A Note About the White Rock Lake Dog Park (Or: Why Some People Suck)
Is there anything worse than people who bore you with stories about their children and pets? The answer is no. There is nothing worse than people who bore you with stories about their children and pets.
Let me tell you a story about my dog. Her name is Katie Dog (pictured). She’s maybe 7 months old. We’re not sure because she’s a rescue mutt. Yesterday my wife took her up to the White Rock Lake Dog Park to stretch her legs. Bad things happened. Tears were shed. I’ll actually let my wife tell you the story. Here’s the email she sent me toward the end of the day yesterday:
It’s a nice day, Katie can’t run in our yard [ed: don't ask], and it was 3 pm. I figured it would be a good, safe time to let her blow off some steam at the White Rock Dog Park.
Within minutes of entering, five dogs came to greet her. Normal.
Then, one part-pit-bull-looking dog got aggressive. Rammed her into the fence once. Twice. Heard her wimper and yelp. Other dogs started joining in. The pit bull dog was mean, relentlessly pushing her, nipping at her. I ran across the field, screamed no, inserted myself as a barrier, pushed him with my foot several times, yanked him off Katie by his collar and screamed, “WHO’S DOG IS THIS????” I started kicking at the dog.
By this time, several other adults came over to help pull dogs off the Katie pile-on. Finally the owner ambles over and, without an apology, leashes his dog and asks me how old mine is. I answer quietly (voice shaking). He leaves quietly (I hope tail between his legs).
Today, I learned that even though Katie Dog is our dog, whose needs come after everyone else’s in our family, including Bunny’s [ed: my daughter plush toy security doll], my Momma Bear instincts extend to even her. As that lazy loaf of a dog owner a**hole left with his a**hole dogs, and I realized Katie was safe, the pent-up adrenaline of being in a dog brawl and defending my canine cub gave way to big, fat tears. That’s normal, right?
Thank God for the dog owners who helped me bust up the brawl, then came by after things settled down to make sure I was ok. There was Quiet-Shy Guy, Outspoken Punky Woman (who said she was glad I yelled at a**hole — his dog had started three other fights before we got there), and Gentle Biker Dude with three Australian shepherds that seemed to loiter around Katie in a protective barrier of fur and teeth.
There is great signage at the park about picking up poop, keeping your dog hydrated, and which size dogs go where. There should be an eBay-like policy for dog owners. If you can’t keep your dog under control, then you get black listed and you’re not allowed back in.The lake’s 100-year anniversary seems like a perfect time to roll out such a policy.
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54 comments
Let’s hope a**hole dog owner doesn’t have kids. Yikes.
But pit bulls are nice, according to the midgets on the teevee.
I especially like the part about the biker dude having a protective barrier of fur and teeth. Inside? Heart of gold.
No excuse for that pit bull…but isn’t there a special area for small dogs at that park?
@Snappy: Katie Dog is probably 35 pounds. She ain’t big, but she ain’t small, either.
I understand wanting to protect your dog, but screaming and running can only further encourage an aggressive dog. Bad, bad idea.
P.S. If she’s 35 lbs., she can go in the small dog area.
I’m channeling Cee-lo here, bear with me.
To the bad dog owner, I dedicate this song to you:
I see you running in the park
With a real bad dog, and I’m like
F-You.
oo,oo,ooo
I guess you have a small pee-pee
Cuz you got a dog that’s bad for me
F-you and, uh,
F- him too
I said, whose dog is this?
You just said, “how old is it?”
Ha, and ain’t that some sh-t? (ain’t that some sh-t?)
And although K-D had some slack
I still wish you would not come back
F-you
oo, oo, ooo
Sorry that happened to your dog, but it’s exactly why I’d never take mine to a dog park. I know my dog, but there’s no way I could know all the potential triggers for all the other dogs there. It only takes one.
Just don’t go there. The tension in there is like the Whiskey Bar at 1:45 am. All the uncut Pits, Germans Shepherds,etc. plus oblivious owners make it more stressful than fun.
