Park patrons are
required to follow these rules and to promptly comply
with any request made by the park monitor on duty.
Violators are subject to removal
and suspension from the park.
| |
YES |
NO |
Dogs
|
' Up to 3 dogs per adult per
visit
' Current county license and shots
(rabies,distemper/
parvovirus, bordetella or protective
vaccine titer)
' Collar and current tags (rabies &/or
county license)
' Off-leash in park; on-leash everywhere else
' Under voice control of owner at all times
|
' Puppies under 4 months '
Dogs in heat
' Aggressive dogs
' Sick dogs
' Dogs with parasites (worms, fleas, or ticks)
|
Owners
|
' Owners are responsible and
liable for their dogs. ' Keep dog's leash
in-hand while in the park.
' Stay with dog at all times and monitor
behavior.
' Immediately leash and remove a problem
dog (aggression, mounting, etc.) from the park.
' Quickly stop your dog from digging and fill
any holes with dirt.
' Quickly clean up after your dog and
dispose of the waste. Period. (Don't even think
about leaving it for others to clean up!)
' Honor other patrons' requests regarding
their dogs.
' Keep park gates closed at all times.
' Turn off running water.
|
' Too many children and dogs to
properly supervise. (One adult to supervise
several children, an infant, and the family dog
is not enough. Make sure you can take care of
every creature you bring into the park.)
|
| Children
|
' Ages 1-5 must be within arm's
length of parent at all times. ' Ages 6-13
must be under strict adult supervision at all
times.
' Ages 14-17 can enter park unaccompanied if
their parents' signed Release Agreement is on
file.
|
|
| Park & Equipment |
' Only dogs and humans are
allowed in park. ' Equipment is for use by
dogs only.
' Small dog area is reserved for dogs up to 25
pounds. (Small dogs are also allowed in large dog
area, but large dogs are not allowed in small dog
area.)
|
' Smoking in the park
'personal dog toys
' Food
or treats for dogs or humans
' Glass containers
' Alcohol
' Children's toys
' Human sports (e.g., football, base-ball,
bikes, skateboards, roller- blades, etc.)
|
WARNING: The Dog Park is NOT a
safe place for children. Therefore, it is strongly urged
that small children not be brought into the park. The Dog
Park was created as a place for people to enjoy their
dogs off-leash. There are plenty of other parks where
children can safely play and socialize.
The Dog Park is not a petting zoo or a place to
“get the child over his/her fear of dogs.”
While most dogs are curious and friendly, not all dogs
are child-friendly. Some have strong prey-chasing
instincts and may mistake a baby for a small, injured
creature. A running, screaming child attracts attention
and becomes a target for many dogs, because the child
resembles an injured animal or running prey. Herding
breeds may nip children in an attempt to round them up.
Children are just the right height to make direct eye
contact with dogs, placing them at great risk from dogs
which consider this a confrontational challenge. Children
are easily run over and knocked down by running or
playful dogs. Dogs can jump high enough to investigate
babies in front- and backpacks. Children may pick up
fleas and may contract intestinal parasites where dog
urine and feces are present.
If you still decide to bring your child into the Dog
Park—which you do at your own risk—please
observe these safety precautions: Do not allow your child
to wildly wave his/her arms around. Do not allow
your child to run and scream. Do not allow your
child to play with toys in the park. Do not allow your
child to approach or pet a dog without the owner's
presence and permission. Before coming to the park, teach
your child what experts suggest in an emergency
situation: Never run. Hide face, fold arms, and stand
still “like a tree”; or lie down, tuck arms and
legs into the body, and lie still “like a log.”
Wait until the dog leaves or help arrives.
“Petiquette”
and Precautions
|
| [1] Always clean up
after your dog! Always, always
scoop the poop right away! It's easy to forget,
and all eyes will be on you! This is
the single most important thing owners can do to
insure the ongoing success of the Dog Park.
If dog waste is left on the ground, it will
cling to the wheels of Public Works equipment and
be carried to other recreational fields used by
children—an unacceptable situation. [2] Visiting the Dog Park:
Keep your dog on-leash until you enter the
double-gated entry area. Once inside the park,
all dogs should be off-leash, since leashed dogs
may feel threatened and growl or bark when
approached by off-leash dogs.
Keep the park gates closed, and watch for dogs
on the other side when you are entering or
leaving, so that they do not escape. Watch your
dog to prevent him/her from escaping the
off-leash area.
Supervise your dog closely at all times to
help prevent aggression and other inappropriate
behavior.
Ask the owner's permission to approach a dog
before befriending it.
Use caution when permitting curious dogs to
greet yours, both within and outside the Dog
Park.
Use caution when using toys and other objects
to play with your dog. Dominance issues may arise
which could cause your pet to become unusually
aggressive and bite someone.
Because the first dog-park visit can be a
little stressful for the novice user (human and
dog), first-time visitors might consider visiting
the park at non-peak times (mid-day Monday
through Friday). Peak times are Monday through
Friday in the early morning or late afternoon
until dark and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.
It may take of couple of tries, or even a few
weeks of visits, before your dog comes out of
his/her shell. If you give your dog a little
time, however, you may be pleasantly surprised
(even amazed) by the change, and you will have a
healthier, friendlier, and more playful dog.
[3] Aggression and Mounting:
Do not bring dogs with known aggressive
tendencies into the Dog Park. You are risking
harm to others and creating a potential liability
for yourself.
Dog fights in dog parks are rarely a problem,
because dogs consider it to be neutral territory.
This is because, since all of them are visitors,
none of the dogs is protecting its own turf.
However, if a fight does break out, owners are
responsible for immediately breaking it up. The
safest way to break up a dog fight is to pull the
dogs apart from behind. If any dog remains
unruly, the owner must immediately leash and
remove the dog from the park.
Mounting can initiate a potentially harmful
situation. The owner of any dog displaying
mounting behavior must immediately leash and
remove the dog from the situation.
[4] Injury: If
your dog inflicts an injury, give your name and
phone number to the other owner before leaving
the area. Owners are legally and financially
responsible for their dogs' behavior.
|
|
