The scene of dogs frolicking in a park together, all being polite to one another and sharing their toys seems ideal and indeed, that is the scene that so many dog owners envision for their four footed friends, but is that that scene realistic? In fact, is that the scene that people still see when they think of socializing their pups, or is something else starting to take its place as the ideal, or at least the norm.
Years ago, not much thought was placed on socializing a dog. You had your dog, you took it for a walk, it might pass by other dogs and stop for a quick sniff and you moved on. There were no “dog parks” or off lead areas to romp. Dogs did not have similar rights to children and no one considered that their tax dollars should be spent on erecting a fence around an area of grass to keep the canine community safe.
The surge of dog parks seemed to come quickly. There was suddenly an explosion of dog off lead areas, and many communities lobbied for one. In areas of the country there are dog parks that have agility equipment and a water supply for the dogs, benches neatly set up for the owners and some even have a steady supply of dog poop and scoop bags, just in case your pockets are empty. Dog owners now had all the comforts and could allow their dog to seek the company of other dogs, while they sat and chatted while sipping a latte. It all seemed so great.
For the dog training community, things seemed to slowly change. The dogs seemed to be far more dog focused, were tending towards bullying a bit more, were listening to their owners less, and in general their dog issues seemed to escalate. Now, I don’t think there is a direct correlation between dog parks, and the rise of the attitude in dogs, but the dog human relationship as a whole, seemed to take a shift.
I had an opportunity to spend a couple of weeks in England this spring, and that included a few days in Switzerland to visit relatives, and of course to soak up the European culture. As always, my attention was turned to the dogs, their behavior, and what may or may not have been different about how their owners treated them, and the community as a whole.
The noticeable difference? Dogs seemed to be better behaved, and much less interested in seeking out each other’s company. Dogs were everywhere. You thought the Beaches have a lot of dogs? Switzerland, the city of Basel, took the prize. Both in Basel, London and Birmingham (the home of Crufts, a prestigious dog event), you found dogs accompanying their people. They were in stores, and many were actually tied outside the stores and as dogs do not have restricted access to many public places, it was common place to see them under the tables at the local pubs. In fact, it was common to see them on the chair beside the owner at the local pub!
They were all leashed and I did not observe any dogs who pulled their owner, any who jumped up on anyone, or any that seemed to attract any attention to themselves at all. Remember that this is just my observation over a two week period, but I bet if we chose to observe dogs here, we simply would not find that to be the case. In fact, the leashes over there were designed with multiple clips to allow the leash to be short, long or be used as a tie out lead. In Switzerland, at the largest pet shop I could find, there were many leads, all colors and materials, but every one had the multiple clips used to leave your dog outside, while you were shopping. This is not to suggest that we should leave our dogs outside, it is more a comment on the inclusion of dogs into their everyday routines. While it seems that we actually tend to gear our routines around our dogs.
This was so interesting to me, that I started to chat to the locals, many of whom had multiple dog households. I was met with puzzled looks when I asked about dog parks, or even a park where dog owners would meet. If there is such a thing, I was not able to locate one during these conversations. The dog owners there have no interest at all in allowing their dogs to romp and mingle. Initially, that sounded a bit sad to me. But upon a closer look, I noticed that there were a lot of people socializing there. Many dog owners, with a couple of dogs each, would be walking together having a chat. The dogs seemed calm and relaxed, their exercise regime fulfilled with the leash walk. In fact, the whole idea of dogs chasing and wrestling and pushing and shoving at each other in a park now seemed a bit overwhelming.
Over the last 3 or 4 years, while I often take my dogs to a dog social area, it is much more often that I enjoy my time with them on hikes and walks, away from the hustle and bustle of the dog scene. I still believe that there has to be socialization taking place, but I am much more convinced that it has to be structured socializing, that we have to be aware of what is happening and that it should not be the only way we exercise our dogs.
Sustained aerobic activity is good for all of us. Taking a walk for an hour or so with our dogs instead of driving to the park, letting them run at a frenzied pace with the others, and driving home should be incorporated into your routine at least half the time. I would suggest we would all be better off if it was the majority of the time. This way, our dogs learn to focus on us. There will be less leash pulling, even if only for the fact that we will now be practicing it on a daily basis. The bonus is that the bond that you have created will be strengthened by this time together.
Sure….socialize your dog and yourselves, but dog parks might not be all that they were cracked up to be. Spending quality time with your dog, instead of sipping the lattes is the way to go.
