Dog Park Etiquette
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Oct 11, 2022
What are the basic rules of taking your dog to a dog park?
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the mental health day we're going to
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talk about some rules that apply to not
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only you
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but your furry family members too
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Let's Roll
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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[Applause]
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[Music]
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hello everybody I'm Rob this is everyday
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Heroes this series that covers the
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educational but still fun topics of
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conversation
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now in honor of a day that is all for
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well-being we figured we're going to
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expand it to not only you but to your
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pets now obviously this one here isn't
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going to a dog park anytime soon but you
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know
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what are you gonna do all right but
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we're not gonna do this alone I call her
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mom
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you can call her Karen just call me just
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make sure you call me
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so I put a few articles up for you guys
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to check out
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um we're going to talk about dog park
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etiquette because unfortunately from
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personal experiences and stories I've
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heard dog parks are not always the place
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that people know what to do because you
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just assume it's a place
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you let your dog run free
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not so much so we're going to pull from
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the AKC American Kennel Club article I
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love these guys I watched the uh
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Westminster dog show every year they do
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all that good stuff too so I figured who
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knows better than probably them
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a couple key points that they wanted to
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point out while we're going to go over
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the rules dog parks in general do give
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dogs and owners a place for their dogs
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to run around do their thing sniff play
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all that good stuff however young dogs
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or unsocialized pets should not be taken
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and we'll talk about that in a little
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bit and of course cleanliness safety and
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all that is still required even though
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you're outside oh there's Christopher I
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guess he has enough of our conversation
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already
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um so dog parks are a very good thing if
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used correctly I know over by you and
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your community you have a set one and
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many places do that now whether you live
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in a community whether you live in your
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Park a lot of times cities will now have
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a designated area for you and your dog
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to play what I love is when you have the
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large and the small when you have the
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unsocialized socialized right because
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honestly even though I don't recommend
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bringing a dog that's not used to it if
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there's an area in the park that is
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gated it off or maybe just wander around
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the park it's still good to get your dog
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out and at least used to because I'm
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going to assume many people want their
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dogs to at some point be able to have
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some fun and play with their fellow
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peers
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um the trust for public land reports
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that dog parks are among the fastest
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growing kind of parks in 100 U.S cities
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in 2019 there were 810 dedicated dog
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parks based on the number of parks for
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every 100 000 residents the top five
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cities are Boise Idaho Portland Oregon
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Henderson Nevada
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Norfolk Virginia and for our neck of the
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woods San Francisco California
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the only one out there that was odd to
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me was Boise but apparently there's a
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lot of people in Idaho so I guess that
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makes sense you're going to have a lot
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of dogs with those people right and it's
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far planned a lot of farmers Ranchers
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have dogs so what are you gonna do
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is your dog ready for that experience so
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the first thing and most important thing
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is Young dogs unvaccinated dogs don't
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bring them anywhere I can tell you
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stories I shouldn't laugh but it's just
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the way people word the questions were
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kind of odd but in reality the
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seriousness of
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if your dog isn't vaccinated or if your
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dog is just too young
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don't bring him out on the flip side if
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your dog is suffering from something or
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recovering from something or let's say
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your dog might be in heat also not a
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good idea think about what you would do
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especially in pandemic times right if
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you aren't so hot right now are you
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gonna go out and join the rest of the
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world right probably not same thing goes
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for your dog
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um and actually there are um Kitty cafes
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around the world as well so in reality
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too if the kitty is there aren't feeling
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so hot they're probably going to take
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them off display that way they don't
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hurt the other kitties that might be
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having fun
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um now this can easily be you know
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remedied when you do adopt uh your pet
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usually the first thing you'll do at the
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shelter is they'll give you the first
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set so usually it's rabies
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um
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uh lepto something and um
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influenza is now one of the big ones
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especially yeah
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um I can't remember
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to tell it thank you so most of the time
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right off the bat whether it's your dog
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or cat they will give you the shots it's
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included so a lot of times it's a 25 fee
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and that includes the shots uh the
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microchip your tags all that good stuff
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however just like we need our boosters
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your dog isn't ready off the bat to go
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in immediately so when you do get your
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pet bring them to your vet immediately
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or at least a couple days after they'll
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let you know the timeline they'll let
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you know when the next boosters are due
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more likely than not if you do maybe
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adopt a dog over the age of four months
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or maybe an older dog not necessarily
