A Day at a NYC Dog Run
I have to be honest and admit I’m not a huge fan of dog parks, in general. In theory the concept started out as a very good idea. Who wouldn’t want to give dogs an opportunity to run, play and interact with each other? However, in practice the concept hasn’t always translated quite so well. But on my most recent trip to New York City with Andrew, our good friends David and Elvis convinced us to accompany them to their favorite dog run, as they are called in the Big Apple.
If New York is a city with a million stories, I’d be willing to bet at least half of those stories are about dogs! You can’t get more than a block without passing someone with one, two or more dogs in tow. The day we arrived at the dog run, it was packed. And though the Westminster Dog Show was a few blocks away at Madison Square Garden, you’d have thought it was going on right there in Stuyvesant Square Park. 
There were Frenchies, Aussies, Goldens, Labs, Shepherds, Terriers, Poodles, Bichons, and lots of good old Heinz 57’s too. Large, small, and in between, all thrown in together, oh my!
Andrew was his usual independent self, sniffed around, and then found a group of other little dogs to hang out and trade butt sniffs with. 
After he’d had his fill, I sat him on the bench with me and sat back and observed. What I witnessed was some of the dogs having a lot of fun, some dogs behaving completely inappropriately, some dogs practically holding up neon signs declaring they didn’t want to be there, and some dogs barely avoiding physical injury at every turn. But what I saw the most was a bunch of owners who were completely uninvolved and oblivious to anything their dogs were doing or trying to tell them. And therein lies the problem with dog parks – the humans!
The dogs that do the best in an off leash environment are the ones with humans who remain involved and supervise all interactions. The dog park shouldn’t be a place where your dog learns how to ignore you, but rather a place where the two of you can share in the experience of dog and human play! A dog that interacts appropriately with other dogs and remains aware and attentive to his human will have the best dog park experience ever!
Let’s hear about your dog park experiences, good and bad. How do you rate your local dog park?
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My Chihuahua is never going to the dog park again – people there don’t know anything about dog body language… This Daschund (sp?) was staring my dog down, wouldn’t break eye contact, my dog growled at him and warned him – everyone thought it was cute. When the Daschund wouldn’t back down, my Chi went at him. Of course everyone blames my dog – not knowing that staring was a challenge. People need to learn more about how their dogs communicate with them and eachother!
I like the concept of the dog park..The thing I DON’T like is the people who bring their dog there and read a book, talk on the phone, smoke, drink or bring the babies and don’t pay any attention to what their dog is doing.
I am a fan of dog parks, but wish also that more owners would read up & know more about dog body language, when to intervene.
In general, however, I’ve found dog parks to be a great way to learn more about dogs. Our park is too small, so when it’s crowded dogs begin to pack.
But my 2 border collies love it, it’s a time for all of us to kick back, play ball and visit with friends. When a couple regular owners died in the past year, we were all affected — several of us attended the funerals. A genuine community — people from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds — is actually formed at neighborhood dog parks, which is an added bonus, especially in big cities.
I LOVE the concept of a dog park, but I will never take my dogs to one again. In a perfect world (or dog park), all dogs would be checked and free of common worms and vaccinated against viruses. Impossible as it would be, I think all dogs need to be updated on shots before stepping foot into a park. Because it doesn’t work like that, my puppy contracted all sorts of worms from the dog park, and even caught the early symptoms of kennel cough.
Its unfortunate that dog owners are that ignorant. Those kind of owners ruin it for the rest of us.
Unfair!
Hi Everyone,
Occasionally my dog goes to the dog park. Most the times the dogs are well behaved, if they aren’t my dog just stays away. I think the dog park is a great idea if people would actually pay attention to their dogs. If my little Maltzu (Maltese/Shih Tzu) gets too overwhelmed we just leave. He likes small groups, so he just finds some nice, calm, well behaved dogs and follows them around. I just wish people would be more attentive to their dogs behavior, and watch them!
OMD you are gonna get me started on Dog Parks now….Let’s see, that last time we went to a dog park, Birdy came home with 12 puncture wounds in her neck, simply for being the closest dog to a nightmare dog with a clueless pet pawrent.
We SAW this woman and her dog coming and in fact decided to leave before she could come in to the park. Her dog was barking manically from the car, and when she got out I recognized her dog as one who is always aggressive and in fact the woman usually would put her dog in the side of the park with NO dogs around (there is a small and large dog side both separate.)
I was in the “transitional” area, where you leash your pup up and she got to the fence and I asked her several times to please wait, let me get my dog out. She ignored me and BOOM, her chocolate lab was on my dog like white on rice. Ripping, tearing and trying to kill my baby. And the useless woman just kinda stood there saying…. what do I do, what do I do???
I left to rush my dog to the vet for stitches.
The next time we came back there were signs all over about Coccidiosis and other various germs and worms. We will never go back.
There are other off leash areas on parks and frankly find a friend with a yard. I have seen far too many inattentive dog pawrents who’s dogs are horrid, lead to massive pain and suffering to others. NOT WORTH IT.
Now maybe if animal control actually patrolled a few of the parks it might help.
I LOVE the dog park in my area. Fresh water, clean fields, poop bags, rules posted, small and large dogs seperated, it’s all so good!
