barking frenzies when we get to the local oval - its just excitement and the other dogs understand the excitement bark and know it isnt aggression. I would be surprised that any dog is that dumb it doesnt understand the excitement bark.

The locals at my oval are used to mine barking now and the humans often bark back at them so it becomes quite funny. Deska fends off any air traffic flying over the oval and now I hear the other dog owners telling any non-regulars that Deska is the protector of the oval's air space. With Tully though I dont throw the ball until she stops barking as it developed into a bad habit of barking to get the ball.

You know though people with aggressive dogs often have to blame everyone else!

 

[BarbV]

My pups are mostly terrific when we go for walks. But now and again, a dog will come a long and Indy just goes nuts. No rhyme or reason to it.

He's fine with small dog and bigger dogs (e.g. labs) but for some reason terriers and beagles make him nuts!

 

[romeosangiovese]

I go to the dog run every weekend and Romeo barks every time we go! He's a barker at heart and if he can't bark in the house, and if he can't bark at a dog park, exactly where can a dog be a dog!? I don't bother shutting him up because he is a dog, dogs bark, and we're in a public place designated for, guess what? Dogs! Romeo barks when he's frustrated - like if he can't get a dog to play with him (and he always picks those that are reeeally old or just don't want to play). He barks if a dog scares him (I see it as him saying "why'd you go and do that for!"), he just really loves the sound of his voice too I think.

Quite right that alot of people with aggressive dogs don't seem to see that the problem lies with their dog. It's one thing if a dog turns around and growls and snaps at a dog that it doesn't like which came to close, it's quite another thing to corner a dog and do that! I don't understand why the owner of the Eskimo didn't intervened and yelled at J's owner to call off the dog. You know what might have happened? The Eskimo dog might have bitten because it's scared, cornered and can't flee (it's fight or flight), and IT would be labeled the aggressive dog! J's owner should be watching her dog too! And keeping J away from the eskimo dog!!

I am the first person to admit that Romeo can be pesky and abit annoying (he's very persistent in trying to get a dog to play with him!). So if I see he is bothering another dog (usually only the undersocialised super shy ones will react as if he is harassing, the rest just ignore him), I call him off and take him to another side of the park.