[gigi9877]

Not a fan of dog parks, but we are renting a home with no fence and I have a semi big dog, that needs to get energy out.. I have been to the majority of them, and I prefer one... With that said, we have had LUCK with no aggressive dogs till a few weeks ago.. If your dog has aggressive tendencies DO NOT bring them to a dog park...The first time my dog went to greet other dogs coming at the gate and this dog who was in the park with her came running over and started to attack her. The owner was quick and got her.. She said "oh its the gate" 2 weeks later I was sitting on the bench and my dog was next to me her dog came over and attacked her again. (She said its the bench) again she leased him up and left.. I should have known better when I saw that dog in the park but I gave him and the owner the benefit of the doubt.. Last night I was brushing my dog and noticed scabs around the spot the dog went after her I had checked at the park I didn't see any blood and she has been acting fine so I never thought twice until I saw the scabs. Needless to say if I see this lady with this dog in the park I will Not go in.. But People Please do not bring aggressive dogs into a dog park!!! Sorry I had to vent!

[letue]

Originally Posted by gigi9877

Not a fan of dog parks, but we are renting a home with no fence and I have a semi big dog, that needs to get energy out.. I have been to the majority of them, and I prefer one... With that said, we have had LUCK with no aggressive dogs till a few weeks ago.. If your dog has aggressive tendencies DO NOT bring them to a dog park...The first time my dog went to greet other dogs coming at the gate and this dog who was in the park with her came running over and started to attack her. The owner was quick and got her.. She said "oh its the gate" 2 weeks later I was sitting on the bench and my dog was next to me her dog came over and attacked her again. (She said its the bench) again she leased him up and left.. I should have known better when I saw that dog in the park but I gave him and the owner the benefit of the doubt.. Last night I was brushing my dog and noticed scabs around the spot the dog went after her I had checked at the park I didn't see any blood and she has been acting fine so I never thought twice until I saw the scabs. Needless to say if I see this lady with this dog in the park I will Not go in.. But People Please do not bring aggressive dogs into a dog park!!! Sorry I had to vent!

Unfortunately there are many aggressive dogs that are taken to the dog parks here - especially during the high season when we get many visitors. I won't enter unless I know the other dogs. My dog has been attacked twice and that was enough for me to change my visit times to avoid some dogs. You were lucky that the owner was on top of the situation since many that are not. Be very careful when visiting.....

[Blueblaze]

I take my dog to the park every single day. He's like an alarm clock.

Dog greetings sometimes look vicious, but you have to give them a chance to work things out themselves. A real attack is more than just a little growling and fake nips, though. They go for the neck and won't relent until you stop it.

My dog has been attacked at the dog park twice in two years, and both times the owners were obviously too young to be property owners.

In one case, they admitted they weren't even staying in the Villages. My dog was hiding behind me while their vicious animal attempted to get by me for a third attack, so I kicked him. Not hard, just enough to make the point. You would have thought I'd murdered their child. The woman started screaming "You kicked my dog!" and "Why are you people so mean?". The man ran up to me like he was going to start a fight, but then just started yelling that he was going to call a cop. I said "You can't bring a viscous dog here. I'm here every day. If lived here I would recognize you.". I got my own phone out and started to dial. He backed down and they left, whining the whole way out about how I'd "kicked their dog" and how "mean all you old people are" (I cleaned up the language).

I think the vicious dog issues would go away if everyone had to swipe their card to get through the gate.

[Lea N]

Originally Posted by gigi9877

Not a fan of dog parks, but we are renting a home with no fence and I have a semi big dog, that needs to get energy out.. I have been to the majority of them, and I prefer one... With that said, we have had LUCK with no aggressive dogs till a few weeks ago.. If your dog has aggressive tendencies DO NOT bring them to a dog park...The first time my dog went to greet other dogs coming at the gate and this dog who was in the park with her came running over and started to attack her. The owner was quick and got her.. She said "oh its the gate" 2 weeks later I was sitting on the bench and my dog was next to me her dog came over and attacked her again. (She said its the bench) again she leased him up and left.. I should have known better when I saw that dog in the park but I gave him and the owner the benefit of the doubt.. Last night I was brushing my dog and noticed scabs around the spot the dog went after her I had checked at the park I didn't see any blood and she has been acting fine so I never thought twice until I saw the scabs. Needless to say if I see this lady with this dog in the park I will Not go in.. But People Please do not bring aggressive dogs into a dog park!!! Sorry I had to vent!

