Dog parks are meant to be self-governing. We all need to do our part to create a culture of responsibility at our dog parks. This sometimes involves having to speak up and tell another dog owner that their Fido needs a time out, or needs to be removed from the park altogether, or to tell the owner they missed picking up Fido's poop. Some of us are comfortable with these kinds of communications. But others may be shy or not sure how to handle such situations.
We invite you to share your good ideas on how to handle these situations.
1. What are some polite ways to tell someone they missed picking up their dog's poop?
2. What's a good way to tell someone you are concerned that their dog is being overly agressive and should be removed from the dog park?
3. If you see something that appears to be a potentially unsafe situation, such as a young child wandering in the dog park without adult supervision at arms-length, what would you say or do?
You can also discuss any other scenario that you can imagine or have experienced and how to handle it well. The above three are just a few examples of possible situations.
Let's start the conversation. Dog park's work well when each user feels ownership and is prepared to be a leader in keeping the cleanliness, safety and peace of our dog park. Please chime in with your constructive comments which will help others have the tools to handle any situation.
