DOG PARK STUPID QUESTIONS................. - Page 1

I know why I cant stand the dog park. Tonight thought I would take one of my dogs to see how he would be with little dogs.
. I guess its out to housesit little dogs this summer.

Anyway on our walk we met a guy and gal with a shepherd inside the enclosure stop to say hi. The woman was put off when I asked her not to try and pet my dog through the chain link. Then she had to ask why I wouldnt want anyone to pet him (mind you through a chain link fence) . I told her that I dont allow anyone to pet him that he didnt need petting and she was completely perplexed by that. Im sure my date thought I was being a bitch.

SO what is the dumbest question youve been asked at the dog park?

Well I can't say that i have been asked a stupid question at one cause I think they are not worth going to.I don't want other dogs running up to me or my dogs and don't need dippy people asking me stupid things or messing with my dogs. I had a fit when my friend I am living with took my dogs for a walk at night when I epcificly said NOT to walk them cause I was going to be home. There are too many issues that can come about at a dog park.I go to nice secluded places to run my dogs.

Well I dont go to dog parks but I did have some one ask a few years ago what breed of dog my ole guy was. ( he passed away last July). I say German Shepherd. Then they asked what he was mixed with. I said he is a GERMAN SHEPHERD and told then that he was German lines. Then they told me that he couldnt be a pure bred because he had a straight back. I just shook my head and walked away.

People who go to dog parks generally go there to be social with both dogs and people, hanging out, playing, petting...so it's the norm in their minds for everyone to be one big happy family.  So it's not in the least surprising that people at a dog park would want to pet your dog.  If you don't want this, don't go.  By definition (this one's from Wiki):

"Off-leash dog areas, or dog parks, provide a community setting in which people can gather and socialize and where they can observe the interaction of groups of dogs at play."

"According to Dan Emerson of Dog Channel.com, proponents of dog parks cite the following benefits: "They promote responsible pet ownership and the enforcement of dog-control laws; give dogs a place to exercise safely, thus reducing barking and other problem behaviors; provide seniors and disabled owners with an accessible place to exercise their companions; and provide an area for community-building socializing." [emphasis mine]

No need to get snooty at people who don't recognize the wonderfulness of your dog (lol).  It's an opportunity to show them what a GSD is supposed to look like.  And sometimes people just ask questions (may seem like dumb questions to you) just to make conversation; it's a way of being friendly.

Tess is right; it doesn't make sense that you would take your dog to a dog park (which I don't do) and then have an issue with someone wanting to pet him.  What are you trying to accomplish with this dog that the former makes sense but precludes the latter?

Last time I was at a dog park, a group of people were hanging out together, smoking and drinking coffee and totally ignoring their dogs.

This one lady's GSD was trying to make lunch out of a lady's wee furry lap dog. Even when the owner picked it up to protect it, the GSD still kept jumping up to grab it from her arms.

As there'd been an incident reported in the paper where someone's toy dog had been seriously injured by a large dog, I kept a close eye on this hooligan of a dog. I wondered if he'd been the culprit. His actions had 'extreme prey drive' stamped all over them.

Sure enough, he came at my GSD pup. When he went to grab her by the neck, I took hold of him by the collar to stop him, as that's how a big dog kills a smaller one. Pick it up by the neck, a couple of shakes, and bye bye puppy... He tried to bite me.

I took the boots to him to make him back off.  (Okay, actually it was running shoes, and I threatened more than I made actual contact.)

Well, well, that FINALLY got Ignorant Owner's attention! She came flying at me in a raging hissy fit. "How DARE you kick my dog?"

"Listen, when your dog is about to grab my dog by the neck, and bites at me when I try to stop him, I damn well WILL kick him!" I snapped back at her. I then put my pup on her leash, and left.

She was one of the exceptions. Most dog park users were very good about watching their dogs, and intervening when things started to get too rough. We'd had some good times there up until then, but after that, I decided it wasn't worth the risk.

I go to socialize my own dog to other dogs etc. but I dont go into the play area. Tessj10 you have some good points and ones that I didnt think of. Ill keep that in mind.

I used to go to dog parks because our dogs love other dogs and  are very social, but the problem was that there were clueless owners there with dogs that were not well-socilaized with other dogs and have dog aggression issues. I got tired of my female being growled and snapped at. Last time we went an English Bull dog tried to grab her throat. Fortunately the brachy faced dog couldn't really grab hold so no physical damage was done, but that was the last straw. My female is very resilient so no lasting mental damage was done. I know of some dogs that have been attacked at dog parks and were forever scarred and became extremely defensive around other dogs. Then of course there is the flea problem. No more dog parks for us.