Dog Fight This Morning

[Brandiandwe]

thanks, runner615.

 

there's a number of responders who, like you, don't sound so harsh and quick to judge. i wish your voices were more prominent in setting the tone for this message board.

 

FWIW, I find this message board to be, for the most part, very supportive and respectful, even about emotive issues (like dog parks or what to feed your dog or whatever). You haven't received the endorsement and support for your position on dog parks that you might have been hoping for here. That's perhaps to be expected - your dog provoked a fight by not accepting a correction from another dog. So people are suggesting that you find other ways to harness your dog's energy and build a better sense of self-control and a bit more socialised into your dog before taking him back to a situation where another fight is possible. That might not be the message you want to hear, but becoming defensive when everyone is coming from a position of concern for you and your dog isn't all that productive.

 

As for dog parks, I do them only when we are there by ourselves or with a couple of other greys. it's just too hard otherwise. My two young ones need an hour's brisk walk in the morning and half an hour in the evening with a little bit of playing as well. We'll be getting back to obedience classes soon as well.

 

Good luck!

[Walliered]

Mama, I thought you wanted advice. You have already made up your mind on what you are going to do in the future, so what was the question?

[Guest bluefiggie]

I must admit that I have taken my girls to the dog park aganist my adopting organizations advice. My girls loved running around and then standing in the bucket of water while other dogs were waiting to drink.... I stopped going because of the concern for holes being dug and the thought of my girls breaking a leg in said hole while running. Going to dog parks is very controversial among greyhound owners.

 

As a greyhound owner you have to be on the constant look out for other dog owners not paying attention to their dogs and the dogs behavior. It is very possible there were other clues that a dog fight was going to occur before it did. I may be more alert to these since one of my girls had a very high prey drive. If I were in your situation I would try to find another place to run him or just give him extra long walks and only do the dog parks on occasion. Yes dogs like socialization but most are perfectly happy getting enough attention from their owners and don't need to be around other dogs daily.

 

I believe you mentioned that you reward the dog after he listens to a correction. You might try simply correcting actions sooner and/or skipping the reward after the behavior is corrected. Depending on your delivery of the reward he might think you are rewarding the bad behavior instead of the corrected behavior.

 

I also think you did right by asking a large group of people their opinions and I once again wish that a lot of the people on this forum weren't so quick to jump down other peoples throats. I have seen some pretty nasty responses on some threads and I actually left for several months because of the cyber bullying.

[Guest kess]

I once had a fear biter dog who was much loved by the family and she loved us. She didn't like anyone else much at all. She loved out other pets too. Because we loved her she wasn't allowed out of yard without a muzzle on and we went to the expense of putting up fenced areas within the yard so if visitors were here she could be kept safe, I say she could be kept safe as if she bit someone we may have been ordered to put her down. I was more worried for her than them because of our love for her.

[fourofem]

I know you're hearing things you don't want to but trust me, they know what they're talking about. Personally, I wouldn't take any of mine to a dog park....or any other place with dogs I don't know. Unless all dogs are muzzled, including yours, best to stay away. If you can find a fenced ball or soccer field, that would be a better place for him to stretch his legs. Check around and see if there is a greyhound group in your area and if not, look into starting one.

[brianamac]

thanks, runner615.

 

there's a number of responders who, like you, don't sound so harsh and quick to judge. i wish your voices were more prominent in setting the tone for this message board.

 

FWIW, I find this message board to be, for the most part, very supportive and respectful, even about emotive issues (like dog parks or what to feed your dog or whatever). You haven't received the endorsement and support for your position on dog parks that you might have been hoping for here. That's perhaps to be expected - your dog provoked a fight by not accepting a correction from another dog. So people are suggesting that you find other ways to harness your dog's energy and build a better sense of self-control and a bit more socialised into your dog before taking him back to a situation where another fight is possible. That might not be the message you want to hear, but becoming defensive when everyone is coming from a position of concern for you and your dog isn't all that productive.