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have to be that big of a deal they
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probably already have their boosters you
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can pretty much go out and do what you
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like however I always recommend that if
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you can't bring them to the park
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immediately go take them for a walk get
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them the outside go around your backyard
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go around your block at least they can
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get a taste of some sunshine right right
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what do you do after your dog is
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vaccinated well you still have one more
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hurdle to go over obedience and
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socialization
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I will not stress enough because it's
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happened to dogs that I've had it's
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happened to the dogs that I've seen if
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you are in the situation where you have
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big and little mixed together which is
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fine I have no problem with it a lot of
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times though the other people's dogs or
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even your own might not be so nice or
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they might just be so big that they are
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playing but unfortunately they roll over
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it's not going to read it so the two
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things that I will strongly say is
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obedience training now this is really
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the basics come wait sit and you know
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your version of know or stop whatever
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word you want we're not saying you need
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to have your dogs know how to run
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through an obstacle course at the
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Westminster that would be nice though
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actually have that now you can actually
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take them through a course
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um but really socializing and I'm sorry
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obedient obedience is the basic command
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if you can get your dog to stop what
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it's doing and return to you your gold
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you are good if you know offhand that
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your dog probably isn't going to care
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what you tell him or her
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probably not the best time to go now on
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another show I did talking about how to
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save money on on pet expenses I talked
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about you doing this stuff at home now I
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have gone to trainers I've actually
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known trainers personally as well
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there's no problem going to them and
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honestly if you are concerned with your
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ability go to a dog trainer obviously
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they know what they're doing but many
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times the commands of Sit Stay all that
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you can do for free at home I know when
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we had dogs growing up for the most part
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we did it ourselves I think once or
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twice we had a dog that we might have
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taken to a trainer but that was just for
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well I mean here's the reality when a
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trainer works with a dog they're really
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training the the owner more than
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anything else right because if we're not
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consistent it doesn't really matter so
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yeah there is right so you know be good
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and hopefully your dog will follow as
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well
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um all right so after obedience the last
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thing to know of is socialization the
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worst thing you want to do or be accused
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of is having a regressive a reactive or
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a guarding dog
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reactive just means just like people if
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you are a little on edge you might do
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something by accident your dog does the
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same aggressive obviously
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self-explanatory
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guarding is usually over resources which
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is why one of the tips we're going to go
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over is why you don't want to bring
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things with you to the park because lots
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of dogs get very possessive so what do
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you do about that that is really going
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to be on you but I would say if you know
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or if you even have a smidge of feeling
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that your dog probably isn't going to be
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okay with a bunch of other dogs
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hold off
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I would say you know and actually it's
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kind of cool that we're by each other
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because we can actually use each other's
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dogs as bait more or less right for
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instance we have two she has one mine
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haven't been out for a while so what I
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would probably do is go over to your
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place your your uh park with Christopher
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and just practice out there do I think
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my dogs are gonna do anything no of
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course not but it's been a couple years
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they haven't been seeing the sunshine
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and who knows how long right it's good
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to practice
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and when we first moved here because we
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didn't know how he would react he's a
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little dog but he thinks he's a big dog
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we do have a little dog park and a big
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dog park but he does not want anything
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to do with the little dog park he wants
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to be where the big dogs are and he can
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hold his own but it's scary because he's
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tiny so I tend to walk into a dog park
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just with a leash with the dog on the
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leash and let him go around and smell
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and and sniff and acclimate him to maybe
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one of the bigger dogs and sometimes
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that works sometimes it doesn't but well
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that is actually I think one of the tips
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we're going to go over so that is a
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great uh oh because there's a difference
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between that versus you know leaving
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them at the door and letting them go in
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right uh before we go into that though
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the next part on here was is it a
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particular dog park good for your dog
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kind of a silly question to think about
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but if you know at least in California
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there's all sorts of styles season Milan
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actually who lives out here he lives by
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I think Simi Valley and he uses the big
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ones now he would recommend the bigger
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size for the reason of letting your dog
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have space to run and jump
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if however your dog likes to take off
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and do his own thing
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you know so while the question itself
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seems odd take a look around if you want
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to Google Map it because sometimes you
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can get the satellite view check out
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what Parks look like before you go if
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you take a look at it and go this is a
