Dog parks have really become a big deal. They are used daily by hundreds of families with dogs. They romp, run, play and wrestle. Sometimes, they just hang out. It often reminds me of McDonald's Play Place. Throw a bunch of random kids together and they're bound to hit it off, right? As a child, it was my favourite restaurant to eat in.

A Kid's Meal with a toy and a place to play with bouncy horses, ball pits, Merry-Go-Rounds, and slides. McDonalds knew that if they built it, the kids would come - and the kids would bring their family! It was brilliant marketing on their part. The kids, after all, are typically the ones who get to choose where. The parents were happy because after eating, they got to chat while the kids played in the little windowed cell - safe and contained. What kid wouldn't love it at the Play Place? Well, there are some. The ones who get bullied by other kids. The ones who get hurt. As a kid, I remember an incident where I was pushed from behind by a child on the slide. I didn't know him. I wasn't sure if he was impatient and I was taking too long or if he truly was looking to bully me. All I know is I ended up with a goose egg on my head and a fat lip where I bit down hard. My mom came running in to help me and after attending to my immediate needs, she turned to find both child and parent had vanished. They were nowhere to be seen.

That was early on in the days when McDonalds first realized that marketing to children was beneficial. We saw exciting colours and fun and wanted to be part of it! We didn't have access to the information we do now. We made decisions based on different factors back then - the Play Place seemed safe and magical! Fast forward to today and the accessibility of details at your fingertips. Google "Play Place Accidents". I got almost 5 million results in less than one second! Now, I'm quite certain that not all 5 million results are horrific incidents, but likely, a few of them are. Now Google "Dog Park Accidents".McDonald's Not quite as big a list at 1.5 million, but still a lot of incidents includiing Spectator articles about dogs being killed.

We don't recommend the traditional use of Dog Parks. With the lack of structure and complete anonymity, it can be a powder keg just waiting for a spark. With the stories that we are privy to, we know that it's not worth the risk. None of our staff would ever go to one. Check with any vet and I'm quite certain that they've all seen tremendous injury as a result of Leash-Free Dog Parks as well. So, the question is, are you willing to take the risk? There are, of course, a balance of facts. Probably most days go by without incident at the Dog Park. With a little planning and some rules to follow, it can be a fun experience. So, how do you decide if the risk is worth it? I would break it down to the points we talk about in this episode.

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Happy Training! ~Ken