At 5-6 months old, I personally would not worry about it. I've been taking my dog out to the local dog park everyday since she was 3 - 4 months (when they get their last shots). Socialization is good for the dog's behavior and it hasn't blunted any hunting abilities on my dog. In fact I do yard training at the dog park (and elsewhere) just to let her know that I will callupon her anytime anywhere. But I gradually built up the pressure. She a year old now and has progressed to where I like her to be.

What I normally do now is switch from different parks. There is a open park that has alot of dogs and there's a wooded park with alot of trails, water, and ducks. If I notice that she gets bored at the open park, I take her tothe wooded one where she'll point ducks which she also loves.Then I'll switch to theopen park where she can run with her friends.

As your dog gets older you can start putting more pressure on them. Some it takes 9 months, some up to two years as it really depends upon your dog. Learn to read your dog! Know when to lay off training, know when to apply alittle more pressure. I put a ecollar on my dog when she was 10 - 11 months old. That has made a tremendous difference. At the open park I don't need it but at the wooded one I may reminder her she is still under control as she doesn't like to quit.

So, no I don't think dog parks are bad at all. Let your pup be a pup. Don't expect your pup come running to you at 6 months of age everytime. You want to slowly apply pressure to your yard training. At the end of playtime (and before), spend alittletime yard training. Gradually increase the time and the pressure. If your pup does it well, then reward them and let them play alittle more.