In his novel A Walk on the Wild Side, Chicago writer Nelson Algren famously coined two memorable maxims: (1) “Never play cards with someone named ‘Doc.’” (2) “Never eat at a restaurant called ‘Mom’s.” To these twin insights I would add a third: “Never trust conventional wisdom. It’s usually wrong.”
To demonstrate just how wrong conventional wisdom can be, consider this: On July 21, 2008, in response to the urgings of a small group of dog owners spouting pseudo-science, Croton’s Village Board passed Local Law No. 4 creating an area at Black Rock Park where dogs could be allowed to run unleashed.
The assertions that had been made in favor of the establishment of a so-called “dog park” reflected conventional wisdom and were accepted by the Village Board without question. And, as so often is the case, conventional wisdom was wrong. For example, a frequently voiced statement went like this: “Dogs are descended from wolves. And wolves are pack animals. Therefore, dogs, being pack animals like the wolves they are descended from, need to run with a pack “
Dogs are indeed genetic wolves. The fatal flaw in the dog-park advocates’ argument, however, lies in their ignorance of the fact that in the wild, wolves don’t live in packs of unrelated wolves. Early research on the social lives of wolves was based on studies of captive wolf populations composed of unrelated individuals forced to live in enclosures. Captive wolves are almost never members of natural families. The image of wolf packs and alpha wolves promulgated by self-promoting dog-behavior “experts” is wrong and has no foundation in fact.
In no way do the relationships in wolf families resemble the actions of heterogeneous collections of unrelated wolves in captivity, nor do they have an alpha male who fights other wolves to maintain his dominance. The latter is a behavior worked out by captive wolves to overcome the artificial conditions of their captivity. Animal expert Temple Grandin characterizes such captive wolves (and this includes dogs brought to a dog park to socialize) as a “forced pack.”
The Truth About Wolves
Thanks to intensive research by animal biologists like Dr. David Mech (pronounced “Meech”) who made a 13-year study of wolves in the Canadian Arctic, the last stand of the wolves in the wild in North America, we now have detailed knowledge of the social interaction that takes place among wolves. In the wild wolves live the way humans do: in families made up of a mother, a father and their children, all clearly understanding their hierarchical familial relationships.
Wolves exhibit traits and characteristics that humans might emulate in their desire to live together amicably. So-called “wolf packs” are merely families consisting of a mom and a dad and their pups at various stages of life. In no way do wolf families resemble the assorted breeds and sizes and temperaments of dogs that might be found in a dog park. Wolves mate for life and are monogamous. Young wolves from previous breeding seasons support their parents in the training and raising pups of later litters.
Some dog-training manuals talk about “pack leadership” and tell new owners that they must establish themselves as the pack “alpha.” Such concepts are based on outdated captive wolf studies that imply a rigid, force-based dominance hierarchy. And they are hopelessly wrong. What every newly adopted dog or puppy needs is not for his owner to be a domineering alpha wolf but a foster parent to guide him or her in growing up to be a socially well-adjusted dog through patient, firm and loving training. Dogs were meant to be friendly companion animals, not cowering submissive slaves.
Another argument frequently heard from proponents of a Croton dog park was that dogs need exercise. Indeed they do. But the conventional wisdom of dog-park advocates holds that exercise can only be achieved by allowing dogs to run unleashed with other dogs. This is arrant nonsense. Veterinarians will tell you that a good brisk walk of an hour each day will give even large breeds all the exercise they need, and will benefit the dog walker as well. Dogs need people, play and the opportunity to explore and learn. Only people can satisfy those needs.
Common sense, practicality and economy would have dictated a different outcome. Instead of the present practice of forcing dogs to be walked on sidewalks or in streets, Croton could have imitated county and state parks and allowed dogs to be walked on leashes in Croton’s parks—provided that owners or walkers cleaned up after them. Fights between leashed dogs would be unlikely. Instead Croton opted for a dog park—or rather for its concept of what no reasonable person would call a dog park.
Fees and Fines
Croton, it seems, has never met a fee or a fine it didn’t like. This village simply cannot resist trying to extract additional revenue from residents at every opportunity. Once again exhibiting its usual marketing and pricing ineptitude, the Village Board added the requirement that resident users of the dog park, taxpayers all, pay a fee of $25. Also contributing to the low level of usage has been Croton’s restriction on admission to the park to dogs owned by Croton residents. Incidentally, the towns of Cortlandt and Ossining both operate dog parks that have no residency limitations.
A few neighbors of the proposed dog park had expressed early concerns about noise and other nuisances a dog park would bring. They needn’t have worried. Although the $25 fee has been rescinded, usage of the dog park has been extremely low.
One might say that Croton had once again shot itself in the foot. Apparently Croton learned nothing from its experience with the skate park of bitter memory. Responding to the importuning of a small number of parents and young people, and without doing any marketing research on potential usage, Croton created an elaborate skate park and hired an attendant. It then proceeded to doom its skate park with a intricate usage schedule and exorbitant fees. Usage dropped off quickly. Croton was soon left with a veritable white elephant slowly deteriorating from the effects of harsh weather.
A Travesty of a Dog Park
A well-designed dog park exhibits several basic characteristics: It is fenced on all sides and it provides separate areas for large dogs and small dogs. To describe Croton’s Black Rock dog park as minimal would be an insult to the minimalist movement. “Bare-boned and anemic" would be a better description. Croton erected a short length of four-foot high chain-link fence stretching from the Croton River to the base of the slope leading to Quaker Bridge Road, and called it a dog park. A small holding area with double gates allows dogs and owners to enter and exit without risking the escape of a dog. In addition to its small size, the Croton dog park also lacks a source of drinking water other than the river. Croton has managed to create a travesty of the dog park concept.
