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First time at the dog park? How to safely socialize your dog?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 9 months old | 4 lbs

Do you have any advice on how to correctly socialise my poochie at a dog park? What should I do and what I shouldn't do? Please help me because I have horrible anxiety and I don't want to make a mistake before going to the doggy park this Saturday. Thanks a lot!

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Desrosiers

Veterinary Technician

Published on February 14th, 2017

The dog park can be a scary experience at first, and if Bella is under socialized may be a bit overwhelming. Many dog parks do have small dog only areas which may be less stressful for Bella as she is a smaller breed.

You can start by simply walking around the park (but not entering it if fenced) just to get Bella used to the sights and smells and other dogs around. If she seems calm or excited, you can then enter the park. Often times dogs will be greeted at once by several others, which may be a little overwhelming, so encouraging Bella to walk around and keep moving can help keep the pile off of her. If she becomes too stressed out, nervous, or begins to snap or growl, leaving the park is best to avoid a fight or more stress.

Some dogs really like the park, while others don't have as much fun, so don't feel bad if she doesn't enjoy being there. There are many other things you can do such as long walks, games of fetch, and visiting locations together to encourage acitvity and mental stimulation with less stress.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Jones VMD
Veterinarian
Published on March 18th, 2017
Remember that if you are anxious, Bella will feed off of your anxiety and become stressed herself. Relax and try to enjoy! Before you take Bella to a dog park, try walking her on a leash in an area that has a lot of dog walking traffic. This will provide a more controlled environment for her to start meeting other dogs one-on-one. Start by introducing her to other small breed dogs so that the interaction is less intimidating. Once you and Bella become more comfortable interacting with other dogs, consider venturing to a dog park at a quieter time of the day and look for a dog park that has a separate area for small dogs under 25 pounds.

From a health perspective, keep Bella on monthly flea, tick, and heartworm preventatives. Confirm that she is up to date with her bordatella (kennel cough) and canine influenza vaccines. Consider checking stool samples for parasites regularly if she is exposed to more dogs and their eliminations. Also, consider having her spayed before letting her off leash at any point and avoid dog parks when she is in heat.

Her skin rash could be due to a number of conditions - allergies, fleas, inflammation/irritation from licking, etc. Wash her vulva with a gentle dog shampoo or baby shampoo and dry thoroughly daily. If there is no improvement, take her to the vet. I hope this helps! :-)
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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