by K. Charpie-Elton

Should we let them run in dog parks, or should we not let them run in dog parks!? That is the question I am asked over and over again - at Show and Tells, by new adopters, by foster homes, even by friends.

If it's your own personal dog, the answer is still easy: I don't recommend it. I don't take my own dogs to dog parks. Never have and never will, for a variety of reasons. I don't know the other pet owners. I don't know if their dog's vaccinations are current, or if they have ever been vaccinated. I don't want my dogs exposed to rabies or some mutant strain of distemper, parvo, or corona virus that has become resistant to antibiotics.

I don't know the personalities of the other dogs.
I don't know who's aggressive and who's not. I don't want one of my dogs to give the wrong "doggie signal" and suddenly get attacked. Vet services aren't cheap, and treatment for one dog bite can run up a big bill. Plus, greyhounds are so thin-skinned that a little cut can
triple in size (and thereby triple your vet bill.)

I do know the personalities of my dogs. I know they have been specifically bred as hunters for thousands of years and as racing machines for many, many decades. I know that any moving object, whether it is a paper bag or another dog, can trigger their hunting instincts. I know their little feet can carry them one half mile away from me in 30 seconds. No matter how sweet and loving they are at home, I know that I can never trust them 100% in a setting that simulates racing or hunting.

"But they love to run!!" everybody tells me. True, but I don't love to see my dogs bleeding and in pain. I don't love to
see someone else's dog injured. And I certainly don't love to pay for sutures and drain tubes
and antibiotics and possible skin grafts and
other surgeries.

Some recent incidents might help to illustrate why I feel the way I do: Easter Sunday at a Long Beach area dog park, a recently adopted greyhound was attacked by a large dog.
Result: 3 punctures, multiple stitches, a drain tube, and over $300. Last December, Long Beach area park again, a greyhound sustained several hundred dollars worth of injuries after being attacked by a "friendly" dog.

Several dogs were poisoned by persons unknown in an Orange County and LA County dog park this winter. Two died. At a South Bay area dog park, a foster dog grabbed, shook, and would not let go of a border collie-sized dog. At the same dog park, there is a rumor floating around that a chihuahua was killed by a greyhound. This is not the kind of rumor that I, as a volunteer in an adoption organization, want floating around. My goal, and I would hope the goal of all greyhound owners, is to find homes for these gentle and loving dogs. I don't want to put my dogs in a situation that could ruin the reputations of all greyhounds, and any situation that simulates hunting or racing is potentially dangerous. I think I have some valid reasons for avoiding dog parks. I could give you more examples of other accidents that have occurred, but I hope you see my point. Yes, they love to run, but is it worth all the risks involved? Can anybody give me one really good reason to take your greyhound to a dog park?

(AAGI's note: We can't. We can give you many local examples of why we discourage visiting dog parks or running your greyhounds in a group. Please think carefully before visiting dog parks.)

The following article is reprinted with permission from "The 45 M.P.H. Couch Potato Update" which is the newsletter for GPA/California - Orange County and Greater Los Angeles Chapter. We found it very informative.