 

As for dog parks, I do them only when we are there by ourselves or with a couple of other greys. it's just too hard otherwise. My two young ones need an hour's brisk walk in the morning and half an hour in the evening with a little bit of playing as well. We'll be getting back to obedience classes soon as well.

 

Good luck!

 

I doubt ceeboymama was all that upset about people taking different stances on the dog park issue itself... some people on this board post in a downright condescending way.

Of course, all the experienced greyhound owners are speaking from concern and experience. However, when a greyhound owner (new or not) is asking for advice on an issue/situation, they are clearly admitting they don't know the answer and need help.

Telling someone how wrong they are or how little they know about greyhounds serves absolutely no purpose, and isn't productive either. It's great when people give the support, advice, and words the OP are looking for and move on.

EVERYONE, even the people who have fostered 100s, started somewhere. And they probably made similar mistakes and had similar questions. Experience doesn't mean anyone has to talk down to another.

/rant.

[Guest kess]

 

 

EVERYONE, even the people who have fostered 100s, started somewhere. And they probably made similar mistakes and had similar questions. Experience doesn't mean anyone has to talk down to another.

/rant.

 

well said

[JohnF]

And even if dog park paranoia doesn't sit particularly well, it is nevertheless offered in the best of good faith by many who have had bad expereinces or near misses.

 

We don't have dog parks in the UK, instead we have public parks with either leashed or under-close-control areas (dog stays in sight closeby and responds to recall and if he's a tyro then he stays on leash or is expected to be muzzled.) In our parks you can encounter all breeds at any time and often unleashed so you need to know for sure your grey is small dog friendly, indeed that's why, sadly, I needed to return one was was said to be but wasn't.

 

I would actually like some details of how to start a local greyhound play/walj group from scratch when you might only kow a handful of people in your town with Greyhounds?

[Guest kess]

I live in South Australia and in this state it is against the law to ever have greys unleashed. The are allowed to be unmuzzled if you acquire a special license to do so which I have. There is a dog park near by that is in semi industrial area so once I took dogs down there and while no other dogs there I did let him off his leash for 5 min. I stood near the gate and could see if any dogs coming along the street or any cars with dogs were pulling up. So much for letting him off leash he only walked around sniffing the interesting smells. I believe most states here don't allow greys to be unleashed. No way would I let him off leash with other dogs around even though I am sure he wouldn't react badly as he loves meeting other dogs and loves he doggie brother who isn't a grey.

[Hubcitypam]

It comes down to "dogs and the dog park" when a dog is aggressive at the dog park and crosses boundaries, injuring another dog or having the potential to injure another dog

 

We used to go to the dog park fairly often, even though none of my greys have really ever liked it. Buck and Rex both liked to swim and like the lake access to a degree. In the main area Rex used to stand by the double gates hoping someone would save him. The big dog side was 30+ pounds and Poodle is right at 30 (28.5 last week). Four or so years ago we were at the park and I went over to talk to a lady that I knew who was sitting with a circle of regulars. Poodle was sitting at my feet when a cattle dog came running across the park, flipped him over and went into him. Three or four other smaller dogs joined in trying their best to kill Poodle - I remember one was a scotty, one a jack russell but the other(s) I forget. None of the BIG dogs joined in. I tried to pick him up out of it and his collar slipped off and they continued trying to disembowel him.

 

Somewhere I had read to fall on your dog so I did. It worked but I was bitten 5 tiimes - twice by Poodle as he was lashing out at anything in his terror. He bit me below the eye and all the way through my lower lip. After everyone got their dogs I yelled for someone to call my vet and tell him we were on the way. As we walked out pouring blood a woman came after me and said "my dog started it". I told her I had to get him to the vet and I'd talk to her tomorrow.

 

When we walked into the vet I thought the receptionist was going to faint - facial wounds bleed a lot and I think I was scarier looking than Poodle. The vet told me to feel free to use the sink while he stapled up Poodle. He was afraid they had ruptured his bladder but that was not the case. When we left there was a "wet floor" sign all the way to our exam room - they had mopped up the blood we trailed.

