Take your pet to socialize at a dog park
Many cities around the world are equipping their infrastructure with at least one dog park. These places are built especially for dog owners to take their pets to vent out in a safe place designed for our four-legged friends.
What is a dog park?
A dog park is a place designed for dogs to run off-leash. They offer a controlled environment under the supervision of their owners. These places offer several features that include a fenced area, benches for humans, water, parking close to the site, shaded areas for hot days, and drainage, among other things.
Benefits of a dog park
Dog parks offer an opportunity for dogs and humans to socialize in a controlled environment. Owners can watch their dogs play and interact in a place where they do not need to be territorial, as they roam around off-leash.
The following are some of the benefits of an off-leash environment for your dog:
- It promotes responsible ownership.
- Provides a safe space for dogs to exercise safely.
- The place is accessible for seniors and disabled owners to exercise their pets.
- It helps people interact on the focus of their pets which removes the barriers that make people perceive others as strangers.
- Highly socialized dogs are less likely to be aggressive or bark unnecessarily.
It is important to point out here that taking your dog to a park should not be the substitute of taking him for a walk. In fact, you should take your dog for a brisk walk before entering him into the park.
Dog park etiquette
Taking your dog to a dog park is not only about getting in and letting your dog be himself while you sit on a bench to enjoy a drink. There are several etiquette rules that you must abide by when taking your pet off-leash.
- Make sure your dog is trained to come when you give him the command.
- Always make sure you can see where your dog is and what he is doing.
- Some parks offer bags for you to pick up after your dog. You could also bring your own.
- Learn what are the signs that your dog is playing vs being upset.
- Don´t take puppies to a park. People might think they are cute but adult dogs consider them a pain. Depending on the breed, usually, you should wait for a dog to be six months old before taking him to the park.
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