I'm sorry this happened to your dog. As the saying goes "you can't fix stupid." And you can't make people care when they don't. I've never been a fan of dog parks because of what your dog and you had to go through. Is there any management that you can contact who might stop her from bringing her dog in again? It's a shame this happens but some people just don't teach their dogs and don't understand their dog should not be in the park.

[Pairadocs]

[QUOTE=gigi9877;2251079]Not a fan of dog parks, but we are renting a home with no fence and I have a semi big dog, that needs to get energy out.. I have been to the majority of them, and I prefer one... With that said, we have had LUCK with no aggressive dogs till a few weeks ago.. If your dog has aggressive tendencies DO NOT bring them to a dog park...The first time my dog went to greet other dogs coming at the gate and this dog who was in the park with her came running over and started to attack her. The owner was quick and got her.. She said "oh its the gate" 2 weeks later I was sitting on the bench and my dog was next to me her dog came over and attacked her again. (She said its the bench) again she leased him up and left.. I should have known better when I saw that dog in the park but I gave him and the owner the benefit of the doubt.. Last night I was brushing my dog and noticed scabs around the spot the dog went after her I had checked at the park I didn't see any blood and she has been acting fine so I never thought twice until I saw the scabs. Needless to say if I see this lady with this dog in the park I will Not go in.. But People Please do not bring aggressive dogs into a dog park!!! Sorry I had to vent![/QUOTE

Lesson learned, it took two incidents, but luckily you are both okay (other than the minor scratches). Ranting can be good for you, and people "vent" on here all the time. Unfortunately, and you probably KNOW this, your "rant" will not affect anyone. People do what they want to do, and especially true here, but also in most communities. Relatives write all the time about their retirement community in another state, and the unbelievable ignorance of the owners of aggressive dogs there. OF COURSE the "rules" are posted, but the administration of their community does "not want to get involved"... of course they don't. So each dog owner must decide for themselves how to protect themselves and their pet. Also, at the community of our relatives, the separation of "small" dog park(s) under a certain weight, and "large" dog parks is very clearly posted and printed in the resident handbook. It's completely ignored, people chose the park their dog "likes best". People with tiny dogs routinely come to the entrance, see large pit bulls and even a great Dane that belongs to a resident, and after an incident a year ago, that involved a physical beating by a resident who proclaimed "I PAY my amenity fees and I'll take my dog where HE wants to go", and the person who objected ended up with half a dozen stitches after being struck near the eye with a leash of CHAIN, not leather... my relatives said most people now just turn around and never come in IF things seems "strained" or they see known "troublesome, arrogant" people ! Sad but, better safe than sorry as the old saying goes. The angry old person may well have a weapon in their pocket or purse ?

[Djean1981]

Big dogs scare me. So, I'm glad that I don't live anywhere near a dog park..

[gigi9877]

I agree with the having to slide the id at the gate but I don’t agree with “ A real attack is more than just a little growling and fake nips, though. They go for the neck and won't relent until you stop it.” when a vicious dog has your dog by the throat and is snarling with teeth showing, that actually is a big deal, regardless of what the extent of the growl or the nips..But believe me if the owner wasn’t right there. My foot would have been kicking that dog off of my dog!

[chrisinva]

GIGI 9877 - very sorry to hear of your horrible expereiences at the dog park & hope you both are now OK. There's a long list of dog park rules posted outside each park which no one abides by, unfortunately. The 5th item from the bottom notes that ALL dogs must be neutered or spayed before entering the park. This sometimes helps with aggressiveness. Also, somewhere on the list it states your MUST be a resident. The people who check IDs rarely come around to do that. I think there's an age requirement of 30, also, but not100% sure of that. Next time, IMHO, follow the offending person to their car & get the plate info & report this to someone (?) in authority, sorry I don't know to whom. Or follow them to their golf car & take a pic or 2. Or get a few good pics of the nasty dog. Ill-tempered dogs do not deserve the freedom & friendships of a dog park. My rant.

[Taltarzac725]

Try Doggie Doo Run Run. This is a 10 acre private dog park that has a small dog section, a big dog section and a 5 acre big field where any dogs can go but they and their users assume the risk.

There are occasional fights but the owners and usual customers do watch out for one another a bit.

The small dog section is for canines 30 lbs or less.

I have had two pooches bitten there so there is a risk. Both of my dogs were attacked by first timers or near first time dog park users. The first dog got bit on the butt by a Weimaraner in the Summer of 2007 while being chased by a group of hound like animals. The second of our dogs at first stared down a pit bull but both dogs walked away but them swung around again. He (my dog) got a hole in the bottom of the paw but the pit bull, luckily, did not bite down. It was new to the owner as well as to the dog park. Just a bit of bad luck.

