One thing my trainer recommended that worked out really well for my dog was to try doggy daycare first before dog parks. My dog is a shelter rescue & reactive but not aggressive. She loves other dogs but had bad “manners.” My trainer said daycare screens dogs & tend to pay close attention to groups, & won’t just let her get into trouble. Whereas at the dog park you have owners with dogs at varying levels of training and knowledge, often without much supervision.

Sure enough, daycare was a blast for her and a big success. I could even watch her on their cam and saw her play. It was nice to have input from staff and supervision. Her happy exhaustion at the end of the day was great, too. Then I felt confident taking her to a dog park, knowing I can’t control how other dogs react to her but at least I know her manners are good now, she enjoys playing, etc. And sure enough, she has been a dream at the dog park.