While I really love the idea of dog parks (a place for dog owners to hangout, relax, and let their dogs have a great time playing with other canine friends), I unfortunately think utilizing dog parks can be risky business. The dangerous aspect of dog parks is that they are usually a very uncontrolled environment. As a professional dog trainer, I believe socialization should always be done in a structured and controlled way.
Often times what I see at dog parks is dog owners who do not keep a close eye on their dogs, and dog owners who do not know what appropriate play looks like. This can lead to dogs being bullied and teamed up on, or dogs creating too much intensity during play. When this happens, aggressive behavior can potentially be a result.
I have unfortunately heard countless stories of dogs that have been bullied or even attacked by other dogs at dog parks. When traumatic incidents like this occur, it is possible for dogs to develop fearful, reactive, and, in some cases, aggressive behaviors towards other dogs. Even if you have a well-behaved and socialized dog, the fact of the matter is that you can’t control other dogs. And if you try to intervene between dogs at the park, it is often times (unfortunately) frowned upon by others. Because of this, I have also heard stories before of people getting into heated arguments at dog parks…
I will say, however, that I have seen some dogs parks that are more controlled and supervised than others. Not all of them are toxic places. As far the dog park in Peachtree City goes, I have never personally used it. What I can say is that I have heard mixed opinions about the area. Perhaps you may currently utilize the dog park in Peachtree City and have only had positive experiences. If so, by all means do whatever you feel is best. Similar to my blog post about dogs meeting on walks, I am not here to suggest that utilizing dog parks will necessarily end in disaster. Rather, I simply want to inform people of the risks of dog parks and the common types of negative experiences that occur in them.