 

That was our last trip to the dog park, except me going back alone for a week to try and find the lady. All I wanted was 1/2 the vet bills. She never came back - must have talked to her lawyer as she had admitted guilt. The tally was 15 staples for Poodle and 5 bites for me, 3 from unknown dogs as I didn't have time to collect info with a badly injured dog on my hands.

 

I'm not being judgemental and of course the decision is up to you. Just sharing what can happen in a 4 or 5 dog fight, and those were smaller dogs. Agility sounds like an EXCELLENT idea for a young active dog.

Edited September 15, 2012 by Hubcitypam

[TheFullHouse]

The problem with posting in threads like these is that you can read it one way or another. Some may take what one person says as condescending and someone else not. I try and keep that in mind when I post things because I don't want to put off a new person. That being said, some people come on here to ask advise and are so set in their beliefs that said advice just goes over their heads and it can be frustrating to some who have had a lot of experience in the situation.

 

Taking a dog to a dog park is a personal choice and in todays climate where dogs are being put down every day for biting other dogs or children, it's a risk. Whether someone takes that risk is totally up to them. Just because the other dogs owner in this case was understanding, the next person who brings their dog into the dog park and this hound attacks it may not be so understanding and you could be looking at your dog being taken to the pound at that point and you may be liable for some vet bills and the scenario where you will be literally fighting for your dogs life. To take that risk is a personal choice. In todays world, just owning a dog is a risk any more. Some places even require you to have umbrella policies on your home owners insurance just in case your pets bite anyone. I don't want to find myself in a position of losing my dogs or my house because someone's unruly dog goes after one of mine and they stand up for themselves and I get sued because in standing up for himself my dog hurts or kills another dog. If you ask me do I think any of my dogs would ever bite anyone and I would adamantly tell you no, but given the right circumstances you never know.

[Brindles]

As far as needing the dog park.....I don't buy it. I suggest your boy's exercise needs be met in ways other than dog parks.

 

A lot of people are saying this, but it's not exactly true. When Diego was a puppy and I lived in a condo with no yard, he NEEDED the dog park. No amount of exercise I could give him by myself - hiking, biking, running, walking - replaced his time at the dog park. Once we walked 5 miles straight and he was still full of energy when we got back home. It's the other dogs that make the difference. An 18 month old greyhound is completely different from even a 3 year old greyhound. Most people on this forum haven't dealt with a greyhound that young. Their energy is boundless.

 

I know a lot of greyhound people hate dog parks, but if done properly, they can be an asset. No need to jump down the OP's throat about it.

[Guest Jacks_Human]

OP, if your dog is being aggressive-- ie BITING another dog, and does not consistently listen to commands-- he should not be in the dog park.

Now, my grey, Jack, loves playing with his doggie friends, and we've had some issues with the dog park. And he's a dog who has very good recall, will 'leave it' on command, has a track record of playing nicely with many breeds of dogs, and can be counted on to stay nicely in 'time out' if he gets too wound up (ie starts acting like a pest/teasing dogs who don't want to play). But we've had problems at the park with other dogs who are nippy or worse, aggressive with other dogs (as well as one crazy human, but that's another story). So currently Jack either goes with me to play by himself, or on playdates with other equally well-behaved dogs.

 

For the sake of everyone involved, I'd take your dog to obedience classes, and socialise him in controlled situations with small numbers of muzzled dogs before turning him loose in the dog park.

 

PS. I'm quite concerned about your vet's advice. Not even as a failure of 'greyhound savviness' but a failure of understanding basic dog behaviour know-how.

[grey14me]

I believe you mentioned that you reward the dog after he listens to a correction. You might try simply correcting actions sooner and/or skipping the reward after the behavior is corrected. Depending on your delivery of the reward he might think you are rewarding the bad behavior instead of the corrected behavior.

