Can’t speak for dog parks in your area, I go to one of the best in mine and it is two plus acres of non segregated open space and there are no restrictions on children of any age, they kind of believe that parents know how to parent. I was on disability for four months and took my dog every day and witnessed only one altercation and it was the owners fault. You and I have vastly different experiences with dogs and dog parks, such is life. I do know one thing, my dog is part of my family and if someone shot it......well the cops would be too late for that individual. Oh and Pits, no I am not too worried , my grandson sleeps with his. OH THE HORROR! (spare me me the just wait comments, I’m done)
There are several problems with dog parks. For one, people don’t pay enough attention to the signals their dogs are giving them, and often the more passive, gentle dogs are being intimidated by the more aggressive dogs. It may look as if they are playing, but some dogs are really hoping to get out of there asap.
Second, there has been in increase in the number of illnesses in dogs due to viruses, some of them new. The more dogs are exposed to the company of other dogs in dog parks, doggie daycare, boarding kennels, etc., the more dogs will contract contagious diseases, possibly ones not seen before. There may be a dog version of the 1918 flu on the horizon.
In the old days, most dogs spent very little time in the company of large numbers of other dogs. They stayed home and were rarely boarded. Dog parks and daycare didn’t exist.
Some dogs enjoy playing with other dogs, but their main interest is in their people. Owners are projecting the need to socialize with their own kind onto the dogs, who prefer being by your side, whether on a walk or on the couch.