I seem to be asking loads of questions at the moment - sorry! Soon Ziggy will be off lead over at our lovely local park that has just one exit. I'm really looking forward to this but I know that I'm going to be terrified if I see another dog bounding towards him. I know that they mostly just want to play but I'm so scared that he'll be attacked by another dog. How can I get over my fear? I don't want to keep him on a lead - I want him to be happy and safe off lead. Also - how can you tell if its playing or fighting? I find it hard to tell the difference!
It's very, very unlikely that a dog will attack your puppy -dogs are usually very tolerant of small pups. Also, because you live where there are so many places to walk dogs off-lead, you are even less likely to meet an aggressive dog at your local park. Enjoy your first outing!
It is all in the canine body language the the 'tenseness' or 'looseness' the way the tail is held, the way the ears are held, the look of the eyes for starters . I saw a really handy little chart outlining good/bad body language to help owners. I'll see if I can find it and link it for you.
In my experience you can frequently hear the difference as well as just the body language. It's hard for me to explain but in the dog fights I've seen (among some friends dogs that get food aggressive), the dogs have more of a yelping/growling combined sound. I'm not sure if I'm making a ton of sense while writing it out, but it just sounds different from any of the happy dog playing sounds I'm used too.
There are lots of great (and free) doggie behaviour infographics here, by Lili Chin: https://www.doggiedrawings.net/freeposters If you can set them up, doggie dates that you arrange with known, calm dogs would be a good option for a pup. Socialisation is all about creating either positive or neutral associations with other people, animals, things and places. For that kind of association to form they don't have to have up close and personal interactions all the time. And it's best to avoid situations that might be overwhelming. So if you're apprehensive or ambivalent about the dog park don't feel that you need to go just because it's there Think about other options that will be more comfortable and predictable for both of you.
As others have said, it is very unlikely that another dog will attack your pup, though they may be a little intimidating. If there are other pups close the size and age of yours they will probably play, and it may look rough, but nobody will get hurt, and it is pretty obviously play. Cooper sometimes looks like a boxer, standing up on her back legs batting at the other dog, who is probably doing the same thing. It is pretty easy to tell when it is a dog fight rather than play. The body language and the face are completely different. Cooper has been in several confrontations that were probably the beginning of a fight. They looked and sounded bad, but nobody actually got bitten, at least there was no blood. While Cooper is very friendly and loves to play, she takes offense at being mounted, and sometimes at another dog snapping at her. The few times it escalated we broke it up ASAP and no harm was done.
In England, we don't have dog parks , they're just parks, so you don't usually get a large amount of dogs in one space. Where I live if I go to the local recreation ground (park), there's rarely more than a couple of other dogs there.
I have been taking my Yellow lab puppy to the park up the street . He's about to turn one year old . Most of the time he play's well with others of all types BUT , unfortunately he's been pouncing on & attacking other puppies I am VERY concerned about this !! He's currently NOT neutered but , I think that I will have to do it . For his sake.
In all likelihood you'll do just fine, but it's natural to worry. So don't worry about your worrying, if that makes sense! Having said that, I personally got to the point where I stopped going to smaller enclosed dog parks as there was too much stress involved. What I found was that the smaller the park and the more the dogs, the more likely the dogs would get too amped up. I'm not saying fighting, just too high energy. My dogs were very mellow and didn't like when a place was too frenetic. So if possible, pick an area that is very large and go during an off time of the day at least at first to get a feel of the place and people. A beach, lake/river area or other safe but not enclosed area would be even better if you have access to something similar. Also keep the first time short, sweet and positive. Better to stay for a happy 10 minutes than the alternative. If you're going to be going to a fenced in dog park, don't feel weird about going and casing the joint before even going in with your dog. Bring your dog and walk the outside fence perimeter. Watch how the other dogs (inside) are behaving, as well as their humans. Are the people properly watching their dogs and interacting with them, or do they walk in, take their dogs off leash and then spend the next 30 minutes on their mobiles while the dogs run amok? You can also try to peg a regular and strike up a conversation. You'll get the scoop on the best time to come, which humans and dogs to avoid (there is always THE DOG in any dog park that as soon as they are spotted 90% of the humans will take as the cue to grab their dogs and leave). Finally, go with your gut. If it feels wonky, just get out. You can always try again another day!
Please be aware that neutering will not have an effect on this behavior; you need to step in when he is playing before things get too rough. While he is playing nicely, encourage him with 'good dog' sounds, but as soon as things look a little tense or get too boisterous, then put him on the lead and move him away from the action for a while. I think this is just common sense - I do it with my nearly 6-month old pup if things get beyond what I would call normal play. However, he does have a couple of friends that he plays REALLY roughly with, and sometimes when he and Poppy (my other dog) play, you'd think they were going to kill each other; but it truly is just play. Sometimes it can be hard to differentiate.
As others have said don't worry about it. If you don't try it you will never know how it will go. If when you are there it doesn't feel right then turn around and leave. To be honest even now, with Bailey at 18 months old, I go with my gut with any new environment for walking Bailey. One of the first times we took him to a public park near us a large black lab who was about a year old tried to mount him. Although unhurt Bailey was understandably shaken and unsettled by it - bless him he was about 15 weeks old then - so we made to leave. However, on the way back to car we met another black lab who was so gentle and lovely with Bailey and spent time just playing with him and bringing him back out of his shell - I was glad we had a positive experience before leaving. No lasting effects at all with Bailey from his encounter as he still greets every dog he meets with the expectation that they will love him too and want to play ALL DAY LONG! Good luck and enjoy your walk!