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good match go bring him over if it turns
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out it might be too much there's
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probably a hundred more within your
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vicinity that you can go to sometimes
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nowadays they do require vaccinations
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and your tags so occasionally there will
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be quote-unquote guards or people there
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and if they notice your dog isn't
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wearing a tag or whatever you can
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actually get penalized and if you don't
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have your proof you will actually be
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asked to leave just because like you
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mentioned because of the the illnesses
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because of the aggressiveness things can
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happen so it's good it's a little
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annoying when you just kind of want to
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let your dog play but I understand
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nowadays right and they should have
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their shots I mean it's just safer they
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should have their shots and they should
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yeah right right okay so let me move
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over to actually the doggington post one
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because apparently that's the one that
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has the uh
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uh rules about the leech and all that
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stuff so doggington post I love that
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name I think it's a spin-off of
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Huffington Post I believe
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um they worked on 12 rules to abide by
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one going
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so first off
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when a dog is entering or leaving a park
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call them away from the gate the last
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type of training you want to teach them
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is to run to the door now this is great
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for home as well you don't want your dog
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running in the door we actually have a
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sign that says don't knock the dogs know
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you're here because God in my head hurts
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after I hear that noise but don't let
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them run to the gate if you need to hold
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on to their collar pick them up do
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something but put them to the side to so
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they don't learn to go number two and
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this actually is where it comes in
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remove your leash before the park
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um there's usually double Gate Systems
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you usually walk in there's a little
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area and then you walk into the park
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this one has a couple reasonings behind
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it one is safety wise a lot of times if
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the leash is long A lot of times dogs
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have tripped gotten caught and hurt
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themselves in the leash because the dog
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ends up wrapping around items the dog
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can hurt himself secondly the dog it can
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actually cause a problem for other dogs
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to pull on the leash and cause your dog
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to either choke or get in a situation
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where it is however if you're the only
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one there or if it's maybe two dogs and
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the dogs don't look like they're going
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anywhere you can do what my mom said and
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walk them in let them get used to the
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area use your judgment as to what you
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think because either or is a good
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reasoning to do or not do depending
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number three now I'm not a fan of metal
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colors at all but some people use the
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prongs to choke chains if you have that
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make sure to add either have another
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caller in the car because you don't want
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to put that into the dog park not
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because it's necessarily bad for your
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dog but if another dog comes to go play
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and they want to you know bite and do
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the whatever that's gonna hurt if a dog
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Chomps down on a piece of metal you're
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going to have a dental bill you might be
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paying the owner for that so I don't use
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them at all I really don't like how it
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works personally but if you have to do
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that put a collar on like a soft collar
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that way when the dogs run around
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you are good to go number three or
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number four keep an eye on the dog at
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all times
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I know this is hard you want to interact
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with your friends when you're there make
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sure you can see your dog at any point
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of the yard now this goes into how big
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the yard is the park if you don't think
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you can keep an eye on your dog in a
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large area find a dog park that's
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smaller because you want to be able to
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see all four corners a lot of times when
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I did go to the dog park I went with
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people I knew yes you want to converse
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but I always had my eyeball on mine just
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to make sure he wasn't doing anything it
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wasn't supposed to because last thing I
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want to be accused of of my dog doing
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something it's not supposed to number
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five Pick Up After Your Dog cleanliness
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is Godliness what right
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um Eve just like when you're walking
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down the street and a lot of places now
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there's like things on the side of the
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sidewalk now with like dog scoop things
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but there's always going to be dog uh
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waste disposal things there Pick Up
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After Your Dog sometimes there's even
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the full-on scooper so you don't have to
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bend down and pick it up you can just
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scoop it and dump it in the garbage
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just like anywhere else cleanliness
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niceness politeness if you don't want
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them doing it to you why would you do it
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to them number six keep an eye on body
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language now this is where I tell people
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to research up on your breed and your
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dog now not all breeds act the same not
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all dogs act the same some big dogs can
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be so timid and submissive that they
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look Fierce and they're not and she said
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some small dogs can look so timid and
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whatever and end up having a worse bite
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than a bark right so if you know offhand
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that your dog does things that aren't
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appropriate
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and they're about to do that right then
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and there
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get in the way now obviously don't put
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your hand down there you know God for
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experience but if your dog is about to
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do something that you can tell get your
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body into the middle try to push yours
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out tell the person who's dog that
