Q: We have a problem in our dog park with a dog walker who brings in a half-dozen dogs at once and turns them all off-leash to run. They don't mind him, and he can't control them off-leash. He doesn't even try, and usually he's talking on his cell phone while completely ignoring them when they bully the other dogs.
People have told him he should bring in only as many dogs as he can control, but he says he can do what he wants. Others can't use the park when he's there. Do you have an opinion about this? -- B.C., via e-mail
A: No one should be in the dog park if he is unable to handle the animals he brings in, whether it's a single dog or a half-dozen or more.
Everyone who takes a pet into a dog park needs to be responsible for the behavior of that animal, watching to be sure the dog is neither bully nor victim and that no one gets hurt. The dog park is not for catching up on one's reading or cell-phone conversations, but rather for safely exercising and socializing a dog. One dog is hard enough to monitor properly; multiple dogs are nearly impossible.
To operate safely, dog parks need good basic rules, an active community to police through peer pressure and plenty of common sense. Your dog park needs to review its rules -- not to ban dog-walking professionals from using the facilities, but to insist that they behave in ways that are safe for all involved.
With the rules changed, you can then point to them and insist that the dog walker shape up or get out.
Q: To put it bluntly, our dog stinks. We've tried all kinds of products, and nothing works. Is there something we can feed him that will help? -- D.S., via e-mail
A: If you're constantly wincing at your pet's objectionable odor, you need to make an appointment with your veterinarian. Bad breath can be a sign of rotting teeth or gums, and smelly ears are often a result of infections. An overall bad smell may indicate skin problems.
Don't ignore these warning signs. Disease can make your pet miserable and shorten his life. Stinky pets aren't normal. Proper diagnosis and treatment by a veterinarian can improve your pet's quality of life -- and your life, as well, by keeping your pet sweet-smelling.
Do you have a pet question? Send it to petconnection@gmail.com.