But we have had many days of enjoyment using Doggie Doo Run Run and most of the time the dogs and the owners behave.

There have been a few near fights between humans there as well. Few and far between though. And I met many very interesting people over the 16 years we have gone there. They opened in 2003 and just had their 20th Anniversary Party. Some the dog owners have been going there since that time but not many.

[mikeycereal]

I've only been to one dog park in the villages at one of the newer areas. There's a side for small dogs and a side for med-large dogs. Our 2 dogs are small and we are always on that side. One of our dogs is noisy and will run up to bark & greet new dogs that arrive. We are quick to call out to him to cool it, but he never bites and he's all noise and then sniffs at them. Our other dog follows him for backup. She sometimes chases and plays with other dogs and then chills to rest. We've never met an aggressive dog that attacks or growls. Ours is the noisiest but harmless. If ours were to growl we would call their name out and say be nice and they listen. At any sign of over-aggression we call them to back off just to be on the safe side. We would most likely pick them up and apologize to the other owner if ours ever attacked another and then we'd leave for those dogs' safety. Fortunately it hasn't happened.

If any dog is attacking another they should not be going there. The villager who kicked that dog was in the right to save their dog. A dog would save a human so it should be reciprocal. I doubt the person goes around kicking dogs just for barking. The young owners maybe never had that happen and were upset but that should be a wakeup call for them. Do not bring your aggressive attacking dog to where others are. Or at least leash them for more control. Should be common sense. Does your dog like to meet others? Let him run free in the park. Is he known to attack others? Don't bring him and leash until the behavior can be corrected. Other dogs should not become victims when one person can't control theirs.

[Sandy and Ed]

Funny that we can have gate keepers that smile and wave as you enter your village through a gate that really doesn’t need monitoring and not be able to provide a monitor for the very few dog parks we have to insure they are being properly used by residents. Heck we have monitors that check i Village ids at pools and upon entry into each clubhouse. Can’t we get some folks on the payroll to work the dog parks??? Biggest problem with the Villages is lack of policy enforcement in many places where it is most needed. (And of course the B&B’s)

[ehonour]

Originally Posted by Blueblaze

I think the vicious dog issues would go away if everyone had to swipe their card to get through the gate.

A couple of others also expressed this thought, but... The incorrect assumption here is that "true Villagers" are somehow better behaved than the broad population? Just need to read Talk of the Villages for a while to see that ain't so.

Until I observe the behavior of any dogs (and people) in the park, I stay near the gate with my dog. Or I don't enter.

[FosterMomma]

We have two wimpy 10 year old Golden Retrievers and we only take them to private dog parks… the one in Inverness and the one here next to TV. The reason we do that is because both places require that all dogs have their shots and aggressive dogs get banned. Neither of those things are true at the Villages parks. Come and join us at Doggy Do Run on 101 and see if you like it. It costs us $30 a month and is well worth it. Of hours, the place is nearly empty.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by gigi9877

Not a fan of dog parks, but we are renting a home with no fence and I have a semi big dog, that needs to get energy out.. I have been to the majority of them, and I prefer one... With that said, we have had LUCK with no aggressive dogs till a few weeks ago.. If your dog has aggressive tendencies DO NOT bring them to a dog park...The first time my dog went to greet other dogs coming at the gate and this dog who was in the park with her came running over and started to attack her. The owner was quick and got her.. She said "oh its the gate" 2 weeks later I was sitting on the bench and my dog was next to me her dog came over and attacked her again. (She said its the bench) again she leased him up and left.. I should have known better when I saw that dog in the park but I gave him and the owner the benefit of the doubt.. Last night I was brushing my dog and noticed scabs around the spot the dog went after her I had checked at the park I didn't see any blood and she has been acting fine so I never thought twice until I saw the scabs. Needless to say if I see this lady with this dog in the park I will Not go in.. But People Please do not bring aggressive dogs into a dog park!!! Sorry I had to vent!

Some people walk their dogs on a leash around the outskirts of a softball field after the games are over. Also, near the horse stadium (not sure of a better name) which is in the northern section, there are acres of grass. You just have to be creative about your situation. You could use a squirt gun filled with soapy water or vinegar. Then as the aggressive dog approaches, pop him in the snout. Dogs have a massive amount or sensors in their nose so that should deter the dog in the future. Also, I suppose, you should do this COVERTLY when that dogs owner is NOT looking. It would be tricky to accomplish, but would be possible. And would NOT hurt the dog permanently.

[Misky1951]

I'm not a fan on dog parks either. There are websites offering large fenced yards that you can rent just for your dog. Haven't tried it but I think it's a good alternative to get your dog some off leach time.