[amazongold]

We found a couple of fairly close dog parks (in Saline) and Bill and I decided to check them out this morning. We got to the first one just as a light rain was letting up, so we waited it out for a few minutes. There was a Chinese guy in the car next to us, with a Jack Russel bouncing all over the place. Sure enough, he got out and took the JR to the park, and we followed a few minutes later.

When Buddy saw the JR running around the park, he got so excited he was quivering and whimpering. He used to have 11 other Labs to play with and he really misses that interaction. Bill went back to the van to get his long rope for swimming and I went on to the park. When the JR saw us it streaked to the gate and was bouncing all over the place, barking, and I thought it was anxious to play, too. Then we got to the gate and I could see it was showing an awful lot of teeth while it barked.

I asked the guy if she was friendly and he said "Oh yes, she wants to play." We went inside the fence and before I could get Buddy's leash off, the JR attacked and was trying to bite him. Buddy yelped and tried to get away, but she was so fast she just kept going after him. I kept trying to shove her away and was yelling at the guy to pick her up before I smacked her. He was about useless, grabbed her once but let her slip away and go after Buddy again, and I just kept trying to protect him. He wasn't even fighting back, sweet boy, he was sort of stunned and was just trying to keep her from biting his belly and backside. I know it wasn't real smart of me to keep sticking my hand and arm between them, but I was not about to let her hurt Buddy when he wasn't even defending himself. :-[

When the @$$hat finally got hold of the JR and picked her up, he didn't even apologize. I told him he had no business taking a dog like that to a dog park and letting her run loose. He shrugs his shoulders and says "I didn't know she'd act like that" and walks away. WTF? ??? Why would you tell people that your dog is friendly and wants to play if you don't know how it's going to act? So, that park is off our list, for several reasons - the clueless dog owner, there is no shade at all or any place for people to sit, and mainly because it borders on the river and the dogs can go right into the river. The dog park is fenced in a U and there's only about a 6' section of fence from each leg of the U going into the water, and then it's wide open. How many Labs only swim less than 6' from shore? :-\ The current was pretty mild, but there was still a current, as well as lots of ducks, geese, and one swan. Too many temptations for Labs to swim after!

Then, we found out that the place I used to board Shadow, only a couple of miles away, lets you use their fenced yard for $5 a visit or $50 a month for unlimited visits. Or, you can use their doggie daycare for $25 a day. Now, the daycare dropoff is from 8:30 am to 11:00 am and pickup is from 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm. I leave for work before 7:00 am. BUT, 'home-style' boarding, where the dogs are all loose together in a yard and playroom (essentially doggie daycare with an overnight!), with one to two hours crated mid-day for rest, is $25 a day and that's for 24 hours. I could take Buddy there after work one everning, then pick him up the next. Guess where we're going to be going? ;D

 

[labby]

This is why I only go to dog parks when I personally know those who will be there. Most people at dog parks are mental morons and this happening to you proves it.

 

[AngusFangus]

Ho boy. Well, Penny is certainly a little sweetheart, and I know several others have JRTs as well, but man. I have always had experiences similar to yours with Jacks. :-\ We had one living next door that would pull that same routine every time Kevin took the boys for a walk.

I have to say, I've never been able to get comfortable with the whole dog park thing. :-\ Too many variables that I can't control. Hard for a control freak. We did a public doggie social hour when Angus was about five months, it blew up in our face, and I haven't been keen on it ever since.

So, we got Simon so they could entertain each other in a controlled environment.

Hey, maybe Buddy needs a friend? How about a friend named Whit? Kidding! (OK, not really )

 

[Paddysmom]

Hmmm... I'd write off that park just because of the inadequate fencing and the river too close at hand. River currents can be tricky and deadly no matter how calm the water may appear on the surface.

As for the JRT owner? He may have been as dismayed and perplexed at the behavior as you were. If he thought his dog would be a friendly player and then this happened he may have been highly embarrassed and disappointed in his dog.

I'm glad you found an acceptable alternative for sweet Buddy.

 

[amazongold]

Ho boy. Well, Penny is certainly a little sweetheart, and I know several others have JRTs as well, but man. I have always had experiences similar to yours with Jacks. :-\ We had one living next door that would pull that same routine every time Kevin took the boys for a walk.

I have to say, I've never been able to get comfortable with the whole dog park thing. :-\ Too many variables that I can't control. Hard for a control freak. We did a public doggie social hour when Angus was about five months, it blew up in our face, and I haven't been keen on it ever since.

So, we got Simon so they could entertain each other in a controlled environment.

Hey, maybe Buddy needs a friend? How about a friend named Whit? Kidding! (OK, not really )

Connie, if we had the space, we'd have another one for sure. Buddy does need a friend. There was a gorgeous yellow boy named Buckshot at the same rescue Buddy was in, who was his bestest friend. He was our second choice and if this place had been a tad bit bigger, or we'd had a fenced yard, we'd have take them both in a heartbeat. As for the JRT, our old neighbor used to have one that was a sweetie. They left the poor thing in an outside pen with a doghouse 24/7, and it barked about 20 hours a day. It never got any interaction with the family. Very occasionally they would let it out of the pen, and it always came over to see us and play with Shadow. But that high-pitched shriek of a bark drove us nuts, especially when we were trying to sleep.

Nance, I got the feeling the guy didn't know the dog very well. It may not have been his, or it may even have been a rescue, too, that he hadn't had very long. But an apology would have been nice, whether he was upset or not.