I have never been to an actual dog park. I know that there are some plans to get some up and running in our area, however at this time there are none any closer than a couple of hours away (to my knowledge).
I can however speak to our experiences with what is currently happening due to the fact that there are no formal dog parks in place.
There are several spots that have informally been declared “dog parks” by doggy owners…they are areas where pet owners can get away with off leash run and play without consequence on most occasions. Unlike formal dog parks there is no separation of small vs large dogs. Therefore owners need to exercise good judgement…which as others have discussed rarely happens.
Small groups of “regulars” tend to form: those of us who tend to come at routine times and understand how to properly socialize our dogs. I won’t say that I go strictly by the rule of not mixing small and large dogs. Though I agree that generally speaking small dogs mixing with large dogs is very dangerous I have cautiously and carefully introduced my min pins to lots of labs, some standard poodles, some shelties, and even an australian shepherd. I was able to do this because I had prior experience with both the dogs and the handlers and had observed their behaviors with numerous other dogs in the past. These dogs were consistently steady and had loving natures so mixed well with my boys. Once these small groups are established we tend to walk in packs and introduce other dogs as able which has generally worked very well. We recognize “newbies,” “strangers,” and “ignorant jerks” as such and consistently leash our dogs when we encounter them along the way.
The down side to this is as others have discussed…the odd balls. To date I have had only three bad experiences in the 10 yrs that I’ve walked our local parks.
1.) A young man entered the park with a puppy (large breed) and let the dog out of the car. I was totally surprised to see that the pup had no collar on and obviously the owner had no leash either. The puppy ran straight for my dogs (who were both on leashes). Fortunately none of the dogs had issue with each other. But that experience could have had a very nasty outcome for either the pup or my boys had they not all been “friendly.”
2.) Again…another man let his dalmation out of the car loose. I fully expected him to keep his dog with him but…No he allowed the dog to run straight over to mine. I gave him a solid verbal warning about that the dangers of that type of behavior and encouraged him not to behave in that manner again.
3.) Walking in a large open field I was again surprised when I saw a loose dog wandering up to us. I was decidedly anxious, as there was no owner in site for as far as I could see. I assumed the dog was a stray. I was truly stuck…me with my two little dogs and a strange unleashed dog approaching us. In the past I would have picked my dogs up…however I’d done that with less than desirable results in the past and so opted not to take that path again. I unleashed both of my dogs and let them go. My reasoning was that if the dog was going to get aggressive I wanted my boys to at least have a fair chance to run away rather than to be trapped on the leash. Also I knew my dogs are less aggressive when off leash. Fortunately the dogs got along. Then would you believe…another loose dog. Ok same thing with that dog. Finally, a good stretch down the line I meet up with a couple of ladies out for a cross country ski! They were out there doing there thing and totally oblivious as to the where abouts of their dogs. Not as though they had any control over them…no voice control and were obviously not able to run to get their dogs. Again, I had a lengthy discussion with them regarding safety and common sense!
Sorry to babble on so. Thankfully none of my experiences ended in injury. However each one again demonstrates that it is clearly the human that is at fault when doggy difficulties arise. It is the owner’s responsibility to monitor, safeguard, and control their dog. And as we all know not every individual understands or accepts this responsibility.
Thanks to all of those who warned of the worms and germs. Though I’ve always worried about that I have yet to have had any problems. I do keep my boys up to date on all vaccinations, wormers, and flea medications so I’m not sure if that really keeps them safe or if we’ve just been fortunate.
In my opinion we have one of the best dog parks around on Long Island, New York. We go almost every nice day to the West Hills Dog Park on Sweet Hollow Road in Melville. I would have to say that about 98% of the owners are there supervising their dogs and all of the dogs play together very nicely. In the beginning we just knew each others dogs names and we addressed each other as Cains mom or Frankies dad, but we decided we needed our identities and started exchanging our human names as well, which totally changed the atmosphere from just owners and their dogs to Parents and their four legged children. The park has agrassy area as well as just a dirt area with a wooded area for the dogs to run through, water for us to give our dogs, a bag station for us to pick up after our dogs and benches for us to sit on. The park is completely fenced in and has two entrances which have two gates you must pass through to get in so it makes it easier to enter without accidently letting someone elses dog out. Every once and a while an agressive dog will come, but if the owner is not trying to control their agression and the dog is trying to harm one of our dogs we will approach the owner and request that they take their dog out of the park until they can control them. The majority of the dogs that come there are very socialized and play extremely well with each other as well as being extremely friendly to the humans in the park. This park is so good that we held our first husky’s 1st birthday party at the dog park and had hotdogs for the dogs and owners as well as cupcakes made with ground turkey for the dogs. We all tend to not only watch our own dogs, but keep an eye on each others as well. We now have a second husky and he has been going there with our other one since he was 9 weeks old. On the weekends and if the weather permits we bring our husky’s there twice a day. It really is a great park that is being very well kept by the park commission. There are nights that we are there until the security guard comes and tells us he has to close the park so we must leave.I wish there was more dog parks like West Hill.
I used to take my Carolina Dog to a dog park frequently, but lately I have become weary because of the unsupervised rough “play” and potential for injury. Don’t get me wrong; my dog can hold his own but not against powerful pits and labs. He runs aways with hair raised and tail tucked. Even more distrurbing is the possible transmission of disease from all the feces left behind.
