The Big Ragu

If someone has many dogs they are more likely to miss picking up poop, miss their dog eating something bad, their dog being picked on, picking on someone else, controlling their dogs in general if all dogs are running to a fight or something. I bet three dog limit ends up making calmer cleaner dog parks

Well what is best for dogs?

Rikki - I live in NYC and see dogs being walked in big packs. You see a little one trying to stop to go to the bathroom and being dragged along. I do not think it is a good idea to have dogs be walked in packs no matter if in park or not. I don't take my dog to dog parks but I could see too many dogs per person might cause a problem

i actually disagree and support your return to gray! a five dog limit makes sense to me. i understand all the arguments regarding observing, controlling, being responsible etc but i think that a "professional" can be capable of a five dog mindfulness. dog walkers in nyc are kind of an iconic image and a necessary service in any urban area. i've spoken with several dog walkers about this and frankly your concept of problem solved is not really so. some dogs are walked from far enough away that several round trips are out of the question. walkers are saying that they won't be able to bring the dogs to the run anymore as they have 4 or 5 dogs. if my dog was a part of these groups, both he and i would be miserable. and in order to make the job an economic possibility, most walkers have to walk more than a couple dogs at a time. owners are demanding and pretty much everyone wants their dog out and about at similar times of day so hence a multiple walk. there are vigilant walkers who are caring and responsible with six dogs and catatonic owners who can't handle one dog. living in a dense city requires constant compromise. impose a limit but make it a reasonable one.

How many incidents have there been in any park due to one person trying to keep an eye on too many dogs? I understand that it makes some people nervous to see a large dog to human ratio, but I, myself, am more nervous when I see one tough of a fighting breed who is obviously not used to the close quarters of a dog park. I also think that there must be a civilized way of enforcing rules otherwise it will most certainly lead to altercations among humans.

Obviously anyone who has an uncivilized dog of "a fighting breed" should not bring their dog to a dog park. What makes ME nervous in terms of a dog limit is that if a problem does arise there are not enough human hands to hold back a dog. When two dogs get into a scuffle it often draws a crowd and can at the very least increase the tension level among the onlookers and lead to secondary fights. In my dog park, 99% of the people only have one or two dogs so this is not really an issue. Therefore I think only the people who utilize a specific dog park can know which limits, if any, are required for their specific park.

I think the issue is the safety of the dogs. From cleaning up messes, watching your dog to make sure he does not get into a scuffle or become a victim of a scuffle, making sure he does not run over to other dogs in a fight, there is no way one can do that with more than three dogs max (its hard even with more than one). I found this "Guidelines for he Establishment & Maintenance of Successful Off leash facilities" from UC Davis vet behavior science "A charged issue about rules is placing a limit on the number of dogs allowed per user. The main concern is with regard to dogwalkers who may bring in as many as 15 dogs at a time. Our observations, reinforced by comments from users of the park, suggest that dogwalkers, and others with more than 3 dogs, are less conscientious about picking up fecal droppings or monitoring interactions with other dogs or people. In light of these observations it seems that limiting the number of off-leash dogs to 3 per adult user is not unreasonable. Here are our suggestions regarding rules: ..... Limit the number of dogs per adult allowed in the park. We suggest no more than 3 per adult user."

I live in NYC and use a dog walker who does not take my dog to the park. There are several dog walkers who come to my building who never take dogs to the park. If dog walkers can’t afford to take dogs to the park, then people will have to pay an extra $5 or $10 a day or take their dog when they are home from work. Commercial enterprise has no place in a public park if it interferes with other citizens use of this public space. And since I know of no one around here who owns more than three dogs this obviously is a rule directed at dog walkers. I understand they have a right to make a living and if owners insist on having a walker take their dogs to the park then they will have to pay a surcharge. If you cannot afford the surcharge and you cannot find the time yourself to adequately exercise your dog I can sympathize, but it is still no excuse if it prevents others from feeling safe to use the park. In the long run, this will actually create jobs for other people who would like to become dog-walkers and provide a safer environment for all. Most dog walkers are independent contractors and do not carry any form of insurance. If one of their dogs causes severe damage to my dog, I have little recourse to compensate me for medical expenses caused by damage to my dog at their charge’s hand.

Limiting number of dogs is a good idea!