I used to like doggie playgroups 15 years ago when they were informal off leash gatherings at the park. Before there were fences, owners were careful to supervise their dogs and trained them well enough to be able to call them out of play if things got out of hand. Now that dog parks have fences, I agree with most other professional trainers that dog parks are largely unsafe. Too many owners sit around drinking coffee and allow their dogs to run wild without interrupting overly rough or aggressive behavior. However, if you don’t have anywhere else to let your dog run off leash, dog parks can be a necessary part of exercising your young dog. So how to keep it safe?

Dog play usually works best in groups of two or three. Once there is a pack, there is a huge potential for bullying. So try to go when things are quiet. Make plans to meet one of your dog’s preferred playmates at a less busy time. Be prepared to leave and go for a walk instead if things get crowded or anything is making you or your dog uncomfortable.

What should you watch for? Here’s Sue Sterberg’s list of Red Alert Behaviors from her new app for the iphone: Sue Sternberg’s Dog Park Assistant.

1. Rolling: When one dog makes physical contact with another and knocks into him, causing him to tumble, somersault, or roll over.
2. Tucked Tail: When the dog’s tail is so low that the base is pressed tight to the anus. The tip of the tail is often under the stomach.
3. Pinning: When one or more dogs has another dog on its side or back for more than 5 seconds.
4. Hiding or Hovering: When the dog spends more than 5 seconds underneath something or hovering near a human. Dog’s tail will be tucked or low.

If you see any of these behaviors, you need to interrupt and pull your dog out of the park. This will take some courage because there is a lot of peer pressure to “just let them work it out”. I find this a little strange when there is currently so much awareness about bullying among children and yet popular culture tells us we should just let puppies figure it out without any support. If you let your dog repeatedly have scary experiences, she will end up becoming frightened and defensive (growling, snapping), so choose your dog’s playmates with care.

The best playmates will be those who are similar in size and play style. Different breeds have different play styles: Boxers like to box, labs like to body slam and mouth wrestle, toy breeds often like to bounce around without a lot of physical contact, pointers like to chase etc. If your dog likes to bounce and chase, she may not enjoy playing with dogs who like to tackle and mouth wrestle, especially if they are three times her size and she could get hurt. Given the wide variations in size and personality, it’s unreasonable to expect that all dogs will play well together. Some dogs really are social ambassadors who enjoy playing with all comers, but if your dog is a little more shy or sensitive, please be understanding of that. Not all kids are going to love dodge ball and not all puppies are going to love the puppy bowl!

Being a good pet parent means keeping your dog safe from both physical and psychological harm while making sure his needs for exercise and socialization are met. For some dogs, the dog park will be a good option for this; for others it won’t be.