San Francisco: Where dogs, kids and food coexist

Last weekend I flew down to San Francisco with my frenchie, Bambi, to visit a good friend and former client and her dog. The weekend involved a lot of dog activities, including a tour of Oliver's top parks and beaches. 

I was surprised to learn that it is customary to have your dog off leash in San Francisco. I don't know what the official leash laws are, but every where you go, dogs are off leash running in the parks. Dog owners or not, every one seems to be ok with this. I certainly saw a lot of happy dogs over the weekend! 

I immediately noticed a different attitude about dogs than I've experienced in Seattle. At the parks I visited, there were 5-10 dogs running off-leash at any given time, kids playing, and people picnicking all in the same area. I didn't see a single negative dog interaction, in fact, the dogs weren't even necessarily interested in each other, they were just happy doing their own thing. The school teachers and nanny's didn't seem to mind the dogs running around the kids, and the dogs didn't mind the kids. And most surprising,  the dogs didn't even hassle the people with food!  The dogs, the kids, and the parents (of 2 and 4 legged kids) seemed to just be so well socialization amongst one another that they were all just able to coexist without issue. 

I know this can't be a generalization for all the dogs in the city of San Francisco, but the just the few situations I witnessed were so different than what I am used to in Seattle. It wasn't an issue if the dogs were on leash or off leash, near the play ground or not, they were just simply there, fitting in with the rest of the activity. 

I watched Bambi and Oliver play with dogs they normally wouldn't have shown any interest in. Oliver didn't mind the corgi harassing him for a ball for half an hour, in fact his tail was wagging the whole time. Bambi had a great wrestling match with a Chihuahua - I haven't seen her play like that since she was a puppy. 

There was a noticeable difference in the attitude about dogs and the behavior of the dogs we encountered over the weekend. It makes me wonder how different Seattle would be without strict leash laws. Would our dogs become better socialized as a result? Would our dogs have better recall and better obedience since there were so many opportunities to practice as puppies? Would our kids grow up to be more comfortable around dogs? 

Sticky Situations at the Dog Park

{As always, I just want to preface this post with the fact that I am not a certified dog trainer, these are just my opinions based on my experience. ​}

I hear many people say that they took their dog to the dog park when they were younger, and then they got attacked, so they stopped going. While from a loving parent/owner perspective, this totally makes sense, but it makes me so sad to hear. That dog doesn't deserve to miss out on the hundreds, maybe thousands, of fun times at the park and positive social interactions because of that one incident that wasn't their fault. 

​I witnessed one of these incidents at the park this afternoon. A woman and her younger lab were in the big field, playing ball and wrestling with pups passing by. A guy was sitting on the table on his phone, where he had been for the last 20 minutes, as his dog ran wild in the main area of the park. There's lots to be said about that alone, but for now, just stating the facts. This guy's dog approached the lab and started circling while the lab, who had been outgoing and playful with other dogs, stuck to the woman's legs. After a few more circles, the lab got brave and stepped out to play with the other dog. Within seconds the play escalated to the other dog attacking the lab. The guy nonchalantly walks over and kicks his dog, leashes her up, and walks off. Both dogs were OK, it was more noise than anything, but clearly scary for the lab's owner. 

​When Bailey was younger, and obviously so was I, I am sure I would have acted the exact same way at the lab owner. Uncomfortable but not really sure what to do, feeling very helpless. Between practically living at the dog park for the past nearly 4 years, knowing infinitely more about dogs than I used to, and being responsible for other people's dogs, I have become quiet comfortable taking charge in and trying to prevent these situations before they even begin. So, for whoever happens to stumble across this post, here are my suggestions:

• ​always match dogs to their owners, as soon as you see the dog coming near. You want to know who to talk to if you need to.
• speak up! If someone's dog is making you uncomfortable, ask the owner to get their dog! If their dog is obviously acting in appropriate, I just ask them flat out to come get their dog. If it is something that I am just uncomfortable with, or the owner is obviously oblivious, I make up an excuse that my dog has a problem with white fluffy dogs (or whatever their dog is) and ask if they will hold onto their dog while I walk away. ​
• Shoo the dog away. People often hesitate to bark commands at other people's dogs, and rightly so, but when you feel threatened or like your dog may be in danger, by all means, tell that dog to go away! I am honestly surprised how often it works, I always assume if the dog doesn't know me, it won't listen, but if you use a stern tone and just "no" or "go" and point back to where they came from, they almost always go! ​
• use your body language. If a dog is approaching your dog and you aren't sure about that dog, use your body to step in between your dog and the oncoming dog. If a dog is viciously charging at you and you just know it is going to bite you, I wouldn't suggest doing this, that is a whole other level I'm not prepared to address, but I will tell you that has never happened to me. ​
• know appropriate play. Check out the APDT's article on Dog Park Body Language for a refresher. ​A couple simple guidelines: 1) both dogs should be having fun, 2) balanced play (take turns chasing, being on bottom), 3) Mutually initiate play and frequent rest breaks, and 4) no ganging up, 1:1 play is best
• Last, but not least, if it would make you feel more comfortable, you can carry a bottle of SprayShield Animal Deterrent with you. ​It is forceful citronella spray that is very effective at breaking up dog fights, but completely safe for the dogs.

If you are timid, it may cause your dog to be more timid, which may make them more of a target for bully dogs. Again, I'm not a trainer, but this is something you hear a lot, and I believe it to be true from personal experience. So be confident and know that you are in charge and no dog is going to mess with your pup! Now go find the nice dogs that just want to wrestle and chase and let your pup run herself tired! 

How to not greet a dog

Being able to take your dog out and about with you is one of the great things about having a dog. The companionship, watching them explore the world with a curiosity we long forgot about, and the smiles they bring to people's faces are some of the highlights for me. These excursions are so important for your dog too, it provides socialization, mental stimulation, and bonding with you. 

One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday morning is to take Bailey to the Ballard Farmer's market. She's great in crowds; she grew up living in the Pike Place Market, going to the Bite of Seattle, UofW tailgates, etc. She has been socialized in situations like these since she was a very young pup, so she is very comfortable in crowds. Luckily, she is a typical happy and not phased by much, but I am still blown away by how people interact with dogs in crowded places. While she is on a short leash, right by my side, I will be paying for my flowers then look down and see people just grabbing at her and petting her. They have good intentions of course, but if I were Bailey, I would be pretty overwhelmed! Catch me in a bad mood and I wouldn't past me to snap at a hand in my face! Fortunately, my happy-go-lucky lab soaks up all the attention she can get, but that is not true of a lot of dogs, and I see it on their faces all the time at the market.

​ The interesting thing is, the little kids are always the ones who ask to pet her, which of course I say yes, but the adults always just reach and grab. Not even putting a hand out to sniff first. Number 1 rule: ask to pet someone's dog. Believe me, I know that sometimes a dog is so freakin cute you just have to pet them immediately, but you just don't know when the feeling may not be mutual. We have to respect the dogs space just as we expect them to respect ours. The image below has wonderful information thanks to ​​​Doggie Drawings.  Please share this info!