How do I know if my dog will be good at the dog park?

Study the interactions with other dogs, just like you don’t love every person you meet, you can’t expect a dog to get along with every canine in the park. Watch and see if your dog engages in “give and take” interactions with others. If it seems your pet is always the one getting chased, pinned to the ground, or ganged up on by fellow dogs, it may not be having fun. However, if your pup takes turns with different kinds of play, that’s a good sign. It also may become clear that your dog has had enough and just wants to be left alone. If the critter creates distance between other dogs or tries to hide from them, you may need to intervene by taking your pet back home. Understand body language symbols, a wagging tail is one of the most familiar characteristics of a happy dog. Did you know that a tucked tail indicates fear. The same is true if the canine has drawn, tight lips. An open mouth is often a sign of relaxation. When a dog keeps its muscles loose at the dog park, it’s having a good time. If you notice a lot of tension, the opposite is true. Watch how the dog uses the space, if the dog remains energetic during the time at the park and spends its time running, jumping and playing with other animals, it’s having a good time. However, if the dog stands away from the others and doesn’t want to join in, it may be too scared.

You'll find content that will help you train your dogs. Make sure you check out our WIKI for recommended resources and articles about common problems. There are a lot of discussions on here about the etiquette of being in the dog park, and getting dogs socialized before going to the dog park, but what would you say is the moment where you think, Okay, I think they're ready for their first visit. I have a 4 month old GSD, and she is still fairly skittish and not ready for the park. So I want to work her up to being comfortable with that kind of stimuli. But I'm not sure what the milestone is that proves she's good to go. What do you think? Any tips for exercises to get a puppy prepped for the park?