Why I Would Never Take My Dogs to a Dog Park
To the untrained eye, dog parks look like paradise — a safe place for dogs to run, play, and socialise while their owners chat with other dog lovers.
As a professional dog trainer, you couldn’t pay me to take my own dogs there.
Dog parks often reinforce poor behaviour in both dogs and owners. Your dog can quickly learn bad habits from others, such as ignoring recall, rough play, and aggressive tendencies. I’ve even witnessed owners actively encouraging their dogs to be aggressive.
One memorable incident involved a German Shepherd owner asking a Husky owner to control his two dogs that were harassing his Shepherd. Instead of complying, the Husky owner became defensive — and a fist fight broke out between the two humans.
Dogs have not evolved to socialise randomly with every dog they meet. Many breeds are naturally territorial, and some have been selectively bred for high drive, protection work, or aggression.
When you combine these traits with poor training and insufficient socialisation, trouble is almost guaranteed. Some dogs become confrontational as a way to protect themselves based on past experiences. Others simply want to play and fail to read social signals — creating the perfect conditions for conflict.
Dogs communicate very subtly through body language. To the untrained eye, these signals are easy to miss, which often leads to misunderstandings and fights.
Here are just some of the situations that frequently escalate into attacks or fights:
While I couldn’t find official Australian statistics, one American dog trainer reported that roughly one dog per day dies in the US from fights at local dog parks.
True socialisation is not about throwing your dog into an off-lead free-for-all. It means controlled, positive exposure to a variety of people, dogs, environments, and situations.
If anyone tells you the local dog park is a safe or ideal place for socialisation, disregard any further advice from them — they clearly don’t understand dog behaviour and are giving dangerous recommendations.
The solution is straightforward: Take your dog to a reputable dog training school. There, your dog can learn solid obedience and healthy social skills in a structured, safe environment. You’ll also meet other responsible, like-minded owners.
As a trainer, I regularly see the aftermath of dog park incidents — physical injuries and emotional trauma for both dogs and their devastated owners. No dog should have to die that way.
Puppy and group classes are run every Saturday mornings in Flynn, ACT. Puppy school and obedience classes – Sidney Aarons
Check out Sidney’s YouTube channel (5015) Sidney Aarons Professional Dog Trainer – YouTube
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