Don't you wish people knew how to behave at Austin dog parks? So many times, you take your dog, hoping and planning on giving your dog a fun place to play, and then your experience is less than stellar. Your dog was behaving perfectly, but those other dogs were bullies, and nobody was doing anything to stop it. What went wrong? Chances are, some of you (or maybe even all of you) don't know the modern rules of Austin dog parks. Lucky for you, we DO!
Here are the things you need to know that will really help improve your dog park visits:
- Don't Bring Food. Give treats before or after, but don't bring treats to the park (or if you do, don't get them out anywhere near other dogs). In fact, don't bring any food at all if possible.
- Don't bring your cat (you'd think that would be a given!) Poor kitty. That is just mean.
- Leave small children at home. Dog parks aren't safe for kids under 6. If older kids come, make sure you teach them not to approach dogs they don't know. I'll cover that in a future post, I promise.
- Don't sit down. You should always be moving at the dog park. Where people congregate, dogs to too, and then they start protecting their owners. If you're moving, your dogs will too, and there will be less focus on protection and more focus on play.
- Don't hold your little dog above the others, and if you do pick yours up for safety reasons, don't set him or her back down in the middle of a pack of dogs. You have just elevated his status, and the other dogs might attempt to bring him back down to level the playing field.
- Mind your manners. Don't let your dog play too rough, and don't let other people's dogs play too rough with yours. Running and playing is fine, but constant humping, or dogs jumping on other's backs is not okay.
- Keep Water Fresh. If your dog tips over the communal water - Be a sweetie and fill it back up.
- SCOOP your own dog's POOP! You know when you don't, and so do the other people at the park. Don't be a doo-doo.
Keeping these tips in mind should improve your dog park experience, and hopefully make dog parks safer and cleaner all around Austin. DogBoy's has a private dog park for customers only which is a more controlled environment and decreases the risks associated with group play. Dog training can also help with socialization issues. If you like these tips and are eager for more, download our article about Safe Dog Play by our Director of Training, Paula Baker Prince.
Thanks for caring and have fun at the park!
Photo by Norah Levine Photography
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Greetings, Dog Lovers!
You have been patiently waiting for a long time...and we are so grateful! Noodle and I are SO EXCITED to invite you to our Dog Party!
What: DogBoy's Private Dog Park Open House
It's a place where dogs can run and play and swim, with other dogs who like to run and play and swim! We have acres of beautiful rolling prairie with a pond for swimming - so BRING A TOWEL!
Where: DogBoy's Private Dog Park
(behind our Training & Wellness Center, on the back of the property)
When: Saturday, February 25th, Come anytime between 10 am - 2 pmWhy: Benefiting the Austin Humane Society
Raffle tickets will be for sale to win a 2012 Mazda Miata!
Bring:
- A friend and win a Gift Certificate for future use!
- A towel (or two!)
- Your friendly dog(s) with collars & tags
- a blanket or chair (only if you NEED to be able to sit - we prefer you to be moving around and having fun with your dog!)
- NO FOOD, please. Cold water will be provided.
We will have poop stations, kiddie pools, and lots of cool water to drink. Kids under 6 must have dedicated adult supervision.
Parking: Park on the grass inside DogBoy's Main Entrance. You will see signs for special event parking.
What is DogBoy's Private Dog Park?Starting March 1st, DogBoy’s Private Dog Park will be open to clients and their dogs only, who have been evaluated and given a behavioral card color designation. Click here for details on our
Card Color Policy. Reservations and/or Dog Park Memberships will be required. So by coming to the open house on 2/25, you'll be getting a sneak peak!
So it's not FREE? There are dog parks all over town that are free. Why would I pay to go to a dog park?The Open House is absolutely free. And it's true - there ARE dog parks all over town that are free, like Bull Creek, Red Bud Isle, even Pflugerville has a couple now! The difference between those parks and DogBoy's Private Dog Park is that at DogBoy's,
your dog will be playing with other dogs who have all been evaluated - and given a GREEN Card color designation. This means that they are generally good with lots of other kinds of dogs. This also means you are at a park with a more controlled dog population, and your dog is at a much lower risk for problems with other dogs. Of course, there is a risk anytime you take your dog to a dog park, but wouldn't you like to have more control over who is there when you visit?
If your dog is not great with other dogs, or only good with specific kinds of dogs (i.e. has an Orange or Red card designation from DogBoy's), you can make private reservations during the week for your dogs and/or your friends' dogs (who you know your dog likes), so they can play in a safe, fenced in area, with no risk of interaction with dogs you don't know. If you bring your friend and your friends dogs for a private reservation, they don't have to be a current customer. We think there is value in all these differences, and we hope you'll think so too.
Owners of Green card dogs can purchase monthly dog park memberships ($30/month per family), and with those memberships will be allowed to visit any Saturday or Sunday from 9-6. Additionally
private reservations can also be made during the week from 3pm till dark.
Owners of Orange and Red card dogs can make private reservations on weekday afternoons for as little as $10 for your family of dogs. Group rates are available. You will have the park all to your self from 3 pm till dark!
If your dog has not yet been evaluated for a color card designation, we can take care of that evaluation during a day of day care. Call our office or
email us for details on getting evaluated.
All the details about the dog park pricing and rules can be found here.
We look forward to seeing you!! If you have any questions about the dog park, just email
dogpark@dogboys.com.With joy,
DogGirl