Welcome to Pitbulls.org › Forums › Pit Bull Talk › Training › Dog Park Drama › Wow.. Well to Caden’s mom: I
Wow.. Well to Caden’s mom: I enjoy the dog park with my pit. We are lucky to have this area in a massive conservancy with ponds, trails, and open fields as opposed to a fenced block of grass in the middle of a concrete jungle. We go there as a treat and not as routine. It takes continual training to prepare for this adventure. During our routine walks, anytime another dog or person passes us, I have her sit. She has to remain calm or she will be corrected. If she persists, then she must lay down. Usually when strangers see my control over her, they are less likely to be fearful and allow their dog to say hello (it also sparks conversation and the awareness spreads). This prepares her to remain submissive to every dog and person alike. When we get to the dog park, before we go inside, we walk around the entrance until she is calm then we proceed inside leashed. I enforce the same procedure as my routine walks as this ensures not only my control (especially in an environment she is not use to) but also the other dog owners will relax. I will often make conversation with the other owners at this time and try to get a feel of their dogs behavior and introduce them to my pit. It helps when I bring my 7 year old daughter with me. People see her with my pit and sometimes their opinion changes! Only when she is completely calm and seems to just ignore the other dogs and when the other owners are comfortable, is when I remove her leash. I also bring a favorite toy or some treats to reinforce her behavior and as a distraction if I see the other dogs are getting rowdy. Although I have never seen aggressive behavior with my dog, I am fully aware of what she is capable of. Every 15 minutes or so of running and playing I will have her come and sit next to me for a minute. Once she is calm again, it’s back to playtime. This isn’t meant to be punishment or a timeout so she is rewarded with praise when she behaves. I live in one of the top five most dangerous cities in the US and pit bull fighting remains an issue. The ability to spread the knowledge in my area is rewarding. Where else can you go with your pit bull to show others how gentle, intelligent, and agile they are? Everyone knows my dog in my neighborhood so the knowledge would have stopped with them. Good luck to you, and I hope you know that this is a great activity for pits or any breed for the physical and mental challenges.