Dog parks suck!
off leash or any kind!
those that make a big tado about them may be in for a rude awakening.
Dogs are animals, anyone who forgets that deserves the rude awakening.
ps.
I keep my baby home safe with me and her furblings and she is a very happy pup!
Wish I could have a dog park, my “town” of 1,000 people and who-knows-how-many dogs (All of which are either loose to do what they will or chained, some lucky ones get to have a pen that is usually far too small, filthy and are in there 24/7 with no toys or any kind of exercise, theres even a Weimeraner that is chained all day, gets yelled at because its being hyper, bites the barbed wire, has nothing else to do.)
I would love to take my dog to the dog park, but I don’t like having my dog off leash, I have had several experiences with him getting loose plus he doesn’t come when called. My sister takes her dog to the dog park where there is no separate areas for different sizes, and (Fortunately when she wasn’t there) a Beagle got attacked by a Rottweiler and nearly got killed before someone had to spray the Rott with pepper spray or something.
The place I live doesn’t have a park you can go on walks on leash, let alone a dog park!
We lived in North Carolina for awhile and there was a dog park right by our apartment. We always went on weekdays, as weekends got super busy. It was tons of fun though. Never had any problems with any other dog. Everyone always paid attention to their pups.
Now, back then they had a pass system. You had to have a “Pooch Pass” to get in. It cost $65 per year and you needed updated vaccination records to get it, or you’d be deactivated.
Since we’ve moved home, they got rid of the pass system. So I’m not sure how well it works now.
My dog sure did love it though. Made some friends too. =]
Your better off setting up play dates with other friends who are responsible pet owners where you know they can play in safe clean controlled environment.
I support the idea of dog parks but most of the ones I’ve seen are too small for dogs to get any real exercise. I guess they’re OK for dogs who otherwise never get to be off-leash to play outdoors, but my dog and I prefer to take long walks. A local neighborhood group has just gotten approval for a new dog park which the city will build but the group has to maintain. I contributed money on principle even though I doubt we’ll use it much. The site is near a community garden and a children’s playground, and I was really sorry to see how hostile some of the debates over the dog park became. Some of it was downright silly. Gardeners claimed they were afraid their plants would be killed by dog urine (it would have had to flow uphill for that to happen!); some parents said their children would be afraid to have dogs so close (even though they’d be separated by two fences). There was a lot of nastiness on both sides – really sad to see neighbors go after each other like that. Dogs (and especially dog waste) seems to be a highly emotional issue…
Our family rescued Katie from the Orange County pound in August 2007, and ever since she got her shots, she’s gone to one of our local dog parks at least three times per week. Since I was laid off in January, she goes daily, and we often have the opportunity to help newbies who need to learn the rules and/or who mistakenly believe that keeping the leash on inside the park will give them more control. I always nicely ask them why their dog is still on the leash, remind them of the sign at the entrance that says “Off leash after this point,” and explain that it’s for their dog’s safety, because a leash messes up the dog’s body language and makes it more likely to be misinterpreted and rushed by other dogs. Nine times out of 10, they are receptive and I sometimes spend a little time with them, teaching them the etiquette that I learned from Katie’s trainer, when we first started going.
Today we helped an older couple with an intact 8-month-old Doberman who was going crazy just outside the park entrance, lunging and barking at the dogs who were trying to enter and exit. I took my dog, who has helped her trainer work with cases of leash aggression, and we went to an empty, enclosed section of the public park (it shares one long fence with the dog park) and let them get acquainted. What looked like a scary, aggressive dog was really a juvenile with deficient manners and not enough exercise to help him calm down. Katie, who is calm and nonreactive with hyper dogs, sniffed the ground and laid down when he tried directly approaching her. She is really good at “telling” other dogs to cool it without getting into a scrap herself.
After about 20 minutes of letting the Dobie run around and let off steam, his owners brought him into the large dog section of the park and, though fearful, he learned very quickly which body language (calm, mild) would keep the other dogs from rushing him. He actually hid behind a bench for a little while, as he realized that romping in and bouncing around caused a bunch of high-energy dogs to gravitate to him. As he sat quietly, they got bored and began to wander off. I narrated his behavior and body language for the couple for another 10-15 minutes, and gave them lots of suggestions as to how to proceed in future visits, as well as suggesting obedience training.
I tell this story not to recommend trying this, but just to show that as dog owners, we can take the opportunity to educate our fellow dog park users and continue to build a community of responsible owners.
We are fortunate to live in an area with several dog parks within 20 minutes’ drive; we primarily go to the Orange Dog Park which is only 7 minutes away, but we also frequent the Costa Mesa Bark Park, and have visited Irvine Central Bark, Huntington Beach Best Friend Dog Park, Fullerton Pooch Park, and sometimes the Corona Dog Park (see Katie’s page for her reviews in “Dogster Local Spots I’ve Marked”). All of these parks have a large and small section, water fountains and a flowing/refilling bowl for the dogs, plentiful poop bag stations along the fences, as well as lots of large trash cans. The weekends can be pretty busy, and some inconsiderate owners fail to pick up the poop, but others will do the honors if they see any lying around (none of us wants to step in it!)
