We've recently started taking our dog, Millie, to the dog park. She loves other dogs and is fairly well socialized. (We even take her to "doggy day care" one day a week to keep her social skills up to snuff.)

Most dogs at the park are good dogs. There's the occassional scuffle, but I've never seen anything too dangerous. (The scuffles usually sound a lot worse than they are.)

The problem I see at the dog park is the owners. Most people just don't have any clue as to how the dog park works.

This article is not the "rules" for any given dog park. It's more of a set of guidelines that, if followed by everyone, will lead to safe, fun, positive experiences for you and your pup at the dog park.

How to be a responsible dog owner at the dog park 

What to bring with you

Do bring water, and lots of it. Here in Buffalo, we don't have any running water at the dog park, so everyone brings water. The dogs all share the water. Don't expect your dog's water to be reserved just for him/her. Other dogs will drink it and that's OK. If you have an extra dog bowl, you can bring it if you like. Realize that it will likely get destroyed and there's likely plenty of bowls there already. 

Don't bring food. The dog park is not a place for your pup to get a meal. Don't even bring treats. Nothing can breed aggression quite like food. Food is a live-or-die thing for many dogs, and they'll fight for it. Treats can also lead to a mob of dogs around you, which might not be what you want. Additionally, doggy play ends the moment there's a treat to be begged for. Flat out, the dog park is not the place for you to bring yummy treats for the dogs. Dogs aren't pigeons. Please leave your food and treats at home.

Don't wear nice clothes. Not all dogs at the dog park are trained all that well. There's always a friendly jumper, and you're going to get mud on you. Wear clothes that you won't mind getting dirty and you'll be much happier. The same goes for your shoes. While most owners clean up after their dogs, there's bound to be a stray poop somewhere. That stray poop will find your shoes. 

Don't bring a dog you can't handle. If you're only 100lbs and you own a 150lb English mastiff, don't bring your dog alone. Bring someone who can handle the dog with you, or don't go at all!

Don't bring a puppy who's too young. Most dog park rules say 16 weeks (4 months) old is the minimum age for the dog park. This is due to the risk of disease. They dont' mention that older dogs will totally pick on a little puppy. Every dog will want to sniff the puppy, and some might even get protective. All of this extra attention will likely scare the crap out of a puppy. Do your little puppy a favor, wait until they're old enough and then go to the dog park.

Don't bring an unsocialized dog. If your dog has never been to a dog play group or had positive experiences playing with multiple dogs, don't bring your dog. I recommend going to a local dog trainer or doggy day care to socialize your dog first. Think of taking a shut-in and tossing him/her into Times Square on New Year's Eve. I wouldn't expect good results. Why do some owners expect their little shut-in to do well at the dog park? It's intimidating, even for a well socialized pup.

Don't bring kids who are scared of dogs. The dog park is not the place for your child to conquer that fear of dogs.  There's just too much going on, too much energy, and too many dogs. You're more likely to make that fear permanent than cure it at the dog park. 

Do bring a leash. Even though it's a off leash area, you might need the leash to "time out" your dog in the event poor behavior. (You should have a leash when coming or going, too) 

Do bring poop bags. If your pup drops the deuce in the dog park, it's your job to pick it up.Most dog parks have bag dispensers, but don't count on them being stocked all the time.  Bring bags so you're ready when the time comes. Bring more than one, as pups find hidden reserves of dookie at the park.

NEW Don't bring your dog's favorite toy. There's lots of dogs at the dog park, and they will play with whatever they see. If you want to donate an old toy, most dog parks will welcome that, but please don't bring your doggy's favorite toy to the dog park. There's a good chance another dog will play with it. (This can cause even more problems if your pooch gets possessive of his/her favorite frisbee!) 

Before you go into the dog park... 

Do exercise your dog before going into the dog park. A hyper dog will be rude when he/she greets other dogs. That sets the whole thing off to a bad start. I'm not saying your dog should be tired. Just take a short walk to blow off some of that excess energy before jumping in with the gang at the dog park.

Don't enter a dog park with a dog that's freaking out. If your dog is jumping like a maniac, barking uncontrollably, or just plain going bananas, you need to see the previous item and blow off some steam. Dogs will play and jump all over once they're in the park. If they're already freaking out before you get in, they're going to bring way too much of that onto the park too fast. Some other dog's going to misinterpret that energy and there's going to be a scuffle.  