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they're doing with same thing obviously
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you're not going to go whack somebody
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else's dog but let them know hey I'm
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gonna separate mine from yours because
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my dog's about to do something stupid
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and I don't want your you know most of
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the time people are cool they might even
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go over and grab their dog just to help
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you but just keep an eye out for that
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kind of thing number seven like we said
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before if your dog's not feeling well
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leave them at home why you would go to
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the dog park without your dog I have no
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idea but I think they're saying if you
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want to go to the dog park but your dog
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says no don't go just stay home maybe go
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in the backyard play do something there
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don't bring un uh neutered unspayed or
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dogs in heat again just like if your dog
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has something those things will attract
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the wrong kind of attention and while a
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lot of people think that's funny it's
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not and the last thing you want to end
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up with yeah so just don't do that leave
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anything that your dog loves at home
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don't bring toys don't bring treats
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don't bring food many places say that if
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you're eating something like if you go
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for breakfast and you're about to walk
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in you have like an Egg McMuffin don't
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you're not allowed in there like and
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even if those there's no sign when I was
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in Calabasas people would be like finish
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out there don't like they would yell at
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you okay interesting and not go in there
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because the last thing you want is that
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because you know dog they can smell
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better the weekend if you have a yummy
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thing in your hand they're like oh food
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food and don't bring any toys for the uh
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possessive thing you don't want to get
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them too riled up
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um let's see number 10 don't go in there
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wearing your Sunday Best if you're about
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to go to uh I don't know uh a Gala
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afterwards or you have a wedding to go
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to don't be wearing your fancy clothes
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to the dog park
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number 11. now this is one that I always
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actually thought just should be General
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but apparently people are okay with it
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when you bring your kids be careful when
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you bring your kids I always thought
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that was a very not smart thing to do
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personally because people let their kids
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run around and then when the kid falls
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over and starts crying they get mad at
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the dog owner for the dog running around
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at the dog park that he's supposed to be
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running around at
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I just think that's kind of a dumb idea
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personally if you have to bring your
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kids that's fine whatever but if they're
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young like little keep them on your lap
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keep them by you do whatever a dog park
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is for dogs if you know sometimes
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there's a playground next door if you
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want them to go play next you know
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whatever they can go play you know 10
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feet away from the thing I just think
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it's a weird mix but if you have to just
19:04
keep an eye and you know if the dog runs
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into your kid it's not the dog's fault
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or the owner's fault it's a dog park I'm
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just that's like putting that out there
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all right the last one here and this is
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very important especially for places
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like where we live keep an eye on your
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pet level of energy heat and panting if
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your dog looks like a tobacco pass out
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go home uh get your water or go to the
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car get your water do that stuff right
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if you know if your dog can handle a
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quick break and go back in great
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I'm always under the impression if I'm
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feeling too hot and I'm getting kind of
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sun stroke I'm gonna go home with my dog
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because he's probably suffering 10 times
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more than I can so that's the general
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etiquette we have for dog parks most of
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it's Common Sense most of it may not be
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but generally speaking I would say if
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it's been a while practice somewhere
19:57
with your friends
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um go out take a walk get them back into
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the sun first then see how they act if
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you are perfectly fine and you have one
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of those police dogs that never does
20:08
anything wrong
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go for it do whatever you want that's
20:11
cool but if you're like most of us and
20:13
you have dogs that kind of do stupid
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things sometimes just keep an eye out
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for them well I started walking so I
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started walking every day with my dog to
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get him acclimated again because
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they're during the summer nobody goes to
20:26
the dog park here it's just too hot
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right it's just too hot but in the
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morning at six in the morning I'll take
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my little one out and we'll go take a
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walk and he gets acclimated and he has
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friends now on the street you know who
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sniff them and that's really good for
20:40
socialization so that's a great tip Rob
20:43
that you mentioned is that if you it's
20:45
been a while since you've been at the
20:47
dog park or you've never done a dog park
20:48
you can acclimate your dog on a leash
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because there's such a thing as an
20:52
off-leash dog park and an unleash dog
20:54
park which it doesn't make sense an
20:57
unleash dog park that why is it a park
20:58
then because then you have to be with
21:00
your dog however if you're walking your
21:03
dog on a leash and you see there's dogs
21:05
I will carefully like walk over
21:07
carefully and you know like let's see if
21:09
they want to communicate and do their
21:10
little sniffing and licking
21:12
um and it's great to socialize so now
21:14
when we're ready to start going to the
21:15
dog park and you can come you'll bring
21:17
your two little pups um we'll go to the
21:20
park and I'm gonna feel a lot better
21:21
because he's used to now seeing other
21:23
dogs on the street great and snipping at
21:25
them
21:26
right right that is a good point yeah so
21:28
just
21:29
um as you would uh train your pet at
21:31
home just use that knowledge when you go
21:34
out to the dog parks as well
21:36
um and you'll feel better about it too
21:38
because you won't be so stressed and you
21:41
can actually enjoy yourself and watch
21:42
them run around and be crazy right as
21:44
they should right all right you guys
21:47
thank you so much for joining us today
21:49
I'm speaking of mental health we'll
21:51
probably talk about it more tomorrow but
21:52
we have our new mining mental health
21:54
episode all about actually loving
21:56
yourself which is very important for
21:58
mental health right and of course we
22:00
have a brand new Ultra Universe LIVE on
22:01
Thursday and uh so much more so if you
22:04
weren't able to join us live thank you
22:06
for those who were check us out on
22:08
YouTube twitch and Twitter hit the
22:09
Subscribe hit the Bell you can Google uh
22:12
Karen Glasser anywhere and that's where
22:14
you'll find her and hit the subscribes
22:16
on her too
22:18
um until tomorrow guys have a wonderful
22:20
day and continue to stay curious and
22:24
give someone a great day too
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#Pets
#Pets & Animals