The obvious thing to look for, when deciding if a park is right for your dog, is a fence. Ideally, there will be a six-foot grounded chain fence completely enclosing the park, preventing wiggles under or jumps over. I’ve found that few parks have this. Our favorite park was actually only partly fenced, on the side by the busy road, and I have yet to see a fence over four feet high. Depending on the area and your dog, partial fencing may be acceptable. Sadie doesn’t run far, so she was fine having a mostly open park. Maxwell tends to get distracted by wildlife, so a complete fence or a long-line are necessary.
For the fully-fence park, a double gate is wonderful. The ‘air lock’ zone provides a place for owners to leash or unleash their hounds, as well as a safety for the dog who slips through an open inner gate. Not only is the middle ground an easy place to unclip Fido, it’s actually safer than taking him all the way into the park. I’ve seen dogs become extremely uncomfortable because they were brought all the way into the park on leash, only to find themselves surrounded by excited dogs and unable to escape. It’s a recipe for a fight, and a great way to make your dog hate going to the park.
Access to water is nice, but not critical. Many dog parks seem to have combo human / dog drinking fountains in or next to the park itself. Some may have a clear stream the dogs can drink out of. Be wary of still bodies of water, though, as they can harbor some nasty bacteria. Our favorite park has a little pond that Sadie likes to swim in. If she drinks any of it, she’s guaranteed to have stomach problems the next day. In cases like that, or where there’s no water, plan ahead. Bring sufficient clean water for your dog to keep hydrated.
I strongly prefer parks with soft surfaces. Grass, dirt, and mulch are great. I avoid gravel, and can’t even imagine pavement. Especially with an energetic, running dog, the chances of injuring paw pads is much higher with a harder surface. Soft ground also doesn’t get as hot during the summer. You'd be amazed how hot sunny blacktop can get on a sunny day. You'd be equally amazed at how imperceptive people can be about their dogs' discomfort!
Other nice features include a separate small dog area, safe toys and/or equipment for the dogs to play with, the availability of shade, and the size of the park.
There are non-infrastructure things to look for, too. A well-managed park will be clean. Though there may be a few ‘presents’ left on the ground, owners should generally be picking up after their own dogs and disposing of waste appropriately. If the surface is mulch or stone, it should be cleared out and replaced regularly. Grass should be kept reasonably short to reduce ticks and fleas. Fences should be well-kept, with no sharp wires or dog-sized gaps.
A good park will also have posted rules. While these will include the expected stuff, like cleaning up after your dog, and not allowing aggressive animals, they rules should also cover people. The posted rules at our nearby park prohibits children under a certain age, unsupervised kids under 15, running, screaming, and other behaviors that could lead to over-arousal and dog bites. While it would be great if there were someone to actually enforce these rules, I’m happy that they even exist… and are posted in big letters in two places.
For the dogs that are fine in an open area, you can also look for human parks that allow off-leash dogs during the off season. Many beaches accept dogs during the colder months. Though it may be too cold for the pups to swim, such areas often have a fair bit of land that can be used for fetch, Frisbee, or just sniffing around. Plus, you'd be surprised what weather dog will think is water-worthy!
Some of the best parks may be resident-only and/or have an annual fee. These are likely to be very well-maintained and managed, but you have to balance that with the costs. I hear that a town park fairly close to us is fantastic, but they only allow town residents to use it, and there is a fee. We have only been to free parks. Their quality can vary greatly, so be prepared to shop around a bit before deciding on a regular spot.
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