 

[Buddysmom]

I know this is really none of my business, but.......I'm not sure I would take him one night to the doggie daycare and leave him til the next night. He may feel like he has been abandoned again. I hate doggie parks for this exact reason. If he decided to swim for it, he could be long gone before you could get out of the dog park and chase him down.

 

[amazongold]

Well, we were hoping it would teach Buddy that he was not being abandoned, since it's only one night and he'd have friends to play with. That way, if we ever do have to board him, he'd already be used to the place, the people, and the dogs. If Bill's next job site is not within reasonable driving distance, I will have to fly to visit him, so boarding is a very strong possibility in the future. I won't be leaving him there until he's more secure with us ... though he really seems like he's been here a lot longer than he has. Buddy is such a quick learner in most respects, now we just need to get him to an obedience class and work on the basics - come, especially. :-\

 

[myfavoritedog]

I guess I'm spoiled with my neighbors JRT. He is pretty sedate compared to other JRT I have seen and heard about.

After reading of folks experiences on here with dog parks, with few exceptions, I decided long ago to steer clear of them. We have two within the same park I take Tal to and I just avoid them.

 

[MyLabsMom]

As for the JRT owner? He may have been as dismayed and perplexed at the behavior as you were. If he thought his dog would be a friendly player and then this happened he may have been highly embarrassed and disappointed in his dog.

I couldn't agree more, Nance.

Please know that I'm truly sorry that Buddy had to go thru that - it must have been very scary for him. But also please understand, as an owner of an unpredictable dog (now I can use that term - when the first incident happen, I was just as horrified as the other dogs owner) - it's scary for us owners, too. So many times I hear people bitching out the other dog/owners for what their dog did. Sometimes - it's a behavior that is UNEXPECTED, UNPROVOKED AND UNCONTROLLABLE. You know, that man didn't bring his dog park hoping that his dog would attack another dog that day. He took his dog to the dog park because he'd only seen great behavior from his dog when he/she was around other dogs. Dogs pick up scents, energy, fear that we can't even begin to explain. Something triggered him, and as mentioned, it probably scared the crap out of that owner as well.

The first time Stella (my Bulldog) did that, I felt terrible. Thank God the other dogs owner didn't say something nasty to me, or I probably would have cried. I'm not dismissing the behavior, but I hear this often on this forum about their dogs being "attacked" and I get frustrated.

I hope Buddy and you can find forgiveness and continue your jaunts to the dog parks.

 

[Mia&Buddy]

Wow Jackie, I'm sorry that you had to go through that. No one needs that kind of stress. The owner definitely should have apologized. As the owner of a problem child, I would have been apologizing profusely! But I agree with Brenda and Nance too. Maybe the guy with the JRT is a moron and knew perfectly well that is dog was a terror - or maybe he was just a surprised as you were.

About a year ago Mia attacked a beagle that was walking by our house. We couldn't have been more shocked. We have had her for 4 years and knew that she was selective about who she liked and didn't like, but still, she had never attacked any dog before this incident. Upon further research, we feel that it had a lot to do with being territorial (she part Cattle Dog). She's just unpredictable, so she is NEVER off leash. NEVER. That said, they owner of the beagle could not have been nicer about the whole thing. He shrugged it off as a "dog" thing, not an owner thing. And I can assure you, it's mostly a "dog" thing. Perhaps I have not socialized her enough, but how do you socialize an unpredictable dog? She's very meek in class, meek at the beach, and then suddenly turns into a terror when a strange dog walks in front of our house. It's a tough situation, and I'll probably never adopt a dog with an unknown temperament again. This hasn't been fun. It's been stressful. So mostly we just stay at home where I can control the environment.

I hope that your next trip to the dog park is uneventful!

 

[imported_azlab]

Ask around your vet may be a good source. Mine actually called me. One of their clients had a Chessie, who lives 2 blocks from us, who needed a friend to romp with but the owners didn't know anyone who had a larger dog. As it is we both have fenced yards but theirs is bigger due to no pool. Maybe you can find him a friend with a fenced yard to go play with once or twice a week.

 

[lablimo]

That is why I stopped going to our local dog parks. When Haylee was just under a year, we were at the dog park and this dog really went at her. I, like you, was yelling at the owner. He finally came over and asked me "Is your dog a puppy?" I said yes. Then this moron said "well, my dog doesn't like puppies." I was speechless -- why the he!! are you bringing it to a dog park then? He shrugged and walked away.

We now have a doggy play group that meets behind my house in the park each evening. It's quite a collection, about 4-5 dogs, but they are all well behaved and I don't have to worry about Haylee being attacked.

I'm so sorry this happened. How is he doing otherwise?

 

[MyLabsMom]

I LOVE the idea of meeting "groups" to play/walk with.

I responded to a post on Craigslist for someone looking for a companion to hike with their dogs. I couldn't have been happier, cuz I ended up meeting one of the nicest girls and her two black labs. We meet often and walk together.

 

[WeHeartLabs]

Jackie, I hope that Buddy is no worse for the wear. How is he today?

We avoid dog parks. I've never been to one and won't go to one. There arent any in the immediate area anyway, but after reading the stories here on the forums, I just won't go to one.

I totally hear what Brenda is saying too...years ago we had an Elkhound who did NOT get along well with others :-\ It's very frustrating and disappointing....but the man at least owed you an apology.

The one place sounds good and im glad you found a nice place for him to go to hang out and play.