For those of you who frequent your local dog park, you may already be aware of the quaint social norms and the quainter people that visit. While most behavior from dog owners is harmless, there are others who make a name for themselves by being more than a little bit pushy, domineering, or just downright clueless. Here are 5 types of dog owners you hope to avoid at the dog park.
1. The Talker
Talking isn’t necessarily bad at all! How else do you introduce yourself and get to know someone? Most owners are friendly enough and don’t mind a friendly chat, but some take it too far and seem like they have no other social outlet. You came to the dog park with your dog because you wanted to play with them. This can be very difficult when another owner takes your attention away and wants to talk dogs, politics, and last summer’s vacation. On top of it all, nearly all dog parks have rules stating that owners must have full attention on their pups to avoid skirmishes that come from typical pack behavior. It’s hard to focus on keeping your pup happy and safe when someone else is trying to find out if you saw last night’s Game of Thrones episode.
2. The Know-it-All
They will saunter up to just about anyone with a seemingly harmless question, “What breed is your dog? How old are they?” From then on you’ll be receiving your very own one-on-one instruction from the veritable Cesar Milan himself. They’ll advise you on collars, tone of voice, food, supplements, toys, books, and blogs. They are a veritable library of Alexandria when it comes to canines. The problem is that most of it is opinion they’re trying to pass off as corporate knowledge. They want you to know that they know that you don’t know. Phew.
3. The Handler
Where did (insert name here) go?! Yes, you should have been watching, but even the most vigilant of us can lose our pup in a pack of 20 carousing canines. You do a spin around looking up and down – about to panic – suddenly you see them…in some stranger’s arms. Sometimes this is ok if you know the person, but most owners won’t admit they think it’s a bit presumptuous and rude for a complete stranger to grab their dog and start nuzzling it like it’s their own. Not only is this not good social practice, it’s not wise. Dogs, like people, have their own personalities and quirks. To think you can lay your hands on any dog you see at the park is just asking for trouble. Plus, your pooch is supposed to be down on the ground playing with the pack!
4. The “Trainer”
There’s one at every park. Your dog is excited, sniffing around and when you call them back they don’t respond right away. There is always an “undercover” trainer watching for this behavior and they’ll waste no time introducing themselves and talking about how they and their friend do wonders with dogs from the comfort of their own backyard. If you even so much as humor them you’ll find yourself with a business card in your hand and smartphone out asking for your number.
5. The Clueless
This is the owner you want to avoid at all costs and may even warrant that you leave the park. This type of owner is either very new or hasn’t taken the time to form a strong bond and relational hierarchy with their dog. As such, the dog thinks he runs the show and refuses to listen to commands. Dog parks can get quite rough as dogs compete for pack positions and ultimately the Alpha spot. Of course most of this is friendly, but some owners bring aggressive or non-social dogs that create trouble for all. Nipping can escalate to biting and mounting and next thing you know you have a full-fledged, vicious battle on your hands. Have you ever tried breaking up a dog fight? Clueless owners with uncontrollable dogs will ruin the fun every single time.
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Sources
http://www.sanantonio.gov/parksandrec/dog_parks.aspx