@Snappy… I’d say that is there is no excuse for the OWNER.
@Tim@Snappy,
This brings up a point I’ve been making for years: There should be an in between park for dogs in the medium range and for older, calmer dogs that can’t hang in the little dog park.
Our rescue mutt, One Eyed Willie, was a staple at the little dog park for the first 2 months that we had him. He’s really laid back and was treading on that 25-30 lb range from being malnourished. Once his weight shot up from regular eating, it was off to the big dog park. That place is a whole new world compared to the idyllic tranquility of the little yappy dog park area.
We stopped going to the park altogether because of the many overly-relaxed owners (“oh, it’s not humping, he’s showing dominance over your dog, just let it happen”) and the constant on-edge-ness that I get from the inevitable scrum that occurs when the big dogs play rough.
Willie just wants to hang out in the little dog park, but those owners would definitely question his 52 lbs. And when he’s in the big dog park, he just wants to chase his ball, which is fun even when other dogs join in, but some a-hole owner/dog combo seems to screw it up every time.
Now, what were you saying about people who tell stories about their dogs?
Sadly, people are a**holes regardless of locale – it’s definitely not a White Rock thing.
For instance, we’ve gone on several occasions to a certain watering hole that welcomes dogs. This watering hole specifically says that the dogs must be neutered and well behaved, but well, the last time we were there, we saw at least five dogs with balls as big as grapefruits. And, natch, those dogs were the ones that were the most aggressive and not really all that well behaved. They also roamed unfettered, while their owners were on the other side of the yard, not watching them.
Now, I’m no veterinarian, but aren’t dogs who have been fixed supposed to be ball-less? Also, I swear I don’t make a habit of looking at dog genitalia. There were just some pretty obvious and impressive displays that day.
Get Eric Celeste over there this afternoon. Christine, next time whip out your cell phone and take the owner’s picture. Hell hath no furry like a dog owner scorned.
I think the real relevant question here, Tim, is what sort of strings you had to pull to get Katie Dog enrolled at the White Rock Dog Park, and how many underpriveleged dogs were excluded?
Also, note to Katie Dog:
Who’s a sweet puppy? Who’s a sweet puppy? You’re a sweet puppy. You are.
I have to say there is nothing worse than an irresponsible dog owner – no matter what breed the dog. While you don’t have to stand side-by-side with your pup the entire time you’re at the park, it is important to keep your eye on the dog. They are animals and have instincts and if they do act or are acted upon it is important for both dog owners to be able to react simultaneously. I am sorry that happened to your katie dog and I am even more bummed that of course the perp was a “pit bull dog.” I rescued one and he’s awesome. But..perhaps it has something to do with having a real good mommy.
This is why I stopped taking my dog to White Rock lake. I used to take my 3-year-old doberman, Rusty,(who is super wimpy btw) to the White Rock Lake dog park until he got attacked nearly every time we went. Each time it was a pitbull or pitbull mix. The only reason he survived was because he responds well to voice commands (after 3 months of one-on-one obedience training) and he is fast enough to run away from the more aggressive dogs. The city needs to step up and train some volunteer doggy police so that dogs (and their owners) that fight are asked to leave.
We have a pit bull. She is as sweet as she can be. She too was a rescue. However we never allow her to be around other dogs or children because we just are unsure how she would react. Better safe than sorry.
@Towski: Listen, the investigation shows that there are far more openings at dog parks across the city than there are dogs on the wait list. This makes me sad.
This exact same thing happened to my dog a year or so ago at the white rock dog park. 3 pit bulls with shock collars on randomly attached him, flipping him up in the air and smashing him into the fence. My girlfriend jump in between almost being bit. The owner did nothing except for shock the dogs with his stupid little remote which made the situation worse. I yelled at him, wiped the blood from my dog, and never went back to the park. Certain breeds should just not be allowed in public parks.
Tim, there is a really nice, almost brand new dog park off of Keller Springs and Preston. Not sure where you live so it may be a long drive.
