Actually John, it is a two sided problem.......not only the owner with the dog who is being "attacked" but what about the owner of the dog who is doing the attacking. My recent experience at the dog park on CR103 was several dogs came after my 6 month old and scared him.......now he is very skittish when approached by any dog that is in the least aggressive.......both parties need to take responsibility. Mary

Thank you Barefoot......I definitely concur!

Hey Bob, congratulations on your new home in Duval.

Dogs need to be socialized gradually. I always start my dogs off in Obedience classes when they are young. This gets them used to being around other animals. I also have a lot of friends with dogs, so they are around dogs a lot when they're growing up.

When you are walking your dog in your neighbourhood in Michigan, is she friendly with other dogs? Wagging tails and sniffing each other? If so, she probably would be fine at the dog park.

Actually dogs are usually more aggressive when they're on a leash because they feel trapped. That is why leashes are prohibited within the DDRR dog park.

If your dog is growling and lunging at other dogs when she is on a leash, she needs socialization. I have some ideas for you to try if this is the case. Just let me know what kind of behavior she exhibits when she sees other dogs. I watch a lot of dog training programs on TV. "End of the Leash" is one I watch, "Me or the Dog" is another. The Dog Whisperer is excellent. I'm attending a one day seminar tomorrow on dog training .. it is one of my favourite things.

Nonie, you don't have a problem with Clara and Georgie not being socialized! They behave very well around other animals. Your dogs simply prefer humans to dogs. You might trying rewarding them with a small treat every 10 minutes when you're at DDRR, thereby creating pleasant associations for them.

Think of it like this. You don't care if you ever learn to play mahjongg. I am bored silly by sewing. And your dogs don't care if they ever play with other dogs. Just personal preference.

This is a great subject....
 

You sure do know your stuff Barefoot!! :eclipsee_gold_cup:.

If Lolli every has babies please let me know...she is beautiful!!

I have the opposite problem, which is why I was looking for a house with a fence lol. All my dogs want to do is play lol!! (Golden Retrievers). When they see another dog, they get so excited...or too excited lol which is why I need a fence lol. They love romping around with other doggies! :pepper2:.

Dogs should be leashed until they enter the actual DDRR fenced park. Then, no leashes. I'm pretty sure there is a sign. The theory being that leashed dogs are more aggressive. Other dogs will come bounding up to a leashed dog and he will feel threatened because he can't get away. So instead he will show aggression. And that sets a negative pattern.

I've rarely seen dogs fight at the Dog Park but there is lots of play growling and wrestling and chasing. Luckily owners can choose to segregate the large dogs from the small dogs. But in the back five acres they all mix and get along.

It is a fun place, very clean and well run. I go there every day when I'm in Florida.

I do not recall that this is an official rule...
 

....at Doggie Doo Run Run about no leashes within the dog park. The rule sign does mention that dogs are to be leashed when entering and exiting the dog park.

Many people who are regulars at the DDRR though will go up to newbies who leash their dogs the first couple of times they are at DDRR. Barefoot is right that the leashed dogs often feel trapped and can get aggressive. They are also much more prone to be protective of their owners. Dogs being protective of their owners has been a major problem with the behavior of some individual dogs at DDRR. This is their behavior with other dogs and even people.

There are a lot of responsible dog owners at DDRR who look out for one another.

Vote Yes!
 

We need a DDRR on the south side! Absolutely! And rumor has it there are two more beautiful dogs moving into Hadley shortly! Teddy and Patience. All of the wonderful furry friends deserve a park in their area!

:agree: We definitely do need more Dog parks to accomodate so many dogs that are in The Villages and more moving in all the time.

Just hoping that grass is planted in them to keep the dirt, dust and sometimes mud levels down.:yuck: It makes a huge difference.

dog parks
 

As a resident of The Bonita Villages area we need a dog park in the southern part of The Villages. A number of us used to get our dogs together and now there are houses in "our fields". The 2 footed and 4 footed members of the community need a large place for the interactions, socializations, etc. The owners must take the responsibility for their animals.

Thank you from Finley
 

Dear Tal and Bare...

We have been in TV for 2 1/2 days and Finley has has the time of his life at DDRR twice already. Thanks to both of you (and GMoney who is not on this thread) for all your recommendations on DDRR.

PC - we also live in Bonita and it is a bit of a ride but well worth it.

DDRR is clean, well run and the best dog park we have been to. We met wonderful people and doggies on bith days.

We also began to socialize Finley when he was very young - after he had all his initial shots. He was a bit of a whimpery baby and our vet thought this would be an issue as he got older. We made sure it didn't and he loves to play with doggies of all sizes. He loves cats too - but they don't always return the favor.

Kate

PS _ I would like a dog park further south, but it will be hard to compare with DDRR.

Kate, I'm so pleased that you and Findlay are enjoying Doggie Doo Run Run. Have you found the hanging swings in the back lot? (Three times around the back lot is a mile, just in case you're wondering!)

We have a dog park here in Canada but it pales in comparison to DDRR. I love that place! Biggins, Lolli Pup and myself can hardly wait to get back to The Bubble and the Dog Park!

Glad to hear that Finley enjoys DDRR.
 

DDRR is the best dog park in the area IMHO. I have not been to the ones in Inverness nor Ocala but that's pretty far to go when the DDRR is almost always available.

I am in favor
 

of more dog parks since that will be a good place for people to take their dogs instead of the town squares. This is also being addressed in another thread. I love animals and they need their own place to be with other dogs and not lots of people, traffic and noise. My dog is too old to enjoy the company of other dogs or we would go to a park in a heartbeat.

Dilly, perhaps you should give it a try .. you might be surprised.

My big dog, twelve years old, (who recently had to be euthanized) really enjoyed the dog park. He didn't play much with other dogs, he had operations on both his back knees. But he really got excited and brightened up when we went to DDRR.