Serving Brooklyn's Off-Leash Community

Responsible Dog Stewardship
in Our Urban Park Environment

by Barbara Giella The goal of these guidelines is to keep us all safe from harm and to further our enlightened self interest by being good citizens. These guidelines should not interfere in any way with your enjoyment of the park and will enhance your relationships. I guarantee it! General Guidelines • In dealing with problems, the guiding principle of every dog owner should be prevention. • You are responsible for your dog’s behavior at all times. As dogs are learning all the time, we must monitor their behavior to teach them how to live happily in a human world. • Be responsive to others’ wishes concerning your dog’s behavior. • Be respectful to park workers and the police. • Know your dog and be honest with yourself about your dog’s behavior. • Develop your training skills to teach your dog socially acceptable behavior. • Obey the park’s rules regarding offleash hours. Interactions with People and Dogs • Obey the six-foot-leash law after offleash hours. • Always pick up after your dog, no matter the weather. • Never allow your dog to jump on people. • Never allow your dog to chase joggers, bikers, skaters, or horseback riders. If you cannot prevent chasing, be polite and apologize. • Do not allow playing dogs to bump into people, even fellow dog owners. • Do not allow your dog to steal food. • Ask other dog owners before giving treats to their dogs. You could inadvertently start a fight, make a dog sick, or encourage obnoxious begging behavior. • Respect people’s rights not to have to interact with your dog. • Do not play fetch or Frisbee in crowded areas. • Do not allow your dog to bark incessantly! Preventing Dog/Dog Aggression • The name of the game is prevention! Watch for signs of conflict to prevent aggression. The more dogs there are in one space, the more likely it is to occur. • If your dog is aggressive to other dogs, keep away from them. Get professional help! • Pick suitable playmates for your dogs. Do not allow your dog to play with another dog with whom s/he has a history of fighting. Even one unpleasant incident can lead to a lifetime of defensive aggression. • Do not intervene in harmless squabbles. There are very few dogfights and many arguments. Learn to tell the difference. • Allow dogs to be dogs. Working out their social hierarchy in play, without intervention, will reduce aggression. • If your dog gets into a fight, you and the other owner are equally responsible for stopping it. • Do not allow your dog to join in a dogfight. It escalates fighting and increases the likelihood that more dogs (and people) may be injured. • If you do not want your dog to argue over toys, stay away from dogs playing with toys. If you do not want to lose a cherished toy, leave it at home. Maintaining the Park • Do not go into restricted areas. • Do not allow dogs to dig holes. • Do not allow dogs to chew plants in the park. • Respect newly seeded areas, fenced or not. • Do not kick balls, as this will more easily destroy the grass. • Do not congregate at just the few open areas; this will quickly wear out the grass. • And, again, always pick up after your dog (even in the snow!). (Thanks to Polly Hanson, Robin Kovary, Rob Klein, Nadine McGann, Dan Tortora, Ph.D., Peter Borchelt, Ph.D., Jeff Zahn, Elaine Buchsbaum, and my clients, many of whose suggestions have been incorporated.) Barbara Giella, Ph.D., is founder of The Educated Puppy & Dogs Too. © 2000 Barbara Giella