What's a good age for the dog park?

[Luna112]

Hey everyone,
I was just wondering at what age is it safe to take my GD to the dog park. I want to hold of the rabies vaccination until Apollo is 20 weeks old. So would it be safe to assume to not have him around other dogs until this time? I was planning on have him take puppy obedience 1 class at 10 weeks old. I'm also going to go with the more conservative vaccination route, starting with distemper+parvo at 9 weeks. Any info is highly valued!
Thank you
-Jackelyn

[Titan3151]

I would personally wait until you have all the puppy shots in. all the boosters and then introducing him to the park and public places. its rainy season here and Parvo runs rampant during this season here down in gulf coast of Texas. My vet says she sees huge increases in puppy patients after a heavy rain. also keep in mind that Parvo can stay in the ground for nearly a year. when in doubt always ask the vet and if you can find a vet that does Giant breeds specifically Danes even better...

congrats on your new fur baby!

[kahluadanes]

I don't recommend dog parks at any age. Too many ill mannered dogs, too many owners who have no idea when it comes to dog manners & dog body language, too many parasites & other issues. Play dates with dogs/puppies & owners you know would be best.
Make sure you don't get your puppy until it is 8 -9 weeks old. The breeder should already have seen that it had the first distemper/parvo vaccination. The next one would be due at 12 -14 weeks of age. Start a puppy/obedience class after you have received the second vaccination.

[SuzanneRM82]

I'm not a fan of the dog parks either. I took Ferg to ours a couple times as a pup (6 months or so) to play with his Frenchie friends, but there were just too many clueless people there with ill-mannered dogs. Most will just drop their dogs in there and go mess around with their cell phones or something, and have no clue what kind of stuff their dogs are up to.

[Luna112]

Oh wow, it's sad to hear about it. I honestly can't believe some people just drop their dog off and leave, or don't pay attention to them.

[oshagcj914]

I too would be very wary about taking a pup to the dog park...or any dog. Search the archives here. There are a TON of dog park horror stories just on DOL. If you can set up play dates with other well mannered dogs that would be better. If not, I'd wait until your pup has had all his shots, and then wait a little longer until he is bigger too.

I may take our pup to our dog park someday...maybe. But only because ours is fenced in and gated. You have to be a member and pay to join, plus show proof of vaccinations to get the gate code. Even then, I'll be going myself a few times to check it out before I decide whether to risk it.

If you have another way to socialize your Dane with other dogs, I would do that rather than the dog park. I personally live in the boonies, so the only dogs around here belong to the Amish or run loose

[Titan3151]

I take Titan to the dog park, usually just him and Thor. We will call our lab friend. But it's always the understanding that we go if the park is empty or only 1-2 other dogs. The dog park here is HUGE! (All fenced in) it has wooded areas play areas, covered areas.... Agility courses. And clean I don't think I've ever seen a pile of poo. This is the only park I'll go too.

I love the idea of the one mentioned above with the gate code.


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[collegal]

No dog parks for us either. Harley goes to Doggy Daycare once a week, where I know all the dogs have had to show proof of vaccinations/kennel cough, etc. every 6 months & are supervised round the clock with several staff members. I've been to a few dog parks with my first dog, and there was nothing but fights, and problems (dogs AND their owners!).

This might be too much information, but my final straw and the last time I went, we witnessed some poor dog with a bad case of diarrhea losing it all over the park, and every dog there ran over to stick their face in it!!! Yuck!! No thanks - it just really made me think how careless some owners can be. They just let continue doing it, I finally got a hold of my dog, leashed her up and we made our exit.

On another note, at a local dog park in the town I work in, there was a massive viral outbreak (I think it was Lepto if memory serves) last year. Over 20 dogs came down with it. Sadly, a lot of dog owners don't vaccinate their dogs, and bring sick, unhealthy and often unsocialized/aggressive dogs there.

IMHO - I would steer clear and maybe consider doggy daycare instead.

Just my two cents

[tarheelchick]

I will also second the suggestion of doggie daycare as an option to the park. Just make sure that it is a good, reputable daycare. They should require verification of shots/good health, etc, and they should also screen each dog that is allowed in as to temperament. And always, always provide constant supervision from experienced and knowledgeable workers.

Most daycares will separate dogs play areas by size and/or age of the dog. (puppies in one area, seniors in another, etc). And lastly provide a separated rest time in a cool area for each dog at some point during the day, if staying there all day long.

[ajshot1138]

Dog parks can be very tricky. To the 5 that I have been to around Phoenix, I only like one of the parks. Most of the owners are very good about picking up after their dogs and keeping good control of their dogs. They're also very vocal to the owners of the dogs that show issues; often times making them leave. My bf and I watch our two dogs like hawks when they're there and if we see anything that looks like tension between other dogs, we leave. Luckily the park is huge and issues don't arise too often.
If you're looking for socialization, I agree with the above posters - doggie day care, planned dog meet up with dogs you already know are well mannered.