My dog park friends have been an unexpected source of supportive acquaintances, and some are developing into friends as we share our knowledge and love of our dogs. Katie has a few special friends who come up to her and greet her when she enters the park, and she is very good at spotting and avoiding any dogs whose social skills are not up to par. Several owners have told me that Katie is the only dog they really play with, feeling safe to roll over and tussle around with her, because she is so gentle. OK, I know I’m bragging now, so I’ll stop. Hope my rambling thoughts and information are helpful!
Ok, to b honest, we don’t even HAVE d dog park anywhere within 100 miles of here. My dog has never been 2 a dog park, because my area is so inhumane and pulluted, that they can’t even build a dog park, not mentioning golf! u can’t even go swimming in any lakes, because of hooks, swimmers itch, and garbage! The only thing my town cares about is building houses where farms, and feilds used to be. Now gangsters and theives roam our streets. I hope that someday the world can b beautiful again, not like it is now.
I have six dogs that I take to the dog park. I am always head counting..my eyes are in every single direction. There isn’t a moment I don’t pay attention to all six, but why is it an owner has one dog and can’t even pay attention to one!
I had a Beagle walk over and pee on my leg..the owner oblivious was talking on her phone the entire time. Pay attention to the dogs..thats all I ask.
I love our dog park though..Hondo Dog Park Beaverton Oregon. Go Hondo!
I have a love/hate relationship with dog parks. My dogs are well socialized and do well at daycare and in my multi-dog household. Mine get in trouble when acting appropriately to a dog snapping at them. Sure it is out of fear but what are these dogs doing in a place like a dog park? Other owners mistake invitation to play with aggression (leg mouthing). If your dog doesn’t like it then shoo mine away. All dogs play in different ways. Understand that if you take a fearful timid dog to the dog park it is going to become the target for every dog in there. Little FiFi may be able to “hold her own” but that snapping and growling is going to get her in trouble and it isn’t the bigger dog’s fault.
I still take mine but I take them at a time when there aren’t all that many dogs around.
My name is Toby. I am a cock-a-pooh who loves everyone and everything.
My mommy took me and my brother to the dog park the other day.
For a while it was fun. My brother and I did a lot of sniffing, roaming, romping and peeing. Then something awful and terrifying happened. Someone broght in a Rottie. Other big bully dogs began to arrive. My brother and I wanted to see the rottie friend. But something went horribly wrong. They were sniffing me and poking me with their noses. I felt like they had gone too far and verbally let them know. Suddenly, The rotty was on top of me. I rolled over on my back to show him I didnt want to pick a fight. I just wanted him to leave me alone. He was standing there. He began foaming at the mouth and was growling at me. I was scared and began to cry! Suddenly 3 of his gang members (another rottie, 2 labs and a pit bull were there. They had me surrounded. I was so scared! and their owners were no where to be seen. Suddenly my mommy yanked my harness (thank heavens she left it on!) and held me high. My daddy was there too and he yelled and stomped and waved his arms and several other daddys joined in until these bullies left.
I was ok, but scared. I will not go there any more, at least not in the off-leash part when there are any bullies in there. I prefer the puppy area. I just wished that there was more to do there.
My mommy also complains alot and wonders why people wont pick up their doggies poopies. and why if there is another poopies nearby, trhey just wont pick it up as well. They may pick up theirs, but not the one next to it. Perhaps their own dogs poopies doesnt stink…
I have two very small maltese. it can be a good and sometimes bad. my pups are so small so even in the small park they get picked up. thats when we dont have a great day at our local dog park. thats when its time to leave. I went to one in nyc i thought it was very well run and my girls were a bit bigger than the small dog park side which that was a switch since they are 4 lbs and 5 lbs but they were so scared in the other side and they stil let us in the small side. they did alot better. even though some of the small ones did try pushing them around. LOL it was alot better and they were able to play a bit. you shouldnt not go cause of one persone in a dog park makes it bad for you see what you can do and gang up and get that person out of there. we did it in our local dogpark. someone wanted to bring a 60 lb dog in a small dogpark are. unheard of since some are so tiny and can be hurt badly she was not allowed in when we all yelled at her and demanding she got out or we call the local police. that def did the trick.
