Quote: gabriele mccown

I tend to believe that certain breeds/temperaments of dogs are not suited for the dog park.

It's a rather loaded statement. I've stayed out of most of this discussion because I am of the opinion little is to be gained from it. Few opinions on this board will be swayed one way or another on the subject and I would be shocked if any of the regulars were surprised about a dog fight at the park. It's a weekly if not daily occurrence I would say at most dog parks across america. Dog parks can be done "right." The majority are designed for people not dogs however which fits with my experience of the type of owners that frequent these places, they humanize their pets like fuzzy little kids which while I admire that they care about their dog doesn't make the dog think it's human. I'm pretty sure the dog still knows it's a dog. Along with that it's all well and good with people UNTIL dogs behave like a dog in it's raw form. Territorial, possessive, aggressive, and pack behaviors lead to sad events which are prevented and controlled through training and structure. Just as dog was born dog and through the influence of people became something more, dogs in the company of dogs will behave as dogs do. What baffles me more is why we as a society act so surprised when it happens. Perhaps those sharp teeth were a gift of evolution for chomping kibble?

The design of most parks are creating situations which lack structure because people have the illusion that it's about exercise and socialization. While their dog may be exhausted at the end of the trip it's unfocused exercise which is unhelpful to managing behaviors unlike dog walking, biking, fetch, or a loose heel. Socializing a dog in this method to other dogs is fighting nature. Packs of dogs rarely accept on their own other new dogs without violence either over possessions, space, etc to establish order. Again this leads more to my point of dog parks being designed for people... not pets.

This isn't about breed, or temperament. All dogs regardless of breed will fall into the spectrum of normal canine temperaments. It's about species and normal behaviors. Every dog attack I've heard of at a dog park was a failure of an owner to protect their dog, failure to train a dog, a failure of evaluating a dog, and a failure of understanding dog behavior. If the four were in line people wouldn't go to these public park free for alls at all or demand the park space be constructed in a usable safe manner.

So I guess it's not that certain dogs/breeds/temperaments aren't suited for dog parks but rather dog parks overwhelmingly are poorly designed to be suited for dogs but rather for people with a delusion of what a dog is.

 Quote: Melissa Thom

This isn't about breed, or temperament. All dogs regardless of breed will fall into the spectrum of normal canine temperaments. It's about species and normal behaviors.

Very nicely put.

~Natalya