This week I saw something that set off my alarm bells — a 4 month-old puppy at a local dog park. As soon as the human guardian took the puppy off leash several big adult dogs bounded up to the pup and surrounded it. The puppy retreated behind the person’s legs. The person pushed it towards the dogs gently and told it to go play. Whenever the puppy ventured onto the field, a big dog charged after it barking, other dogs joined in, and one of them inevitably tackled the pup. Each time, she yelped and scurried back to her person with her tail between her legs only to be told again to go play.

She certainly wasn’t the first person I’ve seen bring a pup to a dog park. I’m sure she meant well and thought she was doing the right thing. She probably thought it was a good way to exercise and socialize the puppy to dogs. Well-placed though those intentions may be, bringing a puppy to a dog park isn’t a good idea.

Vinnie Shows Off Puppy Teeth

Puppies are babies. Before the the age of approximately 16-20 weeks, pups are at the most critical and impressionable time in their lives. Bad scary things that happen to a young puppy have a good chance of traumatizing her for life.

My dog I are frequent fliers at San Francisco’s off-leash parks and beaches. I’m grateful that there are areas in our busy urban environment where my dog can run free and play with other dogs. However, I’m also well aware of the unpleasant things that can happen in dog parks, particularly where young pups are concerned.

Dogs at dogs parks are unknown quantities. Dogs who don’t get along well with other dogs are often brought to dog parks. Many adult dogs are impatient of and intolerant with puppies. Some dogs have a rough play style. Others like to bully and harass dogs. Dogs who visit dog parks may not like it when another canine approaches their toys or humans. A fleeing yelping puppy may trigger a dog’s prey drive; a dog chasing the pup may start to treat her like prey. Dogs who are playing together sometimes tip into fighting. Some dogs tip from playing into fighting easily and often. And some dogs at dog parks don’t come reliably when called.

Add to these factors the fact that all too often, humans don’t watch their dogs as closely as they should in dog parks and don’t intervene in doggy interactions when they should. The result? A puppy could very easily get hurt by an adult dog in any of these scenarios. Aside from the risk of serious physical injuries to a pup, a bad scary incident with an adult dog could leave the dog with a deep long-lasting nasty association with other dogs. Depending on the sensitivity of the pup, she could become fearful or wary of dogs for life.

Puppies don’t have all their defense mechanisms yet. Pups still have puppy teeth, not adult dog teeth. They have puppy jaw and muscle strength, not that of adult dogs. Puppies don’t have the stamina and power of adult dogs. Puppies are still figuring out how to “speak” dog and many puppies do so clumsily.

So what’s a well-meaning puppy guardian to do? Drop-in puppy playgroups and socials monitored by positive trainers give puppies opportunities to frolic with other puppies the same age. Interactions are supervised and controlled in a positive way. There’s a significantly lower chance of puppies getting hurt – physically or otherwise — in this kind of environment. And for an added bonus, playgroups mean plenty of time to practice doggy language and social skills with other pups.

Puppy Play

Besides playgroups, a positive reinforcement puppy class is another chance for supervised puppy play and a head start on manners. Puppy class is a also a great place to to meet other puppy guardians and set up puppy play dates in someone’s yard.

When pups reach the age of six months, providing they’ve been well-socialized during young puppyhood, they’re better equipped for interactions with other dogs. At that age, there’s more of a level playing field and supervised visits to dog parks are safer. Notice I say “safer” as opposed to “safe;” as I mentioned earlier dog parks aren’t risk-free. All dogs at dog parks should be monitored closely by humans to avoid scuffles and injuries.

No matter your dog’s age, doing a little homework ahead of time will go along way to making any visit to an leash-free area a more positive experience for you both. A rock solid recall and a really reliable “leave it” mean dog park outings are safer for your dog and more fun for everyone.