If you had simply tossed the poo-filled bag over the fence at the other dog owner, you could have accomplished all your aims without further confrontation. But seriously, Jugdish nailed it in his first reply. And then Svpernaut. Give your dog more socialization time before trying parks again -- dog parks are advanced level dog socializing; pretty stressful for newbies. And then dogs can behave very differently on a leash -- yours might be one of those. Have fun. (I spend WAY too much time with our dog and going to dogparks, long leash walks, etc. Puppy prep classes worked well for us.)
Some people are ignoring OP's point...don't have your dog off his leash. I can't stand people that do that, so many time a dog has tried to attack ours because of irresponsible owners.
You are in the wrong for taking a non social dog to a dog park. My friendly English bulldog was just a puppy when she got suddenly ambushed and bit in the face by some lady's two dogs. I was furious and ready to bust some heads. The lady you got in the semi confrontation with was in the wrong for not controlling her dog near the entrance of the dog park. That is normal dog park etiquette to allow people and their dogs to peacefully enter and prevent other dogs from escaping. She is also dumb for not paying closer attention or knowing but not caring that there is a nonfriendly dog there (yours) which could be dangerous. She should have been more cautious in this situation and pulled her dog back for her own dogs protection.
If your dog doesn't do well with others then don't take him to the dog park. It's your fault. Know your role and stay in your lane, bro.
never leave dog on leash at a dog park. never never never. dont be nervous either, your dog can sense your nervousness and will act accordingly. trust me when i say this, unleash the dog and allow him/her to roam freely. if something happens, which i doubt, your dog will learn to adjust.
It sucks your dog didn't have a good time. But, asking who is right and wrong is not really important. That other dog sounds like it might some day be a good pal for your dog. I can also say that when one dog is on a leash and another isn't, snarling, uneasiness and even fighting can happen, when otherwise it might not when both are off leashes. I'd vote to give the dogs another chance another day, and not really worry about who is right and wrong. Also, why not just tie your dog up outside the gate when you went it to use the trash can? this
Seriously... 99% of the time when there are big fights at dog parks, a stupid owner is to blame. Even overly aggressive dogs can usually do pretty well at a dog park as long as there are more dominant dogs there to keep them in line. I'm not saying to take an overly aggressive dog to the dog park, just trying to show that the dogs aren't the problem - people are. I have been in the middle of some gruesome dog fights, and have the scars to prove it (don't ever break up dog fights unless you know what you're doing - and even then you shouldn't). Trust me, the scraps your pup will get in at the dog park pale in comparison. Short of a big dog picking up a little dog and going all crocodile head shake with them - it takes a lot to kill a dog. And when there are scrapes... the women yelling "STAAAAHP" at the top of their lungs just makes things worse. Always be dominant, use deep tones, and don't be afraid to knock a dog the **** out. You are the dominant species thanks to having opposable thumbs... and don't ever forget that. Finally... remember: Pain heals, chicks dig scars, and glory lasts forever.
Ain't no dog parks in the hood. They all just hangout at abandoned houses and chase everyone that walks by.
Sounds like it all occurred inside of a fenced in dog park where you are supposed to take your dog off the leash.
I want to thank everyone in here for your comments. I'm still so new to owning a dog, and your responses have given me a different perspective. I will avoid the dog park for a little while, but next time I go in, I'll let him go off leash. I need to develop my owner skills better (that's weird to say in my head, I'm sure it's not right) so that the relationship with my dog and I are better. Also: -I've probably been a bad owner these last two weeks, Adjusting to owning a pet is difficult imo -I should trust my dog to go off leash and not run away -I shouldn't feel overly protective, I should let him be himself and do what dogs do -I'm trying out hand gesture commands along with speech commands, so hopefully he'll eventually be able to follow commands without visuals
I swear, to dogs, when in a big fight with all their dog park, dog friends watching, this is like cheering. They might as well be in a dog-fighting pit. Don't ever try to match dog hysteria with a concomitant level of human hysteria, that's how Palestinians got started. And tip: If you ever need to release a dog from a locked jaw grip on another dog, sometimes no amount of hitting, pulling or prying will unlock that grip. But what will is a hard pinch to the dogs adams apple. My vet says that area apparently has a lot of pain nerves for the dog, and it very painful. They will release. It works. Of course, put the dog in a head lock with your free arm first, and have the owner hold back on the leash (if available). The dog might bite you as reflex upon being released, because it hurts them. But I've never found them to attack you after the pinch. They are scared of you ... like, "What the f#ck did you do to me. ... ouch .... What was I doing to you ... damn, that still hurts. Where's my mom."
I would get your dog trained to be better with other dogs then bring him back. She was in the wrong. I'm at the dog park all the time. My two German Shorthaired Pointers like to sprint along the fence line and not be bothered. I lucked out with that as they pay no attention to other dogs. More concerned about the squirrels and birds that are on the other side of the gate LOl
Honestly, as a dog lover and dog owner - thanks for giving a damn enough to even think about the situation. With that said, I wouldn't wait to take your dog back to the dog park. Fights are going to happen, and the best thing you can do to prepare yourself and your dog is to get back in there. Also, look for dog parks with separate areas for large and small dogs - this may help put you more at ease. If it makes you feel better, sign up for one of the 2-3 weekend dog training classes at PetSmart or PetCo. For about $100 you can get a lot of good socializing in for your dog. The classes themselves are pretty useless from a training perspective, but the socialization in a "learning" space usually puts the owners more at ease with screw ups scraps. One good thing they do have in the classes, is they have you walk around the store with your dog interacting with other people and pets. You can even hand a treat to other shoppers and have them give your dogs commands and treats too if that helps. Most shoppers are happy to obliged. Overall my advice is to not overthink it. If you want to have a calm dog who gets along with others and that you can trust - the only real medicine for that is to have them interact with other dogs as much as possible. Either way, this won't be the first, nor the last altercation your pup will have - so don't sweat it. It is the nature of the beast. Great advice, and have used that before. The eyes are a good place too, and if it is a male with his nuts - a whack to the ol' family jewels always works wonders. About two years ago I had to get my female GSD's jaws unlocked from around the neck of an aggressive Dachshund. I literally picked my GSD up round her belly and threw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and shook all 80lbs. of her upside down like a rag doll until she dropped the stupid weiner dog. My GSD would have killed the Dachshund if I hadn't, and while the Dachshund instigated it and there were witnesses, who knows what would happen. I knew I didn't want my dog locked up for 30 days or more in the pound because it killed one of the worst breeds known to man, so I intervened. In the fracas, the Dachshund freaked out as it got free and actually bit my nose, lip and hand - leaving me some battle scars. I'd do it all again, but I don't suggest anyone who isn't big, nor who isn't okay with dealing with the damage that may be caused to them to intervene in a dogfight with a large bread. I just wasn't going to risk losing my dog because of some jackass Dachshund who thinks he can take on a GSD. My GSD didn't bite, but other breads may have in the heat of the moment.