photo: Laurel Fan
In Marysville, Washington, dog lovers have a dog park called Strawberry Fields for Rover. It’s a great place for our dogs to be socialized, play with their friends, and get some exercise. It’s also a great place for dog owners to connect with other dog lovers.
I haven’t been inside the dog park in more than a month, choosing to walk our dogs on the mowed trails that surround the huge field on which the dog park sits. My love of the dog park has been dampened because it’s no longer a safe place for our dogs to play. I wondered if I was alone and sent out an inquiry to ask dog owners why they stopped going and what they’re doing for their dog instead.
Common Reasons Dog Owners Stopped Going to the Dog Park
- People aren’t picking up after their dog
- People bring food into the dog park
- People bring small children to play at the dog park
- People bring aggressive dogs to the dog park
- Bully breeds are discriminated against; people assume they’re aggressive
- A person’s dog has become aggressive
- People bring nervous, unsocialized dogs to the dog park
- People are aggressive towards other dogs and dog owners
- People who don’t understand common dog behavior freak out
- People aren’t paying attention to their dog
- People aren’t vaccinating their dogs
- People don’t feel safe; small dogs and older dogs aren’t always safe
- The park charges a fee
If you can relate to any of the above reasons, then you’re not alone. I hope that the below ideas on alternatives to the dog park will spark your interest. You can have fun with your dog, get him/her great exercise and socialization outside the dog park…
Alternatives to the Dog Park
- Take safe hikes that are at your dog’s fitness level
- Walk in the neighborhood, but take a different route each day; invite a neighbor to join you
- Go to a big, open field (that is dog friendly) and invite friends to join you
- Get an interactive toy to keep your dog engaged and play at home
- Find a reputable doggy day care facility
- Go to a dog friendly beach or lake
Now it’s your turn! Where do you take your dog other than the dog park?
Thank you to the following people who took the time to contribute their thoughts and ideas to this post!
Alan diGangi, Suburban Shepher
Beverley Nash, Choose your dog for a lifetime of JOY!
Bobbi, Your Personal Partner
Catherine M. Zehner, CDT, CPDT-KA, AKC, CGC Evaluator
Hilary Bumm Buzz, Buzz Public Relations
Jen, Fetch Pet Care
Katherine Quintero, The Margulies Communications Group
Laura Cruz, Dogtopia
Melanie Kaminski, Metropolitan Money Pit
Rob LaBonne, Fur Dad to Toby
Scott Yates, Founder of Blogmutt
Sonia Charry, Paw Posse
Suzy Allman, Charlie Dog and Friends
Toshi & Candace, Toshi Tales
October 10, 2012 at 11:47 am
I’ve never had the opportunity to go to a dog park, not many around here on the east coast where I live. As a a matter of fact the first time I saw one was on the west coast.
We vary walking with my dog shadow. We do our daily neighborhood walks that range from .5 miles up to 2 miles. On the weekends we will go to some local state parks that tend to have hilly terrain. We also go to rail trails once in a while which are old rail lines that have been converted for recreational use.
Twitter: PaulGodin
October 10, 2012 at 3:53 pm
I would love to start walking our dogs on trails. I need to get my boyfriend on board, because it’s difficult to manage 3 dogs in a new area. I think it’ll be fun. I’ll have to plan something before all our sun get’s soaked away.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
October 10, 2012 at 11:52 am
We take our dogs on bike rides. It works so well. Our boys get the chance to RUN alongside the bike and they have a fantastic time. We try to vary our routes so things don’t get predictable. The bike rides range from 1 mile to 3 or 4 miles weather permitting. We live in South Florida so sometimes it is too hot for them to go too far. They have a fantastic time, they get to run pretty much as fast as they want, and by the time they get home they collapse on their beds and you can just see they are exhausted but happy and sleep really well that night.
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Twitter: lmcfrp
October 10, 2012 at 3:54 pm
I’ve seen people doing this and love the idea. You can go so much further and at a speed that the dogs enjoy.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
October 10, 2012 at 4:19 pm
We are lucky in our area (around Boulder, Colorado) to have a lot of open space trails that allow off-leash dogs on the trails and in the lakes. On some of the trails your dog has to wear a “green tag” provided by the County. This green tag is supposed to mean that your dog is completely under voice control, however you simply have to state that you watched a safety video and then fill out the application: you don’t have to prove it! We also have a dog park nearby that is almost 200 acres, so it’s easy to avoid the aggressive behaviour that smaller dog parks seem to bring out in some dogs when they get territorial. Colorado is a great place to own a dog. Off to a nearby off leash lake tomorrow!
October 10, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Teresa! That sounds like heaven!!! Love it! I wish we had a green tag here. My dogs are totally under voice control. Even Rodrigo, most of the time
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
October 10, 2012 at 9:42 pm
A couple of my friends who owned dogs just stroll around the neighborhood except for the dog park. Some have friends who are also dog owners and are accompanying them as well. After walking around a few blocks, they were satisfied that their dogs got the exercise they needed.
October 11, 2012 at 6:53 am
That’s such a simple approach. I wish we had more of a neighborhood where we could walk our dogs, but our area is more rural; we do have the Centennial Trail, but there are too many cyclists and we’d just be in their way. I love the idea of inviting company along
Twitter: thefurmom
October 11, 2012 at 12:19 am
Our guys love hikes. So that’s what we do. They also love spending days outside, either at friends’ horse farm or on Jasmine’s ranch. That’s the best – all day outside.
Just came back from Jasmine’s ranch, planting trees. Guys were helping – Jasmine by sitting in the hole, “why are you playing with dirt when you have me to play with?”
Then, as she saw us shake the clumps of dirt, she decided to help and started ripping it up. This was followed by disgusted faces as she had mouth full of dirt. “Hey, love you, but you can play this dumb game yourself,” and walk off to lay down.
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October 11, 2012 at 6:54 am
So very funny! I just learned that we have a tree farm near us that welcomes dogs; I bet Blue would have a blast there so we’re going to check it out soon.
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
October 11, 2012 at 5:55 am
I related to a lot of the points in that top list. When the weather was hot and miserable, a few dedicated dog guardians and I would visit the park in the wee hours just after the sun came up. We had a good group and everybody (including the people) got along great. Then the weather got nice and more people started showing up who were less … *dedicated* to good dog behavior and even the good dogs started getting testy. Can’t blame them, but can’t go back, either.
We just added two new puppies to our household, so exercise has taken on new dimensions anyway. My four year old is re-learning puppy play, and she gets back yard frisbee time when the pups nap. The pups get play time, plus training which really tires them out! I’m hopeful that in the spring, everybody will be leash-ready and we can start tackling some of the nearby trails!
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Twitter: scarletvirago
October 11, 2012 at 7:00 am
I completely hear you. We have a puppy again too and he sleeps on the way home from the dog park (5 miles), wakes up, jumps out of the care, and within 15 minutes he’s ready to go again. Our littermates are 2.5 years old and are ready for a nap. I miss the dog park, because it took care of everything, but it was difficult to keep an eye on our dogs and other dogs. I think our dogs were picking up on my stress so it was just a bummer for all of us. I’m really excited to start hiking on the trails!
Kimberly
Twitter: thefurmom
October 11, 2012 at 8:26 am
Join or start a community dog walking group! KC Pittie Pack, which I co-founded, is designed for dogs who need help with socialization, so they don’t get to play off-leash or go nose to nose. However, by the end of an hour or more walking together in an orderly pack, the dogs are always exhausted. Our group even just got a shoutout from a local newspaper for being the best way to tame a wild and crazy dog.
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