I take my dog to the WRL dog park all the time. If Katie Dog is only 7 months old, it’s okay if she is in the small dog part. I think the only thing you need to worry about on that side is my dog Enzo. He’s quite the ladies’ man. Hey, he’s an Italian greyhound, what can I say?
A few years ago, if your dog turned the WRL dog park into it’s own K9 MMA chain metal death match gladiator arena, you and the dog were banned from returning. Some older park users that always sat in those plastic chairs at the park kept tabs on who was banned. I have not visited that part of the park, taking our dogs to Norbuck instead where we don’t have to deal with the idiocracy of the whole “Pet Parent” craze.
I thought this would actually be a story about someone dumping dogs and abandoning them at the dog park. It happens, alot.
I have a pit bull rescue. He’s great around adults and kids. But I would never let him off the leash around other dogs. The instinct in him is too strong.
So lesson learned here:
a) Pit bulls and other aggressive dogs shouldn’t go free in a dog park.
b) Don’t take your dogs to a dog park. There’s always a risk. So you’re doing it at your own risk.
It’s your fault.
What a lucky dog Katie is to have been rescued not just today, but for life, by your family!
Way to go canine “Momma Bear”.
This happens far too often and basically why I don’t take my lab there anymore. There’s a nice community dog park — albeit small — on Travis, just south of Fitzugh.
I think its funny that some people are so surprised that unleashed animals may rely on their animalistic instincts and get into fights. Sounds like you should just walk your dog around the block while enjoying fond memories of children without mini giraffes that you bumped out of a better education.
I am so happy Katie and Christine are alright. This story almost made me cry. I have a little 5 pound dog, I can’t imagine how I would have reacted if this happened to me.
PS. Isn’t Christine an amazing writer/dog owner?
Also, I swear I don’t make a habit of looking at dog genitalia. There were just some pretty obvious and impressive displays that day.
See, now if you had stopped at obvious, i would have believed you.
Wait, Rogers. You bumped mini giraffes out of a better education? I have got to pay more attention.
@Towski – funny, funny. You, too, @DGirl. Love it.
Bet that Pit owner was a day laborer
Pit bulls should be banned from dog parks, and from the city too. Yay for vibrant diversity.
My neighbor had a pit bull, it was the sweetest dog. Just SO sweet!
Until it knocked down the fence and tore up my sheltie. I shattered its skull with a baseball bat, and the owner freaked out, said he was gonna sue me, etc. “You didn’t have to kill him!!!
The hell I didn’t.
Here’s the last word on pit bulls, written by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker. In short, it’s a far more complicated issue than most people realized. A must-read for anyone with a strong opinion of pits.
When are people going to stop making excuses for pit bulls?
They need to be outlawed.
Katie Dog looks just like my Lucy Girl did when she was a puppy. Cutie.
Go, Christine! Go Gentle Biker Dude!
My experiences at the White Rock Dog Park are similar. Multiple instances of aggression that led to a chaotic scrum not unlike sharks in a feeding frenzy. The same dogs started each fight, and the owners would not remove them from the park, so they continued to incite trouble. I had to take my dog over to the waterside to get away from them. Yes, the problem dogs all appeared to be pit mixes, but I blame the owners more than the dogs.
I am shocked to see a couple of comments on this thread that object to dog parks. Where exactly are dog owners supposed to let their dogs get real exercise, socialization, and freedom? Not all of us have spare acres of open land to let them run on, and I can’t run as fast as she can. There is plenty I can do to give her exercise, but dogs thrive with more room to explore and cut loose.
I went to Ottawa once with my girlfriend and visited their Earl Pitts Dog Park. Acres and acres of wooded paths with big clearings and agility areas interspersed throughout. I was speechless. I wish we had anything like that here… think of Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano as an off leash dog park.
Bottom line… people need to suck less. Dog owners need to understand the limitations of their pets’ behavior and be courteous to the other dogs and owners around them. Dog people are different from those that don’t have them, and we should feel mutual respect for the dedication we give to our furry companions.
i say we contact our Mayor, and tell him about the Pit Bull owner. Perhaps, he will give him a key to the city.