We have had good and bad experiences at dog parks and nature trails. We only go to dog parks with a designated small dog section. Each park varies as to the weight limit. I say the smaller the better because people are always pushing the limit. I try to walk my dogs before entering the park and I carry them to a quiet area first so that they won’t be trounced upon the second they enter. I also go during the week when it is not crowded. The only problem with that is that sometimes there aren’t any small dogs at all. My dogs still enjoy sniffing and detetecting what other dogs have been there recently. I enjoy talking to the other dog lovers and often learn a lot as I haven’t had dogs until recently. Sometimes I don’t like the way other dogs are acting or even how one of mine is acting and then I just leave and take them for a walk instead. The biggest problems are usually with other people bringing in their big dogs because they are too afraid to be in the large dog section or it’s all muddy on that side. Before you know it, the small side is wild and all torn up. It’s not fair. I heard that once an Akita attacked a Weimaraner and ripped his insides out in the big dog side. The owner just ran off with his dog. Luckily the Weinmaraner was saved. No wonder the owners want to bring their dogs only in the small dog side, but that still doesn’t make it OK. We mainly got a second dog so that we don’t have to go to the dog park for social interaction, but we still go on occassion, knowing we can stay or not depending on the mix of dogs. Most people at our park do watch their dogs, but there is one man that comes and sits far off on a bench and talks on his cell turned away from the gate entry. His dog got out when someone came in along with several other dogs. Everyone else got their own dogs back in, but that guy didn’t. We didn’t even know the name of his dog to call it.(It actually was still in the transiton fence, but someone almost came in and it would have gotten out into the open. Someone finally risked grabbing this strange dog and pulled it back in. The owner never even knew it happened! My bigger pet peeve is when people let their dogs off leash on nature trails that require leashes. Once our dog was ahead of us on his leash when another dog came out of no where and attacked him. We were shocked. The owners came after we got their dog off of ours. I asked why he was not on a leash and they said they didn’t think anyone would be out there. In a public place where they were, yeah sure. I always reprimand the owners and say they could be fined, but none ever seem to care. This has happened to us repeatedly to the point my dog won’t go to one park trail because he is so scared even though I pick him up as soon as I see an off leash dog. The park caretaker says he hopes the off leash dogs will get into the off trail poison ivy and give it to their owners. Maybe that would teach them.
Hi, We love our dog park, Mom is on the board and yes there can be problems with owners who don’t watch after their own dogs, you watch after your child at the playground, well this is the samething. Children should also be taught how to be around dogs, such as no running, screaming, touching without asking. All in all we have a GREAT 2 acre double gated fenced in area with an area for the small or newbies! We have a people/doggie water fountain, poop bags (we’ve gone green). Come and check us out.
I also have a love/hate relationship with dog parks – as many others have described. I have a Bullmastiff who grew up in dog parks and was even badly bitten by (what seemed to be an unsocialized) medium-sized breed just for being in the wrong-place at the wrong-time. We have also had many unfortunate encounters with people who are not there to enjoy the park WITH their dog, but there to let them off-repsonsibility!
The main reason why we stopped going is because on two seperate incidences, my bully knocked over two children, under the age of 4 and what ensued was truly unacceptable. The parents of these children were shouting curse words out loud in front of their children at us and my dog for not having him “trained”. At the time my dog was under 6 months old – just because he’s ‘big’ doesn’t mean he is an adult! And what is your toddler doing unattended at the DOG PARK? Not to mention… on the second occasion, the family did not even have a dog – they confessed to bringing their children to play with the ‘good dogs’ – clearly insinuating my puppy was not one of them!
GAH. Love the idea – hate the consequences… and the ignorant people!
OH – and my baby also caught Canine Oral Viral Papillomas at the dog park – probably from drinking from the ‘community’ water bowls. He is OK, they eventually cleared up and never bothered him – but BOY were they gross! Yuck!
When my Ibizan puppies were about 6 months old we took them to the local dog park. There was a dog Dad LAYING on the grass ( YUCK ) in the dog park NOT watching his dog. His dog was showing dominate behavior to the other dogs. We decided to take our “kids” and leave. We had the leads on our puppies and were ready to walk out the gate when the dog attacked my male puppy and bit my husbands leg as he was trying to free our puppy. Our dog had a few scrapes but, was OK. The dogs owner then came up to us and said… ” You know that is the 5th time he has attacked other dogs at the dog park “!! We still go to the dog park but, we go very early in the morning when there are no other dogs there. I have a large backyard but, not large enough for my “kids” to really open up and run like they can at the dog park. I think it’s wonderful that they are available but, like so many others I just wish the humans were more responsible…Not only at controling their dogs but cleaning up after them. We take our own water and water bowl so they don’t drink from the ones at the parks.
I have a theory on dog parks: parks that are fenced in, where a dog doesn’t have to have any manners or recall – attract people who would rather socialize than interact with their dog.
Dog parks that are not fenced in – people really have to keep an eye on their dogs.
Dog parks aren’t for every dog. And when I go to the dog park, I know from observing the styles of play of certain dogs that they are not a good fit with my dogs.
Fortunately, the park is large enough to move on to another play group or even an area where my dogs can play on their own. I know my dogs, I know their behavioral quirks, and when it is a bad situation for either mine or the other dog, we just move on.
I find 99% of the people who frequent 2 of the dog parks very involved with their dogs. And those 2 parks have barriers to keep dogs away from the streets, not fences.
I used to take my dogs to another dog park that was fenced in. It was a rare occasion people paid any attention to their dogs. It was all about the starbucks in their hands and the latest reality TV show. When a boxer went after my corgi and I asked the pwner to call his dog – I got “Oh, he never comes when I call him, can you get ahold of him?”. Clearly this guy was afraid of his own dog.
Let’s just say it would not be my choice to take my dogs there again.
Our dog park has rules to prevent some of the above, however, there is no way to enforce the rules. You can inform people, but often they won’t listen. One rule is that no children under the aga of 8 is even allowed to enter. Those people who want to see the dogs with their small child can observe from the fence and often dogs will come up, sniff them and put on a show.
