Dog parks provide a great safe space for people to exercise their dogs, and watch them play. They can facilitate socialization with a variety of different dogs and people. They can be a wonderful place for adolescent dogs that have too much energy and no place to put it.

The disadvantages can sometimes come in the availability to repeat unwanted behaviours.  And often, owners unknowingly contribute to behavioural problems because they don’t recognize—or don’t interpret correctly—what their dogs are actually doing and learning.

The Sunday Cafe is hosted and produced by Mel Homer, the technical editor is Geoff Rooke.