And an Accident Waiting to Happen
The major flaw in Croton’s Black Rock dog park is that no provision is made for separate areas for small dogs and large dogs. Not only do dogs come in all shapes and sizes, they come with a variety of dispositions and personalities.
Small dogs can be unexpectedly aggressive, and large dogs can be surprisingly laid back. But the combination of a large, aggressive dog and a small, timid dog is usually fatal. And the incendiary combination of two large and aggressive dogs engaged in a fight to the death is not a pretty sight. One reason groups of dogs in dog parks can act unpredictably is that most dog have lost the submissive behaviors and signals that allow wolves to live together in groups.
Although dog owners bring their dogs to dog parks to socialize, the chasing and nipping that sometimes occurs is incipient aggression and can turn into something more serious. Also, aggressive behavior on the part of large dogs toward smaller dogs may not be the result of aggression but what animal behaviorists call predatory drift, the ancient inclination to hunt small game as prey.
Not only is Croton’s single-enclosure dog park a travesty on a safe dog park, it is an accident waiting to happen. In this not completely enclosed area, a frightened small dog could easily be chased into the river and drown, or be chased up the hill and be killed by an automobile on Quaker Bridge Road.
The killing of smaller dogs in dog parks by other dogs has been reported many times in newspapers—but such reports are usually only carried locally and are not widely circulated. For an account of one such incident in a poorly designed dog park go to this link:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/mutts/blog/2008/06/death_at_a_dog_park.html
Anyone foolish enough to bring a dog to a badly designed dog park like Croton’s that fails to separate small breeds from large is asking for trouble. The dog parks created by the towns of Cortlandt and Ossining both have separate areas for small dogs and large dogs.
It’s surprising, too, that Croton dog owners blithely expose their dogs to the hazard of a dogfight and yet are totally unprepared when a dogfight occurs. All dog owners should know what to do to stop a dogfight. Here are six tips to remember:
(1) Screaming or yelling at a dog or dogs in a dogfight is ineffective.Anyone foolish enough to bring a dog to a badly designed dog park like Croton’s that fails to separate small breeds from large is asking for trouble. The dog parks created by the towns of Cortlandt and Ossining both have separate areas for small dogs and large dogs.
It’s surprising, too, that Croton dog owners blithely expose their dogs to the hazard of a dogfight and yet are totally unprepared when a dogfight occurs. All dog owners should know what to do to stop a dogfight. Here are six tips to remember:
(2) Never reach for the collar of an attacking dog. You risk being severely bitten. And be careful about what you say to the owner of an aggressive dog; such owners are often also aggressive and unreasonable.
(3) Some dog owners make it a point to walk with a walking stick or a cane. But even being struck forcefully with a stick will not stop some vicious dogs.
(4) One of the most effective tools a dog owner can carry is pepper spray. A canister of pepper spray may legally be bought in New York State in drug stores and gun shops. A squirt or two in the eyes of even the most vicious attacking dog will take the fight out of him and causes no permanent damage.
(5) If you don’t have pepper spray, one technique is to step behind the attacking dog and grab him by his rear legs, lifting them off the ground. This will put him in a “wheelbarrow” position and render him less able to continue attacking your dog or you.
(6) In the final analysis, the best way to stop a dogfight involving your dog is not to put your dog in a situation where a dogfight can happen.
Croton's dog park at Black Rock appears to be the Village's best-kept secret. No mention of it is made anywhere on the Village's website, nor is any information given about its location, hours of operation or rules of use and behavior for owners and dogs. This hush-hush approach successfully limits usage of a facility that is tantamount to what lawyers call "an attractive nuisance." Nevertheless, the paucity of publicity about Croton's dog park does not excuse Croton of liability stemming from the operation of a badly designed dog park that is dangerously unsafe for dogs, especially smaller dogs.
The agenda for a Village work session on March 22, 2010, stated that Croton’s Board of Trustees would consider moving its little-used dog park from Black Rock to Croton Landing. Nothing about its work-session dog-park decision was posted on the Village website. An inquirer at the Village office was later told that a decision had been reached to leave the dog park where it is.
In the absence of any reasons for this decision, one can presume that it was made because a dog park at Croton Landing would legally have to be open to dogs from everywhere. Dogs are innately curious about other members of the family Canidae, but never ask to see their “papers” or demand to know from whence they came.
In the absence of any reasons for this decision, one can presume that it was made because a dog park at Croton Landing would legally have to be open to dogs from everywhere. Dogs are innately curious about other members of the family Canidae, but never ask to see their “papers” or demand to know from whence they came.
Croton Landing would afford Croton the opportunity to create a bigger and better-designed dog park. But whether dog owners bring their dogs to the inherently dangerous Black Rock Dog Park or to a newer and larger dog park at Croton Landing, the cautions expressed in this essay should be observed.
Disclosure: I acquired my first companion animal, a German shepherd dog named “King,” at the age of ten. I still bear on my right wrist the wound scar that resulted when at age twelve I tried to deter a pit bull from attacking my dog.
My wife and I have lived with dogs, cats and other animals all our married lives. Our children have grown up with animals because we feel it is important for children to be aware that we share this planet with animals—after all, they were here first. I am familiar with the literature on dog psychology and dog behavior and have an extensive library of the subject.
My wife and I have never used the Croton dog park and we never will, with or without a fee. As dog owners, we consider it our duty to protect our dog from harm. It is irresponsible for owners, especially those who care about and expend considerable sums on examinations and inoculations, to expose a dog unnecessarily to other dogs whose owners may not share similar concerns for their dogs’ health or safety.