We have a great dog park in Delray Beach, Fl at Lake Ida. It is broken up into three sections, one for big dogs, one for small dogs and then another that is empty. They rotate the three so there is always nice grass for the dogs, fresh water, a bathing area, and poopie bags. I have never had a bad experience (thankfully!) The parents always have kept an eye on their “kids” and everyone plays nice.. Hopefully it will stay that way!
Snapper’s Mom
I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan and they have NO resources here for dog parks. There is one park which is a far commute from Grand Rapids and they charge ridiculous fees for their park. And then we have one in town that is entirely too small for the amount of dogs in there on a weekend. It’s about the size of my backyard. I’m originally from Florida where we have beautiful dog parks and I am highly disappointed in the lack of dog parks in Grand Rapids.
While I cannot comment for everyone else, I have had nothing but good experiences at my local dog park in Phoenixville, PA. It is a large fenced in park with a separate section for small and large dogs. I have not had the same experiences as some others with owners not paying attention to their dog; in fact, it seems like the dogs are the talk of the park. Everyone enjoys watching their dog have a good time, and if things get rough the owners are always there to step in if needed, although I’ve never seen any major problems while I was there. I usually take my pup to the dog park after work and there is generally the same crowd of people there each day.
As others have said, keeping an eye on your dog is key. I have been lucky enough to be able to take my dog to a park where most owners are aware of this fact.
My dog is almost 10 and we go to the dog park almost everyday. When I’m home I take him to the Washington Sq run in the early morning. While on the road I will always find a park nearby. We have been to parks in CT, TX and Washington, by far the nicest were in Seattle due mainly to their incredible size. My biggest pet peeve is the lack of understanding of why there is a dual gate system. Is it so hard to learn to leash/unleash you dog in that area and to not open two gates at one time? Guess so. Other than that we avoid angry dogs, leave when too many pits enter and always end with a quick pop into the little dog area. Oh kids are a big annoyance as well. They aren’t allowed into NYC dog runs and should be the case nationwide. My dog doesn’t have much experience with kids and always wants to play with them but he addresses them like dogs so he will run at them bark, run away – you see where this is headed. I just always tell people it is a park for dogs not kids. I’m also suprised that people with kids rarely teach them the correct way to approach a dog. My dog looks like a stuffed animal so little girls always swarm him – which scares him. Ok so two issues: the gate & kids.
I just started going to the dog park, and its been a wonderful experiance. At first I was very wary of entering into a place with unleashed dogs whose owners may or may not be watching them…..
But to my surprise, my own small dog park is full of owners who truly seem to come for the love of their dogs, not just to let them go and ignore them. They stand and watch them closely, and although we “pawrents” may greet each other and start to talk, we do it standing side by side, as we closely watch our dogs play.(Besides that, most of what we are talking about is our dogs! BOL!)
Also, since the dog I’m bringing to the dog park is a small breed, I am very happy that my dog park has different sections for different sizes. I love big dogs, but my little guy is scared of big dogs playing with him, so if I couldn’t put him in a place only for little dogs, I wouldn’t do it at all.
My dog also actually listens to me, and will come when called even in the dog park. I wouldn’t take him into a place where so much could happen in a flash if I couldn’t call him back to me and have him respond instantly. I think its very important to have a dog who is attentive to you even with other dogs around. If he isn’t listening to you in the dog park, then I think you should work more on training before bringing them in.
But yes, there are idiots who sometimes bring an
aggressive dog in, or do something else against the rules. And if that happens, I simply leave.
Same if a dog is getting too rowdy for my own dog. I’ll just leave.
And it really is up us owners to be watching our dogs, and to take precautions.
its up to us to make sure our dog has “all” its shots before entering such a place.
You can’t expect others to leave when you know they are wrong, or for them to be up on their shots. “You” have to be the one to take your own dog out of the dog park if need be, and have it up on its shots, and so on.
Don’t expect other people to step up, be prepared to take things into your own hands.
As long as you are being attentive and are ready to intervene, or even leave the dog park altogether if need be, then a dog park can be a fun place. But its really up to each individual owner to know their own dog’s limits.
It is definitely up to the owners how well things will go!
PETA has a beautiful dog park in downtown Norfolk, VA and it’s one of the prettiest and best maintained parks I’ve ever seen. It’s well designed and covers more than one acre, with views of the harbor from two of its four sides. Lots of benches and other nice seating for Moms and Dads.
We don’t have a dog park here in Burnet, TX but I hope eventually we get one. I take my Shar Pei, Claudio, to the dog park in Georgetown, TX. He loves it and so do I. It is about 3 or 4 acres and he runs and runs. So far, all the dogs have been nice. However, they do have a “timeout” place where you can put your dogs if they are bad. I think dog parks are so good.
We have 3 local dog parks we visit, some our more favored than others, but whats important to us is our dog having a blast and being socialized at the same time. We have only had one bad experience where a dog came at ours very aggresively and the owner of the other dog kicked (hopefully aiming for his dog) but got our dog right in the hip and muscle area of the leg she lept away crying, she ended up with a sprained leg, need~less~to~say no apology from the owner, he grabbed his dog and ran out of the park, never to be seen again. Generally (with this one exception) we have tons of fun watching our 2 year old puppy at heart running, chasing & wresteling with pups of all shapes, sizes and ages. All but one park has a seperation for big.small dogs, most small dogs love to play with the big dogs. Dog parks are a wonderful idea and when you are an owner of a Siberian Husky you need an area you can unleash them, and dog parks are the perfect place.
