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Park Rules, Etiquette and Safety

action petz rules

Has your dog ever been around other dogs?

If he/she isn’t friendly/comfortable with other dogs you may need to seek advice before bringing them to a dog park. If you are unsure, please phone us or visit us prior to bringing your dog and ask the staff for help to integrate your dog safely into the park.

If you aren’t sure… ask a member of staff for advice:

Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions or muzzle your dog the first few times he/she attends the dog park. Better be safe than sorry.  If your dog has never worn a muzzle but you feel they may need to, please ask for advice on how to get them used to wearing one.

Toileting in the the indoor park area is strictly forbidden:

Always take your dogs/s to the outside toilet area upon arrival and encourage them to toilet only in this area. Most dogs need at least 15 to 20 minutes in the yard, please do not rush your dog. If your dog tends to scent mark please purchase a dog wrap at our front desk, these wraps and will save you from cleaning up after your dog. And please, remember to always pick up/clean up after your dog.

Be careful when entering the dog park gate:

Dogs already in the park tend to be curious and crowd around/rush over to greet arriving dogs.  This jostling and crowding can be quite intimidating to many dogs, especially nervous dogs or “first timers” and may result in a skirmish. This situation can be easily avoided by asking a member of staff for assistance and communicating with other dog owners when entering through the gate.

Closely watch your dog(s) at all times:

You’re not allowed to leave your dog unattended or under the supervision of children. If your dog is too excited and/or being overly boisterous this could result in injury to dogs and people. Please take them to the outside area for 20 mins to calm down and divert their attention if needed.

Feeding your dog inside the park is strictly forbidden:

Only small treats for training purposes are allowed. You must take great care when offering treats to your dog/s; more than likely you’ll be quickly surrounded by other dogs visiting the park and squabbles for food can happen. Always check with dog owners before offering any treats to their dogs. Do not put treats on the floor, benches and always be careful when putting food on the park’s tables, as this can promote competition between dogs. We never advise that you feed your dog directly before exercising him/her (this is the equivalent of eating a lovely Sunday roast and then going for a run! Ouch!). Leave a good hour or two after feeding your dog before allowing him/her to exercise in the park.

YOU are responsible for your own dog/s while in the park:

Action Petz is a public space, and as with any other public spaces, your dogs are your entire responibility. This means you must supervise them at all times, follow the park rules and follow our staff instructions. This also means you must watch your dogs closely for soiling/scenting indoors and ensure they’re being polite to other dogs and visitors. 

Please clean up after your dog/s in both the indoor and outdoor areas of the park:

If your dog/s wee in the indoor area please ensure you promptly mark the area and proceed to use the products supplied at the cleaning stations. Please dispose of all poop in the designated bin and make sure you leave no trace, there are mops on hand and the staff are happy to assist. We pride ourselves in keeping the park clean and maintaining high standards. If you’re outside you will need to pick up your dog’s poop (even in the “toileting area”), please ensure you do this; you don’t want to step in another dog’s poop any more than someone else wants to step in your dog’s poop.

Have you had your dog(s) for at least six (6) weeks?

We politely request future members to wait until you they have had a chance to observe their dog(s) around other dogs and people for at least six (6) weeks. This will give a better idea of how he/she will react to being around multiple dogs and people and will allow our teams to accurately assess him/her.

Make sure your dog(s) wear a collar with an ID tag and Always enter and leave the park with your dog on a lead:

The Control of Dogs Order 1992 mandates that any dog in a public place must wear a collar. Prior accessing the park, your dog must wear this collar and be attached to a lead; this prevents the dog from running away as you enter/exit the park (other dogs will want to greet yours) and toileting in the indoor section. Following this rule also enables you to easily direct him/her to the outside toileting area. Please note: we do not allow the use of electric/shock collars, prong/pinch collars, choke chains and half check/martingale in the premises. For more information on this, please read Action Petz guide about dog collars.

Introduce your dog to other dogs gently and gradually:

Although exciting, greeting lots of dogs for the first time can be a bit daunting even for the most sociable of dogs, so please allow your dog to greet other dogs gradually while he/she is in a separate area of the park, or let your dog sniff around the fenced boundary. If the park is busy you can ask a member of staff to help you introduce your dog gradually. We are here to help, so don’t hesitate to ask us for help!

Children must be supervised at all times:

Children are not allowed to be in the main park without an adult. Dogs and children can easily frighten one another, so please keep your children with you and supervised at all times, keep in mind that as a dog park there will be dogs of all sizes running around. At busier times, we will request that children under 14 years of age remain in a safe, designated area. Children are not permitted to run and/or play on the dog play/agility equipment.

No toys! Unless your dog is happy to share:

A lot of dogs don’t like sharing their toys with other dogs and this is perfectly fine. We’re a dog park so you can expect to find dogs playing with toys and chasing balls. If your dog does not like to share, please don’t bring any toys; possessiveness can quickly develop into unnecessary squabbles. 

Taking your dog to a dog park involves a small degree of risk:

Please don’t be naïve and think that incidents between dogs will never happen and although this may not always be the case, it’s reasonable to consider that there’s always a small degree of risk involved when being around animals. At Action Petz we take all reasonable steps and precautions to ensure the park is as safe as possible we expect park members and guests to always follow our rules and carry themselves in a considerate and careful manner. 

Do not allow your dog to bully other dogs or be bullied:

If your dog seems to be fearful or is being “bullied” by other dogs, don’t let him/her stay thinking he/she will “get over it” or that he/she will learn to “stand up for his/herself”. Chances are that the behaviour will get worse. Remove your dog from the situation calmly and alert a member of staff. If your dog seems to be overly excited and boisterous, alert a member of staff and use a “time out” area. Make the safety and welfare of other dogs and people as high a priority as the safety of your own.

Please do not bring your dog if he/she is sick or has had surgery recently. also, please do not bring bitches in season

Your dog(s) will not be accepted into the Play Park if he/she is showing any signs of illness/infection EG: coughing, skin infections, parasite infections, sickness, diarrhoea, mucous discharge from eyes, ears, nose or genitalia. In addition to this, if your dog has had recent surgery and is still recovering please make sure you get the all clear from the vet before visiting us, this will avoid issues such as stitches being re-opened.
Bitches in season are not allowed in the park.

A Big Thank You From the Action Petz Team!

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