How often have you seen this? Someone walks into a dog park, fixates on his smart phone and stays that way, completely oblivious to whatever his dog might be up to.

I know, I know, it’s the uber-tech age and many humans want to be wired most of the time. But taking a dog to a dog park and not monitoring him just isn’t safe. It’s a bit like taking a four year-old child to an amusement park and letting him run amok with no adult supervision.

Dog guardians can go a long way to making sure that dog park experiences are safe and pleasant for humans and canines by keeping these tips in mind:

• You are responsible for Scrappy. Pay close attention at all times to what he’s doing and how other dogs are behaving towards him.
• Avoid doing things that take your attention away from Scrappy, like talking on cell phones, checking email, texting, or getting caught up in conversations with other dog guardians.



• Dog parks aren’t appropriate for dogs that are afraid of or don’t get along well with other dogs. If you don’t know if your dog is a good dog park candidate, or you’d like your dog to become more comfortable with other dogs, consult with a positive reinforcement trainer.
• Scrappy should be completely healthy and up-to-date on his vaccinations whenever he visits the dog park.
• Make sure Scrappy has a reliable recall before taking him to an off-leash park. Park rules typically require that owners have their dogs under “voice control.”
• Take Scrappy’s leash off as soon as he enters the park. This avoids him becoming frustrated by being leashed while other dogs are off-leash. It also avoids turning Scrappy into an easy target for other unleashed dogs.
• Take frequent obedience breaks with Scrappy. Call him to come to you, reward him when he does, and ask him to sit for the reward of resuming play. These breaks help Scrappy keep his impulses in check and are good practice for times when you may need him to come to you in a hurry. Rewarding him with something fabulous when he comes to you at the park teaches him that it pays handsomely to pay attention to and check in with you when he’s playing off-leash.
• Think of yourself as Scrappy’s advocate and ambassador. If he’s is being bullied or harassed by another dog, intervene. Call Scrappy to come to you and move far away from the other dog. Leave the park if the other guardian won’t/can’t get and keep his dog under control.
• If Scrappy is bullying or harassing another dog, step in. The other dog’s guardian may tell you not to worry, that his dog is fine and enjoys playing that way. But bullying and harassing aren’t polite play; they stress the targeted dog and can result in dog fights. If Scrappy won’t stop bullying, it’s best to leave the park.
• If Scrappy gets upset at other dogs who approach him when his toy’s around, don’t bring the toy to the dog park.
• Avoid bringing puppies younger than 4-5 months to dog parks. Some adult dogs are quite intolerant of puppies. Some dogs like to bully pups. It’s easy for puppies to get hurt by adult dogs due to size & strength disparities. A scary negative experience at a dog park could scar a puppy behaviorally and install a fear of other dogs. Instead, take puppies to trainer-supervised puppy playgroups where they can exercise safely off-leash, learn bite inhibition, polite play and dog-dog social skills.
• Avoid bringing young kids to dog parks. It’s just too easy for them to get knocked down or hurt accidentally by romping dogs. Other dogs are a big unknown when it comes to kids. You don’t know if other dogs may be afraid of kids, or if a running, shrieking child will stir up a dog’s prey drive.
• Always pick up after Scrappy.

During a recent consultation, a client mentioned that though her 6 month-old shepherd mix loved to play tug, she’d decided the game was taboo. She’d heard that tug would make him “aggressive.” I’ve heard this concern from loads of dog owners. But fortunately, it ain’t so.

Aggressive behavior is usually caused by fear, stress or anxiety, not fun and games. In fact, many expert dog trainers (such as Jean Donaldson and Pat Miller) maintain that that tug, if played by a few simple rules (see below) is a fabulous game to play with your dog for lots of reasons.

Tug is a wonderful energy burner for dogs and something you can do inside to burn some of that doggy energy. Vinnie’s an especially high-energy dog; I suspect that on rainy days, if not for tug, we’d both go a little bonkers.

Tug is a great legal outlet for dogs’ natural predatory instincts. Instead of shutting natural dog behavior down, tug allows dogs to redirect their energies to the game.

If played by the rules, tug teaches your dog to control his jaws even when he’s really revved up, and is fabulous impulse control training. Your dog practices calming himself down when he’s in a state of high arousal.

Tug offers lots of lovely little real-life training moments for real life rewards – another tug match! It provides an appropriate safe outlet for puppies’ and adolescents’ natural desire to mouth and play bite. Perhaps best of all, tug is FUN for you and your dog and deepens the bonds you share.

Follow these simple rules to ensure you and your dog are safe whenever you play tug:

• Only play with 1 or 2 designated tug toys. They should be long enough that your dog’s teeth area far from your hand. Braided rope or fleece toys are best because they’re strong and won’t hurt doggy teeth or gums.
• Play begins only when you initiate the game by offering the tug toy to your dog. Don’t allow your dog to lunge/jump/snatch the toy from you. If he does that, say, “Too bad,” or “Uh oh,” matter of factly and put the toy away for 20 seconds.
• Take frequent obedience breaks. Ask your dog to sit (or do another easy behavior) every time you offer him the tug toy. After he sits, reward him by offering him the tug toy to grab onto.
• Teach your dog to drop the tug toy on your cue. Ask him to do so randomly during tug matches.
• Teeth on skin means an automatic time out. If his teeth make any contact with your skin even by accident, immediately say “Uh Oh,” or “Too bad,” and put the toy away for 20 seconds. This will teach him to be extra careful with his mouth during tug games.
• Avoid doggy injuries. Keep the tug toy level with his shoulders and don’t jerk it around. Move the toy side-to-side instead of up and down. Keep the intensity of tug games appropriate for his age and overall physical condition.
• Safety first. Don’t allow frail people or kids under 13 to play tug with your dog. Make sure that anyone who plays tug with your dog knows the tug rules and always follows them consistently. An adult should always supervise tug games between dogs and kids.