Dog Parks: How to Keep Your Dog Safe

Dog parks have gained in popularity among urban pet owners at a rapid rate over the last decade, but the questions persists of how to keep your dog safe while enjoying the outdoors. It is a sad but simple fact that not all pet owners are responsible and courteous, and to keep your dog safe at a dog park requires the ability to not only keep an eye on what other dogs are doing, but to the actions of humans that may enable distressful incidents. How to keep your dog safe at a dog park demands that a pet owner never lose visual contact with their dog even momentarily, and resist anything that will distract attention from protecting you dog's best interest and safety.

You can keep your dog safe at a dog park by ensuring it is in good health prior to attending, including making certain that you dog has had all of it's necessary vaccinations. A pet owner that desires to keep their dog safe at a dog park should assure that their dog has had enough adequate training to respond to verbal commands immediately and is responsive to control measures taken by their owner. Before taking your dog to the dog park take a dry run to inspect the premises for potential threats to your dog's safety, and become familiar with the park's layout.How to keep your dog safe at dog parks requires that a dog owner understands and follows all applicable rules for behavior, for dogs and their owners.

While at the dog park, a pet owner should be in control of their dog at all times and if the dog is acting inappropriately it is best to take the animal home for the sake of the safety and enjoyment of all concerned. A pet owner needs to take an active role in safety at a dog park, and to keep your dog safe discourage it from approaching aggressive dogs or ones that appear to be sickly. Keep your dog safe by never being positioned at a distance of more than 100 to 125 feet away from your dog, so in the worst case scenario you possess the logistical ability to act quickly to help your pet. It is also important to be aware of possible threats not only to your dog's safety at a dog park, but to your own as well. It is a very wise precaution to carry a small pepper-spray device on your person that is legal within the local community to defend attacks of all types at a dog park.