Dog parks are fenced areas that allow dogs to run off leash and socialize with other dogs.
The concept is good but, as in most things, the execution of that concept can have some problems.
Here are some things you should know before taking your pet to a park.
Etiquette for these places is generally common sense.
Puppies should be at least four months old and should have all their shots before going there Just as you would not send a sick child to daycare, you should not take a sick dog to a park.
Always pick up after your pet.
In addition to making things more pleasant for everyone, picking up after your hound keeps parasites and diseases at bay.
Children should not enter the fenced enclosure where canines are running free.
Aggressive dogs are not allowed at parks.
The positive side of these places is that they give dogs in cities a chance to run free and play with othercanines.
Most pups are leashed whenever they go out, so they never experience this.
Ideally, the dog parks socialize the petss and give them practice behaving with other dogs.
The park can also be a place to practice off leash obedience exercises within the safety of a fenced enclosure.
There are some serious negatives to consider, however.
Sometimes canines will attack other dogs and injure them.
There are reports of small dogs being snatched up and killed by bigger dogs.
There has been at least one reported mauling of a child inside a dog park.
Canines, just like humans, seem to lose their common sense in a pack and will do things they would never do by themselves.
In addition, not everyone brings healthy pets and picks up after them, so there is the chance your dog will contract a disease or pick up a parasite at the park.
Only you can decide whether the pros outweigh the cons of dog parks.
Some people swear by them, others swear at them.
Should you decide to go to a dog park, exercise care and leave if there seems to be a problem.