We made a visit to the Seattle Animal Shelter in January of 2023, looking for a dog between the age of one and two years old. Instead, four month old Helios (given the name ‘Peanut’ at the shelter) fell in our laps, and we could not help but fall in love with him! During our trial walk with both Helios and our current dog, Abbey, we noticed Helios was very vocal. He barked ferociously and lunged at Abbey, but we labeled this as “puppy behavior.” When Abbey and Helios played in a private room together at the shelter, they did wonderfully, and we decided to move forward with the adoption process.

Every day was an adventure with our new, beautiful, courageous boy! We started training him to walk on a leash right away, and taught him basic commands. He has always been such a smart dog, and picked up on everything quickly. But the one thing that never changed was his reactivity to dogs. Anytime he saw a dog while he was on a walk, in the car, or just window watching, he would whine and bark, uncontrollably. Although obnoxious, this was still manageable - until Helios grew into his adult body, up to 85 pounds!

Leash reactivity was not the only issue we were noticing. Until Helios was approximately one year old, we would take frequent dog park trips. We have always encouraged non-leashed social interactions, because Helios truly loves dogs, however, we noticed he wasn’t doing a great job listening to his peers’ boundaries and social cues. When you’re a 30 pound puppy, this is significantly more acceptable than when this behavior comes from a rather large German Shepherd mix. Because Helios was growing, but his behaviors were not changing, we had to be on top of his interactions, anytime he played with other dogs. We made sure he had balls to chase after, and kept his mouth to himself. It became stressful and exhausting, micromanaging our large dog.

Until Helios was approximately one year old, we would take frequent dog park trips. We have always encouraged non-leashed social interactions, because Helios truly loves dogs, however, we noticed he wasn’t doing a great job listening to his peers’ boundaries and social cues.

Dog park visits came to an abrupt end for us when Helios was attacked by three large dogs. All three of these dogs belonged to one owner, who was a very nice person, but it was clear they did not have a handle on these wild pups. Although, they went after him, Helios is the one who broke skin on the face of one of the dogs. The wound was minor, but a wound inflicted by my 85 pound dog, nonetheless. I simply couldn’t allow him to be blamed for injuring another dog, even in self defense.

Dog park visits came to an abrupt end for us when Helios was attacked by three large dogs.

Helios just wants to play with everyone he meets, so keeping him from the dog park was heartbreaking. We wanted him to continue to have social interactions and get the exercise he needed. Not long after the very last dog park visit, we discovered yard sharing apps! We could take our dogs to a safe, fully fenced space, that included toys, poop bags, chairs, coverage from the rain, and the most important feature - No dogs! Game changer. We have yet to revisit the dog park, not once!

Not long after the very last dog park visit, we discovered yard sharing apps! We could take our dogs to a safe, fully fenced space… and the most important feature - No dogs! Game changer. We have yet to revisit the dog park, not once!

Our sweet boy’s journey has not been an easy one. It took time, patience, and a few months of training to get him to where he is today. He still barks at other dogs, and he still gets too excited. But adapting to what he needs, based on his personality, and not forcing him into social situations, acceptable for “normal” dogs, is what has helped Helios flourish. I once read an article written by a dog owner, explaining that dogs are just like people. They have their own likes and dislikes, and that includes their social lives. Some dogs are very understanding of social cues and boundaries, others are not as tuned into those things, and that is perfectly okay! What matters most is keeping your dog, as well as others’ dogs unharmed. Our animals are our pride, joy, and family. They deserve to feel safe and comfortable, so they can “zoomie” to their heart’s content!

Our animals are our pride, joy, and family. They deserve to feel safe and comfortable, so they can “zoomie” to their heart’s content!

Thank you so much to Meghan for sharing Helios' story with us. She was one of Rome's first users that frequents the Rome founders' yard in Seattle. The founders have had the pleasure to get to know the fun-loving dogs, Helios and Abbey, and of course, their wonderful human, Meghan.

If you're a dog parent whose visits to the dog park have been mostly stressful, it may be because your dog is reactive, and you just don't know it! The founders' personal journey was similar— they didn't even know what reactivity was until meeting with a trainer after months of struggles at public dog parks.

If you'd ever like to speak to us about what you're going through, we'd love to chat. You can email us directly.

#SkipThe(Public)DogPark