I have taken Kinsey (Pekingese) to our dog park in Topeka, KS. I have also taken a friend’s Peke with us once. Our ‘bark park’ is split into two sides — large & small dogs. It is very well set up with water, poop bags, trash cans, benches & chairs, etc. There are also separate gates (double).
I agree that small children should NOT be left unattended to approach dogs. They do not know HOW & that is a good way to get bitten.
As far as Kinsey going in to a park, she was a rescue that had terrible issues when I first got her. She was (is still sometimes) dog aggressive but at the park since all dogs are off leash, she just ignores any dog that approaches her. I feel like this is a good time for her to become better socialized. She is doing great! When the other Peke went with us, he loved it! He is very social & seeked out other dogs. I haven’t had any problem with Kinsey being aggressive. If she doesn’t want to be approached she just turns away & comes to my side. I figure if I keep working with her, she just might become better socialized. I don’t know of any other place she can encounter so many other dogs.
Over all, I think dog parks are great! It is the humans that cause the most problems.
At the moment where i live we don’t have a dog park but after a lot of people signing a pledge sheet or what not we may just get one apparently we have been approved now the committee has to see if they can get a grant to build it.
Now I hope it’s a good one and that people don’t think they can use it as a babysitting area or what not.
I myself will be looking forward to it because my big little Girl LOL needs a way to socialize with other pups but I will not be taking her off her leash in it until she learns to come when called outside she has never been off leash outside and is still in training.
I myself believe a dog park is a good idea but only if the owner of the dog does their duty too and that is to keep involved with their dogs because that’s what a dog park is for to bond even closer and all that
I have taken Harley to 3 different dog parks. The one we go to the most is closest to our house and it is the best. Most of the owners watch their dogs and we’ve never had a problem. Another one we went to is always empty and both times we have been there we were alone. The third one I HATED!!!! There was a lady with a standard poodle that was completely out of control. Her poodle would harrass Harley and she just laughed like it was funny!
These are fabulous comments, please keep them coming! I am loving hearing about all your dog park experiences, good and bad, and let me tell you, it has my wheels turning….. stay tuned for more!!
Annabelle hates dog runs. she doesn’t like the footing…the large pebbles/rocks. She doesn’t like the large or smaller dogs running around. A couple of years ago at the Washington Sq dog run, a little Yorkie was killed by a Jack Russell. Dogs can also catch diseases such as herpes, which I understand was at this dog run. And the one near me at Union Sq does not seperate the large and small dogs. So we don’t go. We socialize at Meet ups. Lots more control and awareness on the owner’s behalf( for the most part). Although I have seen a Chi get a little “bossy” and the owner did nothing.
Daisy Grace and Precious loves to go to our doggy park, Veteran’s Park. Yes, there are some days our shy dog will feel over whelmed by all the young small dogs there, but we don’t force her to interact. We let her sit on her Mommy’s lap, and watch other dogs play. Normally after about 20 minutes or so she will start to interact at her dog park. This park is set up with a small and large dog area for dogs to socialize in. I will admit that there are some owners that just lets their dog’s loose and don’t interact with their pets, but the first sign of any trouble—they get involved at Veteran’s Park. On the small dog side I have never seen any of them get into any fights, but have seen a few on the larger side dog place. I feel most of those fights would of not happened IF the owners had not all stopped at benches by the opening. Most of the dogs will stay close to the owners, and the owners consider this their time to socialize with humans. A dog park is suppose to be a place where dog’s are suppose to socialize and interact. I think some owner’s forget that. It is when human’s are interacting most dog fights have occurred.
Now on to the great things about dog parks- we love to see our dog and puppy interact with other dogs. Plus our park we go to has agility items. We have them run up on the bridge, through a tunnel, jump over one of the jumps (they are a little bit nervous about the 2nd jump- but that is ok- they don’t want to do it- we don’t force them.) We come to the park to let our dog and puppy run. We go their to let them socialize when they want to socialize. We go there to have fun with our dogs. This is what a dog park is meant for. Dog parks are suppose to be about the dogs.
Yes, we visited several dog parks before we found this one. We did not let one bad experience ruin the chance for our dog to interact with other dogs. The first park we went to had a large running area, but all sizes were mixed up. Our dog, Daisy Grace got ran over and stressed out here. We chose not to bring her back to that spot. We did some checking around, and after visiting a couple of places we found Veteran’s Park in NJ. Responsible dog owners need to visit and shop around dog parks and not let one bad experience turn you away. It was after our first bad experience that Daisy Grace became the shy dog at the parks. As I mentioned above we don’t force her to interact- we just let her be herself. When she wants to run and play we let, and if she doesn’t we let her do that also.
It is up to you the owner to make a dog park experience into a positive one.
I AM NOT SURE IF ANYONE IN THIS AREA EVER READS THE POST IN DOGSTERS, SO WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU MY VIEWS ON THIS PARK THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THIS WEEK.