 

For some reason I couldn't get the above statement in quotes, but I was also thinking this might be the case. Besides, I'm not so sure it's a good idea to bring any treats into a dog park, period.

I don't really think it's appropriate for someone to let their dog chew on someone else's dog's ear for any length of time. A very, very common way of thinking for dog owners at dog parks is "They will work it out themselves", or the ever popular "They're just playing." Basically like saying "It's all fun and games until somebody pokes an eye out."

My first greyhound used to play with an American Eskimo and would chase it and then come back with a face full of white fur. The other dog's owner was fine with it but I was horrified, just like I would be if another dog was chasing mine and came back with a mouth full of my dog's fur.

[philospher77]

The other thing to consider is "what is your dog actually learning" while at a dog park? I have a rat terrier to go along with my greyhound, and they don't really play together. So I decided to try taking the rattie to the small-dog side of the dog park. She will wander around and greet the other dogs, and she will run if I run around. The only thing that she does that resembles "play" is that she will fence run with the big dogs. And, when she fence runs, she barks. And then she will bark if the other dog wanders off to play with other big dogs. So, I am asking myself, do I REALLY want to teach little Pixie that it is acceptable to bark at dogs much bigger than she is, and to go running up barking at big dogs? No, because if she does that to the wrong dog, in the wrong situation, I could wind up with a very dead dog. Add in the fact that when I whip out the leash at the dog park, she is at my feet, tail wagging and mouth grinning, and I think she is making it quite clear that she would much rather go for a hike than hang out with the other dogs. So, we won't be going any more.

 

And I disagree that even young greyhounds need to go to the dog park. They need a place where they can run off energy, and they need a place where they can socialize with other dogs in a controlled, safe manner, but that does not need to be the same space. Granted, since I also live in southern California, I do understand that it is difficult to find a large, fenced in area to let a dog run that is NOT a dog park. People outside of California may not realize just how difficult that is. In fact, one of the local dog parks in my area is smaller than most midwestern yards! So if that's your only option, I would strongly suggest going well outside the normal hours (as in, when it's dark) so that you can, hopefully, have the place to yourself.

[Fruitycake]

about two weeks ago--i've had him for 4 months--i finally found a regular group of dogs/owners at the dog park with whom my 18-month-old rowdy boy can play. except today he provoked a fight with mr. rumbles--an english bulldog--by chomping on his ear too long or hard.

 

mr. rumbles lost his temper and cetus will not back down from a fight.

 

 

I happen to believe that your dog wasn't "not backing down from a fight" but not accepting the bulldog's demand to "get the ^* off my ear!" and actually started the fight. Though I wasn't there and did not see the situation firsthand.

 

I think the bulldog had a point if your dog hurt him by chewing his ear. He had a right to tell your dog to get off, and if he growled or tried to pull away and your dog didn't get the point, he felt he had to go after him with teeth to make his point more...pointed [sorry for the pun]. If, at that point, your dog lit into him with his teeth, your dog was the trigger and actually started the fight by not taking correction for his own misbehavior.

 

He's a young dog, and maybe now he is stronger than he used to be, and not yet understanding why his misbehavior toward other dogs is suddenly getting them angry rather than a "well, he's just a puppy and I'll be gentle with him" that he is used to. A 70 lb greyhound [as a random guess for size of a full grown boy] can do a lot of damage with those teeth, even if he's playing just a bit too rough, and if he doesn't accept other dogs telling him to get off, he will probably cause/prompt/start more fights.

 

Yes, he needs socialization, but unmuzzled, mixed (random) dog socialization isn't what he needs. I am with the others in that I think he needs muzzled interactions with few, well-mannered but well socialized dogs that will tell him when he's being a pain in the rear when he cannot turn around and retaliate/escalate the situation with potential damage to all involved. A lot of people are ignorant and when they take their dog to the dog park they ignore their dog and sit and have their coffee and conversations with friends and the dogs are let to do what they will. Not saying you or anyone else there does that, but there are a lot of people that do. Luckily the bulldog's owner was close, and this didn't happen with someone with a larger, more "trigger-happy" dog and out in the "back 40" of a park where you were the only one close enough to stop the aggressive interaction.

