Dog Park Safety

Pet owners have many responsibilities, and among them, safety and health are the top priorities.

Luckily, ensuring that your dog stays safe and fit is a lot simpler than it sometimes seems. Naturally, exercise is a must and usually a delight but walking the streets is not always pleasant. That’s why designated parks are ideal venues for a full house of doggy fun. A glance at the tail-wagging tells the whole story when you pull up outside the entrance to any such pooch paradise.

So, visiting a dog park is a great outing for you and your canine chum, yet presents some obvious but also hidden risks.

• Infectious diseases may be brought in by unvaccinated dogs and wild critters, making it essential to keep the recommended vaccinations up to date, and specifically for the wee ones by ensuring the entire battery of puppy shots.
• Unruly dogs and owners are also not uncommon, so consider dog training as well, because obedience is critical and decreases the chances of wandering away or getting into scrapes. In every instance, good training is vital to your dog’s safety and socialisation.
• Training your dog to sit and stay or drop chewable items could save them from swallowing toxic substances, stop them from running across a busy road, and even allow off-lead fun with new buddies.

If the park allows it, and you decide to let your dogs run around leashless, only do so if they are clearly collared and tagged with your contact information. Even better, microchips allow vets and animal shelters to scan for your doggy’s identity details. This quick and virtually painless procedure offers some peace of mind in the event of an escape.

It’s your job to be vigilant when taking your dog out, especially if they tend to be anxious or aggressive. That means keeping a close eye on the surrounding activities and your dog’s state of mind. Sometimes a dog park visit can be overwhelming and being near you can help calm her down and avoid undue risks. At other times, the opposite is true, with jealous fits or defensive behaviours erupting from seemingly nowhere just because some toothy challenger got a bit too close.

The world’s best trainers always recommend an even but firm grip on your own emotions because these give behavioural cues you may not have intended. To ensure that good habits are maintained, remember to practice, practice, practice!! If possible, visit the park at times when it’s not too busy; this may seem less fun for Rover but with so many noseworthy discoveries available, the difference is not worth considering. You may also be more relaxed with fewer worrying factors around. After all, these outings are supposed to be enjoyable for you too.

A foldable water bowl and a fresh supply avoids depending on what’s available at the park since sharing is unsanitary and does spread germs. Don’ forget the cleaning implements because a poop scoop is a whole lot better than improvising with a plastic bag.

Before committing to the trip, check that the venue is safe and look for signage stating the rules because most have plenty and are strict about them. An ideal park would have good solid fencing, a lot of shade, and areas for your dog to explore. For the first few visits, keep the lead on and get used to the surrounds, over time he will become habituated to the general activities, and you can let him go off-leash for longer periods.