Dog Park Best Practices

Did you know that pet amenities are one of the number one things that residents want from their communities?  Well, Fairfield has listened.  After all, we love pets too!  We’re happy to say that many of our locations feature dog parks where your furry family members can run around and have a great old time with their canine friends.

Here are some best practices to make sure your pup and other dogs have a great and safe time together:

• Always, always, always pay attention to your dog and pick up after him.
• Observe your dog’s behavior and other dogs’ behavior.  My dog loves everyone and every dog she meets, but she’s a rough player and uses her feet A LOT and sometimes that doesn’t sit well with other dogs so I always have to be ready to pull her away and calm her down.
• Take off all harnesses, choke chains, gentle leaders, and prong collars.  When dogs play, they usually go for the neck area, so the last thing you want is a dog getting a tooth or paw stuck in your dog’s chain and not being able to free itself; this can become extremely dangerous.
• Leashes should be taken off.  Your dog is unable to remove itself from a situation it’s uncomfortable with if you’re restraining it with a leash.  This can cause them to become extremely anxious and insecure.
• Don’t let your dog be rude when greeting a new doggy friend.  If a new dog is coming into the park, try and get a hold of your dog so they don’t go charging up and startle him.  Such a sudden and unexpected greeting could frighten the other dog and cause even the nicest dog to lash out.
• Make sure your dog is somewhat exercised before you take them to the park.  This probably sounds silly since the reason you’re taking them to the park is to exercise them, but, letting them loose with a bunch of other dogs when they’ve got a ton of bottled up energy is a recipe for disaster.  Their excessive amount of energy could make another dog extremely upset and cause a fight.
• If your dog park does not have separate runs for small and large dogs, make sure your little dog does well with big dogs, and vice versa.  Even if your big dog does get along well with every size, a tiny dog that has a high pitched bark and is running around could cause your dog to think its prey; not good!
• Your dog needs to be up-to-date on all vaccinations and should be at least 3 months old before going to a dog park.
• If your dog seems to be uncomfortable and not enjoying themselves, leave the park and maybe go on a walk instead.  Or, plan to go at times that are quieter.

Most importantly, your dog and everyone else’s should be having FUN!  So, make sure you’re always paying attention to your pup and that he’s playing politely.