 

And I didn't see anything specifically about body damage to either dog. If there wasn't any, then what you saw wasn't a out-and-out fight but a tussle that could have grown into a fight. If it had been a real fight, there would have been blood and likely stitches for at least one of the dogs, and maybe also for the humans trying to break it up merely by getting too close to flashing teeth aimed in earnest. But if your dog won't accept dogs telling him off and goes in after they warn him with teeth flashing, there will be fights in the future.

[cleptogrey]

It comes down to "dogs and the dog park" when a dog is aggressive at the dog park and crosses boundaries, injuring another dog or having the potential to injure another dog

 

We used to go to the dog park fairly often, even though none of my greys have really ever liked it. Buck and Rex both liked to swim and like the lake access to a degree. In the main area Rex used to stand by the double gates hoping someone would save him. The big dog side was 30+ pounds and Poodle is right at 30 (28.5 last week). Four or so years ago we were at the park and I went over to talk to a lady that I knew who was sitting with a circle of regulars. Poodle was sitting at my feet when a cattle dog came running across the park, flipped him over and went into him. Three or four other smaller dogs joined in trying their best to kill Poodle - I remember one was a scotty, one a jack russell but the other(s) I forget. None of the BIG dogs joined in. I tried to pick him up out of it and his collar slipped off and they continued trying to disembowel him.

 

Somewhere I had read to fall on your dog so I did. It worked but I was bitten 5 tiimes - twice by Poodle as he was lashing out at anything in his terror. He bit me below the eye and all the way through my lower lip. After everyone got their dogs I yelled for someone to call my vet and tell him we were on the way. As we walked out pouring blood a woman came after me and said "my dog started it". I told her I had to get him to the vet and I'd talk to her tomorrow.

 

When we walked into the vet I thought the receptionist was going to faint - facial wounds bleed a lot and I think I was scarier looking than Poodle. The vet told me to feel free to use the sink while he stapled up Poodle. He was afraid they had ruptured his bladder but that was not the case. When we left there was a "wet floor" sign all the way to our exam room - they had mopped up the blood we trailed.

 

That was our last trip to the dog park, except me going back alone for a week to try and find the lady. All I wanted was 1/2 the vet bills. She never came back - must have talked to her lawyer as she had admitted guilt. The tally was 15 staples for Poodle and 5 bites for me, 3 from unknown dogs as I didn't have time to collect info with a badly injured dog on my hands.

 

I'm not being judgemental and of course the decision is up to you. Just sharing what can happen in a 4 or 5 dog fight, and those were smaller dogs. Agility sounds like an EXCELLENT idea for a young active dog.

 

pam, you said it all! whew!

[Guest Jacks_Human]

I don't really think it's appropriate for someone to let their dog chew on someone else's dog's ear for any length of time. A very, very common way of thinking for dog owners at dog parks is "They will work it out themselves", or the ever popular "They're just playing." Basically like saying "It's all fun and games until somebody pokes an eye out."

I think two critical pieces here are 1) how familiar the dogs are with each other, and 2) how well-supervised they are. When I was growing up, my mum's dog and my dog adored each other, but also played really boisterously-- slamming into each other, play-biting each other, etc. They were both large, sturdy working dogs, and that's how they played with each other and their doggy friends. Similarly, Jack has an Irish Setter pal who he plays with by pulling her tail, she chases him, then she pulls his tail, and on it goes...however, that dog grew up with greyhounds, and had already established that pattern of play with another grey, and I was told about this by the owner, so I didn't intervene when she and Jack started the tail-chasing game. So I think if a couple of dogs know each other well and have a similar play style, one can determine if the tussling is 'just playing' or is getting the dogs excited to an unsafe level. Which is where the 'supervision' element comes in. But in a dog park type situation, you should never assume that the dogs are 'just playing'.

