[QUOTE=dalpal;6322071]
Very true…and we had someone poisoning dogs here at a local dog park.[/QUOTE]
Dalpal - do you live in the Raleigh area? (have that in my mind for some reason). What park is this happening at? (I’m planning a visit down that way this summer and I usually stop in for a quick “visit” to my old dog park - but this info would keep me away for sure!)
[QUOTE=wendy;6319215]
Biggest complaint most people have about other people’s dogs is the dog who goes charging up to strange dogs right into the strange dog’s face. Usually accompanied by shrieks of “he’s friendly” from the owner. No, he’s not friendly, he’s RUDE and deserves to be disciplined by the dog he’s being rude to. Owners who frequent dog parks think this rude behavior is normal, but it’s not.
If you watch polite dogs approaching dogs they don’t know, they move towards each other, then stop and give “friendly” signals and watch the other dog for “friendly” response signals, then they repeat this process a few more times until they actually meet; if at any point in time, one dog doesn’t give off “friendly” signals, the dogs stop approaching each other. They don’t rush at each other willy-nilly (unless they know each other well). If you’re a polite owner of a polite dog, you also observe carefully the behavior of the strange dog(s) and owner as you approach and collect your dogs and keep moving if you don’t like what you see/hear (or if the owner says something or collects her own dogs).[/QUOTE]
How do you teach your dog to be polite about greeting other dogs? My dog is definitely the type to rush up to other dogs when he’s off leash. I think it’s rude and it really bugs me, but I have no idea how to fix it.
Though calling 911 sounds good in theory, what exactly do you expect the police to do when they get there? I’m not sure about other states or municipalities, but here, there is no recognized dog on dog crimes.
911 is for IMMEDIATE threat to HUMAN life or property. I guess you could argue that a dog is “property” but I know if/when I sent the officers to a dog fight I am going to have some very unhappy co workers. In my municipality an officer would respond because we respond to every call, but I’m pretty sure the officers would tell you it was a civil issue and be on their way.
Sorry to sound so heart less, but I have to deal with irresponsible pet owners in one way or another almost every day. I will never forget the reaction from a woman who wanted to report that the neighbors dog had killed her cat. After a little questioning she admitted her cat was in the neighbors fenced back yard when it was killed. When she was advised there was no crime and she was at fault for not keeping her cat on her own property she was appalled. She didn’t understand that just because a dog will kill a cat doesn’t make it a “vicious” dog. I grew up with a German Shorthair who was a possum killing machine but was never once aggressive towards a human.
I am a member of a local dog park but I LOATHE the ‘meeting’ times and avoid them like a plague. The reason I picked mine is that its open 24 hours–so we have acres of roaming space with a pool available at 10pm or 6am, when nobody else is there 
I can count on ONE hand the number of times I’ve hung around with more than a few dogs; its even big enough that multiple dogs can spread out comfortably. My dogs are fine with other dogs but why the hell would I run that risk? They’re much happier playing with a ball than I am letting them play russian roulette. The few times I’ve accidentally been there in the middle of mass play its made my gut turn over with the amount of close shaves/mixed signals/‘almost’ fights. To me, my dogs do not have to be dogpark social butterflies as a qualification of being a ‘good’ dog. That is very low on my list of requirements and find it more stress than its worth. But I LOVE having that night time and early morning access! Worth it for the 50 bucks a year.
[QUOTE=shireluver;6325352]
911 is for IMMEDIATE threat to HUMAN life or property. [/QUOTE]
the organization I work for would not have responded to a 911 call for something like this. We don’t respond to dog calls. We refer them to the dog law enforcement.
We don’t have a dog park around here. Just thousand upon thousands of acres of ranch land, & our tiny little town. Dogs that cause fights, especially pit bulls, in town, against puppies they have drawn blood, & children are present, are quite likely to get a bullet then & there. Even if it is from a passerby. A call to 911 would get the cops immediately. But 911 would also ask with great incredulity, “Well why don’t YOU just shoot it?!!!”
I guess all dog parks are not created equal. I love the dog park we are close to. I do try to time our visits when I know there is likely to be few dogs there but 1 or 2 that come and go. It has a large pond and our dobe Kate loves to swim. I can walk the perimeter of the pond while she runs along and into and out of the water. It’s great. However, we won’t be going back for a while. It’s not the aggressive dogs or offensive owners that is keeping us away. Last time we were there, we were on the inside and this:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Desilu/Kate/dogparkgator.jpg
was on the outside. Kate was not afraid of it, and it was not afraid of her. :eek:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/Desilu/Kate/thegatorandKate.jpg
So going on the theory that he found his way into the park and pond, and that I cannot keep her out of the water, we won’t be back for a while. Even though we never had a problem with agressive DOGS.:winkgrin:
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