Wonderful Veteran’s Dog Park
This park has separate places for big and little dogs. Plus, it has the double entrance gates. There is a doggy water fountain located right outside the double gates for all dogs to enjoy fresh water. Inside we have places we can run. We have different kind of textures around the area. Part of it is grass and the other part is the pea-gravel. Our favorite part is the agility equipment. They have bridges for us to run up and down; tunnels for us to crawl through, and even jumps for us to go over. There are areas that have shade if we want to sit in the shade. In addition there are benches for the parents to sit on or for us to sit on to watch the play if we don’t want to interact. They also keep a supply of pooper-scooper bags and a trash receptive for us to dispose of the poop. This park is also well patrolled by the police. This doggy park is located in Veteran’s Park where you have access to wonderful trails you can take walks on. They have restrooms for the parents. In other areas of the park you can find picnic tables and children’s playground. They also have lots of sporting events there. Then they have a wonderful memorial that is dedicated to Veterans. On occasions the park has had walk-a-thons to benefit different organizations. We participated in a walk-a-thon to benefit injured animals recently. We have so much fun at this park. It is for this reason we are nominating our park for being the best. I just wish I could share pictures in this comment section of us having so much fun here.
http://cccdogpark.com/
Canine Country Club
I’d love to invite all my Pup Pal’s to my Favorite Dog Park.
The Canine Country Club,4 acres,of fenced in,grassy,clean area to run off leash,as I wag my tail,when my human’s ask if I want to go to the park.??
Why do I like this Dog Park?
It was the first one I ever went to and I was just a Pup,and 7yr’s later,I still go.
Dog owner’s like my Human’s fought to get some kind of Dog park in our area,but it alway’s failed.
If we wanted to go to one we had to travel out of town.
So we find ourselves Lucky and Thankfull, that these people opened their heart’s,and donated their land,for us Dog’s.Woof Woof.
This Park is the Best, I also get to meet and (socialize) with other dog’s and pup’s.
They also have a Training Yard,and area’s for big dog’s and small dog’s.
They have algility toy’s there to play on,and boy they are fun.When I get thirsty,they have fresh water,on those hot day’s.They also have benches throughout the 4 acres,for the human’s to sit and rest,and for us dog’s to sit under to get out of the hot sun.
If your Human’s forget the bag’s to clean up your duty,they supply bag’s to keep it cleaned up.and special Garbage can’s to throw it away
The owner’s created this Dog park off of their farm.
My Mom use to live on a farm down the road from this place,when she was little,who’d ever thought,year’s later,I’d be playing on the same land,as she walked as a kid!!
When we went there the first time,the owner’s greeted us and gave us the information about the park,and a Pamplet of the rule’s,cost,and asked about proof of Vacination’s,or any social problem’s?
There are time’s when it rain’s there,it flood’s out and get’s muddy,The owner’s will close the park,for safety sake’s.They are trying to find out why this is happening,
It does not happen often,so we don’t complain,us dog’s just Thank our lucky Paw’s we have a Dog Park.
Thankyou!!
http://cccdogpark.com
http://www.dogster.com/local/IN/Valparaiso/Dog_Parks/Canine_country_club-5606
I don’t know what kind of thing this is but I take both my dogs to a dog run that’s called Dog Run 105 Cursus Canis CV and is located on 105th. Street & Riverside Dr. in Riverside Park. I’ve taken them there ever since we got them. They like it there, they get anxious to get there & sad to leave. Dogs play with balls, catch & fetch. They play with frezzbies, the water and the people, too. So if your out with your dog(s) come enjoy your time at the Dog Run 105. It’s also free and there’s 2 more dog runs in the same park. Just as beautiful and fun on 86th. Street & 72nd. Street.
I gave up going to our NYC dog runs (and I’ve tried many of them at different times). Over the course of more than ten years, I’ve had significantly more bad experiences than good ones. I got really tired of having confrontations almost every day with people who were not monitoring their dogs and thought they were “just playing” when their dog pinned another to the hard surface of a run. Hardly anyone seems to understand the need to interrupt “playing” dogs before it escalates and someone gets hurt. Only today, in a persistent drizzle, I was able to bring two dogs into a dog run (Big Moose) that was unoccupied (the only time I’ll enter a dog run is when no one else is using it). The dogs were really not interested in running around, possibly because they were already tired from their ninety minute power-walk. This idea that dogs need to congregate together off leash boggles the mind. Leash them up, get your sneakers on, and take exciting, long walks meeting lots of dogs to sniff, people who will pet you (the dogs I mean) and enjoying a variety of sights and sounds instead of the same boring butts day after day.
so i just moved from nyc to delray beach and have been searching for something obviously not exactly like central park but a similar idea with no fences, where dogs can fully enjoy themselves, explore miles and be able to either interact with other dogs or spend the morning alone just sniffing running and enjoying the simple things dogs enjoy. My first thought was the beach. I figured they would have a similar routine like central park – dogs can be offleash before nine and after nine for example but no its against the law. So now i have a little problem because a small fenced in park like lake idea is not enough excercise and stimulation for my pup whose used to an hour of open space. it really is a shame – i find delray beach and the surrounding ares to not be dog friendly. I have written a propsal with a friend who works in the aspca and im just unsure of the next step any ideas let me know