{"id":198,"date":"2018-10-24T11:00:29","date_gmt":"2018-10-24T15:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/?p=198"},"modified":"2019-07-12T14:42:42","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T18:42:42","slug":"alternatives-to-dog-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/alternatives-to-dog-parks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Super Fun Alternatives to the Dog Park"},"content":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of articles about how to maximize your dog\u2019s experience at the dog park. But what if the park isn\u2019t actually a good fit for your dog?<\/p>\n\"\"\n

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Dog parks have many benefits including the freedom to run and explore as well as play, socialize and interact with other dogs and people.\u00a0Though many dogs thrive at dog parks, not all are ideal candidates for off-leash playgrounds. Some dogs become stressed, conflicted, fearful or out of control with excitement. As a result, negative interactions, including dog fights, may occur. Not only do such situations present the potential for physical harm to those involved, but a dog may be damaged emotionally and behaviorally by the experience.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Here we will explore\u00a0<\/strong> alternatives to dog parks\u00a0<\/strong>in case your dog is not a good fit for off-leash playgrounds.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Some dogs may be reluctant to play and interact at the park and only tolerate the experience, which can frustrate people who want their dogs to be social. Other behavior such as fear-based reactions, overly aroused pushiness or unpredictable interactions that sometimes end in aggressive encounters cause concern as well.\u00a0 However, just because a dog isn\u2019t right for the dog park doesn\u2019t mean the dog is a bad dog. It simply means the dog would fare better in other situations more fitting for them.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry if the dog park just isn\u2019t a good fit for you or your dog. There are many other ways to get your pup the exercise and socialization they need.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Individual Play Dates<\/strong><\/p>\n

Organized one-on-one or small group play dates at your home or the home of a friend can be less stressful than the park but have all the same benefits.\u00a0 They show your dog appropriate behaviors, how to share and provides vital socialization.\u00a0 Just like at the park, you will need to watch for over arousal which can lead to aggression in an instant. Breaking up play every few minutes helps keep the arousal level low and teaches the dogs that they don\u2019t always have to be overexcited in the company of other dogs.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Training<\/strong><\/p>\n

When dogs use their brains, it tires them as much as physical exercise and is just as important. So practice training cues or teach your dog a new trick.\u00a0 Not sure where to start?\u00a0 Why not enroll in a class? We recommend Wholistic Hound for positive reinforcement training: https:\/\/www.wholistichound.com.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

Games<\/strong><\/p>\n

Teaching your dog to think during play is a great way to build focus, instill impulse control and improve obedience. Try moving around a Chase \u2018N Pull (https:\/\/www.jefferspet.com\/products\/chase-n-pull-toy<\/a>) while practicing the \u201cDrop It\u201d and \u201cLeave It\u201d commands.\u00a0 You can blow dog friendly bubbles for your dog to pop or teach them to \u201cWait\u201d while you place treats and have them \u201cFind It.\u201d Or you can teach your pal to \u201cFetch\u201d with any of the available Chuckit! brand toys (http:\/\/chuckit-toys.co.uk\/our-products.html).<\/p>\n

Food Dispensing Toys<\/strong><\/p>\n\"\"\n

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Instead of feeding your dog all at once in a bowl, use interactive toys like the Wobbler pictured here that require them to pull, push, drop, roll, or tug\u00a0to get kibble to fall out. Your dog will try to figure out why kibble fell out one time and not the next. Puzzle toys can be even more challenging. The dog has to lift or slide multiple pieces at different levels to get to the food hidden inside.<\/p>\n

Dog Sports<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are many dog sports like agility, nose work, herding, dock diving, and fly ball. \u00a0Try them all to see what your pooch likes best.\u00a0 Agility is the most popular because it builds teamwork, as dogs are directed by their owner through various mental and physical challenges.<\/p>\n\"\"\n

There are infinite ways to provide physical exercise and mental stimulation for your dog without risking your dog\u2019s health and well-being at a dog park.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Did you try any of these ideas? We\u2019d love to hear what fun you and your dog had together in the Comments!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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Passionately Pets has been a trusted pet care provider in Northern Virginia since 2007.\u00a0 We proudly provide dog walking, pet sitting and overnight services for dogs, cats and other companion animals in Arlington, Alexandria, Annandale and Falls Church.\u00a0 Visit our website, www.passionatelypets.com<\/a>, to request a consultation or more information.\u00a0 For more pet filled content, follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook @passionatelypets.<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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To get started with Passionately Pets, call us today at 571-438-2323 or visit our website www.passionatelypets.com<\/a> to schedule your consultation.\u00a0 <\/strong><\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of articles about how to maximize your dog\u2019s experience at the dog park. But what if the park isn\u2019t actually a good fit for your dog?   Dog parks have many benefits including the freedom to run and explore as well as play, socialize and interact with… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14,6,18,19,20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":299,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198\/revisions\/299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.passionatelypets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}