Dogs look scary at Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park but they are having a blast
It was an unusually cool spring Friday, April 11, at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino. The just over six-acre park has three separate fenced-in areas: one large area for dogs of all sizes, one for smaller and timid dogs, and one for small dogs.
The 30 or so dogs at the off-leash park ranged in size from a tiny teacup poodle to a large Great Pyrenees. They raced around, chasing balls, chasing each other, checking their “pee mail” — and playing hard.
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Shepherd mix Amigo and Husky Jake play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
A wagon full of puppies at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Shepherd mix Amigo and Husky Jake play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs Chanel, top, and son Rayo play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Shepherd mix Amigo waits for a ball to be thrown at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Shepherd mix Amigo and Husky Jake play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs Chanel and son Rayo get a drink of water at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Shepherd mix Amigo and Husky Jake play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs Chanel, left, and son Rayo play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs Chanel, top, and son Rayo play at the Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino, CA., on Friday, April 12, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Dogs can play rough, and if you aren’t familiar with how they play, you might think they are fighting. Play-fighting is an integral part of how dogs communicate and socialize. According to yappy.com, “Unlike us humans, play fighting in dogs is a totally normal way to communicate and socialize. It’s also a brilliant way of expending some energy that they may have pent up.” Sometimes when a “dog parent” is watching their dog play-fighting with another dog, “the noises and movements they make seem aggressive, but it’s all in good fun.”
Dogs will growl, wrestle, slap with their paws, and of course bite at each other as they enjoy some rough-housing. It may seem intense sometimes, but the controlled chaos is not a fight, it’s more of a game that dogs play.
L.A. City Council committee may take on challenging problem of animal breeding
When dogs play-fight, they engage with each other briefly then disengage, chase, slam into each other, bow, jump, and make goofy movements — before getting back to the wrestling and biting. When two dogs fight for real, they swap the soft biting for hard biting and won’t stop until they are separated or one has had enough and tries to escape. Play-fighting rarely results in injury. Real fighting will almost always leave one or both dogs with wounds.
If you take your dog to an off-leash dog park and Fido makes some friends, try not to be too concerned if they start playing like two MMA fighters in a championship bout. If you are worried that your dog is in trouble, look for the “tell-tail” signs that the four-legged furries are just having fun, not trying to hurt each other.
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)
Related Posts:
Masters commentator gasps after Zach Johnson’s X-rated blast at fans is picked up by mic at Augusta Sports ZACH JOHNSON was overheard shouting “f*** off” to fans during round two of the Masters on Friday. The American golfer lost his cool after putting a triple bogey in the 12th hole. Zach Johnson was caught blasting ‘f*** off’ to fans at Augusta GettyJohnson endured a difficult second round at the…
Paige Spiranac slams Zach Johnson with ‘baby poop’ tweet after his foul-mouthed blast at Masters fans Sports PAIGE SPIRANAC has slammed Zach Johnson for a foul-mouthed blast apparently aimed at Masters fans. The golf star lost his cool after putting a triple bogey on the 12th hole. https://www.instagram.com/_paige.renee/Paige Spiranac slammed Zach Johnson for his foul-mouthed rant[/caption] GettyThe American golfer was not impressed after he triple-bogeyed a hole[/caption]…
Gladiators fans blast ‘unfair’ decision after bosses ‘rejected’ 90s star’s lookalike son Entertainment Wolf wants his son to get a chance on Gladiators (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock) Gladiators fans are absolutely gutted after one of the original show’s legends claimed BBC bosses rejected his son for the recent revival. Wolf, who was a major part of the programme on ITV in the 1990s, has shared…
What’s the problem with Alison Hammond hosting For the Love of Dogs? Entertainment Alison Hammond has replaced the late Paul O’Grady on For the Love of Dogs (Picture: ITV/Shutterstock) When Alison Hammond was announced as the new presenter of For the Love of Dogs, the move received some backlash. The This Morning presenter, 49, is replacing the late Paul O’Grady on the ITV show…