The problem isn’t the dogs at the dog park, it’s the owners.
I rescued a pitpull. She nursed a litter of kittens. She sleeps with me every night. She begs me to pick her up and carry her on my hip. We have brought 3 new animals into our home and she has welcomed each one like a gracious little hostess. When we go to the dog park, other dogs run to her and corner her at the gate.
She’s cool.
They keep sniffing her.
She’s cool.
They keep sniffing her and follow her around for 15 minutes. I try to shoo them away. They growl at me. After having a nose up her a** for 15 minutes she growls at the dog of some owner who is too busy talking to all of the other busy body dog park people who have no life and gossip. Suddenly, my dog is ‘scary’.
We can’t win, so we don’t go. Meanwhile the dog park busybodies have free rein.
Sorry, folks, but I’m going to say it. You cant trust a pit bull. period. Even a pit bull mix. They should be outlawed from the city. period. I care not of the stories that will post protesting my ignorance. A former neighbors child was mauled by one of your ‘friendly’ pit bulls and has had more than 3 facial plastic surgeries. It’s in their genes. unless you are the real dog whisperer, you just don’t know enough to solve this problem with the breed. Have you forgotten about the woman who was mauled to death by two ‘friendly’ pit bulls in california? What a horrible way to die. Nope. put ‘em all to sleep. Outlaw them. Period.
You spelled “whose” wrong, in “who’s dog is this.” Blech, no wonder no one cares about journalism “professionals” any more.
@Kim: “Anymore” is one word in that usage. Mutually assured destruction. Step away from the red button.
It needs to be said AGAIN — it’s not the breed of dog, it’s how it’s raised and trained by its HUMAN owner/parent.
I took my Dutch Shepherd pup to WR Dog Park for the first time last week, and during our mostly great visit, he was bullied a few times by a female Chocolate Lab. Luckily that dog’s owner was good enough to apologize and finally leash her and go home.
It’s the PEOPLE, people, not dog or the breed.
And YES, we should be posting photos of the crappy OWNERS on the community board — it’s what camera phones are for!
@bc: Totally agree about an in-between park. My rescued terrier mixes (dachshund and schnauzer) are technically small enough for the tiny dog area, but their ratting instincts are just too strong for the 2-pound teacup pups that hang out there. But when we take them next door, they’re not large enough to roughhouse with the big dogs. Eventually we got tired of chasing them down when they trail after the chihuahas, and I’ve been a barrier too many times in big dog scrums. We just stopped going to dog parks and opt for long walks now instead.
It needs to be said AGAIN – it’s not the breed of dog, it’s how it’s raised and trained by its HUMAN owner/parent.
Um, no, it’s not. I was a vet tech for years and while a good owner can make a pit bull slightly less dangerous, it’s still a very dangerous breed by nature, they are who we thought they are in other words. Same with chow’s.
@Doug, being a vet tech does not make you a canine behavior expert, but thank you for chiming in.
Far more Shepherds and Dachshunds bite and injure humans every year than pits do.
And here i was, thinking that working over a decade, 8-10 hours a day, 6 days a week, with thousands of animals, actually did make me kinda knowledgeable about their behavior, silly me. I’ll be sure to tell the vets i used to work for, who share the same opinion i do, that they don’t know what they’re talking about either.
A similar thing as this happened to me and my pug at a the Main Street Garden dog park. An unaltered bull dog kept coming after him and all of the other, mostly small, dogs there. The bulldog finally came at me and I kicked him in the stomach, at which point his owner freaked. The city needs to do more to keep unaltered pets out of the parks.
Oh, and as for the pitbull thing, Denver got rid of them and has not looked back since. We should do that here.
Actually, here is the last word on pit bulls:
http://www.cravendesires.blogspot.com
That New Yorker article is full of crap.