If your pup is scared stiff, don't force him/her into the park. Wait outside for a while. Let your pup take in that atmosphere. There's no need to console the dog, or act comforting, as that'll just reinforce the fear. Just hang out and relax. When you relax, the pup will relax. Remember, the dog park is for the dogs, not for you. If you dog never warms up to the idea, then he/she just doesn't like the dog park. 

Don't hang out by the fence. Keeping your dog inches from the park, just outside the fence will only cause frustration for your dog and the dogs in the park. All dogs hate to be teased. Dangling a perfectly good dog outside the reach of sniffing noses is a sure-fire way to get the dogs in the park frustrated, which is no way to make new friends with your pup. Frustration breeds fights, don't make your pup a focus of frustration.

Look before you go in. If there's dogs there that you feel uncomfortable about, don't go in. Your instincts are there for a reason. If you sense danger, don't bring your dog into the mix. The dog park will be there another day. Leave and come back later.

Warning signs of a bad scene at the dog park include:

• Dogs that appear fearful aggressive behavior (snarling a lot, showing teeth, tail tucked under, nervous barkin, hackles raised, etc)
• Big dogs that appear to be stalking smaller dogs. If one little dog's hiding all the time and another big dog doesn't move on to play with other dogs, keep your dog out of there!
• Dogs fighting. (That should be obvious)
• Any unattended dogs.

Once you're in the dog park...

Let your dog off the leash. At this point, we're assuming your doggy is in a good state of mind, the park seems safe and friendly. As soon as your dog's relatively calm, let him/her go play. Keeping your pup on the leash will just breed frustration for him/her, and make your dog a target for other dogs to pick on. Don't let them off if until they're under some control, but don't keep them cooped up, either.

Watch your dog. Keep an eye on where your dog is and what he/she is doing. You're there to supervise your dog. Anything your dog does is your responsibility. If you think your dog is a responsible adult, you're fooling yourself. The dog park is not the place to plop down and read the paper, read a book, or have in-depth conversation on your cell phone.

Stop over-aggressive play. If your pup is playing too rough (even with a willing playmate), break it up. Give your dog a little time out. Rough play is part of being a dog, but if it gets too rough, someone could get hurt or a fight could break out.  Dogs are (generally) good at knowing the limits, but if things start getting carried away, it's your job to stop it.

Clean up your dog's poop. That's in the rules of every dog park. If you don't clean up your dog's sh*t, you're an a$$h*le. 

When your dog's done playing, take him or her home. You don't need to stay there all day. Most dogs run out of steam after an hour or two. Once your pup has slowed down and disengages from play, it's time to go. With the option of play exhausted, the other options for your dog are sleep (not gonna happen at a dog park) or fight. Most fights I've seen include dogs who've overstayed their welcome. The got tired and cranky and their owners kept them there too long past nap time.

If your dog's being a jerk, take him or her home. Sometimes your dog will misbehave. I tend to go with a "three strikes" rule for my Millie. First offense: I stop the behavior. Second offense: Time out. Third offense: We go home. This includes any unacceptable behavior, but most importantly, any of these:

• Stalking. If your dog won't leave another dog along. That must be stopped. Sometimes dogs get obsessed with other dogs. If your dog's following another dog around and that dog's not a willing participant, that's a bad behavior on your dog's part.
• Humping. No humping!! If your dog's a humper, it's your job to stop that. The dogs will often self-correct humping with a little growl, but it's really a bad behavior that you should stop.
• Overly rough play. If your dog's playing too rough with another dog and they just can't leave it alone, it's time to go.

If another owner doesn't want your dog to play with theirs, it's your job to keep your dog away. That may seem unfair, but life isn't fair. Some owners are just too nervous. Come back another day, the dog park will still be there.

Don't be a nervous owner. It's hard not to worry about your dog (this is especially true for first time puppy owners), but your nervous energy can (and will) pass on to the dogs. Relax. If you've followed these rules, the dog park is a fairly safe environment and your dog's about to have a lot of fun. Let your dog be a dog. This will include some jumping, nipping, chasing, barking, and some playful growling. A good rule of thumb about growling is that any growling done in the "play bow" is a play growl. Use your judgment and let them play.

Play with your dog. Sure, there's other dogs to play with, but you can play with your dog, too. Walk around. Don't be a plant in to the corner. There's a logic behind this tip. If you sit in one place, you become territory. If your pup is protective or territorial, sitting in one place can bring out the worst in your dog.

Please note, I am not a licensed animal behaviorist, or professional dog trainer. I have been a lifelong dog owner, and I feel that sharing my observations and opinions might be helpful. In the end, you should know your pet better than anyone and use your own common sense when going to the dog park.