Why do trainers not like dog parks?
Olga Collins
2025-10-14 14:00:48
Count answers
: 18
Trainers do not like dog parks because they are promoting owning big powerful dog breeds that are hard to control in dog parks.
The problem with their system is that they either know that its impractical for many of their clients to control these big beasts in dog parks, or they purposely want to have these owners NOT socialise their dogs, so out of fear of what their dogs might do, they keep coming back as clients.
By training up a lot of big powerful dogs, and coercing owners to stay away from dog parks, the dogs do not have a chance to learn to be social.
The problem of course is that these dogs can't be taken to the parks and be let loose, or even to the cafe on a Saturday morning.
You have a single purpose dog, of your making.
Having a highly trained dog, with no social skills is asking for trouble.
They obey commands through reinforcement and fear, not through mutual compliance or want.
A social dog should still have recall, but if it doesn't come immediately it isn't going to start a fight.