First off….don’t bring a sick animal and watch for signs that a sick animal has visited the park recently. Some signs to look out for are excessively foul smelling stools or recent signs of vomit. These are often indications of something more serious and in some cases, it could be life threatening. Also listen to the dogs as they interaction for breathing issues and coughing. Kennel cough is extremely common in areas where there is a heavy concentration of dogs interacting (such as a boarding kennel). Often times the owner may think their dog just has something in its throat, when really is has a virus that is highly contagious. While often times kennel cough has a simple treatment, in small or young dogs it can turn into something more complicated like pneumonia or lead to hypoglycemia.

Secondly….avoid dog parks that don’t separate out for large and small dogs. If you are the owner of both a large and a small dog…make separate trips or bring a friend to supervise the dogs individually. There are too many horror stories floating around about dogs ganging up and killing a smaller dog. Yes it does happen and legally, there are no repercussions because dog parks are always “enter at your own risk” situations.

Third…don’t allow dogs to congregate on one animal. This is often seen at the entrance to the park where new dogs are coming in. It amazes me how many people let their dogs “go say hi” and allow the entire dog park pack to engulf upon the new dog. The scenario I often see follow is the dog becomes uneasy, the pack continue to provoke play, the dog snaps at someone and then it’s a giant dog fight that was fully preventable. If you see a new dog coming into the park, call your dog away from the gate. If your dog doesn’t come when called, you shouldn’t be in the dog park to begin with.

Forth…don’t allow dogs to possess toys. I was at a dog park a few weeks ago in which one border collie had grabbed a ball and run with it with all its hair up on end and in a defensive posture. The other dogs in the park gave chase and the dog ran, then stopped and when the dogs caught up, three dogs entangled into a fight over the ball. Pay attention to signs that your dog or another dog is guarding a toy. Signs of guarding behavior include posturing over an item, stiffened posture, fearful expression, and fleeing with the item. Again, if you see any of these signs in your dog, have them come to you or drop the item at a distance. This will decompress the situation from any further escalation. If you see another dog guarding an item, call your dog away from that animal.

Fifth…if you see one animal start a fight, leave the park. This may seem common sense but again, when I was at a dog park a few weeks ago I saw a single dog being held on leash by its owner and any time the dog got freedom it would maul another dog. Finally a woman who owned one of the dogs who was mauled spoke up and told the man to leave. Several other regulars at that park chimed in “yeah your dog has mauled several dogs before!” All I could think to myself was … “and you guys still came into the park and subjected your dogs to this dangerous animal?”

The basic rule here is common sense. If you think whatever is happening will start a fight, call your dog away or simply leave the park. Even at the prices of gas today, it’s much cheaper to drive a little farther to a safe dog park than pay for stitches and a vet bill on your dog that gets ripped open at the dog park in a fight.