Dog parks on Long Island

Where do you like to take your dogs? Which parks are best? What about the beaches? Share your inside scoop on outdoor places for dogs with other dog owners.

Don't take your dog to a dog park.

You have no way of controlling someone elses animal, and most dog owners have little to no control over their canines.

Add that to the fact that your dog will now be "socializing" with other dogs who may very well be carrying disease, and well... if you want to "socialize" your dog, do so with another animal you know well.

I use dog parks to only to train client's animals because the distractions are perfect.

I don't allow strange dogs to approach my dog, or any client's dog.

Dogs are not children, they do not process information as people do (regardless of what you think), and they socialize within their pack... that's it.

Ban Everything wrote:

Don't take your dog to a dog park.

I've never heard a more extreme reaction to dog parks. Maybe we should lock our doors and never leave our homes, or better yet, stay locked in our bedroom. No, actually I just topped myself-- we should never leave our mother's womb. Remember folks, the real world is scaaaaary!

Seriously though, try not paint with such a wide brush, will ya? If you're a smart person with a modicum of common sense, any dog park is fine. Owning an animal in the first place has the same pre-requisites.

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

Better American wrote:

<quoted text>
I've never heard a more extreme reaction to dog parks. Maybe we should lock our doors and never leave our homes, or better yet, stay locked in our bedroom. No, actually I just topped myself-- we should never leave our mother's womb. Remember folks, the real world is scaaaaary!
Seriously though, try not paint with such a wide brush, will ya? If you're a smart person with a modicum of common sense, any dog park is fine. Owning an animal in the first place has the same pre-requisites.

I happen to agree with "Ban Everything". I had been encouraged by many random people - whom I did not know - to take my dog to a park, and I had serious reservations for the same reasons. We do not know what diseases ro behaviors these others may have. Many people do not take their pets to the vet regularly for inoculations. We also don't know how others' dogs will behave in such an environment - and I will not have my dog becoming a potential victim of that. My dog has a big enough yard to run in - and a good buddy dog around the block, with whom she has "play dates", which is fine. It's tough enough to take my dog for a walk through our neighborhood without worrying about whose dog will be loose (again!) or what stray will be wandering and become aggressive toward my dog. If you love the parks, perhaps you've just been lucky and nothing's happened. I do take issue with "let's not leave the womb"...dogs' brains do NOT function like humans. We never know what they are capable of - even our own!

For some small dogs these places can be dangerous. Big dogs while playing can accidentily step on a small dog and break it's back. I lived in another state where most dog parks had big dog and little dog sections. I was a lot less leary about taking my dog to these.

Nuff wrote:

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

Are you kidding me. That is ridiculous. I have a purebred siberian husky and I take him to the dog park and he is fine.

Better American wrote:

<quoted text>
I've never heard a more extreme reaction to dog parks. Maybe we should lock our doors and never leave our homes, or better yet, stay locked in our bedroom. No, actually I just topped myself-- we should never leave our mother's womb. Remember folks, the real world is scaaaaary!
Seriously though, try not paint with such a wide brush, will ya? If you're a smart person with a modicum of common sense, any dog park is fine. Owning an animal in the first place has the same pre-requisites.

I agree. When I lived in Colorado we had quite a few dog parks and our dogs loved going. Occasionally there would be a fight between the dogs. I think they were so used to be around other strange dogs that it wasn't a problem.
Go ahead let your dogs enjoy a little canine companionship!!

going to the dogs wrote:

For some small dogs these places can be dangerous. Big dogs while playing can accidentily step on a small dog and break it's back. I lived in another state where most dog parks had big dog and little dog sections. I was a lot less leary about taking my dog to these.

"Going" - I do agree with you too. The dog parks in Colorado had separate "parks" for small and large dogs.

One last thing. I never let me dog drink out of the same bowl as another dog at the park. There is often problems with parasites when you do this. I always had a bottle of water and a small bowl when we would go. It worked out fine.

Better American wrote:

<quoted text>
If you're a smart person with a modicum of common sense, any dog park is fine. Owning an animal in the first place has the same pre-requisites.

That may be true... but if you are experienced in animal behavior and training, you'll stay away from them.

Nuff wrote:

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

You are an arrogant stuck up dog owner - who says that a mixed breed dog will have fleas any more than your "pure breed". It all has to do with the care a dog gets from its owner and you are obviously not someone who can love a dog that doesn't have the right "papers." Get over yourself

I own a phenomenal German Shepherd purebred, fully trained. I owe a great amount of his excellent behavior and overall calmness and intelligence to the very fact that I socialized him at dogparks among other places when he was young.

You that say it's dangerous, it CAN be. Learn how to handle it, you're the human. As for diseases and fleas, give me an effing break. Innoculate your dog and treat him for fleas/ticks ANYway and the dog will be fine.

Don't socialize your dog, expect him to be a terror among other people, dogs, situations because the only world he knows is your living room and backyard.

Nuff wrote:

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

Why dont you take your pedigree and go scratch! You should save an animal from a pound.

treat your pooch special by buying oranic treats from www.muttmom.com or www.eastendpetbakery.com

organic

This is one of the reasons we are moving from Long Island is the lack of dog parks and overall dog-friendliness. The first few years we had our dog, we lived in Wilmington NC. Definately a small city, but there were numerous dog parks and dog bakeries; our quality of life isn't the only one that has suffered by moving here and it's a shame. Generally the people who take their dogs to dog parks are those who keep them vaccinated and healthy, if you don't want to socialize your 'precious pug' keep it home. As a whole LI is not dog friendly, and it extends beyond the lack of parks and into to the population. Our dog loved the interaction with other dogs before moving here, and grew to know which dogs he enjoyed playing with and avoiding those he didn't. Very simple, much like children. Maybe LI will catch up to the rest of the country, but I don't think I'll be here long enough to witness it.

Nuff wrote:

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

Snob!

Miss Behave wrote:

<quoted text>
Do you then drink out of the same bowl?

That's an intelligent question. Thank you for being so concerned about my drinking habits. No, I do not then drink out of the same bowl. I wait until I get home and then drink water out of the filter in my refrigerator. Sometimes I will have a little iced tea that I keep in a glass pitcher.

Do you need any other information regarding what and how I drink?

Nuff wrote:

My dog is a pedigree pug. I dont want my pure bred to commiserate with fleabags at a dog park.

"Dont" is not a word. To commiserate is to express sympathy. It's funny that you actually take time to put down dogs when you make these errors.