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Post by kaos on Oct 9, 2006 14:41:27 GMT -5
Don't misunderstand, I was not promoting dog parks as such, just debating whether adult dog play has any value.
I don't think NZ has dog parks in the same way as the US does, and I choose to exercise my dogs in far less crowded areas anyway. I think for most dogs there is a big difference between meeting the odd dog while you are passing each other on a walk in a big open area, and having the choice to play or to simply sniff and carry on with the walk, and being thrown into a relatively small area with a whole bunch of dogs running riot that they may not be able to avoid. I guess we have created the problems of dog parks due to lack of space and too many dogs.
That said, I still don't see that there is anything at all wrong with allowing my adult dogs to play with other social dogs when a suitable opportunity arises, and in my opinion it's value is in the dog's enjoyment and recreation. In addition, my lifestyle dictates that my dogs will need to meet other dogs off lead friom time to time when I am riding in the forest, without showing aggression. This may be unnatural for a wolf, but my domestic dogs are put in this situation and have to cope. I feel that regular contact with other dogs decreases the chance of aggression in this situation.
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