Dog Park Essentials
Having your fur child socialize with other fur children will not only prepare your fur child for various situations, but also teach him/her how to interact with different hoomans and dogs. Fur children that are socialized at a younger age can become more calm and friendly around unfamiliar surroundings or hoomans.
Socializing your fur child is one of the best ways to ensure that he or she grows up into a happy, friendly, and confident adult. Fur children that lack socialization at a younger age may grow up becoming fearful and show aggression around unfamiliar surroundings or hoomans.
If this is going to be your first time bringing your fur child to a neighborhood dog park, you may be wondering what to bring and what to not bring. Not to worry—this blog post is here to get you covered with dog park essentials and non-essentials!
What to Pack to a Dog Park? Essentials.
1. Collar, Harness and Leash
Having a collar or a harness plus a leash is essential to your fur child’s safety. While collars may be a quick and easy way to hook up a leash, it is possible to injure your fur child’s neck from repeated pulling. A good harness is the safer, more secure, and more comfortable way to hook up a leash, decreasing the stress on your fur child’s neck.
Of course, this is for getting to the dog park, as some parks do allow furry friends to be off-leash—just make sure that your fur child always has his or her collar on at all times! Having an ID is essential.
You may also wish to look into what is called a breakaway collar (or quick-release collar). Such collars are designed to snap open when tugged with the right amount of force which protects your fur child’s neck should the collar be entangled.
2. Water and Water Bowl
Some dog parks provide water fountains, and some parks have water fountains but are not working. Make sure to bring your own water and water bowl just in case to keep your fur child hydrated, especially if the weather is hot!
Additionally, it is just much, much safer to keep your fur child away from bacteria and diseases by having their personal water source.
3. Waste Bags
Etiquette. Etiquette. Etiquette. Please bring your own waste bags. While some dog parks provide waste bags, you likely do not wish to run into a scenario in which waste bags have “ran out.”
Consider using environmentally waste bags too, such as ones that are biodegradable—designed to break down over time with the help of micro-organisms. Let's all be responsible and environmentally friendly paw parents and clean up after our fur child.
What to NOT Pack to a Dog Park? Non-Essentials.
1. Personal Toys and Treats
This was shocking to us at first too—but personal toys and treats may encourage “resource guarding” and aggression. When you bring your fur child’s toy to the dog park, throw it, and other dogs run for it, not only may your fur child be upset but may get into a fight.
Bringing treats may also create a mob around you. Dogs who love treats may show aggression toward your fur child, and thus could lead to a gnarly pup fight. Though tempting, it is advised to leave personal toys and treats at home!
Last but not least, the most important thing here is to enjoy the time with your fur child and other pups. Have great fun while looking out for potential safety issues. Have a wonderful time at the dog park!
P.S. This post is written as a recommendation and not to advise on what you should and should not do. At the end of the day, we hope we have brought into mind something that you may not have thought about! If you do happen to bring treats, a kind reminder to never feed other fur children without checking with their parents first as some dogs may have severe allergies or become over-excited or -aggressive if food is around. Any fur parent will appreciate your courtesy. :)
XOXO,
EmTeam
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Empawr is a Toronto-based independent dog brand dedicated to creating expressive, one-of-a-kind, quality dog clothes and accessories. With selectively-made dog clothes and accessories of unique products of expression that showcase the extension of their and your lifestyle, we make city walks and park visits a fun and joyful runway for both you and your dog.
Thanks for dropping by, it’s so nice to WOOH you! Follow us at @empawr.official on Instagram!