 

My first greyhound used to play with an American Eskimo and would chase it and then come back with a face full of white fur. The other dog's owner was fine with it but I was horrified, just like I would be if another dog was chasing mine and came back with a mouth full of my dog's fur.

My mum has always kept huskies, and every time they played, they left a blizzard of fur in their wake. So I think it's normal for the breed (GSDs are the same.)

 

I happen to believe that your dog wasn't "not backing down from a fight" but not accepting the bulldog's demand to "get the ^* off my ear!" and actually started the fight....

I think the bulldog had a point if your dog hurt him by chewing his ear. He had a right to tell your dog to get off, and if he growled or tried to pull away and your dog didn't get the point, he felt he had to go after him with teeth to make his point more...pointed [sorry for the pun]. If, at that point, your dog lit into him with his teeth, your dog was the trigger and actually started the fight by not taking correction for his own misbehavior.

There were several people who told me to allow Jack to 'correct' their young dogs when they did various rude things-- specifically knowing that Jack would merely growl and move away from the offender. It is an important part of socialisation for dogs to learn to back off when they're annoying other dogs.

Now, if your dog is not 'getting it'-- and Jack has his 'brat' moments where he decides another dog is going to play with him NOW and will annoy the living heck out of them-- it's important to step in and correct them. When Jack decided he was going to play the 'tail game' with a dog who didn't want to, and then refused to respond to the dog snapping at him, I pulled him aside for a 'time out'. And NO REWARDS for responding to the correction.

Honestly, letting your aggressive, poorly mannered dog loose in the park is a service to no one. The other dogs get their playtime ruined, your dog will get in a fight, get hurt, or get in trouble (or worse, cause injuries as well as getting them!). And it isn't good for future hound owners who want to use the park (see my story about the crazy person whose dog had been injured by a greyhound, and subsequently made it her mission to harrass all greyhounds and their people).

[Guest Gemma]

Whether you're pro or anti dog park, if your dog is instigating fights (with ear biting or other overly exuberant behaviour) then he would likely benefit from some obedience classes and impulse control work at home before going back.

[JJNg]

I don't believe that any dogs need to go to a dog park, regardless of age or activity level. Interacting with a number of random, unknown dogs, on a regular basis, especially in a fast-paced, highly charged environment, is not natural or necessary. And in fact, it can be overly stimulating to some dogs and contribute to reactive behavior.

 

I agree with the recommendations to find a fully fenced baseball field to let your dog run by himself, and/or try to make arrangements for a private playgroup. A young dog with energy to burn who needs to stretch his legs will run by himself. And having a consistent playgroup where it's always the same dogs, without worry about random strange dogs joining at any time, provides a much safer and predictable social environment.

 

If the dog park is the only fully fenced area available to you, go at times when there are no, or very few, other dogs present, like very early in the morning, or mid-day on weekdays when most people are at work. If you keep moving and walk around the park, your dog will be more likely to run and explore, and less likely to get into close interactions with other dogs that can get too intense. Even if your dog doesn't run, if your dog park is large enough and has varied terrain (ie. bushes, trees, wooded areas, instead of just a flat field), the mental stimulation from exploring and sniffing can be beneficial and encourage calmer, more relaxed behavior. If your dog park doesn't have a very interesting environment, walking on trails and allowing your dog to sniff and explore can achieve the same result.

[Guest kkaiser104]

Because this is such a heated topic on these boards, I rarely share my opinion or discuss that Teddi and I frequent the dog park everyday and have a great time. It's just not worth getting yelled at about.

 

However.

 

If I saw a dog that acted like yours did I would be afraid to be around that dog and would definitely be fearful of having Teddi near him. I'm fortunate to have a dog park where the owners are responsible, and stand right by their dogs constantly. Teddi is the perfect dog park dog--instant recall, knows "leave it" and "play nice", and generally goes to the park to get loved on by people and then stays by my side after a few zoomies. While I love the dog park and am so grateful that Teddi gets some nice off-lead time, if he acted like yours even once, we would not go back for a while, if ever. Just not worth the risk.

