Visiting a dog park
A visit to a dog park, exercise area or dog meadow is the greatest thing for dogs. You should follow a few rules for the safety of dogs and humans.
Exercise for dogs
Dogs love to explore their surroundings off the lead, run around and play uninhibitedly. However, this is often not possible because the law stipulates that dogs must be kept on a leash or because the traffic situation does not permit this. In these cases, you have to go to a dog meadow or a dog park. Some are fenced in, but most are open exercise areas for dogs. Find out whether a visit is linked to certain requirements. Some dog parks have special site regulations. These may include, for example, a requirement for pet owner liability insurance, vaccination cover or social compatibility. But even without regulations, there are a few basic rules that every dog owner should adhere to.
Rules for exercise areas
1. Only come with a healthy dog
Many dogs meet on a dog run. They should all be healthy so that no one infects another. If your dog is ill or has worms or other parasites, do not visit until further notice.
2. Clean up all droppings
It is extremely annoying to step in dog faeces. So don't forget to put in enough poo bags and remove any droppings immediately. This will also protect the dogs from each other, as diseases are often transmitted by sniffing and licking faeces.
3. Be careful with treats
If the dog has done something well, you will certainly want to give it a treat. However, this can lead to trouble if there are one or two dogs around. It can quickly lead to food envy and aggressive behaviour. Therefore, be cautious with treats and do not feed other dogs.
4. The dog should be vaccinated
To minimise the risk of your dog infecting others or transmitting a disease, it should be vaccinated. The Standing Veterinary Vaccination Commission recommends vaccination against distemper, parvovirus and leptospirosis as basic immunisation.
5. Do not take your favourite toy with you
There is a lot to discover on dog meadows, in parks or on the beach. Other dogs also provide plenty of variety. So you don't normally need to bring toys with you. This could lead to another dog taking an interest in it and not wanting to give it back.
6. Do not neglect supervision
Running free and romping around with other dogs is fun, but can sometimes be too much. Smaller or anxious dogs may feel harassed by other dogs. So intervene in good time and protect your dog. They can't manage everything between themselves, but it also depends on you as the pack leader.
7. Your dog should be obedient and socialised
In a dog park or on a dog meadow, every dog owner wants to be able to let their dog off the lead without danger. If your dog is very quick-tempered, cannot be called back, jumps up at other people or is aggressive towards other dogs, then it is not advisable to go to a public exercise area. In these cases, it would make sense to attend a dog school first to train basic obedience and socialisation.
