Animal Behavior
Dog Park Dilemmas: Fighting, Frolicking, Facts, and Fiction
Dog parks and dogs differ, so sweeping generalizations have very limited value.
Updated August 7, 2023 Reviewed by Michelle Quirk
Key points
- Dog guardians need to be fluent in dog to be able to read what their dog and others are feeling and doing.
- Dog guardians must supervise their dogs and not be engaged in activities that divert their attention.
- Condemning all dog parks is unjustified. The same dog park can vary from day to day in being "good" or "bad."
This post was co-authored with Certified Dog Behavior Consultant and Certified Professional Dog Trainer Jennifer Berg,
Should I take my dog to a dog park? This is a common but complicated question, and a good number of people have strongly held opinions. The simplest answer is, "If your dog enjoys going to the dog park and meeting new dogs, take them and watch them and other dogs and their humans very carefully. But if your dog does not enjoy going to the dog park or meeting new dogs, don’t go.” This is much easier said than done for a variety of reasons. Discussing this question and dog park guidelines that are supported by research, citizen science, and common sense has been a valuable exercise for both of us, and we hope readers will gain an informed understanding of some of the risks of taking their canine companion to a dog park and feel confident in their decision.
Some rules of thumb
- Be careful about sweeping generalizations such as this park is “good” and that park is "bad.” There aren’t many formal studies of what happens at dog parks, and regardless of the robustness of data collected on specific dogs and specific dog parks, there are few facts that can be applied to other locations with other dogs. Dog parks vary greatly, ranging from small dog runs barren of enrichment that are basically “dog relief areas” to larger well-designed dog-centric spaces to acres of natural parkland with multiple trails. Additionally, passing judgment on a specific dog park can be problematic because the same park can deliver a very different experience depending on the time of day, day of the week, and the dogs and humans present.
- Only go to a dog park if your dog enjoys meeting new dogs and being at the dog park. This may seem obvious, but misconceptions persist, including the idea that dog parks are suitable for all dogs. For example, some people make the mistake of believing that a dog park is a good place to “rehabilitate” a dog who is very fearful of other dogs, but this can easily increase the dog’s fear and the odds of the dog aggressing.
- Be attentive and become fluent in “dog" so you can better read your dog and the other dogs present. Pay close attention to body language and behaviors that may indicate that a dog is stressed (e.g., anxious, over-stimulated, “shut down,” or in pain). As well, learn to differentiate between aggressive and friendly encounters and have a good understanding of when, for example, rough-and-tumble play fighting is likely to escalate into serious fighting. A dog park study done in 2014 looked at play bouts to learn if there are behaviors that could reliably signal if a play bout would likely end in play or play-induced aggression. Data showed that “Growl, bite-at, squirm, belly exposed, fleeing, and a tucked tail were significantly more likely to be exhibited by the initiator of aggression, indicating that the majority of play-induced aggression is 'defensive.'"1
- Ensure your dog has enough space to avoid conflicts. Crowded conditions can increase the chances of a dog fight occurring, especially in areas of high excitement such as the entrance area. If the main entrance has dogs hanging around it, choose an alternate entrance. When you are in the park, don’t let your dog loiter near the entrance; move farther into the park to help keep the entrance area clear.2
- Pay attention to the behaviors of the humans, too, because their attentiveness and responses to what is happening in the environment can greatly influence the behaviors of the dogs present. Keep your distance or avoid the park if dog guardians are distracted (e.g., focused on their smartphone), or their dogs are too far away for any meaningful supervision, or if they refuse to remove their dog despite the obvious signs that the dog is not enjoying the experience.
What do we need?
Safe off-leash spaces are essential for a dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health. We both agree that condemning all dog parks is absurd and that stopping serious aggressive encounters before they start begins with well-informed park users who actively supervise their dogs. Educating dog park users can begin with something as simple as posting large, educational posters like those provided free of charge by the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants.3
At the same time, we need much more formal research and input from citizen scientists about what happens at a wide variety of dog parks so we can help ensure that they are positive places to visit.4
References
1. Mehrkam, L. et. al. “Identifying behavioral precursors to play-induced aggression in pet dogs in public off-leash dog parks.” Poster presentation at the 2014 Association of Professional Dog Trainers Annual Convention (Hartford, CT). The study was made possible by a grant from the Association of Professional Dog Trainers Foundation. The study also concluded that there was not one particular behavior that could alone predict aggression during play and that of the three different categories of play—social wrestling, social locomotive (chasing), and social object (play that included a toy)—social wrestling was the most likely to occur in a bout that ended in aggression.
2. For a detailed, evidence-based discussion of dog parks, including suggestions for maximum capacity guidelines, see Jennifer Berg, “A Safer Visit to the Dog Park,” APDT Chronicle of the Dog; Summer 2020; p. 44–48. In this piece, Jennifer writes, "Misinterpretation can happen when conclusions from research papers are taken out of context. For example, 'Bark Parks’—a study on interdog aggression in a limited control environment (Shyan, Fortune & King, 2003) calculated that dogs in the park spent 0.5% of their time in aggressive interactions, and this study is frequently cited as evidence that interdog aggression in dog parks is rare. However, a closer examination reveals a different interpretation. From March 2001 to November 2001, researchers visited one dog park 72 times (for one-hour each visit). During this time, researchers calculated 21 minutes of aggressive dog interactions (14 unambiguous conflicts lasting less than 1 minute each; 14 ambiguous conflicts lasting less than 30 seconds each). If one were interested in the amount of time dogs were aggressing compared to all other interactions, then the 0.5% calculation would be useful (21 minutes divided by 4,320 minutes). However, caregivers want to know the chances that a dog fight is likely to occur at a dog park, and based on the data from this study, incidents of interdog aggression occurred 19% to 39% of the time (14 to 28 incidents in 72 visits)." For more information on dog parks see Let Your Dog Tell You if They Want to Go to a Dog Park; Social Behavior of Dogs at an Off-Leash Park in Newfoundland; Dog Parks Can Be Fun Places to Go, But the Dog Has to Agree; What's Happening When Dogs Play Tug-of-War?, Dog Park Chatter; Butts and Noses: Secrets and Lessons From Dog Parks, and Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine.
3. IAABC Dog Park Posters free download: https://iaabc.org/en/dog-posters.
4. Marc's general summary of what we know about what happens at dog parks is as follows: (1) Serious aggression can happen but is rare. It catches people's attention more than playing, greeting, and other prosocial friendly behaviors. (2) We don't know about the relative frequency of occurrence of aggressive and prosocial (positive) behaviors such as playing and greeting, for example. It's often difficult to know when an interaction actually begins and ends, so duration data can be misleading. (3) Rough-and-tumble play rarely escalates into serious aggression. There were days when he and his students never saw it, and the same was so for a study in Newfoundland. (4) Dog parks are different and the same park can also vary from day to day. (5) Dogs differ from day to day and their moods can change while they're at a dog park. (6) Dog–human interactions can differ a lot depending on what's happening for the dogs and the humans while at a dog park and what happened before they arrived. Some people have asked him if dogs conspire with one another against other dogs or humans including when they're at a dog park and there's no evidence they do. Some also worry that "bad" habits that a dog picks up at a dog park could go home with them. There's no evidence that this happens and if it does or seems to occur, it's their human's responsibility to be sure that their dog behaves appropriately.
