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Post by angelollie on Jun 24, 2012 18:41:01 GMT -5
Sorry syd25 ... many of us assumed you were attending a dog park with Sydney so I'm glad you clarified that. And please don't feel that we all jumped all over you for Sydney's reaction, it's just that so many of us who have had hounds for years know all too well that the actions that you are seeing are usually the first signs of worse things to come. We only mean well ... and want to prevent any mishaps with your sweet Sydney or any other dog.
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Midge
Grey Lover
Posts: 891
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Post by Midge on Jun 25, 2012 7:32:04 GMT -5
Ah, sorry I got off on a bit of a tangent there, anybody who's ever met me irl (especially my vet) knows I can be a little on the paranoid side (yeah, and several members are, at this moment, rolling their eyes at the "little" part, LOL). One other (paranoid) point though, greyhounds can do a fair bit of damage even with a muzzle on, especially those heavy racing ones. Trust me, as a recipient of a happy jumping greyhound muzzle to the head... But again, know your dog and watch his body language.
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Post by philomeala on Jun 25, 2012 8:21:22 GMT -5
Well this has been a very interesting thread to read. Lost of opinions and advice. I guess in the end we all do what we feel is best for our dogs. I'm not sure there is a firm right or wrong on the topic of dog parks. I take Elly but if there are small dogs we don't stay, we go for a walk instead. If I'm there and small dogs come we leave or I muzzle her just to be safe. I'm luck that 90% of the time it's just us and our other greyhound friends at the park but we go at "off" times to try to avoid crowds. I don't take my chihuahuas to the dog park because they have been attacked by big dogs there before so I am very aware of what it feels like to be on both ends of this discussion.
I try to walk Elly and I also take her out when I ride my bike. That gives her a chance to run a bit...it's healthier for me and she loves the one on one time.
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Post by Havencroft on Aug 3, 2012 9:46:57 GMT -5
We've been taking Boaz to the off-leash park ever since we brought him home. We spent a few weeks working on getting him comfortable with recall etc before we let him run freely. When we spoke with Bill prior to adopting Boaz, he warned us that he was a big, pushy dog and that I was going to have to be comfortable being the 'Alpha pregnant dog' with him. At 100lbs, he is not a dog to mess with. He's bitten me a couple of times (when he first came home) and I'm glad his teeth aren't great, or I would have permanent scars. Thankfully, we're past that now! We bring him to the off-leash at least twice a week. When we first started, he was constantly trying the dominance games- peeing on other dogs and people, barking and snarling and a bit of nipping. We have found that since we have been alert and consistent with him, he has settled right down. A verbal command like 'no', 'leave it' or 'gentle' will do the trick, especially if we follow up with a positive reward. I have observed that dogs of the same size/temperament will tend to play together. Pugs will play with boxers, retrievers will play with shepherds etc. Boaz has never been interested in rough-housing with those breeds, nor will he bother the little dogs, even the white fluffy ones. He does enjoy running with some of the dobermans but otherwise, he is pretty relaxed about everything. I think that dogs need the time to be off-leash and socialized with other dogs. They are pack animals and I think they need the interactions with other dogs to keep them happy and balanced. As long as you stay in control of the dog, by being the boss of him/her, I think the dog will act appropriately at the park. I know that not every owner feels the same way and some will just tune out what the dogs are doing, but you can control those situations as well. I don't support the idea that greyhounds are fundamentally different than other breeds, when it comes to things like interactions and pack dynamics. Yes, they are working dogs bred to run fast and chase things, but so are many other breeds. I can only think of a few breeds that weren't bred for some type of work, be it pulling a sled, herding cattle or protecting the home. At the end of the day, a dog is a dog- they are all descended from wolves and understand pack dynamics. Also, I disagree strongly with muzzling your dog at the park. You might as well get him braces and call him Herbert if you're going to do that
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