There must be a disincentive for the owners of “questionable” dogs (inc. those for whom news articles must be written) for not ensuring civility in their pets. Perhaps permit only dogs who have been registered with the City of Dallas to use the two parks (and third park, whatever)? Then, each dog must be “checked into” the park by reg. number. If something happens, the owner of the “victim dog” can complain, and the city can choose to warn (1st offense) fine (2nd) and ban (3rd) the aggressor dog. Inevitable questions will arise about whose dog was at fault. The parks are relatively smallish, so perhaps video cameras can be set up to monitor? Otherwise, statements from fellow park-goers should suffice. And the complaints are all public, as are the city’s responses, which can be admitted in court to establish any dangerous propensity and owner’s knowledge of the dog’s disposition. Rough thoughts, but there you have ‘em.
@Jess Right, clearly that Craven Desires blog post is a more reasoned, rational discourse on the nature of pit bulls than an article by Malcolm Gladwell in The New Yorker. You can take issue with Gladwell’s interpretations in a lot of his work, but you can’t argue that he does exhaustive research and supports his arguments well.
One of the best points in the article was regarding how you determine what a “pit bull” is. Is it just any purebred of the four breeds classified in this way? A mix of them? What percentage? 1/2 pit? 1/4? 1/16? With strays and rescues, how can you ever know? I have a rescued dog, and we spent a long time trying to determine her breed parentage. The vet and every pet store employee we spoke with helped us arrive at a shar pei/ boxer mix, but a lot of people think she looks like a pit. Mostly these are people that don’t know much about dogs, but it is a serious concern for me. If there is no concrete definition of what a pit is, then it is up to the discretion of whatever law enforcement officer is called to address the situation. If my dog were ever mistaken for a pit and confiscated or banned from my city due to the ignorance or suspicion of some newbie animal control officer, I would be furious and facing a mountain of legal hassles trying to sort this out.
Hi,
That is so horrible! I have been thinking about taking my dog there because I heard there is a fenced part of the lake they can swim in? I usually go to the Lewisville Dog park..It’s probably far for you, but the dogs are nice, the people are nice and EVERYONE picks up their dog’s mess:) If someone does not see their dog do it, they politely say “your dog just did their thing over there” and they say “thanks!” and they go pick it up:) It is NEVER muddy. If a section of grass starts to not be so thick, they gate that part off and reseed it. Its an amazing place:) If your are ever over that way, check it out.
To All.
There are a lot of opinions, complaints and ideas here. There are some good and some not so good. I agree there are a lot of people who come to dog parks that should not be there. Not to mention their dogs shouldn’t be anywhere near other dogs outside of the dogs they might live with. As a person who works with troubled dogs I can stand outside the park on a busy day and point out the dogs that will cause trouble. There’ve been times I’ve gone to the park and decided not to go in for the safety of my own dogs. Unfortunately not everyone can see this nor, for that matter, look for it. They just know they need to get their pups in for some fun.
As for the Pit issue, I’ve seen nearly every breed of dog go off on other dogs and start fights. I’ve watched Pits lean up against the fence in a submissive position while a Lab dominated it. I’ve also seen great playing Pits suddenly jump another dog for reasons only the Pit knows. The difference is the Pits have the jaws to do more damage. I have no opinion, one way or the other, about banning Pits. I just tend to be more prepared to intervene when they’re in the park playing.
The dog park has a lot of changes coming in 2012 but as a 501c3 operated park we rely on volunteers. The park will be undergoing a remodel starting September. We’ll also be working with the city to try and implement a more concise set of rules and regulations, but, there won’t be any park police unless we get people to volunteer. We’ll be having meetings with Animal Control who at this time has no authority within the park area. We’ll discuss Animal Control showing more of a presence in the parking lot looking for violations such as intact dogs, people who don’t have their dogs on a leash outside of the fenced area and dogs who are not wearing the city registration tags. These are all city laws. For those who aren’t aware, in the city of Dallas, your dog must be spayed or neutered unless you’re a breeder, you’ve registered your dog as a breeding dog and paid for the additional breeding license. I met with a field supervisor one day and literally watched eight different people pull in with dogs and then turn around and leave when they spotted the animal control van. You tell me those people don’t know they’re violating city ordnances. Our hope is the increased presence of Animal Control will deter some of the aggressive dogs and people.