 

Just my 2 cents!

[greytpups]

I think you'll find dog parks a heated discussion simply because there are a lot of GTers with bad experiences and are just trying to help prevent other disasters. I've been to dog parks a few times without incident, however, I was right beside my pups at all times. I found way too many people left their dogs unsupervised and in my view, they had really badly behaved dogs. What's worse is they didn't even realize how badly behaved they were. I'm not blaming the dogs at all, but I suspect there were a lot of lazy people who just unleashed their dogs so they wouldn't run away, rather than actually train them.

 

A guy who's dog (not a puppy) kept jumping up on Ben and Bailey and when I repeatedly got in between them since they weren't listening to Ben and Bailey's correction, got tired of it and yelled at the owner. He replied it's impossible to control dogs in a dog park, and I left knowing I couldn't fix stupid.

 

If your dog is not listening to another dog correct it, you've got a training issue and it would be best for both of you to do some training. A read an artlcle from a dog behavourist who stated dog parks are frequented by out of controlled dogs so even some trainers don't recommend them.

[RedHead]

While I totally agree that many greyhounds do NEED off leash running and to play with other dogs, dog parks are also a very uncontrolled and sometimes chaotic off leash environment. For me, I am actually more concerned about other people's dogs than my own, but at the same time, the greyhound style of play tends to be a lot of fast running (Teague has knocked dogs over doing this) and nipping as they run by. From what I have seen, a lot of other breeds don't "get this" style of play. I do let my dogs in the park sometimes if there are a small number of dogs that are compatable but I try to stick with small number grey group runs (muzzled) or other enclosed spaces. If you could find lure coursing in your area that would also be an awesome thing for your pup by the sounds of things.

 

I am not at all anti dog park, and I have seen many greys at the park who don't even bother with other dogs. But...going to the park with a boisterous young grey can sometimes cause problems as other dogs will try to correct this and many of them are not under full control by any means. It is a calculated risk and since you are the one who knows your park best I think you have to weigh the pros vs. cons.

[GeorgeofNE]

thanks, runner615.

 

there's a number of responders who, like you, don't sound so harsh and quick to judge. i wish your voices were more prominent in setting the tone for this message board.

 

I don't think anyone is being "quick to judge." I think we all believe you've just been lucky so far. People telling you they think you're making a mistake have been around this message board for a lot longer than you have, and have seen the results of dog parks. I am STUNNED that your vet actually recommended it. Of course she's the one who will be stitching your dog up if the worst happens.

 

I'm not at all against dog parks. My last dog spent hours every day his entire life at one with me. But he was a Pit Bull/Shepherd mix, perfectly capable of taking care of himself, and his skin wasn't paper thin like a Greyhound. That's the real problem in my opinion. Even a Greyhound who is well behaved and well trained simply doesn't have the physical protections that a "regular" dog has. Why do you think they're all muzzled in the turnout yards at the racing kennels? Why do you think they wear muzzles when the run? Because their skin rips like tissue paper.

 

A word about prey drive and living with cats--you cannot assume for one second that a dog fostered with cats would not rip those same cats to shreds if they were outside running. Prey drive doesn't mean a dog cannot live INSIDE with small animals. Another animal in the house is simply not seen as "prey" to many dogs. Mine included. He lives quite well with cats. And would absolutely chase a cat outside, and I don't even want to imagine what he'd do to a small dog who ran from him.

[Dawnnziggy]

FWIW,we wouldn't go to the dog park. We do occasionally take them to the baseball field where it is only OUR dogs who are running. Even though it is only ours, we have had to go to the vet! One of our dogs got a skin tear and had to be stitched up. We almost lost him because of it, too. They did not get to run for 10 months after that. We were just to afraid!

 

Please understand that the people who are posting are not trying to be mean. They really do have your best interest at heart.