What are the downsides of dog parks?
Quick Answer:
Major downsides include disease exposure, dog fights, and learning bad behaviors.
Major downsides include disease exposure (kennel cough, parasites), dog fights and injuries, learning bad behaviors, overstimulation leading to reactivity, lack of supervision, mixed size dogs together, resource guarding issues, and potential for trauma. Some dogs become obsessed or develop barrier frustration. Human conflicts and liability concerns also arise.
Related Questions
Why say no to dog parks?
Some dog owners avoid dog parks due to concerns about aggressive dogs, disease transmission, and lack of supervision.
Why do people say dog parks are bad?
Critics cite uncontrolled environments where fights occur, diseases spread, and bad behaviors are learned.
Why do vets not recommend dog parks?
Veterinarians worry about disease transmission and injury risks from fights and rough play.
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