All Things Dog Blog

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Dog Park Socialization:
A Pet Solutions Post

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Hi!

I am a proud "pet parent" of a 2-year-old rescue pup, Benny. I really have no idea about his history before his life with me. He has successfully completed a few training classes (puppy, obedience, and tricks) and has even gained the reputation around our local pet store of being a very smart dog. When he was a puppy I tried to socialize him to other dogs as much as possible, but he has always seemed to me more interested in being by my side than hanging out with other dogs.

We have recently been so fortunate to have a brand new dog park open in our city and it has been a wonderful thing for our whole community. Now this brings me to my issue with Benny. Although I know he loves being able to get out of the house and go to the dog park four or five times a week, when we get inside the dog park all he seems to care about is what I am doing.

Many of the other dogs will explore their environments and check out other dogs and people, but Benny rarely even walks more that 5 feet away from me (unless he is chasing the frisbee). He is not a fan of me giving attention to other dogs and tends to get a bit snippy if he thinks another dog gets too close to me. Are there any training tips you might know of that could help in this situation? I just want him to be able to relax and enjoy the other dogs.

Any advice would be great! Thank you!

-Karly

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Dear Karly: My favorite topic! I just love dog parks and am fascinated by the art of socializing different dogs. It has been my experience that dogs, just like people, have different needs when it comes to their social lives. Your Blue Heeler mix is definitely one of these, requiring much interaction and mental work, along with a physical job to do. Your Frisbee games are ideal for this high-energy breed.

You'll want to continue to bring Benny to the park to maintain his comfort with being around other dogs, even though he is somewhat aloof in their presence. He is, nevertheless, getting a sense of group comfort that is important if you want to be able to take him with you whenever you're out and about, without worry of unsocial behavior.

With regard to Benny's concern over your attentions to other dogs, this may need addressing. You can acclimate him to accepting your attention to other dogs by associating it with pleasurable responses from you. No treats in the dog park for safety reasons, but offer praise and affection when he allows you to interact with other dogs. Start with brief interactions and work up.

If you feel you need more of this than he is comfortable with, make a date with yourself to visit the park without Benny and get your fill. Don't worry; he'll know where you've been when you arrive home, and will likely give you a good sniff up and down to learn all about the new dogs you met. Then you can bring him along and focus on him next time. You'll always want Benny to know you are his biggest fan and that you've got his back. I borrowed this statement from our Ask the Trainer columnist, Michael Baugh. It's perfect for this situation :)

Happy tails,

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Dog Parks Get a Leg Up with
ROOM TO RUN™ Project

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

The gang at All Things Dog Blog is not just a dog park loving bunch; we're die hard enthusiasts of the dog park lifestyle. We enjoy a variety of parks in our area and try to catch up with a few of the dog Meetup groups at various park outings.

That's why we're so excited to hear about the dog park appreciation project called ROOM TO RUN™, sponsored by Nutro. Their Facebook events page has a nice video from last year's project, as well as a map of locations, a park user poll, photos from last year, and contact info for volunteering. You can email nutro@edelman.com to get details on how you can help.

Pledging to enhance or improve 30 dog parks around the country, they certainly do have their kibble bowl full. Volunteers will be sought to participate in these events, to occur June 12-19 all around the U.S. and Canada.

This is a great way to get involved in making a dog park even better--adopt it! For more ideas, check out our Adopt a Dog Park page.

Projects will vary from park to park, depending on the area of greatest need. Some examples are painting benches, assembling benches, planting trees, removing debris, and pruning landscape.We're especially excited to see two Florida parks on the roster of parks slated for assistance. Check the map on their Facebook page to see if your area is part of the plan, and then come on down and lend a hand. It's sure to be a satisfying day of camaraderie and great accomplishments.