The case for private dog runs: Happier dogs and fewer crazy people

At School For The Dogs, since 2014 we have a private space in the back of our building where we run the School Yard, a members-only dog run for dogs over five months old. All the dogs we let in have been approved following an initial evaluation. The owners must make reservations in advance in order to come. They also must pass a short test to show that they understand our rules, and have read our guide to appropriate play, safety management, and healthy dog body language. There are never more than six dogs, and there is always a dog trainer present to moderate. In the Yard, Owners have a common understanding of when their dog might need a break or when the play is getting too intense. It is a community of owners who know their dogs and understand their strengths and limitations. They are respectful and warm toward each other and each other’s dogs. In the year and a half that we have been running the School Yard, there has not been a single altercation or injury. Almost every dog who has applied has been approved, and the handful that haven’t have belonged to owners who were polite and civil when we asked them not to come back — in each case, they completely understood that it wasn’t the right environment for their dogs and acknowledged that they didn’t want to put any other dogs at risk.

All of these hurdles and precautions might seem extreme or indulgent to some, but I increasingly feel that every dog park should be run in a similar way, or should at the very least have a designated person onsite who has an understanding of what safe dog play looks like. Without having any authority present, dogs can get hurt. People can get hurt, too. Well-intentioned owners bring in dogs that, for any number of reasons (age and health and temperament to name a few), shouldn’t be off leash with a bunch of unknown dogs and people. Many owners can be oblivious when their dogs are indicating they do not want to play, or they believe the dangerous myth that dogs can always work things out between themselves. So often, it’s not malice that causes people to make unwise choices for their pets in these situations — it’s just a lack of basic knowledge about dog behavior. I think you can be pretty ignorant of child behavior and still be an okay guardian in a playground, But, in the dog run, you’re dealing with a species who can’t speak, who is experiencing the world in a way that you never have, and who has teeth that could do major harm. Wouldn’t it make sense to have someone knowledgeable in charge?

At the public dog park, I often find myself biting my tongue when I see dogs and people doing things that may be causing more harm than good. Usually, I leave before the desire to intervene becomes too overwhelming: No one is asking my opinion, and advice from a stranger (even a knowledgeable one) can easily come off as unwelcome judgement. In the School Yard, dog interactions provide copious teaching moments. We encourage dog owners to watch their dogs during play, and we aim to help them become better at reading nuances and thinking in ways that will stave off problems before they start. We also encourage them to ask questions and learn to think about how to modify a dog’s behavior in a way that makes sense. For instance, there is a dog in my local park whose front legs go stiff and stretch out when he sees another dog. It’s a play stance, but his owner always interrupts him as soon as he takes this “Hey! Let’s play” posture; she picks him up and scolds him. I’m guessing he is frustrated by her interruption, because he starts growling when she picks him up. Dogs sometimes growl (or bite) when they’re in people’s arms because, if they’re restrained, their mouths are their only source of defense. Sadly, I’ve seen this dog learn to start to growl at other dogs now even before she rushes to pick him up. This is likely the result of the kind of incorrect associations dogs make all the time: Every time I see another dog, I get restrained, which I don’t like. Maybe the other dog is what is causing her to do this to me, so I better try to get that other dog to go away.  The more he growls, the more his owner starts yelling at him, hitting him, and admonishing him in full sentences that I think are really meant for the ears of the humans around her: “You’re so bad! You know better than that! If you keep doing this I’m not going to bring you back here, do you understand me?” The other day, not knowing I’m a dog trainer, she said, to no one in particular “I don’t understand why he doesn’t come when I call him.” I took a chance and pointed out that perhaps he doesn’t come when he is called because every time he is near her in the park, she punishes him by yelling at him and smacking his nose. “Oh,” she said. “Is that punishment?”

At most dog runs, people aren’t just operating without good dog-behavior sense— they’re also frequently not displaying great people skills. With no one in charge, a crazy Lord of the Flies sort of thing too often seems to happen. When everyone has the same rights, righteousness can reign.

I was reminded of all of this this morning at my local dog park, where I watched an argument that was on the brink of turning violent. The animals involved were both human. A woman came in with a deflated soccer ball, and she began throwing it for her dog. Another dog owner protested and she put it away. When he left, he yelled to her to notice that the sign on the park’s gate stipulates the only toys allowed in the park are tennis balls. She yelled back that she didn’t understand his anger because a ball is a ball, and, anyway, she had put her soccer ball away. It just kind of devolved from there. I recorded it. Transcription: Her: Who do you think you are?  I’ve never seen you here before.

Him: What? I’ve never seen you here and I am here every day!

Her: Oh you’re here every day? You have a nice dog but I feel bad for your dog because he must know you are a piece of shit.

Him: Good, good. Get it all out. Yeah, get it all out.

Her: You know, there are ways of talking to someone that are appropriate…this started because your dog went and I told you to clean it up. People just don’t clean up after their dogs!
Him: I cleaned up right away.

Her: Because I said someone needed to clean it up!

Him: I was going to clean up anyway. You’re a fucking cunt. You know what? I hope you go home and kill yourself. The lady next to me and I were exchanging “this-is-crazy” looks the whole time. When everything settled down, I turned to her and said: “You know, I run a private dog run…” She signed up for a visit immediately.  I can’t wait to show her our wonderful alternate universe.