I personally wish everyone with all the complaints and ideas would put their money where their mouth is and join the park as volunteers. It’s easy to complain or play armchair quarterback but it takes someone who really cares to help out. I also hope those who’ve had a bad experience at the park give it another chance once all the changes have been made. We’re striving to make the White Rock Dog Park the best dog park around. If you would like to see what you can do go to http://www.whiterockdogpark.org and look for volunteer.
I, too, had the same experience this past Saturday at White Rock Lake dog park. My boyfriend and I have gone maybe a total of 10 times and have seen similar instances but that never involved our dogs. We have an 8 lb-3 yr old Maltese and a 45 lb-9 mo old Bulldog. If anyone educated enough about Bulldogs know, they are very gentle, loving, somewhat slow and unintelligent creatures. Mac the Bulldog’s size is in between small area and big area (even though he may weigh a lot you would never guess with his size) so my boyfriend takes him to the big area first and then meets me in the small area. While I was in the small area, a Boston Terrier got into a brawl with a Chihuahua mix and other dogs chimed in. The brawl was broken up and the owner of the Chihuahua left. I was shocked because his dog was not the aggressive one. The same thing happened again with the Boston terrier and a French bulldog! The owner of the Boston terrier took her dog aside for a few to let him “cool off”. Seriously!? Right after that happened enters Mac and my boyfriend. The dogs friendly greet Mac as he’s half laying down enjoying the attention with his tongue hanging out. Almost immediately, the Boston Terrier and French bulldog pounce on Mac! Within seconds a third dog — a Wired Hair Terrier — joins in. The Boston Terrier and French Bulldog were aggressive but the Wired Hair Terrier starting biting Mac’s neck fiercely. My motherly instinct kicked in (I weigh a buck 5 and I’m 5’1) so I jumped right in the middle trying to kick the terrier out of the way. The owner of the terrier did not even try to help nor apologized. We grabbed Mac and Riley and headed towards the gate. I turned around and said “you SHOULD NOT bring aggressive dogs to the dog park” as loud as my squeaky voice could go. I was shaking and my heart was pounding. The owner of the terrier (a middle-aged, taller man with glasses) fired back at me and blamed our dog!!!! He said that if other dogs were attacking ours, then our dog must be the problem. That did not go over well with my boyfriend or me. We were yelling at him as he was yelling back. Mac never jumped on the dogs, showed his teeth, barked or became aggressive. The Boston Terrier was fighting other dogs and was obviously the instigator (as one bystander pointed out after the fight). The owner of the terrier even made the comment that our dog was genetically mutated and was not even a dog. Who does that!??! He walked up to the gate and my boyfriend walked up to him. They were chest and chest. My boyfriend, who is a lawyer, knows not to put his hands on someone first…but was readily prepared if the man striked. It was such an immature display of emotions but how can you not protect yourself and your “kids” in a time such as that? How can an owner of an aggressive, biting dog blame someone else’s dog? He really needs to be careful because if his dog had drawn blood I would have called 911 to press charges. Does he not understand the severe consequences if his dog attacks another and there’s injuries!?
With all of this said – lesson learned to avoid this man’s dog at ALL COST. The next time we go, if his dog is there, we will refuse to enter. Please, if you do the same – pay close attention. If you see a middle-aged man with glasses with a Wired Hair Terrier do not let your dog(s) close to his!!!
People, do not judge the dog. Judge its owner. I have 2 pitts who are nice and sweet. As a matter of fact they ARE affraid of what you would call “normal” dogs. The way your dog is raised will be the way it will act in the future. Obviously this pit’s owner didnt give a damn about his dog, otherwise he would be watching it and WOULD HELP during the breakign the fight. People like him give pittbulls bad names!!!!! I am pretty sure this wasnt the first time his dog was aggressive…and unfortunately probably not the last time. That guy should be banned from the park. His dog should be taken away to people who can train it to act like a good dog.