Dog park

[jen0610]

We have one in our city, that is just a fenced rectangle with a picnic table, that is free. We also have a local parks system that has several of them. Some huge and fenced, some unfenced, with rivers etc. Very very nice. Those are $45 for the year. And yes, when we paid it, I thought it was excessive. But yes, someone does have to maintain them I guess, and my pup LOVES to go there, so we paid it.

Ours is ran through the Parks and Rec board. They charge $40.00 per dog, per calendar year. With 3 dogs, that's $120.00. To me, the per dog is excessive. If they charged a flat $40/50 a family, I wouldn't think anything of it. And there is no price break for multiple dogs. The park is right next to a baseball field and several soccer fields, so it's not like the ground crew has to go out of their way to get to the park to mow and maintain it. There are a couple of ramps and tunnels for the dogs to run around, but other than that, it's just two adjoining large area's in which your dogs can run.

 

[jen0610]

Our municipal parks include fenced-in, leash-free dog parks in several locations. They include ramps and other obstacles to run and play on, fresh water, benches for humans, etc. You get in via a swipe card at an electronic gate - pay around $50 a year for the first dog and a smaller fee for a second, plus provide written shot records. They are very, very popular and the Parks Department will likely start building more in other locations.

We hardly ever see anyone there. DH drove by it this morning around 11:30. No one there. Drove by it last night 7:30ish, again no one at it. You can drive by it on the weekends and you may see a car there. And it's a shame. I truly believe that the price keeps people away that have more than one dog.

 

[tzolkin]

At the big one around here I've seen postings to be aware of specific dogs and their owners where there have been complaints. Carrying a leash is mandatory, and a dog is supposed to be immediately leashed if it shows any aggression. The park district has its own police department, and they could conceivably arrest an owner.

The one closest to my house is very large, so people are often not even near their dogs and it seems like most people clip their leash onto the fence right by the entrance.

Some people just have no understanding of appropriate dog behavior. I know at least one dog has been killed. I know several who have been injured requiring stitches and/or surgery and my own dog (a puppy) has been attacked (but no physical damage) more than once so we no longer go. Some of it just seems like common sense. If you have one dog who is "protective" of your other dog or if you have a herding dog who will get aggressive when he's frustrated that he can't catch/herd another dog-- you don't bring them to a dog park.

 

[loves to dive]

We have two locally and they are free.

 

[bcla]

The one closest to my house is very large, so people are often not even near their dogs and it seems like most people clip their leash onto the fence right by the entrance.

Some people just have no understanding of appropriate dog behavior. I know at least one dog has been killed. I know several who have been injured requiring stitches and/or surgery and my own dog (a puppy) has been attacked (but no physical damage) more than once so we no longer go. Some of it just seems like common sense. If you have one dog who is "protective" of your other dog or if you have a herding dog who will get aggressive when he's frustrated that he can't catch/herd another dog-- you don't bring them to a dog park.

At least in that park there's an absolute requirement for dog walkers to carry a leash.

My last dog died years ago but I'd take it to this park. I wouldn't say that my dog was aggressive, but it weighed about 13 lbs although looked bigger because of its thick fur. When other dogs did the typical sniff up the butt, my dog would huff a little, do that little thing kicking up dust, and then walk away. I don't know if that was "aggression" but I didn't really consider it so. My dog was never one to get into a fight with other dogs.

 

[dotfurio]

Our dog parks are free. We went once, but not any more. Our dog is fine til another tries to sniff her butt. Then she nips at them. Brat. So it's leash only adventures for her.

 

[tzolkin]

At least in that park there's an absolute requirement for dog walkers to carry a leash.

My last dog died years ago but I'd take it to this park. I wouldn't say that my dog was aggressive, but it weighed about 13 lbs although looked bigger because of its thick fur. When other dogs did the typical sniff up the butt, my dog would huff a little, do that little thing kicking up dust, and then walk away. I don't know if that was "aggression" but I didn't really consider it so. My dog was never one to get into a fight with other dogs.

The park nearby has separate sections for small and large (25+lb) dogs. When I used to use the park, my puppy was under 25lb (but tall and fluffy) and people felt that she was "too big" for the small dog park so we started using the large side. But there was a much bigger size difference between a 20lb puppy and 75+lb adult. I can understand rough play with larger dogs, but there were definitely situations where the dog was actually trying to hurt other dogs (chasing, cornering, pinning down, biting while the other dogs yelped and cried) and their owners even acknowledged that their dog could be aggressive sometimes. I just couldn't understand how people could knowingly bring a large aggressive dog to a public off-leash park.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

$15/year per dog and yes they check on a daily basis.

 

[disneyeveryyear]

Our dog parks are free as they are run by the Parks dept. It is an honor system to clean up after yourself, not bring an intact dog, etc.

I have started using a local doggy daycare. By buying a 15 day package, my per day price (up to 12.5 hours) is $13.33. We went yesterday for 5 hours to check it out. She seemed to be enjoying herself even though it was an indoor day due to weather. I know she was exhausted when she came home. She is a 4.5 month standard poodle. As of right now all of the dogs are in one confinement area, but I know they are planning to open the other side for small/elderly dogs in the future. My only drawback was that she came home smelling like "dog." So it was bath night.

 

[weeniecat2442]

at least two nice parks in my city and they are both free.
We got to our neighborhood one nearly every day during nice weather.